Sooner or later, you’re going to have to replace FRx.
You’re not going to have a choice. Here’s how you can have some semblance of control over that event. And maybe even come away looking like a hero.
Just on the off-chance that you haven’t heard, Microsoft has announced end-of-life for FRx. It’s based on very old technology and is being retired. How long will it be supported? That depends on what accounting system you run and the answer varies.
Microsoft’s official FRx replacement is Management Reporter, and although it’s very cool and is definitely next generation, it only reports on GL data at the moment, it lacks some key FRx features, and most importantly, it’s not available for Microsoft competitors.
Search for a different reportwriter? Well, you don’t have to. You can just go with the official selection picked by Microsoft, Sage or Epicor as the case may be.
The “official” FRx replacements
- Microsoft’s replacement for FRx is Management Reporter.
- Sage has announced its official FRx replacement is Sage MAS Intelligence.
- Epicor has announced Advanced Financial Reporting as its FRx replacement.
I couldn’t help but wonder what other options are out there.
The 64 million dollar question
Go with the official replacement, or look for something else?
I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled
Since the FRx sunset was first announced a couple years ago, I’ve been getting lots of phone calls and emails asking about replacement options. I’ve been watching for products for certain individual clients. And I’ve been compiling lists of reportwriters and information about them. I think it’s time to get this information out there.
One caveat—because I’ve specialized in midmarket financial reportwriting for so long, I do know a number of folks involved with these reportwriters. But I don’t have any financial relationship with any of them.
(About me—CPA since 1984. So that makes me no spring chicken, but the upside of that is tons of practical business experience. I’ve worked with FRx since 1995.)
I’ve written a whitepaper
I want to make it easier to pick the replacement product that truly fits your needs. Whether it’s the official replacement or not. So I’ve written a paper called Whitepaper—7 Options for Replacing FRx.
The hardest part of selecting a new financial reportwriter could be just getting started. (You should’ve seen me trying to get started writing this paper. I did everything under the sun to put it off. I even resorted to working on my own accounting.)
Anyway, this whitepaper is an insanely effective way to get started on this project.
Save time and maybe uncover a gem. And be a hero to your company or your client.
Then you control your migration from FRx when the time is right for you.
Another caveat—I can just about guarantee you that there will be more work involved after you read this. This should be just the beginning of your due diligence.
Who it’s for
- Consultants
- CFOs & Controllers
- In-house FRx go-to resource
- IT in charge of FRx
- Anyone who needs to tap into this knowledge
- Everyone is welcome
Who it’s not for
- Anyone running or supporting an accounting system other than Microsoft, Sage or Epicor. There are no out-of-the-box integrations. The only possibility is a datamart integration.
- Sorry to all my buddies running Viewpoint, SyteLine, Ross, Datatel, and Infor.
Content
If any of this sounds interesting, keep reading for content details. The whitepaper consists of 3 parts:
- Lists of the 7 Options for Replacing FRx and which accounting systems they integrate with
- Product Reports with detailed features and functionality on each of the 7
- Due Diligence Checklist—factors to consider when selecting software
Part 1 Lists. The paper starts with the Lists. There’s a master list of the 7 options as well as list of specific options for Microsoft, Sage, and Epicor. So if you run one of these accounting systems, you can tell at a glance which of the 7 apply to you. Just so you know, most accounting systems will have fewer options than 7. I also list 5 additional reportwriters, but I don’t report detailed information for them. Lagniappe as they say in New Orleans!
Part 2 Product Reports. For each of the 7 products, I report an overview of the product and facts about the company. I also interview each company and provide Q&A coverage of several items of interest. The content includes:
- How consolidations are handled
- How currency translation is managed
- Whether there is reporting beyond GL modules
- Budgeting and forecasting options
- How to exclude an account from a range (seems simple, but this can be kludgy)
- Who has an FRx conversion tool and who doesn’t
- Who reports on GP’s Analytical Accounting and who doesn’t
- Lots more Q&As
BTW, I put a lot of links in this paper. Their sole purpose is to save you time. None of them are affiliate links.
Part 3 Due Diligence Checklist. This checklist provides some very specific practical items:
- How to review and document your FRx implementation
- What to look for and where in FRx to determine specific requirements
- How to look at FRx in its Access database to make review faster
- What items to look at to review functionality of the new product
- How to determine the total cost of ownership
- How to conduct legal and financial due diligence
The checklist alone will save you a bundle in consulting if you’re an end user and a lot of time if you’re a consultant.
Pricing
If you’ve been hanging out with me for a while, you know that I create and post truly free content. It doesn’t require registration. There are no ads because cluttered sites drive me crazy! I answer off-the-top questions. And I’ll continue to post free content as long as I’m in this industry. I pull no punches and will continue to tell you exactly what I think.
But without apology, I’m charging for this whitepaper. This is really valuable information that I’ve spent an unbelievable amount of time on (once I actually got started). This research will give you a huge headstart in finding the solution that’s right for your company or your client. A leg up as we say in Texas!
Despite the time involved and value delivered, I’m charging a low price—$49—because I want a lot of people to have access to this information. (Oh yeah: gotta add sales tax if you live in Texas.)
Money-back guarantee? Absolutely. Contact me within 7 days of purchase; no problem.
Immediate Access and Other Details
I use a 3rd party secure shopping cart and accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover. (The system is PCI compliant for those who are interested.) After checkout, you’ll be taken to a page with a download link where you can download the PDF immediately. Then you’ll receive some emails: a receipt for the credit card purchase, a link to order details, a download link in case you don’t download right away, and an email asking you to confirm opt-in to my mailing list. (If you confirm, then I can send you an update to this report if/when I elect to edit it.)
BTW, the credit card merchant account is in my name, so the name on your credit card will be Jan Harrigan CPA and not FRxBuzz.
Currently the whitepaper is 48 pages long. And yes you can definitely view it on your mobile device.
Add to cart here:
Bottom line
Get started!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello Jan:
Just a quick question about this white paper, do you include Clarity as one of the 7 options?
Thanks.
Frank
Does the white paper include both Clarity 7 and INFOR?
No, sorry…it’s only for Dynamics (GP, SL, AX and NAV), Sage and Epicor, although there are datamart implementations (as opposed to direct integrations) available for most of the 7+ solutions.
{ 1 trackback }