PeopleSoft Introduction To Financial Reporting

Concept 1 – Using nVision ReportsStep 2. Enter parameters to run an nVision reportNote: The initial set-up of the nVision Report Request page requires users to enterspecific parameters in the *As Of Reporting Date and *Tree As Of Date fields.For subsequent runs, only the dates for these fields need to be updated.a. For the initial set-up, select ‘Specify’ from the *As Of Reporting Date drop-downlist and select the last day of the month for the previous completed fiscal period.d1 For subsequent runs, only the date in the *As of Reporting Date fieldwould need to be updated to reflect the completed period.b. For the initial set-up select ‘Specify’ from the *Tree As Of Date drop-down list andselect the date as the first day of the fiscal year until a new fiscal year starts. For subsequent runs, only the date in the *Tree As Of Date field wouldneed to be updated to reflect the completed period.When running month end reports, the report should be run on the thirdbusiness day of the following month. The *As of Reporting Date wouldbe the last day of the month completed.c. Select the Override Tree As of Date if Specified in Layout checkbox to ensurethe date entered in the previous step is used.d. Under the Output Options sectiond1 The *Type field should automatically default to ‘Web’. Select ‘Web’ if it doesnot populate in the field.d2 The *Format field should default to ‘Microsoft Excel Files’. Select ‘MicrosoftExcel Files’ if it does not populate in the field.e. Click the Save button to save these parameters.f. Click the Run Report button to initiate the Process Scheduler and to proceed tothe next step.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 9

Concept 1 – Using nVision ReportsStep 3.a.Run the report using the Process SchedulerOn the Process Scheduler Request page, click the OK button to initiate theprocess and to return the nVision Report Request page to continue with the laststep.aaStep 4. Review the output using Report ManagerNote: When returned to the nVision Report Request page, the user can select theProcess Monitor hyperlink to check the status of a report or go directly to the outputby selecting the Report Manager hyperlink.a. Select the Report Manager hyperlink to open the Report Manager tool.When running reports for previous fiscal years, always set the *Tree As OfDate to the first day of the current fiscal year.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 10

Concept 1 – Using nVision Reportsb. Click on the Administration tab to view reports run by the user. Note: Some reports may take time to generate. If the report does notappear in the Report List section on the Report Manager, click theRefresh button.c. Select the hyperlinked name of the report under the Description column (in theReport List section) to start a download of the Excel file.Occasionally reports do not appear in the Report Manager. The ProcessMonitor tool can be used to determine why the report is not listed.For more information about the Process Monitor, refer to the LearningResource called: Running a PeopleSoft Report.d. Select Open when prompted to Open or Save the file to open the report in anExcel spreadsheet.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 11

Concept 1 – Using nVision ReportsOnce the report is opened, users can view the results and use Excel functions toperform analysis or verify the data.Similar to Excel files, nVision reports can be saved to local directories byusing the File/Save As menu options.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 12

Concept 1 – Using nVision Reports1.4Describe the purpose of nVision DrillsnVision drills allow users to view more detailed information about summary amountson the nVision reports. The details can be transaction information or chartfield andaccounting period breakdowns. Operating inside of Microsoft Excel, nVision uses thedata extracted from the application as the data source. The intersection of columnsand rows (cell) marks a point where users can DrillDown for detailed information.Before running nVision drills, the desktop must be configured. For moreinformation about setting up nVision drills, refer to the Resources section ofthis guide under Desktop Instructions for nVisionDrills.DataSourceA drill can only be performed when the user has opened an nVision reportfrom report manager.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 13

Concept 1 – Using nVision Reports1.5Briefly describe the four types of nVision Drills:1. Actual to Budget VarianceDrills are used to compare actual transactions to a budget.2. Chartfield by PeriodDrills break down the amount on the nVision report by accounting period anda chartfield value.3. Two Chartfield MatrixDrills break down the amount on the nVision report by two chartfields. These drills areuseful to obtain more information when a unit has a number of chartfield values suchas multiple programs or classes.4. TransactionDrills are used to verify or view actual transactions from all PeopleSoft Financialsmodules. This is the most detailed level for an nVision report.The first three types of drills listed above allow users to perform additional drills withina drill and users can continue to run drills until a Transaction drill is run.Payroll information is always summarized in the General Ledger. To getdetailed data, HCM offers HR Operational Reports. More information aboutthis can be found in the Resources section at the end of this guide.1.6Process an nVisionDrillUsers can drill on any intersection in an nVision report that shows a value (not aformula) in a cell. To obtain this granular level of information, the following steps arerequired:a. Highlight an intersection upon which to drill down.b. Select Add-Ins from the Excel menu to open the Excel ribbon.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 14

Concept 1 – Using nVision Reportsc. Select nVisionDrill, then, Drill on the Excel ribbon to open the Run Drilldownpage.d. On the Run Drilldown page, select an option from the *Type field. There aretwo options for the *Type field when running a drill: Window: The drill displays immediate results to the screen.Web: The drill sends the report to the Report Manager.e. Select the drill type under the Description column by clicking on the relatedRun Drilldown button.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 15

Concept 1 – Using nVision ReportsDepending on whether the *Type chosen is ‘Web’ or ‘Window’, the resulting data willbe displayed differently.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 16

