# Budget Dashboards

## Overview

Etropo provides two specialized dashboard views for budget analysis and insights:

1. **Plans Insights Dashboard** - Budget allocation and distribution analytics
2. **Spend Insights Dashboard** - Variance analysis comparing planned vs actual spending

Both dashboards are accessed through the budget view selector in the header when viewing a budget.

## Plans Insights Dashboard

The Plans Insights Dashboard provides comprehensive visualization of budget allocation and distribution across time periods, categories, cost centers, and custom properties. The dashboard uses a tabbed interface with two main sections.

### Choosing a Version

Every chart on this dashboard reflects the budget version you're currently viewing. Use the version switcher in the header to analyze a draft reforecast the same way you analyze your live plan — the selection carries over from the editor and stays with you as you move between views. [Learn more about budget versions](https://docs.etropo.com/budget-planning/versions).

### Allocation Tab

![Allocation Tab](https://docs.etropo.com/images/budget/dashboards-new.webp)

#### Monthly Budget Chart

View your total planned budget distribution over time in an interactive line chart.

**Features:**
- **Period Grouping** - Switch between monthly, quarterly, or half-yearly views
- **Interactive Tooltips** - Hover to see exact budget amounts
- **Date Range Display** - Shows the full range of your budget planning period

#### Budget Growth Table

Track how your budget changes over time with detailed period-over-period analysis.

**Features:**
- **Flexible Time Period Views:**
  - Monthly breakdown
  - Quarterly summary
  - Half-yearly analysis
- **For Each Period:**
  - Total planned budget amount
  - Percentage change from previous period
  - Color-coded changes: green for growth, red for decline

#### Comparing Versions

The **Compare** control in the header overlays other versions of the budget on top of the one you're viewing.

**How it works:**
- Select versions from the Compare dropdown — up to four at a time
- The Monthly Budget chart draws each compared version as a dashed line, named in the legend
- The Budget Growth table adds a column for each compared version, so you can read the difference period by period
- **Clear comparison** removes all overlays

This is the quickest way to see how a reforecast differs from your live plan month by month. [Learn more about budget versions](https://docs.etropo.com/budget-planning/versions).

![Plans dashboard with the Compare button showing two selected versions, and the Monthly Budget Allocation chart drawing a Growth Scenario and a Conservative scenario as dashed lines around the current plan](https://docs.etropo.com/images/budget/dashboards/version-compare.webp)

### Distribution Tab

The Compare control is not available on this tab — its charts are stacked, so a second version can't be laid over them. The version switcher still applies: each chart shows the version you're viewing.

#### Category Breakdown Chart

See how your budget is distributed across different categories over time.

![Category Breakdown Chart](https://docs.etropo.com/images/budget/dashboards-new.webp)

When your budget uses master categories, the default view shows master categories and flat categories collapsed. You can select a master category to drill down into child categories. Child category amounts automatically roll up to their master in the default view.

#### Cost Center Distribution Chart

![Cost Center Distribution Chart](https://docs.etropo.com/images/budget/dashboards-new.webp)

Visualizes budget distribution across cost centers when your organization uses cost center tracking.

**Note:** This chart only appears if your budget has cost centers configured. If no cost centers are defined, the chart will not be displayed.

#### Property Distribution Chart

Displays budget distribution across custom select-type properties (dropdown fields with predefined options).

**Note:** This chart only appears if your organization has select-type properties defined. Examples include Region, Department, or Priority fields.

## Spend Insights Dashboard

The Spend Insights Dashboard enables variance analysis by comparing planned budgets against actual spending, with advanced filtering and period selection capabilities.

### Filter Command Box

A command palette-style filter interface that allows you to quickly filter your budget data.

**Available Filters:**
- **Category** - Filter by specific categories, including master category expansion
- **Currency** - Filter by line item currency
- **Status** - Filter by approval status (draft, pending approval, approved, rejected)
- **Owner** - Filter by assignee or show unassigned items
- **Cost** - Filter by total cost or monthly cost with comparison operators (equals, greater than, less than, etc.)

**Note:** When filtering by a master category, all child categories within that master are automatically included in the results.

### Period Selector

Choose the time period for your variance analysis.

**Options:**
- **Period Type** - Select Month or Quarter
- **Specific Period** - Choose from available periods within your budget

### Variance Table

The variance table displays line items grouped by category with detailed planned vs actual comparisons.

**Columns:**
| Column | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| Line Item | Name with expand/collapse controls for categories |
| Planned | Budgeted amount for the selected period |
| Actual | Actual spending for the selected period |
| Variance | Difference (Planned - Actual) |

**Features:**
- **Hierarchical Categories** - Expandable/collapsible category groups
- **Master Category Support** - Master category rows show the total of the categories under them
- **Color-Coded Variance:**
  - Red text for over-budget items
  - Green text for under-budget items
- **Warning Icons** - Critical variances are highlighted with warning indicators
- **Currency Conversion** - All amounts displayed in your organization's default currency

## Currency Handling

All dashboard widgets automatically handle currency conversion:

- All amounts are converted to your organization's default currency before aggregation
- Large numbers are formatted compactly (e.g., "1.2M" instead of "$1,200,000")
- Currency symbols are properly placed based on locale

## Use Cases

### Plans Insights Dashboard
- Present budget allocations to stakeholders
- Compare a reforecast against your live plan before committing to it
- Track budget growth trends over time
- Analyze category spending patterns
- Monitor investment distribution across cost centers
- Compare property-based budget allocation

### Spend Insights Dashboard
- Monitor budget vs actual spending performance
- Identify over-budget categories or line items
- Analyze spending patterns by period
- Filter and focus on specific budget segments
- Track variance trends for better forecasting

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Source: https://docs.etropo.com/budget-planning/dashboard