“What reporting tool should I use?”

I worked for Oracle as a sales consultant for many years before leaving to join a dedicated software “reporting tool” company.  In that time, one of the hardest questions to answer for customers and prospective customers was: “What reporting tool should I use?”

Most customers would love to have an answer, which pointed them to one tool (meaning they only had to support one method and tool).  All users could have the same training and there would be a nice consistent source of truth and interface for reporting across the organization.

Unfortunately, life and the ERP environment are just not like that.

Oracle E-Business Suite is an extremely complex suite of software, designed to support a wide variety of professional and operational disciplines in large, complex organizations.  Users will range from the highest level executives and board members (who just want a “state of the nation” snapshot), to large numbers of data input and operational staff (who need to instantly see the results of their actions in the system).

Even in a sales demo, which focused purely on financial management, I would typically need to show users a range of tools to suit the different requirements they presented.   This included, for example,  Discoverer for ad-hoc transactional reports (or more recently Business Intelligence applications) for dashboards of key financial reports and ad-hoc reports.  Adding to that mix, Financial Statement Generator (FSG) for statutory reports, online inquiries for quick analysis of transactional activity, and even Excel export utilities to plug the gaps.

Once it comes to implementation the landscape becomes more complex as each organization may have its own strategic reporting tools and the implementers may have their own preferred tools and skill sets for reporting purposes.

“Now what?”

The diagram below shows the typical deployment of different types of tools to different types of users. At the highest level, executives just want the sweet spots of information and need it presented succinctly in an easy-to-read, often graphical form. The less information they have to trawl the better.

Reporting Tools Evolution

The business data that is important to the executive level is summary information: For example, staff turnover, overall sickness levels, profitability, sales, cost of sales, project performance, etc. Often this can be a snapshot based on a data warehouse of modeled and aggregated data and does not need to be in real-time.  Hyperion and Oracle OBIEE and BI Applications are often deployed to fill this need, as are third-party BI tools such as Cognos and Business Objects.

As you move down the organization structure the picture becomes increasingly fuzzy. The more diverse users and modules have a very wide variety of needs.  While it would be impossible to list all the types of information these users would need, it is possible to describe their needs and, indeed, expectations.

Having seen the capabilities of Oracle (and designing the data they will input based on these capabilities,) users have the expectation that they will be able to easily access all of this information whether in summary or detailed form. Take for example, Oracle Financials: Users want to see information at the highest summary level.  This includes how money is spent across an entire company or multiple companies, but with the capability to also access all of the supporting detail (and in real-time).

That can be extremely difficult in Oracle using the standard tools.  That is why there are a plethora of tools used in the marketplace to meet different parts of those requirements. All too often, too much effort is spent exporting information to spreadsheets and then manipulating the raw data and reconciling it back. That time should really be spent analyzing the completed reports.  Users are really looking for tools that can do this without having to spend vast amounts on implementation efforts and IT support.

I finally came across a tool, which would complement the high-level BI tools and support the operational users of the finance modules: Insight Software Suite for Oracle EBS.  Check it out: http://www.insightsoftware.com/products/ebs.

Author: ryan.alford

Ryan is the Internet Marketing Manager for InsightSoftware.com.

]]> http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2011/02/the-oracle-ebs-complexities/feed/ 1 http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/12/southeast-rug-a-resounding-success-for-insightsoftware-com/ http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/12/southeast-rug-a-resounding-success-for-insightsoftware-com/#comments Mon, 06 Dec 2010 22:10:58 +0000 ryan.alford http://blog.insightsoftware.com/?p=206

Tonja Zeigler, winner of InsightSoftware.com's Kindle prize draw, and Mark Kolanach

InsightSoftware.com participated at the Southeast RUG Fall 2010 Meeting, which took place at the Marriott Atlanta Northwest on Friday, Dec. 3.

