Before you begin, make sure you have:
Have a Group already set up in GATHER.nexus
Have your Group Reporting Templates (GRT) created for budget structure alignment
Consider your budgeting frequency requirements (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually)
Determine if you need Group Class segmentation for business unit or regional budgeting
Have administrator privileges to create and manage Group Budgets
Step 1: Access Group Budget management
From your GATHER.nexus dashboard, navigate to the Group Financial Planning section in your main interface. Click on Group Budget to access the comprehensive budget creation and management tools.
You'll see the Group Budget management interface where you can create, modify, and monitor your financial planning systems.
Step 2: Review the Group Budget List
The Group Budget management interface provides a complete view of your budgeting system setup:
Key Interface Elements:
Budget Management Columns: Name, Group, GRT (Group Reporting Template), Group Class, Budget Year, Budget Period
Add Budget Button: Located in the top right corner for creating new budget structures
Search Functionality: Filter and locate specific budget configurations quickly
Action Controls: Edit, copy, and delete options for existing budgets
Initial Setup Status: When you first access Group Budget functionality, you'll see the message: "No budget entries available at this time." This indicates you're ready to begin creating your first Budgets .
Step 3: Create your first Group Budget
Begin building your financial planning process by adding a new Group Budget that aligns with your strategic planning requirements.
Step 3.1: Initiate budget creation
Click the Add Budget button to begin creating your first comprehensive budget
structure.
The Add New Budget modal window will appear, showing the comprehensive
budget setup form with all configuration options.
Step 3.2: Fill essential budget information
Complete the fundamental budget details:
Budget Name: Enter a descriptive name for your budget
Use clear names like "2025 Annual Budget", "Q1 Operating Plan", or "Strategic Planning Budget"
Choose names that reflect the budget's purpose and timeframe
Consider including the planning cycle or business focus in the name
Group Selection: Choose the appropriate group from the dropdown menu
Select the group of entities that this budget will cover
Ensure the selected group includes all relevant legal entities for your planning scope
GRT (Group Reporting Template): Select your reporting template from available
options
This links your budget directly to your established reporting structure
Ensures consistency between planning, budgeting, and actual results reporting
Choose templates that match your budget's reporting requirements
❗Important: Selecting the appropriate GRT is crucial as it determines the
account structure and categories available for your budget entry.
Step 3.3: Define budget parameters
Configure the timing and formatting parameters for your budget planning:
Budget Year: Set the financial year for your budget (e.g., "2025")
Align with your organisation's financial year calendar
Consider multi-year planning if creating strategic budgets
Ensure consistency with your Group's financial period configuration
Budget Period: Select your budgeting frequency from available options:
Monthly: Detailed month-by-month planning for operational control
Quarterly: Quarterly planning for management reporting
Semi-Annually: Six-month planning cycles for mid-term reviews
Annually: High-level annual planning for strategic overview
Amount Format: Choose your display format for budget presentations:
Actual: Full currency amounts for detailed planning
Thousands (K): Simplified presentation for management review
Millions (M): Simplified presentation for management review
Billions (B): Simplified presentation for management review
Step 3.4: Advanced budget configuration
Configure sophisticated budget segmentation and analysis capabilities:
Group Class Toggle: Enable Group Class functionality using the toggle switch
Activate this feature to enable business unit or regional budget segmentation
Allows for sophisticated budget analysis across business dimensions
Here is the link for how to create Group Class wise budgets: click here
Merge Budgets Configuration: Configure budget consolidation options
Set up options for combining multiple budget structures
Enable sophisticated budget rollup and consolidation capabilities
Here is the link for how to merge budgets: click here
💡Tip: Start with basic configuration for your first budget and add advanced
features like Group Classes as your budgeting sophistication increases.
Step 3.5: Add your Group Budget
Click Add to create your new Group Budget and make it available for detailed
budget entry and ongoing management or you can click on Cancel to abort the
process.
Step 4: Monitor and manage created Group Budgets
Once your Group Budget is created, you can monitor and manage it through the main dashboard interface.
