Mapping Financial Data to Resource Cost Pools
Aligning your organization’s budget to TBM Cost Pools enables powerful capabilities like variance analysis, forecasting, and planning transparency. This process pairs with the process of mapping financial data to cost pools, using the same TBM structure and logic so that your reports speak a common financial language across the organization.
Before You Begin: Critical Warnings and Setup Tips
- Unique Budget Entry Identifiers Are Essential –If your budget system does not assign a unique identifier to each budget item (e.g., Budget ID, Line ID), you’ll struggle to maintain consistent TBM mappings over time.
- Assess Your Budget System’s Flexibility – Check whether your budgeting platform supports custom fields or metadata tags for TBM attributes (e.g., Cost Pool, Sub-Pool, Tower, Solution). If these fields can’t be added, all TBM mapping must happen externally (e.g., in Excel), making it harder to manage updates and reducing stakeholder ownership of the data.
- Validate Budget-to-Actual Linkage – Ensure your budget and actuals are comparable—ideally both use the same account codes, cost centers, Budget IDs, and time dimensions. If there is no unique identifier that associates budget items to General Ledger entries, then variance reporting may not be enabled.
Key Concepts
Budget
A forward-looking financial plan that estimates expected costs across departments, cost centers, or initiatives. Budgets are typically stored in planning modules within ERP or financial systems (e.g., Oracle, SAP, Workday Adaptive). Budget entries may mirror the Chart of Accounts structure but often use simplified or custom categorizations. To enable Cost Pool mapping, budgets must include account identifiers (e.g., GL codes) or descriptive metadata that allows linkage to the TBM Taxonomy. Confirm with your Finance or FP&A team whether TBM fields can be added directly to budget records.
Chart of Accounts (CoA)
This is a structured list of all accounts used by an organization to classify financial transactions. Each account typically includes a unique identifier (account code), a name, and a description. The CoA categorizes expenses by type and is the primary reference point for identifying IT-relevant spend. For access and interpretation, contact your Corporate Finance or Accounting team or your ERP system administrator (e.g., Oracle, SAP).
Mapping
Mapping is the process of aligning financial data (from GL and CoA) to the appropriate TBM Sub-Pools. This requires interpretation of account codes and descriptions, knowledge of how costs are used within the organization, and review of supporting documentation such as capitalization policies. Collaborate with IT Finance, Accounting, and your TBM Administrator for input.
TBM Cost Pools and Sub-Pools
Cost Pools are broad functional categories of IT spend (e.g., Staffing, Hardware, Software, Outside Services). Each Cost Pool contains multiple Sub-Pools that provide more granular classification. For example, the Staffing Cost Pool includes Sub-Pools such as Internal Labor, Internal Labor Capital, Staff Augmentation, Staff Augmentation Capital, and Other Operating. Mapping is done at the Sub-Pool level to ensure precision. Reference the Taxonomy definitions to understand the scope of each Sub-Pool.
TBM Taxonomy
The TBM Taxonomy standardizes the way technology costs are classified and reported. The taxonomy includes several layers, including Cost Pools, Towers, and Solutions. This page focuses specifically on the Cost Pool layer. To access the taxonomy, refer to the official TBM Taxonomy v5.0 documentation.
Who Should Be Involved in Mapping the Budget to Cost Pools
Mapping the budget to TBM Cost Pools should be led by your organization’s TBM team, which is responsible for maintaining model accuracy and ensuring alignment between budget planning and technology strategy. The TBM Administrator plays a key role in implementing mapping logic, while the TBM Manager ensures mappings support broader strategic goals. Refer to the Roles and Responsibilities page for additional guidance.
Other important contributors may include:
- IT Finance Analysts – Offer insight into how budget categories align with IT initiatives, historical spending patterns, and allocation models.
- Corporate Finance or FP&A Teams – Provide access to budgeting systems, clarify structure and categorization schemes, and explain how account-level budget items are planned and reported.
- System Owners or BI Developers – Assist in extracting budget data and, where applicable, integrating TBM fields into the planning environment.
These roles may exist within or outside the TBM team depending on your organizational structure. Their input ensures mappings are grounded in both financial planning and operational feasibility.