The event offered a day of education, updates and networking for JD Edwards, PeopleSoft, and Oracle E-Business Suite users.  Amid the wide variety of education sessions and networking opportunities, InsightSoftware.com was pleased to participate in the event:

“These events are important to the health of the Oracle ERP user community,” said Mark Kolanach, InsightSoftware.com’s southeast sales executive.  “Any time we can support JD Edwards and Oracle EBS customers, learning best practices and discussing how to be more effective at their jobs, is a good thing.”

As part of the day’s festivities, InsightSoftware.com had a raffle for an Amazon Kindle.  The lucky winner of this early holiday gift was Tonja Zeigler of Toto USA.  Thanks for participating Tonja, and congratulations!

For more information about the Southeast RUG, visit http://ps-srug.org.

Author: ryan.alford

Ryan is the Internet Marketing Manager for InsightSoftware.com.

]]> http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/12/southeast-rug-a-resounding-success-for-insightsoftware-com/feed/ 0 http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/12/oracle-ebs-year-end-close-tips-and-hints/ http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/12/oracle-ebs-year-end-close-tips-and-hints/#comments Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:06:10 +0000 ryan.alford http://blog.insightsoftware.com/?p=203 By Tracy Bishop

If you want to improve your year-end processes around Oracle financials, there are a number of things you can do. The main one is to prepare well ahead of the deadline.  We all know that year-end will be a rush with operational activity and sub ledger processes, including squeezing the actual accounting for year-end into a very small window.  However, there are things you can do up front to take away some of the effort.

These include:

• Checking your set up is correct, in terms of classification of accounts.  Be sure you have used the GLOIRE process to roll forward balances well ahead of year-end.  I once worked for an organization that did not roll forward their previous year’s balances until about two weeks before the following year-end.  A simple report to help identify misclassified accounts will avoid problems in this area.
• Checking chart-of-accounts parent/child relationships and summary accounts. Don’t leave it to the last minute to tidy up your hierarchies. Make sure there are no instances of orphan children in the hierarchies and make sure the hierarchies you have still support the reporting you will have to do at the end.
• Making sure the FSGs you used last year are in good shape. Row sets can be complex and must be adjusted for any “in year” changes to your chart-of-accounts. Complex FSGs can also be prone to error, so do some integrity checks to make sure you will not have any problems.
• Regularly run reports across the organization to identify any unposted journals or transactions.  This will help avoid any nasty surprises.
• Make sure your accruals are handled properly and completely
• Use a sequential referencing system for all the regular year-end adjustments you have to make so you can easily run a quick report to check progress and identify any missing actions
• Put together a “pre” year-end report pack to help with these checks (and others you may have)
• Put together some easy-to-use monitoring reports to make sure everyone in the process can easily check their figures with drill-down to details
• And finally, be sure the annual reports you produce can easily be reconciled back to the data in Oracle.  Consequently, if this isn’t done, you will feel like you are doing the whole year-end process again when the auditors arrive.

For more information on Preparing for Year-End, visit http://mini.insightsoftware.com/yearend.

Author: ryan.alford

Ryan is the Internet Marketing Manager for InsightSoftware.com.

]]> http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/12/oracle-ebs-year-end-close-tips-and-hints/feed/ 0 http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/10/spreadsheets-gone-wild/ http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/10/spreadsheets-gone-wild/#comments Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:36:11 +0000 ryan.alford http://blog.insightsoftware.com/?p=194 Using spreadsheets in conjunction with an ERP system is one thing.  (It’s not suggested, but it happens.)  However, using spreadsheets without an ERP is a completely different story altogether.  According to research from the Aberdeen Group, many small and mid-size businesses are using spreadsheets without an ERP (such as JD Edwards or Oracle E-Business Suite) but in conjunction with a standalone accounting tool.

“Not surprisingly, spreadsheets top the list,” the Aberdeen research report explains.  “But interestingly, spreadsheets were seldom the only tool used even in very small companies.  Often spreadsheets are used in conjunction with standalone accounting applications and other desktop applications that do not qualify as true enterprise level applications or other applications that lack the breadth, depth or level of integration of ERP.”

