8399: Microsoft FRx Report Design Essentials I

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2 Day Course

Introduction

The two-day Report Design Essentials - I course covers the basic report design skills you need to create, maintain and distribute presentation quality reports using Microsoft FRx. It also includes coverage of additional functionality designed to help you create new reports, and distribute and analyze your company's financial information. You learn about basic foundational skills, complex calculations, drag and drop reorganization, rounding adjustments and account sets.

A thorough understanding of these topics allows you to easily design and maintain standard and essential reports your organization needs to understand its financial position. You learn how to use templates or create customized report designs as well as how to setup self maintaining reports that will dynamically include newly added GL accounts and newly closed periods. This course also teaches you how to generate and electronically distribute reports using your in-house email system. These skills enable you to take control of the financial reporting process, allowing you to be more productive and efficient in the way you create, generate and distribute financial information, which in turn help you to enable internal and external stakeholders to make well informed decisions to positively impact your organization as a whole.

Audience Profile

This class is intended for:

•  Novice Microsoft FRx users

•  Intermediate and experienced Microsoft FRx users who would like to refresh their skills or develop broader product proficiency

•  FRx Software Corporation product resellers and consultants

At Course Completion

After completing this course, students will be able to:

•  Understand basic navigation and report creation in Microsoft FRx

•  Drill down, analyze, print and export from FRx Drilldown Viewer

•  Efficiently create and distribute many financial reports including:

•  Trial balances

•  Balance Sheets

•  Transaction detail reporting

•  Trended reports

•  Side-by-side presentation

•  Relational reporting

•  Actual vs. Budget

•  Rolling quarters

•  Know some tips and tricks for increasing speed and accuracy of month-end close

•  Create presentation quality reports

•  Understand security settings within Microsoft FRx

•  Understand many ways to improve your company's financial reporting package

Prerequisites

Before attending this course, students must have:

• Basic knowledge of accounting principles

In addition, it is recommended, but not required, that students have completed:

• Microsoft FRx Overview & Basic Reporting eCourses

Course Outline

Module 1: Overview and Introduction

This chapter gives students a general overview of the features and benefits of using Microsoft FRx for financial statement design. It also introduces the demo company that will be used in the course exercises.

Lessons

• About FRx Software Corporation products
• Terminology
• Demo company account structure
• Sample report demonstration

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Understand the terminology used in class
• Have a high level understanding of rows, columns, trees and how they relate to each other in the catalog
• Generate a catalog to FRx DrillDown Viewer and navigate to the various reports and drill down levels

Module 2: Creating a Trial Balance

This chapter focuses on one of the most basic and essential reports, a trial balance that shows the general ledger activity for the month and/or year. A trial balance is a starting point for analyzing and reconciling account balances and activity. Once your trial balance is in balance, Income Statements and Balance Sheets, which group together certain natural or main accounts to report assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, may be created.

Lessons

• Using the "Add Rows from Chart of Accounts" feature to automatically populate the row format with account numbers and descriptions
• Using wildcards or ranges to summarize data
• Using the Normal Balance field and how C's affect the account presentation
• Using underscores and totals
• Using Header Codes to automatically update column headers each month
• Use of the BASE Period and Year in the Column Layout to ease maintenance
• Setting the Report Date to an option that automatically progresses through the year for ease of report maintenance
• Defining a detail level in the Catalog
• Introduce the default Formatting options
• Using existing building blocks to speed setup time
• Using the View, Subtotals function in FRx DrillDown Viewer

Lab : Detailed Trial Balance

Lab : Summary Trial Balance

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Create a new Row Format either manually or with Add Rows from Chart of Accounts
• Add format codes and related information to a row
• Create a new Column Layout designed for current and year to date results
• Add column headers, using either header codes or text
• Create a new Catalog, defining the detail level, report date, building blocks and formatting as desired

Module 3: Creating an Income Statement

This chapter focuses on another primary financial statement, the Income Statement. Income Statements may be detailed or summarized and may also compare current performance to budgeted projections or previous results.

Lessons

• Using the Add Rows from Chart of Accounts function to quickly create a basic template
• How proper placement of C's in the Account Balance column of the Row Format will flip the balance of an account for presentation
• How the presentation of the accounts included determine the math for related TOT or CAL formulas
• How to use a Special Format Mask on a row formula to determine display
• Using system defined or custom fonts for emphasis
• Working with rounding options

Lab : Detailed Income Statement

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Understand the use of "C" in the Row Format
• Add a TOT or CAL format code and related information to a row
• Add a Special Format Mask to a row
• Define the font for a given row
• Edit the report header using either codes or text
• Define a font for a report header
• Define rounding options

Module 4: Reporting Trees

This chapter examines Reporting Trees, what they are, why to use them and most importantly, how to create and maintain them.

Reporting Trees are created by defining a number of related attributes, such as the company name and account mask. Tree depth and complexity is up to the report designers needs and may include security items, email addresses, links to external spreadsheet data and more.

