In this article, you learn how to build a model for your data using the Model Builder.
Consider the brewery data sample shown below in the planning sheet.
The first column contains a list of General Ledger (GL) account items for various quarters of the year 2026. In this module, you learn how to create a sample Profit and Loss (P&L) model using this example.
Data can include both actuals and forecasts, and models can be configured to handle both closed and open periods.
To learn more, refer to Hybrid row configuration.
The Driver Model view opens, where you build the model.
Select the Select All checkbox in the column header to select all nodes, then clear the selection for the top node.
The model will look like this, with one row:
The net profit or the net income for this model can be calculated using the formula:
Net Profit = Income Before Tax(EBT) - Income Tax ExpenseThis means the Net Profit row needs two child rows: Income Before Tax and Income Tax Expense.
To add a child node, select the + icon next to the node. You can also select the node to which you want to add child rows, then select Add Child and choose the type of row you want to add.
Add another child row for Net Profit and rename both rows.
Using Aggregate automatically aggregates the child rows, while Formula uses explicit row name references to perform the calculation.
If row names change, make sure to update the formula accordingly.
By following the above steps, you have created a calculated row at the top level.
Now, repeat the same process to add additional child nodes and continue configuring their row type and configuration settings.
For some rows, selecting the Formula type is more suitable than using the Aggregate type.
Income Before Tax (EBT) = Operating Income (EBIT)
+ Interest Income
- Interest Expense
+ Other Non-Operating IncomeFor Income Before Tax (EBT),
Use the steps described above to create and configure additional row structures.
Income Before Tax (EBT)
Operating Income (EBIT)
Gross Profit
Net Revenue
Gross Revenue
Volume
Revenue per Barrel
Federal & State Excise Taxes
Distributor Allowances & Rebates
Returns & Breakage
Total COGS
Total Operating Expenses
Alternatively, use the Bulk Insert feature to instantly build the model.
To add a new row at the same level as an existing one, select the row, and then select Add Sibling. This creates a sibling row for the selected row.
In the example above, two line items, Distributor Allowances & Rebates and Returns & Breakage, are to be added at the same level as Federal & State Excise Taxes.
You can add two of them as sibling rows to the first line item.
Repeat the same steps to build the Total COGS section and complete the model. You can also use the Bulk Insert and Bulk Edit features to speed up the process.
Use Bulk Insert to add multiple rows at once or build the entire model in one step. This is useful when you already have the model structure planned or prepared.
The rows are added under Total COGS based on the defined structure. Update the type and configuration for each row as needed.
The Aggregation property is typically set to Sum to roll up column values across the period from January to December. For rows that represent rates or percentages, set it to Average (Children).
If multiple rows share common settings, use Bulk Edit to format them all at once.
The completed model looks like this:
The model you build applies to the Open Period by default, unless you modify specific rows by toggling to the Open Period.
If you have the complete model structure handy in a notepad, you can build the entire model in one step by copy-pasting it through Bulk Insert.
You can then configure the type, configuration, formatting, and aggregation individually or through Bulk Edit.
Income Before Tax (EBT)
Operating Income (EBIT)
Gross Profit
Net Revenue
Gross Revenue
Volume
Revenue per Barrel
Federal & State Excise Taxes
Distributor Allowances & Rebates
Returns & Breakage
Total COGS
Brewing Materials
Packaging
Water & Utilities
Brewing & Production Labor (Input)
Plant Overhead & Maintenance (Input)
Inbound Freight & Warehousing (Input)
Brewery Depreciation (Input)
Total Operating Expenses
Selling & Marketing (Input)
Outbound Distribution & Logistics (Input)
General & Administrative (Input)
Research & Product Development (Input)
Non-Production D&A (Input)
Other Operating Expenses (Input)
Interest Income
Interest Expense
Other Non-Operating Income
Income Tax Expense
Effective Tax RateYou can reuse the model across different datasets that follow the same business logic. Maintain and scale the model by adding or removing rows and/or adjusting row configurations as needed to reflect changing business needs.
This approach reduces the need to recreate formulas from scratch and ensures consistency across datasets that follow the same logic. Features such as Bulk Insert and Templates help streamline this process and enable efficient model building at scale.
