Are Period Costs Needed For RCE?

[David_Dugan3]

I thought period costs were needed for RCE, specifically for the program revenue stage reports, but I see that I have data in that report for all programs, including those with no period costs. Did this change?

[J_Grant_Gray]

You can bypass period cost by making either progams Inclusive or the Channel

or

Make a Program Without a Period Cost Available in Revenue Explorer and Analyzers - Marketo Docs - Pr...

grant

[David_Dugan3]

Hi Grant, Yes, I realize that there is that option, and I've had it set to Inclusive. But I thought the Revenue Stage report needed those costs anyway. It may be that it only needs them if you want to control the timeframe - because the only timeframe filter is "Cost" (?). Maybe I had never looked at all time...

-David

[Floyd_Alvares2]

Hi David,

Period costs are required for RCE reporting. Back in the day we had to set a period cost of $0 or $1 for it to be included into the reporting for RCE. However the analytics behaviour works the same as setting the value of the period cost at $0.

Note: The Program Analyser requires a period cost for it to be reported on and the analytics behaviour does not work in this scenario.

Hope this helps!

Floyd

[Karan_Hari3 · Accepted solution]

Hi David Dugan​,

It is not out of the normal for marketers to use RCE reports without period costs. I have had several of my clients in the past where the practice of defining period cost itself did not exist.

But as Grant Gray rightly said and as mentioned in this document - Make a Program Without a Period Cost Available in Revenue Explorer and Analyzers,​ We can create these RCE reports without period costs to report on other parameters and metrics that might be required from these reports.

That being said, As a best practice, Utilizing the option for period cost and defining the same  is highly recommended, specially for reports like Program cost analysis, Program opportunity analysis and program revenue stage analysis. In case of such reports, defining period costs in all the programs can make a crucial difference in reporting and improve the overall insights you can gain from RCE reports.

Best Always,

Karan Hari

[Josh_Hill13]

yes, you do not need Period Costs to run or make the most of RCE reports.

It's a good idea to try, but in practice 1/100 marketers do this.

[David_Dugan3]

Thanks Everyone!

I'll continue to live without the period costs (as Josh says, it's not easy to get everyone to update these consistently). I've worked without them for the past few years and it has been fine, except for the Program Revenue Stage reports.

Those apparently also work fine without them, as long as you are looking at all time - you can't adjust the time-frame in those reports unless you have period costs (unlike most other reports where they are not needed for time-frame).

-David