MIN() function

Return the lowest value from a list of values across time periods


🗒️ Description

The MIN() function helps you find the smallest value across multiple inputs whether they are constant numbers, other indicators, or dimension properties. This function is often used to cap outputs at a ceiling, determine the lowest cost/value between options, or apply logic that reflects “choose the minimum of these values” in financial forecasting.The function operates across time periods, returning the lowest value for each month based on the parameters given. It’s a great way to add safety buffers or constraints directly in your logic without writing complex conditional formulas.

✏️ Syntax & Variables

1 min(value1, value2, ..., valueN)

value1, value2, …, valueN: A list of one or more values to compare. Each value can be:

  • A constant number (e.g., 1000)
  • An indicator name (e.g., Unit Cost)
  • A dimension property (e.g., Employee Role) 

You can combine multiple types, and the function returns the minimum of all parameters for each time period.

✅ Expected result & examples

Real-world Examples & Business Planning Uses: The MIN() function is incredibly versatile in business planning and financial modeling, primarily used for enforcing constraints, selecting the most conservative option, or ensuring minimum performance levels.


1. Capping Outputs/Costs (Setting a Ceiling):

  • Scenario: You want to ensure that a certain cost (e.g., Marketing Spend) does not exceed a predefined budget or cap.
  • Formula: MIN('Projected Marketing Spend', 'Marketing Budget Cap')
  • Result: This ensures that your calculated marketing spend for any given period will never go above your set Marketing Budget Cap, effectively putting a ceiling on the expenditure. Similarly, it can be used to cap production outputs at maximum capacity.

2. Determining the Lowest Cost/Value Between Options:

  • Scenario: A company is evaluating two different suppliers for a raw material and wants to model the lowest possible cost.
  • Formula: MIN('Supplier A Cost', 'Supplier B Cost')
  • Result: The model will always pick the more cost-effective option between the two suppliers for each period, which is crucial for optimizing cost of goods sold (COGS) in financial forecasts.

3. Ensuring Minimum Inventory Levels (Safety Buffers):

  • Scenario: You want to model inventory levels but ensure they never drop below a critical safety stock threshold.
  • Formula: MIN('Calculated Inventory Level', 'Minimum Safety Stock Threshold') (Note: While MAX is often used to ensure a minimum, MIN could be used if you have a rule that dictates you must always hold the lower of two calculated stock levels due to space constraints or demand volatility).

4. Conservative Revenue/Performance Forecasting:

  • Scenario: When forecasting sales, you might have different sales teams providing optimistic and conservative estimates. You want to model based on the more conservative projection.
  • Formula: MIN('Sales Team A Forecast', 'Sales Team B Forecast', 'Management Conservative Estimate')
  • Result: This guarantees that your revenue forecast adheres to the most prudent estimate, providing a safer financial plan.

5. Sales Incentive Payout (Minimum Performance Thresholds):

  • Scenario: Sales commissions are paid based on the lowest of several performance metrics (e.g., sales volume, customer satisfaction score, new client acquisition, product mix sold). The goal is to ensure all minimums are met for a payout calculation.
  • Formula Example: MIN('Sales Volume %', 'CSAT Score', 'New Client Rate', 'Product Mix %', 'Training Completion %')
  • Result: This calculates the effective "lowest performing" metric that dictates a bonus payout, ensuring all specified criteria are considered before determining the incentive amount.

These examples highlight how MIN() provides robust control and flexibility in financial models, allowing users to embed critical business rules directly into their calculations.