Easy Mode Financial Summary Definition - Nominal

When you select an ‘easy mode’ financial summary at run-time you are prompted

If you reply ‘No’ then you continue to print the summary report. If you reply ‘Yes’ then you are taken in to the summary set-up process.

Easy mode financial summaries are based on a fixed format, an example of which is illustrated below:

The elements of a report are:

Report Header — a report header consists of 7 lines, with the report date, the date range which applies, and the report name from that given in the menu. It is printed on the first page and, optionally, on each subsequent page

Text Headings — Text headings within the body of the report, such as the word "SALES” in the example above, can be printed on any line

Ranges — A range of nominal accounts can be printed in the report

Totals — Sub-totals and totals can be printed where needed, preceded and followed by underlines (lines of minus or equal signs) to separate them from other report lines

Calculations — Sub-totals can be added and subtracted to give further results

Ratios — You can express one line as a percentage of another — e.g. gross margin, operating costs and net profit as percentages of sales on separate lines

An easy-mode definition consists of a set of general parameters, plus a set of up to 66 statements which define how the report is to print. The report itself may spread over many pages, however, since ranges of accounts are printed one per line.

Note

General Parameters

New Report Title

This is the name of the financial summary as it is to appear in the list of summaries and in the report heading.

Printer control set (1-8)?

You are shown the printer styles so far defined (via the CONFIG user — see System User Guide) and can choose one to use with this financial summary.

Lines down to be printed (max 99)?

This is the number of lines printed on one page before a new page is started and the seven-line report headings are reprinted at the top of the next page. Note this value should match that defined for the print style above.

Note

Maximum width of line (max 128)?

Easy mode financial summaries can print to a maximum width of 128 characters. Note that this value should match that defined for the print style (printer control set) defined above.

First line available for printing?

Normally you choose to print on line 1. You may choose to start printing at a line lower down the page, to leave an adequate margin at the top of the page.

Last line available for printing?

This defines the lowest line which is to be printed on a page. Should the report extend beyond that line, then a new page is started, the report headings being printed again at the line number specified as the first line available above.

Full Headings on each page?

The report header is always printed at the top of the first page. Set if you wish to see the report header printed at the start of every subsequent page, or leave blank to omit it from subsequent pages.

Omit printing of accounts if zero?

Easy mode summaries often list ranges of accounts. In some cases it can be unsightly to print those accounts which have zero values, and you can suppress these by setting this question. If you have designed your format to include page breaks at specific points, however, you may want all accounts to print anyway, to make it look right. In such cases leave this question blank.

Allow Previous Periods for Printing

The report can be run for any period in the current year and, if still open, the previous year – this parameter does not impact on this. Instead this allows you to run the report to cover several periods, for example, when running the report for period 3 you may want to include the two previous periods so that you are printing the summary report for the quarter.

Columns and Items

Now you must specify which value items from the nominal accounts file are to print in which columns of the summary (the actual account codes to print on each line are defined later).For each entry line you are asked for the:

Column

Item

Each entry defines one column of figures on the financial summary, and you can choose to print as many columns as you need between 1 and 6.

Column number — this represents the left-hand printing position across the page where this column of values is to print. It can take a value between 1 and the maximum line width specified above. If you do not want to use this entry, leave the column number zero. Value items generally take 14 characters to print (format 9999999999.99±). Each column should allow 15 characters if printed in full to include a space between the columns.

Item — this is the value item which is to print in this column. It can take a value between 1 and 17, which represents one of the values in the balance items list in the right-hand part of your screen. These items are described fully below

Available balance items are:

1 Current Balance – The balance of the account as it would appear on the trial balance

2 Start of Year Balance – The opening balance at the start of the year

3 Start of Period Balance – The opening balance at the start of the current period

4 Comparative Year Balance – The balance of the account as at the end of last year

5 Comparative Period Balance – The movement on the account for the same period last year

6 Budget for Year Balance – The total budget set for the year

7 Budget for Period Balance – The budget set for this period

8 Movement for Year – This is the difference between the start of year balance on the account (item 2) and the current balance (item 1)

9 Movement for Period – This is the difference between the start of period balance (item 3) and the current balance (item 1)

10 Comparative Year Variance – This is the difference between the balance at the end of last year (item 4) and the movement for the year (item 8)

11 Comparative Period Variance – This is the difference between the movement on the account for this period last year (item 5) and this year (item 9)

12 Budget Year Variance – This is the difference between the budget total for the year (item 6) and the movement for the year so far (item 8)

13 Budget Period Variance – This is the difference between the budget for the period (item 7) and the movement for the period (item 9)

14 Budget for Year Accum – This is the budget year-to-date (i.e. up to the period you run the enquiry for) as opposed to item 6 for the full-year’s budget.

15 Budget for Year Accum Variance – This is the difference between the year-to-date budget (item 14) and the movement for the year (item 8)

16 Comparative Year Accum – This is the year-to-date balance for this period last year as opposed to the full year balance that is item 4.

17 Comparative Year Accum Variance – This is the difference between the balance at this point last year (item 16) with this year (item 8)

Summary Definition

The definition is then created by entering statements of what to print. Using the above illustration as an example, the first part of the statement definition would be described by the screen shown below.

Each line of the specification describes what to print using the following codes:

H - Heading. Prints one line with up to 40 characters of text. In the above example the single word "SALES” is printed

R - Range. You may specify a range of account codes to print. Every account in that range prints, one per line, unless you requested that zero value accounts were not to print (see General Parameters above). The account name is used as the text for each line

This is the only specification code which prints more than one line on the final report, and you may need to experiment with your format if the final report prints over more than one page

You can reverse the sign of all values before they print. Typically the profit and loss income accounts, and the liability balance sheet accounts have negative values in your files, but you would want them to print as positive values

U – Underline. Prints an "underline” character, you can choose any character to print continuously across the page (typically you would choose "–” or "=”) and can ask to underline the text part of your summary, the columns, or both text and columns

T – Total. This accumulates a value from a complete range of accounts, printing the total on a single line. You may reverse the sign before you print, and you can also specify the text to print on this line. In the example above "TOTAL SALES”, "Purchases”, "Stock Movements” and "Cost of Sales” are all total lines

* - Calculation. This lets you add and subtract up to five values to print on a single line. The values must be the results of any previous total line, and you give the specification line numbers for those totals. For example, the entry "GROSS MARGIN” in the example above was defined to be "+4 –10” — the sales total (fourth line of specification) less the cost of sales (line 10)

% - Percentage This lets you divide the result of one line (a total or a calculation) by the result of another, giving the answer as a percentage.You might use this to express various totals as a percentage of (e.g.) sales. You can specify the text you wish to print in the text area on this line

– Blank Line Use a minus sign to indicate a blank line in your report. Judicious use of these to format the report can improve the legibility of the end result

P – Page Break Use this to force the start of a new page. Where you are printing ranges of accounts, your report may well spread over more than one page, which prints without any page headings on the second or subsequent pages. To improve the appearance of subsequent pages you may want to force page breaks, and use underlines (across both text and columns) and headings to give page headings

Once you have completed the specification you are asked if you want to continue and print the summary.If you reply 'Yes' you go into the normal report print pre-amble described above. Reply No to return to the financial summaries sub-menu.