Report Generator—Key Exercises

IMPORTANT

It is extremely important that you set up and work within your own company to maintain your data integrity. If you work within any other company, your exercises will not function as intended and the data of other students might be affected. Predictable exercise results require that your data be isolated in your own company.

Basic Data Setup

Authority

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to verify that you are allowed to view information in the general ledger. The authority function applies to queries and reports on such information.

Windows:
Users per Authority Class

Verify that the user is connected to the correct authority class.
Check the authority class combinations.

Language Format

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to define the language code. This code defines different formats, i.e., the format for date and time.

Windows:
Language Formats

Check the information.
Make the necessary changes.

Required Data

Balances for Report Generator

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to show you how to verify that you have accounting balances in the company where the reports will be created.

Windows:
GL Balance Analysis

Open the query window, and specify accounts 1000 through 9999.
Click OK. The Zoom-In window is displayed on the screen.
Select the Period, Account, and Cost Center check boxes.
View the results, and remember the periods in which you have balances.
If you do not have any balances, check your authority and the company ID to ensure that the authority is correct.

Main Exercises

Templates

When a new company is created in IFS Financials (i.e., in IFS/Accounting Rules or IFS/Enterprise), several standard report templates are created automatically. These templates show some sample reports. Print these reports and analyze the different formats.

Print Different Reports

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to print the different reports.

Windows:
Order Reports

Click the Selection tab. Select a report ID using the List of Values. The column and row template connected to the specified report template is displayed automatically.
The reference period indicates the period in which you are working.
Choose a budget version.
Click OK to run the report.
View the report, and if possible, print it.

Check the Report Archive

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to reproduce the reports that you created previously.

Windows:
Archived Reports

Populate the window, and verify that the report you recently created is among those displayed.
Select the row for the report that you want to print. Right-click, click Print, and then click OK to print the report.

Export a Report to a Spreadsheet (Excel)

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to show you how to export the report to Microsoft Excel.

Windows:
Archived Reports

Populate the window, and verify that the report you recently created is among those displayed.
Right-click and then click Show Conditions. The Report Parameters window is displayed on the screen, showing the parameters that you defined previously.
Click Export. The Print Report to File window is displayed on the screen. Click Open Excel Worksheet. All values are exported to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
The information exported to Excel has to be reorganized.

Report Example No. 1

Create a report showing revenues for a month. The report below is an example of such a report. Create a column template, including one data column. Create a row template, including one data row. Create a report template, including a page header. Note that the figures depend on the period and the balances stored in the database. View the figures as examples of balances.

(YYMM)

SMITH & SON

REVENUES

Account 30XX (account name) -216,937.00

Account 30XX (account name) -423,122.00

Account 35XX (account name) -289,984.00

Account 37XX (account name) 477.45

TOTAL -929,565.55

Start by creating a column template. Below is some information on how the report is created.

Column template

Data column General Data source: Balance in Accounting Currency

Layout Column header: (YYMM)

Row template

Data row Selections Account = 3%

DLS Object name: Account

Grouping text: Account

Total text: TOTAL Layout Row header: REVENUES

Text row Layout Text: SMITH & SON (Bold style)

Order the report. Preview the report on screen. Change the layouts if necessary.

TIP: To print the YYMM (for example 9910), enter &f in the data column header.

Report Example No. 2

1. Modify the Report Example No. 1 and add a new data column with accumulated outcome for several periods.

Column template

Data column Layout Column header: Outcome &f

Data column (new) General Data source: Balance in Accounting Currency

Layout Width: 25

Column header: Accumulated &f-&t

Row template (the same as in Report Example No. 1)

Order the report. Preview the report on screen.

2. Change column order. View column.

Click the Layout tab.

Use the Column Order button.

Order the report. Preview the report on screen.

3. You will now create a cost center report by modifying the DLS in the data row.

Row template

Data row DLS Object name: Cost Center

Grouping Text: Cost Center

4. Adjust the layout in the column template to fit the account and cost center descriptions better in the report. Make the change using the Column Template Layout window.

