RUNNINGSUM

Overview

The RUNNINGSUM function calculates a cumulative total along the time axis.

Each period's value equals the sum of all values from the first non-empty period up to and including the current period.

Use this function when you want to track how values accumulate over time or as a helper function.

Syntax

RUNNINGSUM('Node')

Example usage: RUNNINGSUM('Profit')

Parameters

Parameter	Description	Type	Required
Node	Input node, specified using the node name in single quotes (e.g. `'Profit'`)	Node reference	Yes

Output Shape

Aspect	Behavior
Dimensionality	Preserves the input shape
Row count	Same number of rows as the input node
Time axis	Each period accumulates all preceding values
Non-time dimensions	Running sum is calculated independently for each combination

Watch Out

RUNNINGSUM requires a time dimension in the input node.
The cumulative calculation follows the chronological order of the time hierarchy.
Each combination of non-time dimensions is accumulated independently.
Periods before the first non-empty value are omitted from the output.
Missing values after the first non-empty period are treated as zero.

Examples

Basic cumulative total

Input node: Profit

Year	Value
2025	10
2026	20
2027	15

Formula: RUNNINGSUM('Profit')

Year	→ RUNNINGSUM Result
2025	10
2026	10 + 20 = 30
2027	10 + 20 + 15 = 45

Multi-dimensional input

When the node has additional dimensions (e.g. Region), the running sum is calculated independently for each dimensional combination.

Input node: Revenue

Year	Region	Value
2025	EMEA	50
2026	EMEA	60
2025	APAC	30
2026	APAC	40

Formula: RUNNINGSUM('Revenue')

Year	Region	→ RUNNINGSUM Result
2025	EMEA	50
2026	EMEA	50 + 60 = 110
2025	APAC	30
2026	APAC	30 + 40 = 70

Each region accumulates its values independently over time.

Behavior with gaps in the data

When the input has missing values for some time periods, RUNNINGSUM skips leading empty periods and treats later gaps as zero.

Input node: Payments

Year	Value
2024	N/A
2025	100
2026	N/A
2027	50

Formula: RUNNINGSUM('Payments')

Year	→ RUNNINGSUM Result
2025	100
2026	100 + 0 = 100
2027	100 + 0 + 50 = 150

2024 is omitted from the output because it is a leading empty period. 2026 has no value, so it is treated as zero, the running total carries forward unchanged.

Related Functions

Function	When to use instead
YTD	Running totals that reset within each year, quarter, month, or week.
RUNNINGPROD	Cumulative multiplication along the time axis instead of summation.
MOVINGSUM	Calculates sums over a sliding window of periods.
MOVINGAVG	Calculates averages over a sliding window of periods.
ROLLFORWARD_ADVANCED	Project values forward in time.