1. 30 Tips on Management Reporter
Chris Haley, Microsoft

2. Use Management Reporter !
Tip #1
Use Management Reporter !
MR Is the primary financial reporting tool for AX since CU7, but it supports all builds of AX2012. License included with AX!
Flexible financial reporting in the hands of the finance team – no developers needed!
Benefit from professional reports with a secure report library 2

3. Report Viewer

4. Tip #2 Transaction Level Details
On many reports, it might not be necessary or desirable to allow drilling down to transaction level
On others, it is extremely useful, so include the option when you generate the report and the user can drill down (It may take a little longer to generate)
Notice the attributes you can include – there is a long list to choose from when designing your report 4

5. Tip #3 Previous Reports
MR Keeps all of the previous versions of the report when you regenerate it, so you can review the history
Really useful during month end as you correct issues and regenerate 5

6. Tip #4 Comments
Used in conjunction with the versions – we can add comments on specific rows
This might be comments from reviewers, or your own notes as you generate incremental versions
Notice the little speech bubble icon next to the row which includes the comments 6

7. Tip #5 Currency Translation
After doing some setup in AX (exchange rates) you can ‘translate’ reports into other currencies 7

8. Tip #6 Pre-calculate Currency Translations
Calculate currency translations with report generation Turn off for faster report generation Turn on for faster switching between currencies in report
If your users will want to switch quickly o regularly between currencies, check the box on the report design to pre-calculate the translations during report generation 8

9. Report Distribution

10. Tip #7 Report Library Folders
Set security Segregate reports
Report designer – setup a folder structure to organise your reports
You can also setup the security by folder 10

11. Tip #8 Use the report URL
Share the generated report using the report URL – paste it into your s Don’t send excel files around!
More secure – Only users with permission can access
Always the latest version – If you need to regenerate the report, the link stays the same 11

12. Tip #9 Add to role center in AX
Add the URL for your key reports to the AX Role Centre page – Easy convenient access for users 12

13. Tip #10 Business Analyzer App
A desktop (and mobile) app that allows managers to have an overview of KPIs and reports for the business.
Some setup required, but Management Reporter reports can be viewable through the app.
Read more on TechNet: 13

14. Tip #11 Report Scheduling
Tools > Import Default Reports
For reports you use regularly, especially any which take more than few seconds to generate, schedule them!
You can specify the report to be re-generated overnight, daily, weekly, monthly… The report URL takes you to the up to date report
(Remember to put the generated date/time on the report header!) 14

15. Tip #12 Report Groups
Simplify report generation of multiple reports by grouping them.
Monthly management report pack? MR will also have a URL for the group, with a landing page for easy navigation!
Reuse the same report in multiple groups, generate groups on a schedule 15

16. Reporting TREES

17. Tip #13 AX Org Hierarchies
Org hierarchies setup in AX will be integrated into Management Reporter as reporting trees
Maintain hierarchies in a single place –used in AX for various reasons (approvals, security, reporting)
You do have to be using the org units as financial dimensions to analyse financial reports by them! 17

18. Tip #14 Generate from Dimensions
Auto-generate your hierarchy based on available financial dimensions
Apply ranges to limit the included dimensions and save yourself time and potential human error! 18

19. Tip #15 Use Unit Security
A very powerful way to handle different levels of access in the same report – think departmental reports
Run and distribute a single report with Department reporting tree, set the users access level by reporting unit (i.e. department) 19

20. Report Design

21. Tip #16 Default Reports Tools > Import Default Reports
Checkout the default reports for ideas and inspiration, or use as a basis for your own reports
If you can’t see them in report designer, go to Tools > Import default reports. 21

22. Tip #17 Add a Company Logo Report design – header
Add a little extra professional touch to your reports by including your company logo.
Import and select images from the report definition ‘Headers and footers’ tab. 22

23. Tip #18 Auto-generate Rows
Row definition: Edit > Insert Rows from Dimensions ! 23

24. Tip #19 Using the Currency Filter
Column definition: Filter transactions by currency Does NOT modify the transactions currency! ! 24

25. Tip #20 Hiding Rows
Row 430 will not display if the Total is 0 Row 400 will not show as it is linked to row 430 ! 25

26. Tip #21 Hidden Check Rows
Several rows exist for dimensions within a main account Add a non-printing row for the main account (no dimension filters) Add a calculated row for the difference If difference is zero, the row is hidden, if not we see an ‘Other’ row ! 26

27. Tip #22 Missing Account Analysis
Report Designer Tools > Missing account analysis ! 27

28. Tip #23 Column Dimension Filters! 28

29. Budgeting

30. Tip #24 AX Budget Plans
The simplest way to get your budget data into AX is using the budget planning process
Upload the data from Excel add-in, use different ‘scenarios’ and the data can be filtered in MR using attribute filters
Have multiple scenarios – Sales team with graduated rewards schemes? 30

31. Tip #25 Add Quantities
A budget plan in AX can include both currency values and quantities
Qty can be your choice – units sold, head count, 31

32. Tip #26 Actual Quantities
To allow comparison of budged qty to actual qty, you need to post something to the GL.
This can be done easily with a general journal! Post a zero value transaction with a qty specified on the General tab
You can use a new main account to keep these separate, or just post to the existing main accounts. The values are then integrated into MR! 32

33. Tip #27 Worksheet Links
Row definition: Edit > Row links Cell with /Column period offset
Edit > Row links to setup a new worksheet link for a row definition row
Use /CPO modifier for Column period offset (You can also user RPO if your data is row based) 33

34. Other Stuff

35. Tip #28 Get Error Alerts
If any errors occur in Management Reporter, you run the risk of running your reports with missing data.
Find out about any issues before you fall into that trap by setting up the alerts from MR Configuration console
You might need your system administrator to configure this for you. 35

36. Tip #29 Stay up to date! ~Quarterly CU releases New features Bug fixes
Performance improvements!
Subscribe to the blog:
Latest version from customer source: 36

37. Q&A Tip #30 Ask! Don’t forget the community!
Latest version from customer source: 37

38. Speaker contact info
Chris Haley
Technical Advisor - Microsoft Support 38