Order the report. Preview the report on screen.

5. Change the ordering of the DLS between cost centers and account.

Row template

Data row DLS Level 1: Cost Center

Total text: ALL COST CENTERS

Level 2: Account

Total text: TOTAL

Add an empty line before every cost center by using the DLS Layout button on level 1. Order the report. Preview the report on screen.

Report Example No. 3

Create a report similar to the one below. In the column template there is a data column, a comparison column, and a text column. In the row template, there is a data row.

Column template

Data column General Data source: Balance in Accounting Currency

Text column General Text: SEK

Comparison column General Column: (the name of the first column)

Text column General Text: %

Row template

Data Row Selections Accounts 3001 - 3999

DLS Object name: Account

DLS Layout. Indentation: 3

Overview - Rows Use as Comparison: Yes

Report template Layout Page header including e.g., company name

Order the report. Preview the report on screen.

Column template layout Font: 12

Margin: Left 5

Orientation: Portrait

Order the report. Print the report to view the new font.

Report Example No. 4

Crete a report with balances in accounting currency and budget values. Your course leader will give more information, e.g., on how to specify the reference period.

The first column in the column template is a data column for the outcome on an interval of cost accounts. The second column is a data column for the budget values for the cost accounts. The third column is a calculation column for the difference between the outcome and the budget values. The fourth column is a calculation column for the difference between the outcome and the budget values in percentage. The row template consists of one data row including the selections of accounts.

Column template

Data column General Data source: Balance in Accounting

Currency Layout Column header: Actual

Data column General Data source: Budget Balance

Layout Column header: Budget

Calculation column General Line 1: Operator: Add

Argument type: Column

Argument: (name of the second column)

Line 2: Operator: Subtract

Argument type: Column

Argument: (name of the first column)

Layout Column header: Difference

Calculation column General Line 1: Operator: Add

Argument type: Column

Argument: (name of the third column)

Line 2: Operator: Divide

Argument type: Column

Argument: (name of the second column)

Line 3: Operator: Multiply

Argument type: Constant

Argument: 100

Override Row Calculations: Yes.

Layout Column header: Difference %

Row template

Data row Selections Account = 5%

DLS Object name: Account

Layout Row header: COSTS

Order the report. Preview the report on screen.

Report Example No. 5

Create a report similar to the one below. The column template contains one data column. The row template contains two data rows and one calculation row.

Column template

Data column General Data source: Balance in Accounting Currency

Row template

Data row General Change of Sign: Yes

Selections Account 3001 - 3999

DLS Object name: Account

Data row General Change of Sign: Yes

Selections Accounts 4001 - 7999

DLS Object name: Account

Calculation row General Add the first data row.

Add the second data row.

Report template Layout Page header including company name and

reference period.

Order the report. Preview the report on screen.

Report Example No. 6

A. Create a report where amounts for costs in the accounting currency are revaluated to amounts in another currency, e.g., USD. In IFS/Report Generator, there is a calculation function that is used for this. The function can be reached from the calculation column and is unique within each column template. Your course leader will give more information, e.g., how to specify the reference period.

B. Before you start, check the currency code USD and currency rates in Accounting Rules/Currencies.

Column template

Data column General Data source: Balance in Accounting

Currency Layout Column header: (the abbreviation for the accounting

currency)

Calculation column General Line 1: Operator: Add

Argument type: Column

Argument: (name of the first column)

Save the information.

Select the first line, right-click and then click

Calculation Function.

Function Name: US

Function Type: Acc To Opt

Curr Code: USD

Save the information.

General Line 2: Operator: Multiply

Argument type: Function

Argument: US

Layout Column header: USD

Row template

Data row Selections Account 6%

DLS Object name: Account

Layout Row header: COSTS

Report template Layout Page header including company name.

Order the report. Preview the report on screen.

B. Hide the data column (Visible: No) and show only the calculation column on the report. Order the report and preview it on screen.