Sage Intacct is cloud-based accounting software that offers flexibility, scalability, and remarkable adaptability for mid-market organizations. As a best-in-class solution, Sage Intacct has some handy features that aren’t in other ERP solutions. One of the most exciting and valuable is its dimensions feature.  

How Dimensions Work in Sage Intacct

Traditional accounting software calculates the totals for shared charts of accounts using multiplication. Consider a hypothetical organization with 300 accounts and 5 business units across 10 departments: 

300 accounts x 5 business units x 10 departments = 15,000 accounts  

For this organization, adding a single new business unit to the mix would increase its number of accounts by 3,000. 

300 accounts x 1 new business unit x 10 departments = 3,000 new accounts 

Larger account numbers such as these are unwieldy and error-prone. That’s why Sage Intacct boasts a unique dimensional chart of accounts that designates each business unit as its own independent dimension. The calculation for Sage Intacct accounts swaps out multiplication for addition: 

300 accounts + 5 business units + 10 departments = 315 accounts  

As you add new business units, Sage Intacct simply adds another record. 

315 accounts + 1 new business unit = 316 accounts 

Fewer accounts are more manageable, and Sage Intacct’s unique system allows you to mix and match components as needed. There’s no need to establish combinations ahead of time! Dimensional reporting creates new layers of depth for your data without wasting time or resources. 

The Benefits of Dimensions

Dimensions in accounting software improve how you report and analyze data. Sage Intacct’s dimensions promote real-time analysis and cross-company flexibility. But how exactly can dimensions benefit you? 

Streamline Accounts

Dimensions are recorded at the transaction level, and entries are posted in real-time to the subledger and general ledger. This synchronization lets you create more meaningful and accurate reports in Sage Intacct in less time than you could with traditional, premise-based accounting software. The result? You get the detailed and timely information necessary to make strategic business decisions. 

This easy-to-use flexibility provides a significant advantage over more conventional legacy accounting systems, which often have bulkier and less manageable data pools. 

Sage Intacct’s dimensions additionally let users tag transactions and other values for easy organization. You can apply these dimensional values to any type of transaction to keep track of all related activities. 

Simplify Reporting

Sage Intacct’s visualization features help you view dimensional data in new, unique ways. You can use Sage Intacct’s predefined dimensions out of the box to quickly explore resources, or you can create your own to personalize the software to your business needs. 

The custom report writer in Sage Intacct is built with users in mind. Instead of leaving several empty text boxes in reports for you to figure out, Sage Intacct integrates its dimensions with its report builder. This integration provides drop-down menus with dimensions serving as filters for your data. You can easily switch between dimensions or mix and match them to create unique reports.  

Expand Data Capabilities

Because transactions are tagged with dimensions—and you can report on those dimensions in Sage Intacct—you can build multi-dimensional reports. These reports can display data such as “revenue by item by customer” or “expenses by department by location.” 

With a traditional chart of accounts, it’s challenging to view information this way. You can usually see everything together, like all expenses across the business, or by the individual account, like expenses for a specific department. But being able to compare things to one another would require a lot of manual effort from the accounting team. Streamlining your data makes reporting and analysis even more straightforward, so you can dedicate more time to activities that help your business grow. 

Increase Visibility

Improving the visibility of your transactions and operational data is essential to making more intelligent business decisions. Sage Intacct’s dimensions provide a flexible financial foundation that gives you a new perspective on your business. Viewing this data in real-time lets you analyze operational performance from any angle.  

Expansive dimensional capabilities in reporting also allow your business units and stakeholders to make the most of your data. Improving visibility across your business opens the door for more meaningful conversations and well-supported business decisions.  

Seeing all your dimensions in one place saves time, too! You can spend less time checking the accuracy of data and more time deciphering the meaning behind it. 

Conclusion

Sage Intacct’s dimensions might seem strange for users of more traditional ERP and finance software. However, these dimensions’ unique characteristics make them so powerful. If your business wants greater flexibility and visibility for financial data, Sage Intacct and its dimensions might be the perfect fit.