Preparing for Budget Mapping
Before assigning Cost Pool values to budget records, gather the following inputs:
- Access to your budget planning system or ERP module (e.g., Oracle, SAP, Workday Adaptive)
- An extract of budget line items, including:
- GL account numbers or budgeting codes
- Cost center or department references
- Planned spend amounts by time period
- Any internal categories or descriptive fields
- The latest TBM Taxonomy, including Cost Pool and Sub-Pool definitions
- Any internal financial planning guidance or policy documents used during budgeting
- A list of known IT cost centers or departments, especially if IT is decentralized
Review the TBM Sub-Pool definitions to understand how different types of spend are categorized. Then examine the structure and content of your budget records to determine how each item can be mapped based on account references, descriptions, or planning intent.
Step-by-Step Mapping Process
Step 1: Inventory and Prepare the Budget Data
Begin the mapping process by acquiring a comprehensive export of your organization’s budget dataset. This data will serve as the basis for assigning TBM Cost Pools to planned IT spending. Budgets often differ from actuals in structure and terminology, so careful preparation is critical. Unlike the General Ledger, budget records may not include account numbers—making mapping more dependent on descriptions, categories, and cost centers.
1.1 Extract the Budget Dataset (Preferred Source)
Desired Fields:
- Unique identifier for each line item (e.g., Budget ID or Line ID)
- Budgeted spend amounts by time period (monthly, quarterly, annual)
- Internal budget categories or labels (e.g., software, contractors, hosting)
- Cost center, department, or organizational ownership
- Free-text descriptions or item titles (used for keyword inference)
- GL Account number or code (if available)
- Account name (if available)
- Any existing TBM tagging fields (Cost Pool, Tower, Solution—if already supported)
Data Sources:
Request this dataset from your Corporate Finance, Budget Office, or FP&A team, or extract it directly from your budget or planning system (e.g., Oracle, SAP, Workday Adaptive, Anaplan).
Quick Tip: If your budget data includes account numbers or GL codes, you may be able to reuse the GL-to-Cost Pool mapping from your actuals data to assign TBM classifications more easily. However, this is uncommon—most budget systems omit these references.
1.2 Review Prior Mapping Artifacts (if available)
What to Look For:
- Historical mappings from past TBM or IT budgeting exercises
- Categorizations used in financial planning dashboards or allocation models
- Reference logic from the actuals mapping process, especially where budget and GL data share structure
Note: Use prior mappings as references only. Validate them against the current TBM Taxonomy and actual budget data fields to ensure appropriateness.
1.3 Clean and Prepare the Dataset
Actions to Perform:
- Remove unrelated entries, such as facilities or HR budgets not in scope for IT or technology
- De-duplicate records if merged from different extracts or cycles
- Standardize inconsistent categories (e.g., capitalization or naming conventions across business units)
- Clarify vague or truncated descriptions to support keyword-based mapping
- Ensure time-period granularity matches reporting needs (e.g., month or quarter level)
Goal:
Prepare a clean, structured dataset that includes rich descriptive information to support inference-based mapping, keyword classification, and stakeholder validation. This foundation will ensure consistent alignment with the TBM Taxonomy in future steps.
Step 2 (Optional): Enrich the Budget Dataset with Metadata
While optional, adding key metadata fields to your budget dataset at this stage improves mapping accuracy and enables more advanced modeling later. These fields mirror those used when mapping the General Ledger to TBM Cost Pools and should be reused for consistency.
2.1 Add Enrichment Fields
If not already present in the dataset, add the following optional columns to your budget extract:
CapEx vs. OpEx
Review your organization’s capitalization policies, typically maintained by the Accounting or Corporate Finance team. Some GL systems include a CapEx/OpEx flag at the transaction level, allowing you to determine how each individual cost entry is treated. However, this flag is not always consistently available or populated. If such a flag is missing, you will need to assess how the account is generally used—many accounts consistently carry capital or operating expenses based on their purpose. Use account descriptions, past financial reporting, and consultation with your finance team to determine the dominant classification for each account.
