Cell Modes — Qty × Rate vs Amount
Planner cells operate in one of two modes depending on the plan type — Quantity times Rate for volume-based plans, or a direct Amount for value-based plans.
Every cell in the plan grid is one row's target for one period. What a cell holds is decided by the plan type, and it is the reason a Sales plan can report units and an average price while an Expenses plan cannot.
The Two Modes
| Mode | You type | The cell shows | The plan stores | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qty × Rate | A Quantity and a Rate. | Quantity × Rate, computed. | Two figures per cell — the quantity, and the value as revenue (Sales) or cost (Purchases, Production). The rate itself is not stored. | Sales, Purchases, Production |
| Amount | A single Amount. | The amount. | One figure per cell. | Expenses, Cash Flow, Payroll |
Why the Difference Matters
| On the Overview | Qty × Rate plans | Amount plans |
|---|---|---|
| Value against target | Yes, labelled Revenue | Yes, labelled Amount |
| Units against target | Yes | No |
| Average unit price, planned and achieved | Yes | No |
| Attainment on units as well as value | Yes | No |
| The By-something view | By Item | By Account |
A Quantity × Rate plan can therefore answer why a period missed: fewer units, a lower price, or both. An Amount plan can only tell you the total was short.
The Rate Label
| Plan type | Second field is labelled |
|---|---|
| Sales | Rate (price per unit) |
| Purchases | Rate (cost per unit) |
| Production | Cost per unit |
The rate you enter is your planned price or cost per unit — it is not read from the item's catalogue price or its weighted average cost. You are projecting what you expect, not recording what happened.
Only positive values are saved. A cell at zero — or a Quantity × Rate cell whose quantity and rate multiply out to zero — is skipped when you save, and a value that was already saved stays on the plan. Leave cells you do not intend to plan empty.