Report Descriptions
Settings > Report Descriptions

Within the Financial Statement Report Writer, the Rows tab controls how account information is presented. Lines added to the Rows tab indicate the summary layer Order by which the report should be displayed (first by branch, then by department, then by Minor Account, etc.) with the Direction (ascending or descending) controlling the order of GL accounts for each summary level.

When it is necessary to summarize or order GL accounts in a more custom way, Report Descriptions may be used. Report Descriptions allow for up to four summary levels to be established and assigned to GL accounts. The summary levels can then be added to the report Rows tabs as Order by layers (first by Level 1, then by Level 2, then by Level 3, etc.) to control the order of the assigned GL accounts.

Actions:

New: Create a new Report Description from scratch

Clone: Create a new Report Description by cloning an existing Report Description

Edit: Edit an existing Report Description’s Report ID, Report Name, and Level labels

Levels: Edit an existing Report Description’s Levels

Delete: Delete an existing Report Description

Attachments: Access attachments applied to an existing Report Description (attachments are often added as background information explaining how/why the Report Description was established)

Reports: Export the list of Report Descriptions

Report Description Grid:

Report ID: A short name identifier for the Report Description

Report Name: A longform description for the Report Description often explaining its purpose 

Follow these steps to create a new Report Description:

1. Click New/Clone
2. Enter:
   1. Report ID – The identifier displayed in the Report Description selection dropdown menu accessible from the Financial Statement Report Writer
   2. Report Name – A longform description of the name/purpose of the Report Description
   3. Level 1-4 Labels – Description of the Level displayed on the Financial Statement Report Writer when the Level is added to the Rows Tab
3. Click Save

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Adding Levels for a Report Description

Actions:

New: Add a new Report Description Level grouping

Edit: Edit an existing Report Description Level grouping

Delete: Delete an existing Report Description Level grouping

Account Filter: Filters to identify GL  accounts to which levels for the Report Description Level grouping should be assigned

Apply Conditions: Manually initiate the assignment of Report Description Levels to accounts according to the established Account Filters

Attachments: Access attachments applied to an existing Report Description (attachments are often added as background information explaining how/why the Report Description was established)

Reports: Export the list of Report Description Level groupings

Follow these steps to add Report Description Levels:

1. Click New to add a new grouping of Report Description Levels
2. Enter identification numbers for Level(s)
   1. Numbers allow for the Level(s) to be displayed in ascending/descending order when the Levels are used in the Financial Statement Reports’ Rows tab
3. Enter a description for the Levels
   1. The entered description will be displayed whenever the Level is used for a report Total
4. Click Accounts to add Account Filters
   1. GL Accounts meeting entered Account Filter conditions will automatically have the Report Description Levels assigned upon save
   2. If GL Accounts meet the Account Filter conditions for multiple Report Description Level groups, the Levels in the last Report Description Level group will be assigned.
   3. **If no Account Filters are used, Report Description Levels may be manually added to GL accounts (RECORDS > ACCOUNTS > ACCOUNT EDIT > REPORT DESCRIPTIONS)
5. Click Save (all Report Description Levels will be assigned to accounts meeting any entered Account Filters)
6. When all necessary Report Description Level groups have been added, close the menu with the X in the upper right corner.

Example Report Description and Levels:

Report Description:

Report ID: SOFP

Report Name: Statement of Financial Position

Level 1 Label: Account Category (Asset, Liability, Equity)

Level 2 Label: Restricted/Unrestricted

Level 3 Label: Current/Non-Current

Level 4 Label: Account(s)

Report Description Levels:

Example Report using Report Description Levels:

Rows tab:

Report:

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Selecting/Creating a New Report Description from within Financial Statement Reports

Reporting > Financial Statements > Customize Report > General Tab

If an existing Report Description should be applied to the Financial Statement Report, select it from the Use Report Description dropdown. Once selected, if the Report Description needs to be edited, click Edit, or if Levels need to be modified, click Levels.

See Report Descriptions section above for adding/editing Report Description setup and Levels.

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Importing Report Descriptions Setup

Records > Accounts > New (Import)

This is used to import data to update Report Description setup information.

NOTE: When importing a Report Description setup the Report ID must initially be created manually.

Action: The type of import being performed - Select ‘Import report description setup’.

Connection: See import connections for help with setting up a connection to a file to import.

Reference columns by: See import connections.

Report ID: Select the Report ID to be updated with the imported values.

Description Column: Specify the column in the import file containing the description to be imported. Identify the column by the heading or by the column number based on the above ‘Reference columns by’ value selected.

Level 1 - 4 Column: Specify the column in the import file containing the specific level to be imported. Identify the column by the heading or by the column number based on the above ‘Reference columns by’ value selected. 

NOTE: The levels are numeric values, so numbers need to be specified in each of the columns in the import file, even if the value is zero.

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Importing Report Descriptions Levels for Accounts

Records > Accounts > New (Import)

This is used to import Report Description level groups to the to Report Descriptions.

Action: The type of import being performed - Select ‘Import report descriptions for accounts’.

Connection: See import connections for help with setting up a connection to a file to import.

Reference columns by: See import connections.

Report ID: Select the Report ID to be updated with the imported values.

Add by: Specify how the GL accounts are to be identified for assigning the Report Description Levels. GL Accounts may be listed in the import file along with each account’s assigned Report Description. Or, if the same Report Description Level group should be assigned to every account that matches a given account part, select the Account part from the “Add by”. Identify the column by the heading or by the column number based on the above ‘Reference columns by’ value selected.

Account Column: Specify the column in the import file containing either the GL account or the account part to use as the criteria for which accounts are to have the Report Description Levels assigned. Identify the column by the heading or by the column number based on the above ‘Reference columns by’ value selected.

Level 1 - 4 Column: Specify what column in the import file contains the specific level to be imported. Identify the column by the heading or by the column number based on the above ‘Reference columns by’ value selected. 

NOTE: The levels are numeric values, so numbers need to be specified in each of the columns in the import file, even if the value is zero.