Department or Cost Center Ownership
Cross-reference the GL account or cost center with your organization’s cost center hierarchy or budget reports. The Finance team or your financial planning system (e.g., Oracle, Workday, SAP) can usually provide this mapping. This information helps distinguish centrally managed IT costs from those incurred by business units or Shadow IT.
Known IT or Non-IT Ownership
Tag whether the spending is owned by IT or a non-IT department. This helps identify potential Shadow IT and clarify which costs are in scope for TBM. You can infer this using cost center mappings, budget ownership, or conversations with finance leads. For example, cloud subscriptions appearing under Marketing or HR may indicate Shadow IT.
Reimbursable or Chargeback Indicators
Work with your Finance team or service costing lead to identify accounts linked to cross-charging, shared services, or internal billing. These are often associated with intercompany transfers, re-billable services, or cost centers flagged for internal recovery. Check for internal billing journals or reimbursement mechanisms within your ERP or billing platform.
Is Depreciation
Flag accounts that represent depreciation or amortization expenses. These are typically mapped to the Depreciation Sub-Pool and may follow consistent naming patterns (e.g., “depr,” “amort”). Consult accounting policies or your Finance team to confirm account treatment.
Fixed vs. Variable
Classify cost behavior based on whether expenses remain stable over time (fixed) or fluctuate with usage or volume (variable). This distinction can support forecasting, planning, and unit cost analysis. Use historical spend trends, contractual terms, or cost driver analysis to inform classification.
AI-Enabled
Identify accounts related to AI tools, services, or infrastructure. This metadata tag can help surface AI-specific investments for cost analysis, especially as AI initiatives expand. Cross-reference account descriptions, vendor names, or project tags for identification.
2.2 Configure Fields in the Planning System (If Possible)
If your financial planning tool allows custom fields, configure it to store these metadata values directly within the system. Doing so:
- Reduces external dependencies
- Supports downstream integrations
- Enables budget owners to input TBM-related metadata directly
Tip: Work with your platform administrator to determine if metadata fields can be added for planning use. Oracle, SAP, and Workday Adaptive often support this feature through dimension extensions or custom fields.
Step 3: Generate Initial Mapping Suggestions Using Keywords
When budget records lack account codes or standardized financial structures, keyword logic becomes the primary mechanism for generating mapping suggestions. This step leverages recognizable terms in budget descriptions or internal categories to propose initial TBM Cost Pool and Sub-Pool assignments.
3.1 Build a Keyword-to-Sub-Pool Lookup Table
Create a reference table that maps frequently occurring keywords or phrases in your budget data to specific TBM Sub-Pools.
- Sources for keyword discovery:
- Budget descriptions (e.g., “cloud services,” “contractor,” “SaaS”)
- Internal budget categories (e.g., “software licenses,” “maintenance”)
- Vendor references (e.g., “Microsoft,” “AWS”)
- Reference materials:
- TBM Taxonomy v5.0 definitions
- Past mappings from the CoA process
- Internal planning frameworks or cost allocation models
Downloadable Resource: The TBM Council provides a keyword lookup starter file. This can be adapted for budget mapping.
3.2 Scan Budget Descriptions for Keyword Matches
Apply your lookup logic to the budget dataset using one or more of the following tools:
- Excel – Use SEARCH(), IF(), or XLOOKUP() to detect keywords.
- SQL – Use LIKE statements or full-text search across budget description fields.
- ETL/BI tools – Tools like Alteryx, Tableau Prep, or Power BI’s Power Query allow conditional tagging based on string patterns.
- TBM Platforms – If your organization uses a TBM tool (Apptio, Nicus, EZTBM), explore built-in keyword-based classification features. These platforms often allow rules-based mapping within their modeling engines.
Quick Tip: Scan both descriptions and internal category fields, as both may contain mappable terms.
3.3 Generate and Store Suggested Mappings
For each matched budget line, generate two new columns:
- Suggested Cost Pool
- Suggested Sub-Pool
Also consider adding:
- Matched Keyword – To trace which term triggered the match
- Mapping Source – Tag all keyword-derived entries for review (e.g., “Keyword Match”)
Leave entries without keyword matches blank. These will be addressed during manual review.
