(Note: I’m updating this post today, July 12, 2010. I’ve added a few links to posts and replaced one tip with another, better one.)

I’ve been consulting with FRx since 1995, and these are a few of the top tips and tricks I’ve run across over the years.
 
1.  Set up a link to Excel to pull statistical data into FRx financials. How? The simplest way is to doubleclick column H ‘Link to GL’ in the row, change the link to ‘GL+Worksheet’, and specify the Excel filename. But be aware there’s another way, one that’s used when the units in your tree all need to read a separate file. Use the ‘separate worksheet link’ method in this case. My favorite way to do any of this, though, is to stick the statistical data in the GL. Saves lots of headaches! There’s more information in my post Link to Excel to Calculate Statistics ^[1].

2.  Generate several reports with one click using chaining, being careful of the 4 inherent traps: watch your report date, making sure it’s the same for all reports. Watch the detail level: if it’s financial and account and you’re sending everything straight to the printer, you’re likely to get reams of paper you don’t want. Watch the output type (printer, drilldown viewer, excel, etc) and make sure it’s consistent for each report. Finally, for any reports with trees, set the tree options (Catalog> Report Options> Tree Options) so that the reports process without human intervention. Or for a better way, check out the Report Manager, an optional module in 6.7, which allows the creation of report books containing Excel, Word, Crystal, and FRx reports. And here’s a link to a chaining alternative: use Report Launcher instead of chaining ^[2].

3.  Electronic Distribution.Email top level reports with detail available in drilldown: Set the Detail Level in the Catalog to Financial & Account. Get the report perfected, and only then go to Output Options> Email Options and enable email, set your recipients, and generate. How to avoid a ‘gotcha’: be sure to uncheck this for future use, or you’ll send all your recipients unintended copies. Your recipients must have Drilldown Viewer licenses, and when they open the file, they’ll be able to drilldown and see the detail behind a total.

4.  Create a cash flow statement.This one is always hard for those new to FRx, but it’s actually not too bad (when you do them day in day out). There is a catalog in FW (the demo company) called Cashflow_FASB that you can use as an example, but if you use it be sure to note that its column placement is set to ‘Calculate Columns First’. (For what it’s worth, I use a much simpler method, but at least this example exists.) In every case you should start with a simple balance sheet change cashflow, get it right, and only then move on to pulling in note proceeds and payments and the like from Excel. And some companies STOP at the balance sheet change cashflow, export to Excel, and edit from there to finalize.

5.  Use drilldown capability to analyze GL transactions. Your column layout will need both a CUR and a YTD column. Set the detail level in the catalog to Financial & Transaction. Generate the report to the DDV and drill down. And be sure not to send the entire report to the printer! Here’s a post with more information: Get More Information From FRx Using Transaction Detail Drilldown ^[3].

6.  Set up consolidations (even multicurrency or different GLs). The reporting tree is the driving force behind the consolidation. Once the companies are set up in FRx, they will be selectable in the tree. Make your catalog point to the consolidating tree, and you’re essentially done.

7.  Create budget variance statements by cost center. The main trick here is to use the ‘XCR’ print control in the variance columns in order to get the favorable/unfavorable variance sign correct on both the revenue and expense sections. The second trick is to subtract the Actual column from the Budget column in the Variance columns. Last but not least, in the row format, you should make sure there’s a ‘C’ in the Normal Balance column for any TOT or CAL row that uses a row that has had its sign flipped with a ‘C’. Add a cost center reporting tree and you should be good to go.

8.  Plan and design the best way to use FRx to begin any reports that must be completed in Excel.You can really give yourself a headstart by starting in FRx, even if you have to finish in Excel. Also, when in Excel, it’s a good idea to separate your report from its data. That way you can copy your data in each month but still have your report retain its formatting.

9.  Analyze existing reports to make them run faster: unless it’s not possible due to unusual design considerations, the natural account should be in the row and the tree should specify the departments or cost centers. The report processes much faster this way, not to mention the streamlined maintenance.

10. Use the View Subtotals feature in the Drilldown Viewer to analyze different segments of the account structure. This is one of my alltime favorite FRx features. Here’s a post on Using the FRx View Subtotals Feature to tie out ^[4].

11. Generate a report to a PDFand send it to your own SharePoint site. There’s more information on generating a PDF from the drilldown viewer in my post Creating PDFs from FRx Reports ^[5].

12. My Favorite FRx Shortcuts. I LOVE shortcuts and timesavers, so Tip 12 is actually a link to 12 of my favorite FRx shortcuts ^[6]!

Lagniappe (Cajun for ‘a little something extra’):
Use Excel to automatically graph FRx reports. There’s more information in my post Executive Reporting: Using Excel Charts with FRx ^[7]. Enjoy!