DURATION
2 days
Introduction
The 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:
Review Segments, Periods and Rollups
Review report design building blocks
Create summary and detailed Income Statements
Build Variance reports
Explore report maintenance
Discuss troubleshooting techniques and design tips
Review additional report formatting and options
Discuss Rollup structures and modify Rollups
Design Side-by-Side consolidation reports
Combine multiple segments in rows and columns
Build detail reports
Discuss Sample Reports
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.
Microsoft Certified Professional Exams
No Microsoft Certified Professional exams are associated with this course currently.
Course Materials
The student courseware includes a comprehensive workbook and other necessary materials for this class.
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
This is a version-specific reference outline. Confirm the current syllabus and delivery arrangements with EIEIO.