3.4 Review and Refine Keyword Rules
Manually inspect samples of your keyword matches to ensure quality:
- Eliminate false positives (e.g., “consult” might match “teleconsulting,” which could be misleading)
- Add exclusion terms if needed (e.g., “license” but not “vehicle license”)
- Adjust keyword granularity to improve match precision (e.g., “cloud hosting” vs. “cloud”)
Quick Tip: Avoid overreliance on keyword logic. Use it to accelerate mapping—not to replace thoughtful review. This approach works best when supported by structured metadata and stakeholder context.
Step 4: Review Suggested Mappings and Finalize Assignments
Once keyword-based suggestions are generated, each budget line must be reviewed and finalized. This ensures accurate classification, builds trust in reporting outputs, and prepares the mapping for future maintenance and versioning.
4.1 Prioritize Suggested Entries
Begin with budget lines that received Suggested Sub-Pool values from Step 3.
Use filters to focus review efforts on:
- High-dollar budget items
- High-frequency categories
- Low-confidence matches
- Critical categories (e.g., staffing, external services)
4.2 Validate Against Sub-Pool Definitions
Review the Suggested Sub-Pool assignment by referencing the TBM Taxonomy v5.0:
- Confirm whether the assigned Sub-Pool matches the budget item’s purpose, description, and planned use.
- Review internal financial policies and planning documentation to support accurate categorization.
4.3 Confirm or Revise Assignments
Decide whether to accept the suggestion or assign a more appropriate Cost Pool and Sub-Pool:
- Retain mapping if clearly correct.
- Reassign if a better classification is supported by evidence or subject matter knowledge.
4.4 Document Mapping Metadata
For every confirmed or revised budget line item, populate the following fields:
- Final Cost Pool and Sub-Pool
- Mapping Method – e.g., keyword match, manual review, SME input
- Confidence Level – High / Medium / Low
- Mapping Notes – rationale, assumptions, unresolved issues
- Optional Tags – Include fields from Step 2, such as CapEx/OpEx, department, or fixed/variable classification
Note: This documentation will support versioning, stakeholder validation, and future mapping refresh cycles.
Step 5: Assign Cost Pools and Sub-Pools to Remaining Budget Items
After completing keyword-based mapping and stakeholder validation, some budget records will likely remain unclassified—typically due to vague descriptions, new line items, or planning categories that don’t cleanly map to the TBM Taxonomy. This step ensures comprehensive coverage by manually reviewing and assigning values to these remaining entries.
5.1 Filter for Unassigned Budget Items
Use your mapping file to identify any rows where the Cost Pool or Sub-Pool fields are blank or flagged as unresolved. These entries require a more detailed examination and likely won’t benefit from automated or keyword-based logic.
5.2 Group Similar Budget Lines
To improve efficiency, group unmapped entries by shared attributes such as:
- Budget category or internal classification
- Cost center or department ownership
- Similar language or patterns in item descriptions
This allows you to batch-assign mappings where appropriate and apply consistent logic across similar records.
5.3 Reference Supporting Documentation
For each group or individual item, consult:
- TBM Taxonomy v5.0 definitions for Cost Pools and Sub-Pools
- Prior mapping files from actuals, if available
- Budget planning documents that clarify intent or categorization logic
- Internal financial policies that distinguish between spend types (e.g., staffing vs. services)
- SME input from Finance, IT Planning, or the TBM Administrator
Look for indicators of function, ownership, and capitalization that help differentiate categories like Software vs. Outside Services or Internal Labor vs. Staff Augmentation.
5.4 Assign Mappings and Finalize Metadata
For each item:
- Populate the Cost Pool and Sub-Pool fields
- Specify the Mapping Method (e.g., SME review, logical inference, budget doc)
- Set the Confidence Level (High, Medium, Low)
- Add relevant Mapping Notes (e.g., “Mapped based on project charter and vendor usage”)
- Complete any enrichment fields defined in Step 2 (e.g., CapEx/OpEx, Department Owner)
Quick Tip: If you encounter budget lines that appear to blend multiple spend categories (e.g., “cloud hosting and software services”), flag them for follow-up. These may require split allocation downstream, particularly when mapping to Towers or Services.
Step 6: Validate Mappings with Stakeholders
Validation ensures your assigned Cost Pools and Sub-Pools align with planning logic, budgeting intent, and strategic objectives. This step surfaces edge cases, ensures stakeholder buy-in, and increases model credibility before integrating the mapped budget into your TBM tools or reporting environments.
6.1 Schedule a Review Session with Key Stakeholders
Invite representatives from:
- TBM Office / Administrator (mapping lead)
- TBM Program Executive Sponsor
- IT Planning or FP&A Teams
- Corporate Finance or Budget Office
- System Owners or Data Architects (if technical integration is planned)
Ensure all participants have access to:
- The latest version of the budget mapping file
- TBM Taxonomy v5.0 definitions
- Any supporting documentation, mapping assumptions, or planning guidance
6.2 Present Mapping Logic and Edge Cases
Walk through:
- The overall approach and mapping methodology used
- Keyword matching and manual assignment examples
- Any budget entries with mixed classifications (e.g., blended CapEx/OpEx or hybrid staffing categories)
- Entries with low confidence scores or missing metadata
6.3 Incorporate Stakeholder Feedback
Based on expert input:
- Adjust Cost Pool and Sub-Pool assignments as needed
- Update rationale notes, ownership tags, or classification metadata
- Resolve edge cases or flag entries for follow-up after implementation
6.4 Confirm Mapping Completeness
- Ensure all IT-relevant budget records are assigned a Cost Pool and Sub-Pool
- Identify any remaining gaps or items that need special treatment (e.g., strategic initiatives or Shadow IT)
- Recheck alignment with actuals if a parallel mapping exists
6.5 Document Sign-Off or Approvals
- Log review decisions and record consensus or remaining issues
- Capture stakeholder comments or changes made during the session
- Store sign-off documentation if required by governance policies
Quick Tip: Share your mapping output with data governance or strategy teams. The structured lens of TBM often reveals discrepancies in planning categories, vendor tagging, or cost allocations—insights that can help improve your organization’s broader financial data quality and planning discipline.
Step 7: Implement Mapped Budget in TBM Tool or Reporting Environment
Once mapping is finalized and validated, the next step is to load the data into your TBM model or reporting environment. This ensures that mapped budget values inform planning, forecasting, and variance reporting alongside actuals.
7.1 Choose Your Implementation Approach
Select the method based on your organization’s tools and technical maturity:
- Excel – For prototypes; use VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP or INDEX-MATCH formulas.
- SQL – Use JOIN logic to connect budget lines with the mapping table.
- ETL/BI Tools – Leverage Alteryx, Tableau Prep, or Power BI for transformation pipelines.
- TBM Platform Tools – Configure native mapping tables or logic in platforms like Apptio, EZTBM, and Nicus.
- Python – Script data merges and logic tests with pandas or similar libraries.
7.2 Load the Enriched Budget Data
Import the budget file with all assigned fields:
- Base fields: department, time period, amount
- Assigned TBM Cost Pool and Sub-Pool
- Metadata from Step 2 (CapEx/OpEx, ownership, fixed/variable, etc.)
7.3 Align with Actuals
If actuals are already mapped:
- Join actuals and budget datasets by shared dimensions (e.g., department, project, time).
- Ensure definitions are consistent (e.g., both datasets use the same Cost Pool names).
- Enable side-by-side reporting of planned vs. actuals at the Cost Pool and Sub-Pool levels.
7.4 Conduct Initial Reporting Tests
Before rollout:
- Run test reports or dashboards to verify:
- Cost Pool and Sub-Pool fields are rendering correctly
- Roll-ups match expectations
- Filters (e.g., time, department) return complete and logical results
- Variance calculations function across time periods or organizational units
Quick Tip: Visit our Reporting page for more guidance on building TBM Reports.
7.5 Test the Implementation Logic
- Perform a test load or simulation
- Identify any errors, unmapped values, or logical fallouts
- Troubleshoot issues and return to Step 5 as needed
7.6 Automate Where Possible
- Convert mapping logic to repeatable scripts or workflows
- Use version control (e.g., Git, SharePoint) for mapping tables
- Build in data quality checks (e.g., unassigned value flags)
7.7 Establish Repeatable Mapping for Monthly Loads
- Configure joins or ETL logic to re-run with each monthly budget update
- Detect and incorporate new or revised budget items
- Generate consistent historical views using repeatable logic
- Maintain a changelog to document adjustments for transparency
Quick Tip: Properly implemented, mapped budget data creates an integrated reporting layer across actuals, forecasts, and plans—unlocking a shared language for Finance, IT, and Business teams.