So, it’s a “chicken and egg” scenario; which came first, the ERP or the spreadsheet?  In most cases, the spreadsheets have been there all along.  It’s hard to break a habit that seems to work efficiently, but there are other solutions that work better.

Does your organization rely on spreadsheets? If so, are they in combination with an ERP system or standalone accounting tool?

Author: ryan.alford

Ryan is the Internet Marketing Manager for InsightSoftware.com.

]]> http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/10/spreadsheets-gone-wild/feed/ 0 http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/09/insightsoftware-com-at-openworld-2010/ http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/09/insightsoftware-com-at-openworld-2010/#comments Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:22:03 +0000 ryan.alford http://blog.insightsoftware.com/?p=174 InsightSoftware.com and its team had a great OpenWorld 2010 in San Francisco.  Here are the highlights:

The Moscone Center aerial view -

Jon Louvar demonstrates Insight Reconciler for an attendee -

Phil Walton discusses the benefits of Insight Reconciler with attendees -

The Insight Reconciler kiosk in the JD Edwards Pavilion -

Lynda Huebsch and Donna Greer at the InsightSoftware.com booth -

The InsightSofware.com booth -

Jon Louvar provides a software demonstration for an attendee -

Matt Topfer prepares a software demonstration at the InsightSoftware.com booth -

Here are the OpenWorld highlights:

Oracle Enhances Oracle(R) Business Intelligence Applications – http://bit.ly/cruiu7

Oracle’s OpenWorld Show Boosted by Sun Users, Rebound in Corporate Travel – http://bit.ly/bP8Hv1

InsightSoftware.com Helps Ease the Pain Associated With the Year-End Close Process – http://bit.ly/cWswQk

Oracle Unveils Oracle’s JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Fulfillment Management – http://bit.ly/977CbU

Group VP and GM Lyle Ekdahl at the JD Edwards Session and Keynote. Full house, standing room only – http://plixi.com/p/46218725

Lyle Ekdahl: “You are going to see a lot in tools and applications…a lot of things in the pipeline. Leveraging tech from Oracle.”

Lyle Ekdahl: “Central to our strategy…continue to invest and support our products…it makes sense to our customers and our biz.”

ZDnet: Oracle OpenWorld keynote sets a dull tone – http://zd.net/bQRQG9

Accenture Wins Oracle Titan Awards for Business Intelligence and Public Sector Solutions – http://bit.ly/doEZkm

Author: ryan.alford

Ryan is the Internet Marketing Manager for InsightSoftware.com.

]]> http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/09/insightsoftware-com-at-openworld-2010/feed/ 0 http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/09/insightsoftware-com-helps-ease-the-pain-associated-with-the-year-end-close-process/ http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/09/insightsoftware-com-helps-ease-the-pain-associated-with-the-year-end-close-process/#comments Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:02:18 +0000 ryan.alford http://blog.insightsoftware.com/?p=172 InsightSoftware.com, the leading provider of business process optimization software, assists companies with their year-end close preparations with its flagship product called Insight. Built especially for users of Oracle’s E-Business Suite (EBS) and JD Edwards (JDE) World and EnterpriseOne, Insight provides users with real-time access to the information necessary to create reports and data inquiries.

“Insight honors the already established ERP security setup for EBS and JDE,” said Julie Holmes, product manager for InsightSoftware.com. “Confidential information leaks become a thing of the past. Insight can help users easily create reports to show relevant information in a summarized format, with drill-down to transactional detail. ”

Before starting the year-end process, all data needs to be accurate and complete. The human resources team will spend time verifying addresses, tax IDs, and deferred compensation. Accountants will be busy identifying significant variances and completing audit compliance checks. Using Insight helps save time re-running reports but it will also help companies avoid penalties and late filing fees.