Lessons

• Characters used with Add Reporting Units
• Segment hierarchy
• Defining a segment range
• Adding custom units to a tree
• The default Reporting Tree
• Relating Reporting Trees to Row Formats
• How trees define multiple reports in a single catalog
• Using check rows to insure all accounts are included
• Rounding options and how they relate to calculations
• How to relate description or underscore rows to other rows
• Exception reports and how they work

Lab : Creating Reporting Trees

Lab : Departmental Income Statement

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Understand the symbols used in Reporting Trees
• Create a basic Reporting Tree using Add Reporting Units from Chart of Accounts
• Define the hierarchy when building a Reporting Tree on multiple segments in the account mask
• Limit the range of a segment when building a Reporting Tree
• Add new units to a Reporting Tree
• Modify the hierarchy of a Reporting Tree
• Understand how Reporting Trees relate to the Row Format
• Relate rows in the Row Format
• Add a check row or exception report to verify report accuracy
• Define rounding in the catalog

Module 5: Review

This chapter allows students to review the concepts learned thus far in class by correcting some errors or omissions in a report.

Lessons

• Review basic report design concepts

Lab : What's Wrong?

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Recognize common errors in reports
• Correct errors in report design

Module 6: More on Reporting Trees

This chapter continues with the concepts learned thus far, and expands that knowledge with more complex building blocks and catalog settings.

Lessons

• How to create a Column Layout based on current and prior results
• Defining unit hierarchy when building a Reporting Tree
• How to split a segment to create a virtual segment in Reporting Trees
• Adding custom units to a Reporting Tree
• Generating specific Reporting Tree units
• Using header and footer codes in the Catalog

Lab : This year vs. last year Income Statement

Lab : Income Statement by Location

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Create a multiple year Column Layout
• Add column header text that will span multiple columns
• Dynamically print the year in the column header
• Define the account segment hierarchy when building a Reporting Tree
• Add custom units to a Reporting Tree
• Create a Reporting Tree containing a virtual reporting segment
• Set specific Reporting Tree units to automatically generate
• Understand the difference between using Save As and Clone to copy an existing catalog

Module 7: Transaction Detail Reporting

This chapter looks at transaction details and the specific columns that work with them. These allow for reporting on such items as source journal, transaction date and transaction reference number. Common column restrictions are also introduced.

Lessons

• Creating a transaction detail Column Layout
• Restricting a column to either debit or credit activity
• Restricting a column to display beginning balances
• Generating a Catalog to the Microsoft Office Excel output option
• How report presentation varies between Microsoft Excel and FRx DrillDown Viewer

Lab : Cash Transaction Details

Lab : Debit/Credit Details

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Understand how wildcards in the Row Format display multiple accounts
• Add transaction details to the Column Layout design
• Restrict a column to include debit or credits only
• Define a column to present beginning balances for the period
• Generate a report directly to Excel
• Understand how the 'format as Excel outline' option affects the output

Module 8: Using FRx DrillDown Viewer

This chapter shows students some additional functionality available within FRx DrillDown Viewer.

Lessons

• Printing reports from FRx DrillDown Viewer
• Sending reports
• Export options in FRx DrillDown Viewer

Lab : Viewing/Printing Account Detail

Lab : Using the Send feature

Lab : Export Options

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Print a financial or detail report from FRx DrillDown Viewer
• Send a report from the FRx DrillDown Viewer
• Export a report using Formatted Excel
• Export a report using standard Excel
• Export a report to an HTML format

Module 9: Working with Specification Sets

This chapter focuses on Specification sets; the file that contains all the building blocks created during report design.

Lessons

• Understand the specification set (.F32) file
• Defining the active spec set in the Company Information settings
• Navigation in the Specification Sets window
• Learn to "save as" between spec sets
• Learn to export and import between spec sets

Lab : Saving between Spec Sets

Lab : Export and Import between Spec Sets

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Assign a specification set to a company
• Create a new spec set
• Move building blocks between spec sets

Module 10: What we Know

This chapter allows students to review the concepts learned so far by taking a concept quiz and modifying an existing report.

Lessons

• Review basic report design concepts

Lab : Modify Building Blocks

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Modify an existing report

Module 11: Balance Sheets

This chapter focuses on Balance Sheet design, another primary financial report. Students learn about Account Sets and how to create them, as well as functionality designed to keep Balance Sheets in balance.

Lessons

• Account Sets
• Presentation of Balance Sheet accounts (using C in the Normal Balance)
• Defining Year to Date Income in the Balance Sheet
• Using the XD code to suppress drill down on specific rows
• Using column G of the Row Format to define placement in the Column Layout
• Using the Rounding Adjustments function
• Using XD in the Column Layout to suppress GL details

Lab : Detailed Balance Sheet

Lab : Comparative Balance Sheet

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Create a variety of Column Layouts for use in Balance Sheet reporting
• Define or modify Account Sets
• Understand data presentation in Balance Sheet reporting
• Suppress a row in the Row Format from drill down to account or transaction details
• Understand Rounding Adjustments and how to work with them
• Define specific column placement for information in the Row Format
• Suppress details in GL type columns

Module 12: Income Statement Variations

This chapter introduces several variations of the standard Income Statement.

