Report Distribution
After you've created report-building objects and defined various reports, you can use FSG's optional report distribution features to control report production and distribution. With these features you can:
- Produce special report variations, such as separate reports for each value of an account segment or for different account ranges.
- Produce multiple reports in a specified order, from one report definition.
- Produce "breakdown" reports where the segment breakdowns are on separate reports rather than on the same report (as with the segment override feature).
- Produce report variations which omit sensitive organization information.
- Create report "sets" by grouping multiple report definitions, to run multiple reports by requesting one report set.
- Schedule reports for automatic production.
- Download reports into spreadsheet programs, for subsequent editing, formatting, and printing.
Topics in This Section
Content Sets
Display Sets and Display Groups
Report Sets
Scheduling Reports
Content Sets
By assigning a content set to a report request, you can generate hundreds of similar reports in a single run. The content set controls how the numerous reports differ from each other. For example, assume your organization has 50 departments and that Department is one of your account segments. Also assume that you already have an FSG report for travel expenses, which you run weekly. By using a content set with your existing report definition, you can print a travel expense report for each department, in one report request. You can then distribute the reports to the 50 department managers for review purposes.
Content sets are similar to row sets and actually work their magic by overriding the row set definition of an existing report. The subtle report variations discussed in the previous paragraph are achieved by the content set altering the row set account assignments and/or display options.
Note: A content set can be saved as part of a report definition, or can be added dynamically at the time you request an FSG report.
Display Sets and Display Groups
With display sets and groups you can produce report variations which omit sensitive information or which include information normally not included in a report. To do this, you simply tell FSG which rows or columns should or should not be displayed.
Recall from the section on Special Format Reports, that when you define a row or column, you tell FSG whether to display that row or column. This is available because you might want to hide rows or columns which hold intermediate calculations or whose definition will produce sensitive organization data on the report. With a display set you can easily reverse these definitions when you need to print a special report.
Note: If you define a column as hidden, you cannot subsequently display it with a display set.
For example, suppose you've defined a payroll expense report that includes a row definition for executive salary detail. Under normal distribution conditions, you don't want this information printed on the payroll expense report, so you defined it as a "don't display" row.
However, once per quarter you need to give the Senior V.P. of Finance a payroll expense report which does include this detail executive payroll information. To accomplish this, you define a display set and display group which tells FSG to print the executive salary detail row.
Every quarter you simply process the Payroll Expense Report, but add the Show Exec Salaries display set to it before you submit the request.
Note: A display set can be saved as part of a report definition, or can be added dynamically at the time you request an FSG report.
Report Sets
You will probably want to run many reports at the same time, perhaps in a specific sequential order. With FSG you define a report set to accomplish this. The report set definition includes a name and description, the name of each report to include in the set, and a sequence number for each report. Once you've defined a report set, you can run all of the related reports with a single request.
Scheduling Reports
General Ledger includes a program named Run Financial Statement Generator which you can use to run your FSG reports. The primary advantage to running FSG reports this way (rather than using the Run Financial Reports window) is that you can schedule reports to run on specific dates and at specific times. You can also specify how often you want the report requests submitted. Once you set up scheduled report runs, the related reports will be processed automatically, without any further work on your part.
See Also
Report Building Concepts
Simple Reports
Special Format Reports
Other FSG Features
Overview of the Financial Statement Generator
Using Financial Statement Generator
GL Desktop Integrator Report Wizard
Defining Content Sets
Defining Display Sets
Defining Display Groups
Defining Financial Report Sets
Running FSG Reports from Standard Request Submission
