# % of Sales Compare to total savings **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask the Community\ **Created:** [February 18, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/t/of-sales-compare-to-total-savings/910 "2019-02-18T19:08:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rsavage16](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/pug.phocassoftware.com/rsavage16/32/392_2.png) [@rsavage16](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/u/rsavage16)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/t/of-sales-compare-to-total-savings/910/1 "2019-02-18T19:08:27Z")
We have a database for a customers documented savings. The goal is to have 15% of the actual sales in documented savings. We created a favorite and it doesn’t seem to be working properly. We have 2 streams 1 for sales and 1 for Savings (MSS). We added the variance (MSS - Sales). Then we put in a variance formula in custom mode Invoice% variance MSS % Sales and format as 1234.57%. This isn’t giving us the right numbers. Any advice? ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/phocassoftware/original/1X/3755c418b2f58b695348b5d72006f2644efef94c.png) ---
**Author:** ![aaron.roma](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/pug.phocassoftware.com/aaron.roma/32/285_2.png) [@aaron.roma](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/u/aaron.roma)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/t/of-sales-compare-to-total-savings/910/2 "2019-02-18T20:16:27Z")
I’ll take a stab at it, though without a bit more info, I may be barking up the wrong tree. If the MSS figure is the total documented savings for the customer, I would think rather than using the built in variance feature, you would want to do a calculation of (MSS / Sales) \* 100. So, for example, if I have a customer with $1,000 in sales, and $120 in savings (MSS), then my calculation is going to be (120 / 1000) \* 100, which gives me 12%. Using these same example figures, if I use the built in Variance calculation, I’m going to get -88%. The variance calculation is basically doing ((a-b)/b) \* 100. So plugging in my sample numbers, would be ((120-1000)/1000) \* 100 = -88.0 Variance is giving you how far one number is off from the other number. Where as it sounds like your simply wanting what percent of one number the other is. So the “MSS / Sales” calculation I would think would be the way to go. But again, maybe I completely miss understood. If so, any clarification or example figures would be great! ---
**Author:** ![rsavage16](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/pug.phocassoftware.com/rsavage16/32/392_2.png) [@rsavage16](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/u/rsavage16)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/t/of-sales-compare-to-total-savings/910/3 "2019-02-18T21:04:36Z")
Thanks for helping. The formula just isn’t working. I can’t make sense of it ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/phocassoftware/original/1X/bb24bca92c2e86e7914b8e46a2aea0ad4b908912.png) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/phocassoftware/original/1X/2df526e3893dfb28b170906475bfe58912590254.png) ---
**Author:** ![tim.janes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/pug.phocassoftware.com/tim.janes/32/361_2.png) [@tim.janes](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/u/tim.janes)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 10:47pm UTC](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/t/of-sales-compare-to-total-savings/910/4 "2019-02-18T22:47:58Z")
I would be interested to see the selection screens and time periods for values **a** and **b**. It might have something to do with that. I’m wondering if those selections are showing different time periods than the ones listed above of Jan 2019 to Feb 2019. ---
**Author:** ![ShaneAngel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/pug.phocassoftware.com/shaneangel/32/68_2.png) [@ShaneAngel](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/u/ShaneAngel)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 11:28pm UTC](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/t/of-sales-compare-to-total-savings/910/5 "2019-02-18T23:28:48Z")
I think @aaron.roma has made a perfectly good suggestion and I am with @tim.janes on this one, the period selections must not be lining up correctly to come up with those calculations. ---
**Author:** ![rsavage16](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/pug.phocassoftware.com/rsavage16/32/392_2.png) [@rsavage16](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/u/rsavage16)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://pug.phocassoftware.com/t/of-sales-compare-to-total-savings/910/6 "2019-04-12T15:01:02Z")
This was my issue. I 'm still learning 🙂 I keep “Assuming” my dates will stay the same as my original selection. I now know this isn’t the case in custom mode. Thanks so much!