> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pluvo.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Dimensions

> Please contact [support@pluvo.io](mailto:support@pluvo.io)  to activate dimensions in your organization.

<Note>
  Please contact [support@pluvo.io](mailto:support@pluvo.io)  to activate dimensions in your organization.
</Note>

Dimensions let you add depth to your models by categorizing data across key business attributes—like department, region, vendor, customer, or product line.

They’re a powerful way to track, organize, and analyze financial data beyond the chart of accounts.

### Why Use Dimensions?

While variables are the backbone of your financial model, dimensions help you **slice and segment those variables** in meaningful ways.

For example:

* Break down headcount by department
* Track revenue by region
* Allocate expenses across projects
* Analyze COGS by SKU

Dimensions allow you to ask better questions and get clearer answers, without duplicating models or hardcoding every line item.

### When to Use Dimensions

You’ll want to use dimensions any time you’re managing **repeating categories** that share the same structure. This is especially useful when:

* You want to **compare multiple entities or segments** side by side
* You want to **build formulas that adapt** to different dimension values
* You want to **roll up or filter data** in reports without manual rework

They’re a game-changer for scalable planning and reporting.

### Example:

Forecasting Salaries with Hierarchical Dimensions

Let’s say you’re building a salary forecast for your company.

Without dimensions, you’d need to create separate variables for every department or team—like `Salary_Engineering`, `Salary_Sales`, `Salary_CS`, etc. That gets messy fast, especially if your org grows or restructures.

Instead, you create a single variable: `Employee Salaries`\
Then, you assign a **Department** dimension to it, which might look like:

* Engineering
* Sales
* Customer Success
* Marketing

Now, each row in your salary model can be tagged to a department, and you can input salaries by department directly in one place.

#### Adding a Hierarchical Dimension

Let’s say your company operates in multiple regions—US, EMEA, and APAC—and each department exists in each region. Rather than creating 15+ individual variables (Sales\_US, Sales\_EMEA, Sales\_APAC…), you add a **Region** dimension *nested* under Department.

For example:

`Department → Region`\
`Engineering → US`\
`Engineering → EMEA`\
`Sales → US`\
`Sales → APAC`

Now you can plan and report salaries at **any level of granularity**:

#### For Reporting

* Roll up salaries across all departments in APAC
* Compare Engineering salaries between US and EMEA
* Show total Sales salaries across all regions
* Filter a report down to just Customer Success in EMEA

Because the hierarchy is built in, Pluvo understands how to group and aggregate automatically—no extra formulas or duplicated data.

#### For Planning

* Model hiring plans by department *and* region (e.g. 3 engineers in EMEA, 5 in US)
* Apply different assumptions by region (e.g. higher salaries in the US)
* Forecast regional expansions just by adding a new region to the dimension—no need to restructure your mode

#### Why It Matters

Dimensions make your models **scalable**. Hierarchical dimensions make them **powerful**.

They allow you to:

* Keep your models clean, even as your org becomes more complex
* Plan and report across many views—without duplicating logic
* Build once, then slice, filter, and explore however you need

It’s the difference between a spreadsheet that works for now and a financial model that grows with your business.

### Ready to get started with Dimensions?

* [**Dimension Basics**](/modelling/features/dimensions/dimensions-basics)\
  Learn how to create and manage dimensions, and see examples of common use cases.
* [**Dimensions in Formulas**](/modelling/features/dimensions/dimensions-in-formulas)\
  Learn how to reference dimensions in formulas, use functions like `sumif` and `countif`, and build dynamic logic across categories.