The Web-based budgeting and planning

solution from FRx Software

Photo: DigitalVision

Jim Boyer, Sr. ConsultantJim.boyer@cistech.net

Streamlined Budgeting with FRx Financial Forecaster-Jim Boyer, Senior Consultant, CISTECH, Inc.

FRx Forecaster is a powerful budgeting and financial forecasting tool. Its web enablement allows for collaboration among all your "financial touch points" (directors, department heads, finance), and provides a single financial data warehouse for budget, forecast and actual results. Cut budgeting time significantly, produce more realistic budgets, and adjust financial forecasts throughout the year to reflect actual conditions.

Introduction

Budgeting Challenges Today

The Forecaster solution

Product Presentation

Q&A

Agenda

Solutions for financial professionalsUsed by over 110,000 customers worldwide

Giving customers the control they need to effectively manage their business

Control

AccuracyTimeliness

Relevance

Challenges in budgeting

Budgeting Challenges

• Takes too much time

• Inaccurate data

• Difficult to collaborate

• Budget contributors don’t see the relevance

Forecaster is a database solution specifically designed for multiuser Budgeting and Reporting

• Revenue and Expense modeling• Human Resource planning• Capital budgeting• Excel integration• Allocation and Adjustment wizards• Multi-Currency capability• Robust Reporting• Network or Web for end users

Forecaster Features

Immediate Benefits

• Implement quickly• Control the process

immediately• Adjust easily and

often

Forecaster gives you immediate control of the entire process

Integration using Financial Data Mart

FRx® DirectLink

General Ledger

Accounts &

Balances

FDM FDM SQL Server SQL Server

or MSDEor MSDE

FRx® DirectLink ASCII import or FRx ExpressLink

DrillDown Viewer

Report book

Printer

Text

Email

Excel

Cube

Web

FR

x an

d M

icro

soft

DrillDown Viewer

Report book

Printer

Text

Email

Excel

Cube

WebFR

x a

nd

Mic

roso

ft

Integration and Data flow

FDM

OFSI

ASCIIOther DataHR,

CapEx, Project

Add In

GL

LauncherF

DM

OF

SI

FRx Report Server

Designer

GL

Launcher

Report Manager

Forecaster

SQL db

FDMFDM

Integration

GeneralGeneralLedgerLedger

Other DataOther Data(HR, CapEx,(HR, CapEx,

EtcEtc.).)

Forecaster Forecaster DatabaseDatabase

ForecasterForecasterExpressLinkExpressLink

ASCII File Import

Microsoft Forecaster

Cost Center Budgeting

Line Item Details

Input Tools

Input Tools

Input Tools

Input Tools

Planning

Spread Methods

12 months

4-4-5

4-5-4

Days Per month

Customized Calculations

Compensation planning

Compensation Planning

Compensation

Capital Budgeting

Flexible Revenue Modeling

Flexible Revenue Modeling

Consolidations

Account / Virtual Account Roll

Budgeting Versions

Security – users/groups

Routings/Workflow

Workflow

Auto-notification

AccuracyTimeliness

Relevance

Forecaster: The Solution

Control

Forecaster as a solution

Pains The Forecaster Solution

• Time consuming • Quickly establish base line templates and data relevant to the right user

• Data inaccuracies • Reduce audit and spend more time analyzing

• Difficult to collaborate • Appropriate individuals know assumptions, status and numbers during the process

• Budget contributors do not see the relevance

• Use the numbers to help drive decisions and see effects of change

What Forecaster customers say …

“Strongly agree. I can believe all the benefits can be realized”

“From increased efficiencies we reduced the time required to manage the

process by 35% ” “With increased visibility, our management teams spend much more time in analysis and planning… which leads to better decisions and much

better allocation of resources”

“Before, it took our controller days (sometime 3 or 4 days) to

do the roll-ups and consolidation… now, it’s in under 30 minutes”

“Forecaster enabled us to move to a rolling budget, without it we

could not have done it. So what is the impact of a rolling budget?

… hard to quantify, but it’s definitely leading to better

decisions”

“Saves printing costs. Before we

printed 6-10 budget books of 200-300

pages, at least twice during a budget cycle… now we

don’t”

“Dramatically increased participation…

from 30 to 75 people”

“Old process, from October to February,

now 1 month”

Customer Survey results

• Start fast

• Benefit immediately

• Save time and money

• Budgets are realistic,

accurate, achievable

• Respond to changes

• Continual planning

• Immediate control

• Better business results

Fast affordable way to manage budgets

Microsoft Forecaster Accounts Centers Projects Versions

MicrosoftFRx

GL

Accounts Balances

Budgets andForecasts

Variance Report

FRxExpressLink

Actuals currentAnd Historical

Drill Down on Actual Balances

Drill Down on Budget Balances

GLData

Forecaster Data

© 2004 FRx Software Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft and FRx are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation or FRx Software Corporation or their affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other registered trademarks and trademarks are property of their respective owners. FRx Software Corporation is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation.