Data and meta data variants extending actual data for planning

Abstract

Embodiments implement data and meta data versioning in order to adapt reported data ('actuals') for planning purposes. A versioning engine receives from an operative system (e.g. ERP system), root variants. These root variants may comprise existing actual data and corresponding underlying corporate meta data. Based upon user input, the versioning engine creates from these root variants, additional variants of the data and/or meta data. A new data variant may be based upon the original corporate meta data unchanged (e.g. for projecting existing product lines). A data variant may alternatively be based upon a new meta data variant reflecting changes to the original corporate meta data (e.g. for adopting an entirely new product line). By effectively depicting relationships between actual data and plan data, and between that data and its underlying meta data, versioning allows a user to visualize evolution of actual data into plan data for forecasting purposes.