Working with dimension versions

In Axiom, dimensions are specific tables used by the system to store records and other reference data. Axiom Enterprise Decision Support includes two types of dimension tables:

• Core system dimensions - The tables where all the core data for your organization is stored and used by multiple parts of the system, including the costing, reporting, and other Axiom processes.

• Cost model version dimensions - For cost categories, accounts, and departments, you can create separate versions of these dimensions and assign them to one or more cost models. A dimension version can include all or some of the cost categories, accounts, or departments from the core dimensions, as needed. The changes you make in the dimension versions do not change the records in the core dimension. Their only purpose is to provide a working copy of the dimension data, which you can update as needed for specific cost model needs.

The core departments dimension includes all the departments in your organization, which you can use to create variations of the departments dimension to assign to different cost models. You can make changes to the dimension versions without affecting the core dimension data.

For example, you may have a version of the departments dimension that includes all departments that you use for your annual cost modeling. However, let's say this year there are three departments undergoing renovation. Instead of changing the entire cost model, you can simply create a new version of the departments dimension to change those departments from direct to indirect. You can then assign that dimension version to the cost model to use until the departments have been refurbished and are ready to take patients again. When the remodels are complete, you simply reassign your original departments dimension to the cost model and reprocess it.

For more information on how cost models work, see Working with cost models.