Master Data, Accounts Payable, and Lookup Types — FAQs and troubleshooting

Master data

Q: What is master data and why is it important?

A: Master data represents the core reference elements used across the Yarken platform. It forms the foundation for:

• Spend distribution and expense allocation

• Planning data (Budget, Forecast, and Workforce Planning)

• Cost Pool, Tower, and Consumer rules and mappings

• Reporting, Analytics, and Ask Yarken

All financial and consumption data relies on master data to ensure consistent classification and accurate cost allocation. Master data must be loaded before transactional data such as expenses, budgets, or consumption records.

Q: What datasets are included in master data?

A: Yarken includes five master data datasets:

• Accounts

• Cost Centers

• Vendors

• Solution Offerings

• Consumers

Q: What are custom fields in master data?

A: Master data datasets support custom fields for additional metadata:

• Custom String 1 to 5

• Custom Number 1 to 5

• Custom Date 1 to 2

Q: What are the two ways to load master data?

A: Yarken supports two methods:

• Manual entry

• File upload

Q: What file formats are supported for master data upload?

A: Yarken supports:

• .xlsx (Excel)

• .csv (Comma-separated values)

Always use the predefined template from Admin → Data Dictionary to ensure file headers align with Yarken fields.

Q: What happens when I re-upload a master data file?

A: Master data upload behavior is update or create:

1. Existing records with the same unique key (e.g., Account Code, Cost Center Code, Vendor Code) are updated with the new values

2. If the file contains new master code entries, new records are created

Q: What happens when I edit a Master Data record?

A: When a Master Data record is edited, Yarken automatically updates any related mappings and allocation rules that reference that record within the Designer.

Q: Will editing a Master Data record affect historical data?

A: Editing a Master Data record updates the associated record and its related mappings and rules. For reporting and analysis areas such as Dashboards, Reports, Analytics, and Planning, you need to refresh the relevant cube to see the updated values.

Q: Can I delete a master data record?

A: Yes, but only if the record is not referenced elsewhere in the system. If the record is in use in cost allocation rules, mappings, or expense records, deletion is restricted to preserve data consistency. In such cases, mark the record as inactive instead.

Q: What is the Active/Inactive status in master data and how does it work?

A: Every master data record has an Active field:

By default, only active records are displayed. You can filter to view inactive records. When uploading via file, if the Active field is left blank or unmapped, the default value is Yes.

Q: Should I refresh the Ask Yarken Knowledge Base after changing master data?

A: Yes. After adding, renaming, or removing master data records (vendors, accounts, cost centers, consumers, solution offerings), refresh the Knowledge Base dimensions index so Ask Yarken can resolve names accurately.

Accounts Payable

Q: What data can be managed in Accounts Payable?

A: The Accounts Payable module allows you to manage:

• Invoices

• Purchase Orders

• Contracts

Q: What is the recommended load order for Accounts Payable?

A: Load data in this sequence to ensure records can be linked correctly:

Skipping this order may result in broken links between contracts, purchase orders, and invoices.

Q: Can Contracts include companion metrics?

A: Yes. Contracts can be linked to Companion Metrics, which allow you to track planned and actual values alongside the contract. This enables:

• Comparing contracted amount with actual spend

• Tracking planned vs. actual values in companion metrics

• Supporting vendor and contract portfolio analysis

Configure companion metrics in Admin → Yarken Designer → Companion Metrics and link them to contracts during creation or editing.

Q: Can I edit an Invoice, Purchase Order, or Contract?

A: Yes. Existing Accounts Payable records can be edited at any time. Before editing, review dependent linked records.

Q: What happens when I edit an Accounts Payable record?

A: When an Accounts Payable record is edited, Yarken automatically updates any related references and mappings associated with that record.

The changes are immediately available within the Designer.

Q: Why are my changes not visible in reports or dashboards?

A: Accounts Payable changes are applied immediately within the application. However, reporting components may continue displaying previously processed data until the relevant cube is refreshed.

Q: Can I delete an Invoice, Purchase Order, or Contract?

