Essentials II in Microsoft Forecaster 7.0                                                

Course 8863 : Two days; Instructor-Led          Take the class $995 or Buy the book $195

Introduction                                                                                         

The two-day Essentials II in Microsoft Forecaster 7.0 course includes the essentials to creating and maintaining boardroom quality reports. Students create reports such as income statements, variance reports, consolidating reports, detail reports and receive an overview of report distribution.

Audience

Essentials II is recommended for users and partners who will be using or implementing Microsoft Forecaster 7.0. This course, plus Essentials I and Supplemental Training is the recommended learning plan for new budget administrators and partners.

At Course Completion

After completing this course, students should be able to:

ü  Review Segments, Periods and Rollups

ü  Review report design building blocks

ü  Create summary and detailed Income Statements

ü  Build Variance reports

ü  Explore report maintenance

ü  Discuss troubleshooting techniques and design tips

ü  Review additional report formatting and options

ü  Discuss Rollup structures and modify Rollups

ü  Design Side-by-Side consolidation reports

ü  Combine multiple segments in rows and columns

ü  Build detail reports

ü  Discuss Sample Reports

ü  Build reports in a three segment database

Prerequisites

Microsoft Forecaster 7.0 Essentials I is recommended but not a prerequisite. Students should have a financial or accounting background and already understand budgeting and reporting.

Course Materials

The student courseware includes a comprehensive workbook and other necessary materials for this class.

Course Outline

Chapter 1: Overview and Demonstration

This chapter gives students a general overview and demonstration of the product. The

demonstration is designed to highlight the key features covered in the two-day course.

Main Topics

•Demonstrate key features of Microsoft Forecaster 7.0

•Overview of topics in course

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Discuss the topics that will be covered in the two-day course

Chapter 2: Training Assumptions

This chapter introduces the organizational structures of the fictitious training companies,

naming conventions, and basic navigation of the product.

Main Topics

•Training companies organizational structure

•Period Naming Conventions

•Basic Navigation

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Discuss the organization of the training companies

•Identify the naming conventions used for Periods

•Determine the basic icons, menus, and toolbars

Chapter 3: Getting Started

This course covers signing in to the application, and reviews Segments and Rollups. Students explore the Segments used in class and Rollup terminology and properties.

Main Topics

•Installation and Connection

•Segments

•Rollups

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Sign into the application

•Review Segment definitions

•Discuss Rollup terminology and properties

Chapter 4: Building Blocks

This chapter explores the building blocks used in Report design and each of their properties. Time is spent highlighting report specific features related to report functionality and formatting.

Main Topics

•Lines

•Columns

•Calculations

•Formats

•Reports

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Identify building blocks and their features

•Discuss Formats

Chapter 5: Income Statement Variations

This chapter designs two reports, a summary and detailed income statement. The use of summary segments, find and replace, and formats streamline the reporting building and generating process.

Main Topics

•Summary Income Statement

•Detailed Income Statement

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Build Lines, Columns, Calculations, Formats, and Reports

•Generate a report

•Review print preview

•Use summary segments in place of calculations

Chapter 6: Variance Reports

This chapter provides an introduction to Reporting Periods and variance reporting. The chapter focuses on creating and setting reporting periods, building variances, and design tips.

Main Topics

•Reporting Periods

•Over/(Under) Budget Income Statement

•Favorable/(Unfavorable) Budget Variances

•Design Tips

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Create and set Reporting Periods

•Create Over/(Under) and Favorable/(Unfavorable) variance columns

•Create number formats

•Use the @FACT calculation function

•Discuss design tips

Chapter 7: Report Maintenance

This chapter has the user create folders to organize building blocks and discuss troubleshooting techniques and design tips.

Main Topics

•Building Block Organization

•Troubleshooting Techniques

•Design Tips

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Create folders and organize Lines, Columns, Calculations, Formats, and Reports

•Discuss basic troubleshooting

•Define design tips

Chapter 8: Additional Formatting Options

This chapter explores formatting options in the Lines, Columns, Reports, and Defaults. In addition, conditional formatting is set up and report options are reviewed.

Main Topics

•Formatting Options

•Conditional Formatting

•Report Options

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Identify the formatting hierarchy

•Change formatting options at the default level, report level, and in Columns and Lines

•Set up conditional formatting

•Discuss report options

Chapter 9: More on Rollups

This chapter provides a review of Rollups, Rollup examples, and modification and maintenance of Rollups.

Main Topics

•Center Rollup

•Account Rollup

•Rollup Maintenance

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Create and modify Rollups

•Discuss uses of Rollups

•Maintain and organize Rollups

Chapter 10: Side by Side Reporting

This chapter designs side by side reports using Centers in the Columns. In addition, it explores using Periods in Lines and modifying the prompts of the report accordingly.

Main Topics

•Side by Side Reporting with Centers

•Using Periods in Lines

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Design Side by Side reports

•Update prompts according to report design

•Use Periods in the Lines

Chapter 11: Multiple Segment Reporting

This chapter combines multiple Segments in the Lines and Columns for unique reporting

needs. Time is spent building the Lines, Columns, and Formats, and discussing the report

prompts. In addition, exploding combined segments is discussed.

Main Topics

•Accounts combined with Periods

•Centers combined with Accounts

•Exploding Combined Segments

•Centers combined with Periods

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Combine segments in Lines and Columns

•Explode combined Segments

•Update report prompts

Chapter 12: Detail Reports

This chapter focuses on adding details to reports. Details are linked to Income Statements, audit trail history is reported on, and detail menus are created. In addition, column codes for detail fields are reviewed.

Main Topics

•Income Statement with Details

•Audit Trail History Report

•Column Code Detail Fields

•Detail Table Menus

After completing this chapter, students should be able to:

•Link details to a report

•Review audit trail history

•Add detail fields to Columns

•Create Detail Table Menus

Chapter 13: Report Distribution

This chapter explores the options for distributing and printing reports. Distribution options are discussed, the Excel Add-in is demonstrated, and multiple prompt selection and summarization is covered.

Main Topics

•Distribution Options

•Print Options

After completing this chapter, students be able to:

•Discuss distribution options

•Print reports

•Generate reports for multiple prompts

Chapter 14: Sample Reports

This chapter demonstrates three additional reports in the Demo company. Students review drilling down to Accounts Payable Detail, explore a Projected Cash Flow statement, and generate a report for a user.

Main Topics

•Accounts Payable Detail

•Projected Cash Flow

•Operating Expenses by User

After completing this chapter, students have an understanding of:

•Drilling into custom detail tables

•Generate and review reports in the Demo company

•Identify calculation functions

•Discuss user report design

Chapter 15: Reporting on Three or More Segments

This chapter provides students with an opportunity to practice designing reports with a three segment database. Students utilize the skills they learned throughout the class and apply their knowledge to three segment reports.

Main Topics

•Departmental Monthly Budget

•Summary Monthly Budget

•Consolidating Budget

After completing this chapter, students be able to:

•Design reports with more than two segments

Appendix A: Microsoft Forecaster Menu Structure

This appendix includes documents like navigation roadmaps, special character list, and reserved words in Microsoft Forecaster 7.0.

Main Topics

•Menu Structure

•Special Characters

•Reserved Words