Step 8: Document, Version, and Maintain the Mapping Logic
Accurate, well-documented mapping logic is essential for transparency, governance, and long-term sustainability of your TBM reporting model. Budget structures evolve over time, and without traceable logic, it becomes difficult to explain or defend changes to stakeholders or auditors.
8.1 Save the Mapping File as a Managed Asset
Store your finalized mapping table in a version-controlled repository such as SharePoint, Git, or a centralized document management system.
Ensure the file includes:
- Budget line identifiers (e.g., Budget ID or planning code)
- Assigned TBM Cost Pool and Sub-Pool
- Metadata fields from Step 2 (e.g., CapEx/OpEx, cost behavior)
- Mapping notes and rationale for decisions
- Mapping method (manual, keyword, SME input)
- Confidence level ratings
- Last updated date and mapping owner
Tip: Use structured templates or schemas to standardize metadata fields across fiscal cycles and teams.
8.2 Version the Logic
Assign a version number and effective date to each iteration of the mapping file. Create a changelog documenting:
- What changed (e.g., reclassification, added items)
- Why it changed (e.g., updated planning categories, taxonomy migration)
- Who approved the change
- When it takes effect
This allows teams to trace when and why budget values changed and to replicate past reports with historical mappings.
8.3 Monitor for Breakage or Anomalies
Leverage your TBM platform’s QA views or custom-built exception reports to proactively detect:
- Unmapped or partially mapped budget entries
- Duplicate or overlapping mappings
- Unusual shifts in planned spend across Cost Pools
Investigate anomalies promptly, assess the root cause, and update your mapping logic to preserve model accuracy and stakeholder trust.
8.4 Establish a Refresh Cadence
Maintain and revise your mapping logic in alignment with:
- Fiscal year planning cycles or major budgeting milestones
- Introduction of new GL accounts or changes to budget structure
- Revisions to the TBM Taxonomy (e.g., migrating to v5.0 or later)
- Updates to capitalization policies or internal financial standards
Treat this refresh process as an operational discipline. Building it into your financial calendar ensures that your TBM model remains relevant and aligned with business priorities.
8.5 Align with Governance and Data Stewardship
If your organization has a data governance framework:
- Register the mapping table as a data asset
- Define ownership roles for ongoing maintenance
- Link mapping logic to enterprise documentation systems (e.g., data catalogs)
This increases trust in TBM outputs and integrates your model into broader financial and strategic workflows.
8.6 Retain Mapping History for Audit and Reference
Keep archived versions of prior mappings and changelogs. This supports:
- Internal audits
- External financial reviews
- Historical trending across fiscal periods
Quick Tip: Don’t wait until taxonomies change—maintain your documentation continuously so it’s always ready for reporting, training, and enhancement.
Conclusion: What You’ve Enabled and Where to Go Next
By completing the process of mapping your organization’s budget to TBM Cost Pools and Sub-Pools, you’ve created a critical extension of your TBM model that supports forward-looking financial management. This enables core use cases like variance analysis, scenario planning, and strategic forecasting—all aligned to the standardized TBM Taxonomy.
With budget data now categorized into Cost Pools:
- You can track planned vs. actual spend in consistent TBM categories.
- Variance analysis becomes easier, clearer, and more actionable.
- Forecasts can be created by TBM category to inform staffing, sourcing, and investment decisions.
- Your budgeting and planning processes are more transparent, traceable, and integrated with actuals.
Next Steps:
If you haven’t yet mapped your actuals (General Ledger or CoA) to Cost Pools, we recommend starting there to complete the bidirectional reporting loop. If your budget and actuals are both mapped, visit our Reporting and KPIs pages to begin designing dashboards and financial views that highlight performance, trends, and accountability. Or explore the Use Cases page to discover how others are using budget-aligned TBM data to drive strategic technology decisions across infrastructure, applications, and services.
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