A: Yes. Records can be deleted and they are not restricted by dependencies. Always verify links before deleting.

Lookup Types

Q: What are Lookup Types?

A: Lookup Types are custom reference tables that you create and manage in Yarken Designer. The system uses these tables to enrich, normalize, or transform incoming data during file uploads through Upload Rules.

Each Lookup Type contains:

Q: When should I use a Lookup Type?

A: Use a Lookup Type when the information needed to enrich your dataset:

• Is not included in the uploaded file, and

• Cannot be retrieved from any existing data source in the application

Common use cases:

By creating your own mapping table and uploading custom reference values, the system applies mappings automatically during ingestion.

Q: Can I use the same Lookup Type across multiple Upload Rules?

A: Yes. A single Lookup Type can be referenced by multiple Upload Rules across different source tables.

Troubleshooting — Master Data, Accounts Payable, and Lookup Types

Master data is edited but my changes not visible in Dashboards, Reports, Analytics, or Planning

Cause: Master Data changes are applied immediately within the Designer. However, reporting and planning areas may continue to display previously processed data until the associated cube is refreshed.

Resolution:

Refresh the relevant cube to ensure the latest Master Data changes are reflected in:

• Dashboards

• Reports

• Analytics

• Planning

Master data record cannot be deleted — "record is in use"

Cause: The record is referenced in cost allocation rules, mappings, expense records, or downstream configurations. Yarken restricts deletion to preserve data consistency.

Resolution:

1. Identify where the record is referenced (Cost Pool rules, Tower rules, expense records, etc.)

2. If the record must be removed from active use, set Active = No instead of deleting

3. If you must delete the record, first remove or update all references to it in rules, mappings, and expense records

4. Retry the deletion after all dependencies are cleared

Accounts Payable records not appearing in transaction reports

Cause: The AP records may not be correctly linked to vendors, or the vendor does not exist in Master Data.

Resolution:

1. Verify the Vendor Name in the AP record matches exactly with a Vendor in Master Data

2. Ensure the recommended load order was followed: Vendors → Accounts & Cost Centers → Contracts → Purchase Orders → Invoices

3. If using file upload, check the UPLOADED FILES tab for mapping errors

4. Verify the AP records are linked correctly — Invoice → Purchase Order → Contract

Edited Accounts Payable is not visible in dashboards or reports

Cause: Reporting cubes have not been refreshed.

Resolution:

1. Refresh the relevant cube and reload the report, dashboard, analytics view, or planning workspace.

Deleting a Contract that has linked Purchase Orders

Cause: Unlike Master Data, Accounts Payable deletion is not restricted even if another dataset references the record. Deleting a contract linked to purchase orders removes the contract but leaves the POs intact — they simply lose their contract link.

Resolution:

1. Before deleting, review whether the contract is linked to purchase orders or invoices

2. If the commercial relationship needs to remain traceable, consider editing the contract instead of deleting

3. If deletion is necessary, update the linked purchase orders to reference the correct contract (or leave them unlinked)

4. Download the records before deleting for audit purposes

Lookup Type not appearing in Upload Rules dropdown

Cause: The Lookup Type was not created successfully, or the upload failed during the creation process.

Resolution:

1. Navigate to Admin → Yarken Designer → Lookup Types and verify the Lookup Type exists in the list

2. If missing, re-create by uploading the Lookup Types file with mandatory fields (Lookup Type, Lookup Key)

3. Ensure the file mapping was completed correctly during upload — both Lookup Type and Lookup Key must be mapped

4. After successful creation, navigate to Upload Rules and verify the Lookup Type appears in the Lookup Table dropdown

5. If using a non-template file, ensure that all fields are correctly mapped to the required system fields

Error accessing Lookup Types page

Cause: A known issue was reported where users encountered an error when trying to access Lookup Types.

Resolution:

1. Clear browser cache and reload the application

2. Verify the user has the Admin or Cost Model Manager role

3. Contact support@yarken.com with the environment URL and error details

Related content

• Load master data in Designer

• Manage master data

• Load Accounts Payable data

• Manage Accounts Payable records

• Lookup Types