RSMUS.comAre you only using the global dimensions in your Business Central Account Schedules? Do you want to expand the Account Schedules to include other dimensions? It’s quite easy to add an Analysis View to your financial reports. The analysis view is a great way to view financial data for your particular output needs based on criteria that are specified in your business. You will be able to use the Analysis View on the Account Schedule, but also with the Analysis by Dimensions functionality.
As you may have discovered, there can be several dimensions that are not readily accessed. The Analysis views are specially meant to access all dimensions in the same easy manner as the global dimensions. You can create Analysis Views in groups of a maximum of four dimensions at the same time. This might seem like it is a limitation, but in reality, it is not, since you can create as many views as needed to combine all the dimensions you want.
The Analysis View creates analysis view entries and the financial reports are then generated from these entries. These are based on G/L entries, budget entries and the dimensions that are assigned to the Analysis View. Once you create an Analysis View, there is an update process that is needed to create new analysis view entries. This is accomplished in one of two ways. Either periodically or automatically on posting. Periodically requires that you run the update on a periodic basis. This updates the Analysis View with the latest entries. The Update on Posting is an automated process that can be enabled but could case performance issues. You can always disable the update and return to periodically updating the view before utilizing it.
If you post an entry to an account with one of the four dimensions selected for an analysis view, this entry information needs to be included in the analysis view as an analysis view entry. You use the Analysis View Card page to define the criteria for creating the analysis view entries for the Analysis by Dimensions page. This criterion is based on your reporting requirements.
You can use the view in the Analysis by Dimensions. This functionality is used to display and analyze the amount derived from the existing analysis view. It allows you to use the Analysis by Dimensions matrix to view the amounts in your general ledger by using the analysis views that you have set up.
You simply fill in the Analysis by Dimensions page to define what will be shown in the matrix, and then select the Show Matrix action to view the matrix. You will be able to use the General FastTab to indicate how you want the lines and columns to be displayed.
You have the option on the Filters FastTab to filter on specific date ranges, accounts, business units, budget information and up to four dimensions. Of course, these dimensions need to be built into the Analysis View you have selected.
You also have the Options FastTab where you can choose to show the actual amounts, budget amounts, variance, variance percentage or index percentage. You can also show the amounts as the amount field or the debit or credit amount. You can include or exclude closing entries as well. Amounts can be rounded to the nearest dollar, thousandth, or millionth. If you use Additional Reporting Currency, you can include that in the matrix.The matrix can be viewed with the column names rather than the codes.
So, once you have the Analysis View created, you can also add it as a source for the account schedules. The amounts in the account schedules are calculated based on the analysis views entries if analysis views are selected as a source for account schedules. The result should be the same, as the analysis views entries are based on the general ledger entries. If they are not, then you may need to update the analysis view so that the analysis entries match the G/L entries.
As you probably know, when analyzing the account schedules, you can only filter the amounts based on the 2 global dimensions if an analysis view is not added. But, by adding the analysis views, you can base the account schedules on any of the four dimensions selected in your views. These can be global, shortcut or any other dimensions.
You can use dimensions other than your two global dimensions in an account schedule. You just assign an existing analysis view to your account schedule. With this approach, you can use up to four dimensions in your account schedule. Assigning an analysis view changes the entries that are used to create the amounts in the account schedule from G/L entries to analysis view entries.
If you link an analysis view to an account schedule, you can filter amounts in rows by using the Dimensions Totaling fields on the Account Schedule page. By assigning an analysis view to a column layout, you have the same filter ability but on a column level.
You can use an analysis view on both the account schedule and the column layout. Just build out the analysis view so that it captures the information that you want to include in the account schedule and on the column. You can then assign the analysis view to both and create some amazing reports.
Give it a try and see what you are able to create.
This blog was originally posted on dynamics-discussion.com