Lessons

• Summary Income Statement design
• Trended Income Statement design
• Using conditional statements in the Column Layout
• Using Account Modifiers in the Row Format to override the Column Layout
• Variance reporting (Over/(Under) and Favorable/(Unfavorable) methods
• Sort commands

Lab : Summary Income Statement

Lab : Trended Income Statement

Lab : Current & YTD Trended Income Statement

Lab : Over/(Under) Budget Income Statement

Lab : Favorable/(Unfavorable) Budget Variances

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Create a trended Column Layout
• Define conditional print controls in the Column Layout
• Use Account Modifiers in the Row Format to override Column Layout definitions
• Add a variance calculation to the Column Layout
• Understand XCR and how it is used for variance reporting
• Add a sort format code and its related information to a Row Format

Module 13: Relational Reporting

This chapter introduces the concept of relational reporting, where one or more base rows and related column calculations are defined. Common uses of relational reporting include percentage of sales and percentage of total expenses, however this concept may be used for any report that requires reporting on a relationship between elements.

Lessons

• Defining CBR (Base) rows in the Row Format
• Defining Column Layout calculations that work with CBR in the Row Format
• Suppressing CBR in detail reports

Lab : Defining a Base Row

Lab : Multiple Base Row Definitions

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Define one or more CBR (base) rows in a Row Format
• Understand the proper placement of CBR rows
• Enter a calculated column in the Column Layout that references the CBR rows
• Suppress CBR calculations for account details when drilling down

Module 14: Side by Side Reporting

This chapter continues working with Income Statement designs by introducing a side by side presentation of departmental data.

Lessons

• Using Account Filters in the Column Layout
• Restricting columns to specific Tree Units in the Column Layout

Lab : Side by Side Reporting with Filters

Lab : Side by Side Reporting with a Reporting Tree

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Create a Column Layout using Account Filters
• Create a Column Layout using the Reporting Unit restriction
• Understand how these two methods of side by side reporting differ and when to use each

Module 15: Report Distribution

This chapter introduces a variety of topics related to report distribution.

Lessons

• Naming conventions
• Chain to Catalog ID functionality
• Report archive options
• E-mail distribution methods available in Microsoft FRx
• FRx WebPort distribution
• FRx Report Manager Demonstration

Lab : Chaining Report Catalogs

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Chain catalogs for easier report generation
• Understand the common methods for creating an archive of reports
• Distribute reports via E-mail
• Have a high level overview of WebPort and Report Manager, optional components available with Microsoft FRx

Module 16: What's Wrong?

This chapter gives students an opportunity to correct a report containing some basic report design flaws.

Lessons

• Importing a .tdb file
• Troubleshooting a report

Lab : Broken Income Statement

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Correct design errors in an existing report

Module 17: Troubleshooting

This chapter shows students how to perform basic maintenance within Microsoft FRx.

Lessons

• Rebuilding the GL Index (.G32 file)
• Compacting the Microsoft FRx Databases
• Getting additional help
• Report Design Guidelines

Lab : Rebuilding the GL Index

Lab : Compacting the Microsoft FRx Databases

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Delete the .G32 file, forcing it to rebuild
• Compact the Microsoft FRx Databases
• Understand where to get additional help
• Understand basic report design guidelines

Module 18: Advanced Concepts

This chapter introduces some creative uses for Microsoft FRx reports and previews some reports taught in the Report Design Essentials II course.

Lessons

• Adding a Microsoft FRx report to Microsoft Office Outlook
• Adding report information to Excel and Microsoft Office Word documents
• Overview of Microsoft FRx Report Design Essentials II training class

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Think creatively about report display

Module 19: Appendix A: Solutions

This appendix contains solutions to quizzes and tutorials completed during class.

Module 20: Appendix B: Using Report Launcher

This appendix covers the features and functionality of Microsoft FRx Report Launcher. Report Launcher is a separate Microsoft FRx component that allows users to generate reporting catalogs that have been created with FRx Report Designer.

Based on student needs, this appendix is optional for classroom presentation.

Lessons

• How does FRx Report Launcher differ from FRx Report Designer
• What are the functions available in FRx Report Launcher

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Use FRx Report Launcher to generate a Catalog

Module 21: Appendix C: Concept Review

This appendix is intended for future reference and contains a recap of the functionality discussed in class.

Lessons

• Row Formats
• Column Layouts
• Reporting Trees
• Catalog of Reports

Module 22: Appendix D: Security

This appendix provides an overview of the security options available in FRx Report Designer.

Lessons

• Network security
• Padlock security
• How to activate security in Microsoft FRx
• How to create Microsoft FRx users and groups
• How to apply component security within Microsoft FRx

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

• Use the padlock to secure a component
• Activate Microsoft FRx security and create users and groups
• Assign users or groups to Microsoft FRx components

Module 23: Appendix E: Report Manager

This appendix introduces the five simple steps to Report Book creation and covers FRx Report Manager functionality.

Lessons

• Report Book design
• Properties - General
• Headers and Footers
• Security
• Distribution
• Publishing
• File or Report Properties
• Report Options
• FRx DrillDown Viewer display