“Closing the year is the easy part,” said Holmes. “It’s all the reporting afterwards that can be difficult. Insight helps maintain the reporting that can overwhelm the human resources and finance teams.”

For more information on Insight’s Preparing for Year-End software applications, visit http://mini.insightsoftware.com/yearend/.

Author: ryan.alford

Ryan is the Internet Marketing Manager for InsightSoftware.com.

]]> http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/09/insightsoftware-com-helps-ease-the-pain-associated-with-the-year-end-close-process/feed/ 0 http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/09/preparing-for-year-end-taking-care-of-business/ http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/09/preparing-for-year-end-taking-care-of-business/#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:36:25 +0000 ryan.alford http://blog.insightsoftware.com/?p=168 There’s no denying it: Using JD Edwards and Oracle’s E-Business Suite (EBS) to help close the books at year-end is no picnic. It can get complicated, quickly – especially when it involves complying with government-required standards. Members of both financial and human resources teams realize the oncoming deadlines and paperwork requirements. Of course, this usually happens as the third quarter ends and the fourth quarter begins (maybe later if procrastination persists).

It can be a struggle sifting through information that’s been placed on hold for months. The habits are all the same when it involves the last minute finalization of year-end financials and HR formalities. But now it’s time to break those habits and institute a new proactive approach to the year-end debacle.

According to PriceWaterhousecoopers, when it concerns closing the books, financial statements that are mistake-free and offer accurate details of the year-end results are more likely to avoid the plights of a public company’s late filing assessments:

“Closing the books is the process that a corporation uses to reconcile, consolidate, and report financial information on a periodic basis. A shorter, more accurate close process is cost-efficient and frees finance professionals to focus on strategic activities, such as analyzing the company’s financial data for patterns, trends, and warnings. In addition, companies with short, accurate close cycles build investor confidence with timely, error-free financial statements.”

Creating and implementing a series of best practices for the entire organization can change the dynamics of the year-end close. A “year-end checklist” is important to any strategy when gathering the required data and reporting for the annual closing of the books. This is especially useful when engulfed in the hazards of an audit.

To read more, click here.

Author: ryan.alford

Ryan is the Internet Marketing Manager for InsightSoftware.com.

]]> http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/09/preparing-for-year-end-taking-care-of-business/feed/ 0 http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/07/do-all-signs-point-to-an-unorganized-implementation-of-order-to-ship/ http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/07/do-all-signs-point-to-an-unorganized-implementation-of-order-to-ship/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:00:37 +0000 ryan.alford http://blog.insightsoftware.com/?p=152 It’s not an easy job.  An optimized Order-to-Ship business process offers continual progress towards improved cost control and delivery performance.

However, there might be a few challenges in the systems, including:

• Rework to correct data accuracy issues
• Late shipments and setbacks in delivery performance
• Increased customer complaints
• Time spent on complaint resolution
• Poor management of backorders
• Inefficient order processing and fulfillment
• Untimely invoicing
• Diminished cash flow and sales margins

In an Aberdeen Research study called “Working Capital Optimization: Increase Cash Flow in the New Economy,” author Nari Viswanathan said that “Best-in-Class companies are 30% as likely as all others to use cash conversion metrics as part of their supply chain organization metrics.  Companies that embed cash conversion metrics into the set of supply chain metrics are twice as likely to have reduced their cash conversion cycle over the past year (45% versus 21%).  Some of the key metrics that have been adopted as part of the process are: Sales forecast accuracy, on-time shipping, on-time delivery, inventory turns, logistics costs as a percentage of sales, and gross profit margin.”

Achieving an on-time shipping and delivery system is an industry standard met by few.  Using JD Edwards can get you on your way, but will only take you so far.

To read more, click here.

Author: ryan.alford

Ryan is the Internet Marketing Manager for InsightSoftware.com.

]]> http://blog.insightsoftware.com/2010/07/do-all-signs-point-to-an-unorganized-implementation-of-order-to-ship/feed/ 0