If you’re entertaining the idea of migrating from FRx to Management Reporter, here’s a laundry list of functionality, both what’s new and what’s missing.
Management Reporter New Features:
Currently GL module only, but eventual reporting beyond gl data
Column page breaks
Undo redo (huge applause for this one!)
Version management
Support for dimension-based data
Images in headers/footers
Windows authentication
Native drilldown viewing
Management Reporter Can Still Do:
Account sets
Tree: can still split, combine, change order of segments
Column max is the same at 256
Management Reporter Features for Later Releases:
There are some key concepts that didn’t make it from Microsoft FRx into Management Reporter for the initial release. Listed here are some of the items under consideration for the next releases (plural!) of Management Reporter. The next release is sync’d with the next version of Office, more than 1 year out.
XBRL
SharePoint integration
Layout and formatting preview
Effective Dates
Report groups (chaining)
Side by side reports (side by side Balance Sheet for instance)
FRx Features Not Currently Planned for Management Reporter:
Report Manager
Row linking
Rollup accounts
Format as excel outline
Export formulas to excel
Delete after printing, viewing, sending
Show detail for nonprinting column
Include detail for nonprinting column
Account filters (at report level; can still do columns)
View Subtotals
Output to olap cube
Other Comments:
Can generate report, but only 1 at a time
Launcher is not a separate application: can’t select all and run group
No webport (see workaround below)
No report server (no scheduler)
No report manager
No chaining
No xbrl
No link to forecaster (see workaround below)
No graphing
No quarter definitions
No Analytical Accounting (Dynamics GP only)
Problem: can’t get Forecaster data into MR. Workaround: Import into GL, then MR could access.
Problem: no WebPort. Workaround: create a webpart for SQL Reporting Services in Sharepoint and set Management Reporter output to .rdl. Note that Sharepoint will not be a drilldown experience. The data is there but is in separate files.
Microsoft stressed that Management Reporter is definitely a version 1 product, and they make no bones about the gaps in functionality.
My take: if you’re still interested after seeing these gaps, I think you probably want to download the CTP (beta) version, install and test before trying this live. My guess is that most of my clients won’t want to migrate any time soon. I can’t see moving without effective dates, some sort of chaining or ability to run groups of reports, row linking, and view subtotals—my personal list of must-see functionality.
Hello,
Thank you for the posting.
I just wanted to mention that there seems to be a missing piece with multiple currencies in Management Reporter. FRx had the ability to handle multiple currencies, but it appears that there is nothing in Management Reporter for this function.
Thanks
Correct! Thank you!
Any instructions to publish reports from Management Reporter to SharePoint when SSRS is integrated? You mention a webpart but you cant output to anything other than a local or network drive unless you specify a SSRS server which wont work if you have SSRS in integrated mode. Also the rdl files have absolute paths in them so saving them to a local folder and uploading them to SharePoint wont work.
Sorry, no. You might want to check with Microsoft or with an MR forum. Got to be a way!
Another issue I don’t see addressed is the ability to assign email addresses in the Tree (Column P). Entering different addresses for each unit and then setting Report Output to Excel, this allows just the units a person needs to view to be combined into one workbook with units on seperate worksheets and then emailed.
The ability to send emails to recipients and have reports attached is a very important feature in FRx, but as of today not addressed in MR.
Any update on the functionality for side by side balance sheets?
is the FRx could do a Cash Flow ?
Hi Rizky…yes FRx can do a cash flow, but it’s not exactly a cakewalk. Matter of fact I’ve written a 3rd training manual on how to create a cash flow in Management Reporter, and the same concepts would hold true for FRx. But given FRx’s imminent demise, I’d suggest maybe that’s not the best use of anyone’s time. Food for thought! Jan