Budget Information Display:
Name: Your budget identifier and description
Group: Associated group structure and entities
GRT: Linked reporting template for account structure
Group Class: Business classification for segmentation
Budget Year: Planning period and financial year
Budget Period: Frequency setting and planning cycle
Available Action Options:
View Budgets vs Actuals Report: Access comprehensive variance analysis and performance tracking
Edit Functionality: Modify budget parameters, configurations, and structures
Copy Controls: Duplicate successful budget structures for other periods or groups
Delete Management: Remove outdated or unnecessary budget configurations
Step 5: Add amounts and detailed budget entries
Configure your budget with specific financial targets and operational plans.
Step 5.1: Access detailed budget entry
Click anywhere on the budget row in your dashboard to open the detailed budget
entry screen.
The system will display:
Group Budget Structure: Based on your selected GRT account categories
Time Period Layout: Configured according to your selected budget period (monthly, quarterly, etc.)
Currency Display: Using your group's base currency for consolidation
Account Categories: All GRT accounts available for budget entry
Step 5.2: Enter budget amounts
Input your financial targets using the comprehensive budget entry interface:
Account-by-Account Entry: Enter budget amounts for each GRT account category
Period-Specific Planning: Configure amounts for each time period within your
budget cycle
Step 5.3: Use efficiency features for budget entry
Amount Replication: Use the arrow button to copy amounts across periods
Enter an amount for one period (e.g., January 2025)
Click the arrow button to replicate this amount across all other periods
Particularly useful for consistent monthly expenses or revenue targets
Period Switching: Switch between different time period views while maintaining
data integrity:
Lower to Higher Frequency: When switching from monthly to quarterly, amounts automatically add up
Higher to Lower Frequency: When switching from quarterly to monthly, amounts divide equally across periods
Flexible Analysis: Switch between monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual views as needed
Amount Display Switching: Change amount viewing formats without affecting
underlying data:
Switch between actual amounts, thousands, millions, or billions
Maintain detailed data while presenting at appropriate summary levels
Support both operational detail and strategic overview requirements
Set up the amounts for the budget for every account and once done just click on the button Save to save the budget or you can click Cancel to abort the process. Remember - if you clicked on Cancel, the Budget will not save and the data will be lost.
Best practices for Group Budget success
Strategic budget design:
Template Alignment: Ensure budget structures align with your Group Reporting Templates for consistency between planning and reporting
Business Integration: Use Group Classes to create budgets that reflect your actual business structure and management accountability
Time Period Optimization: Choose budget periods that match your management reporting and decision-making cycles
Budget entry excellence:
Systematic Approach: Enter budgets systematically by account category to ensure comprehensive coverage
Strategic Focus: Align budget entries with strategic objectives and operational capabilities
Efficiency Usage: Leverage replication and switching features to streamline budget entry processes
Regular Reviews: Schedule periodic budget reviews and updates to maintain relevance and accuracy
Performance management:
Variance Analysis: Regularly review budget vs. actual reports for performance insights
Business Intelligence: Use Group Class segmentation to identify performance drivers and improvement opportunities
Strategic Adaptation: Adjust budgets based on changing business conditions and strategic priorities
Common questions
Q: Can I create multiple budgets for the same group and time period?
A: Yes, you can create multiple budget scenarios (conservative, optimistic, etc.) or budgets for different purposes (operational vs. strategic).
Q: What happens if I change the GRT after creating a budget?
A: Changing the underlying GRT may affect budget structure. Consider creating a new budget with the updated template rather than modifying existing ones.
Q: How do Group Classes affect my budget structure?
A: Group Classes enable budget segmentation by business dimensions, allowing for departmental or regional budget management within the overall group structure.
Q: Can I import budget data from external systems?
A: While the interface shows manual entry, contact support for guidance on bulk budget import options for large-scale implementations.
What's next?
With your Group Budgets established, you can:
Generate budget vs. actual reports for ongoing performance monitoring and management
Create additional budget scenarios for strategic planning and sensitivity analysis
Integrate budget data with your consolidated reporting for complete financial management
Establish budget review cycles with your management team for ongoing strategic control
Your Group Budget system now provides financial planning capabilities that support strategic decision-making and operational control across your entire multi-entity organisation.
Have questions or need assistance❓
Contact our support team at support@gather.nexus