Concept 1 – Using nVision ReportsIf the *Type chosen is ‘Window’:nVision Drill reports run with the *Type of ‘Window’ will display a status message onthe page indicating the processing stage. There are three possible stages and thestatus is displayed on the page as one status progresses to the next: Queued: Waiting to be processed Processing: Report information is being gathered. Success: Report is complete and is available to view. The user isprompted to open the Excel file.An example of a processing stage (Queued) is displayed below.Once the report has run successfully, a message is displayed on the page, preparingoutput for viewing and a dialogue box opens prompting to open or save the file.Click on the Open button to open the results in an Excel Spreadsheet.If the *Type chosen is ‘Web’:nVision Drill reports run with the *Type of ‘Web’ will open the ReportManager/Administration tab. These reports are prefixed with a DR and the processinstance number of the drill is associated with the original process instance number ofthe initial nVision report. This information is helpful if multiple reports and drills are run.To open the drill, select the appropriate hyperlink in the Description column andselect Open when prompted.A full listing of the nVision reports, drills and descriptions is available on theFinancial Services website (identified in the Resources section of the guideunder the topic area Reporting/Financial Reporting).FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 17

Concept 1 – Using nVision ReportsWritten Activity1. Decipher the name of the report request and list whichchartfields will be summarized on the report:a. 720350 FSGLV12 FP DDb. 720350 FLGLV25 FD DD2. What is the advantage of using a tree node for an nVisionreport?3. What are the four types of drills?a. Provide an example of each and when it would bemost useful.Hands-On ActivityRefer to PeopleSoft Function Exercise handout: PeopleSoft FunctionExercise 1 – Generate nVision ReportsFN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 18

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision ReportingConcept 2: Create Efficiency with nVisionReportingPeopleSoft offers methods that allow users to run multiple report requests using one RunControl ID and also distribute the output to multiple users. The following explains thesemethods and how they can be applied to enable users to work more effectively.2.1Generate a Report BookGenerating Report Books is a method of grouping a number of nVision report requeststo run in one step. Report(s) will be generated for each nVision Report Request but theuser will only need to submit one request to run all of the reports. It would be practical toset up a Report Book for running multiple nVision report requests for some or alldepartments at one time.Each Report Book is defined by the user. This is started by setting up a Run Control IDon the Report Book Definition page and then adding specific parameters to determinethe date of the reports and the effective date of the tree, and to identify which reports toinclude.There are four steps to define a Report Book. The details of each step are outlined onthe pages that follow.Step 1.Step 2.Step 3.Step 4.FN.02 LG v6Select a report book.Enter required parameters for running an nVision report bookRun the Report Book using the Process SchedulerReview the output using Report ManagerLast updated July 25, 2013Page 19

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision ReportingStep 1. Select a Report BookFor the initial set-up, certain parameters will need to be added one time only.a. Navigate to the Define Report Book page:Reporting Tools/PS/nVision/Define Report Bookb. For the initial set-up, select the Add a New Value tab on the Report BookDefinition page. For subsequent runs, use the Find an Existing Value tab.c. For the initial set-up, enter a meaningful name for the Run Control ID. Anexample is Month end reports. Do not include any spaces in the name. For subsequent runs, click the Search button to display a list of RunControl IDs. Click the Run Control ID to open the Report Book page. Ifonly one Run Control ID exists, the Report Book page will openautomatically.d. For the initial set-up, click the Add button to open the Report Book page. For subsequent runs, select the appropriate Run Control ID listed in theSearch Results section to open the Report Book page.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 20

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision ReportingStep 2. On the Report Book page, enter required parameters for running an nVisionReport Booke. Select ‘Specify’ from the *As Of Reporting Date drop-down list and select thedate to end of the completed fiscal period.f. Select ‘Specify’ from the *Tree As Of Date drop-down list and select the dateas the first day of the current fiscal year.g. Users can specify the number of days to retain nVision reports on the ReportManager in the Retention Days field. If left blank, this field will default to 30days.h. Enter ‘UOFAB’ in the Business Unit field (if the field does not automaticallypopulate).i. Click the look-up icon in the *Report ID field to open the Look Up Report IDpage to search for reports to include in the Report Book.There are two options when adding the Report IDs to the Report Book:Option 1 Select the Report ID number by performing a look up for each report.Option 2 Search and record the appropriate Report ID numbers.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 21

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision ReportingOption 1 – Select Report IDs by performing a look up for each reportOn the Look Up Report ID page, select the Advanced Lookup hyperlink to open morelook up optionsj.In the Description field, enter an appropriate value, such as the first fewcharacters of DeptID. Then click the Look Up button to produce search results.k. From the list of reports displayed, select the appropriate report by clicking onthe report description. Repeat steps j – k until all reports are added.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 22

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision ReportingOption 2 – Search and record Report IDsm. 6From the Look Up Report ID page, manually record the Report ID numbersfor each report request to be added to the Report Book.6The letter ‘l’ was not used to avoid confusion with the number 1.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 23

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision Reportingn. Then, on the Report Book page, enter each Report ID number by adding newrows in the Report Requests section. Note: Additional rows can be added byusing the add row functionality (‘ ’).o. To run specific Reports Requests in the Report Books, select the checkbox inthe Run column next to the relevant Report ID.p. Once all the Report IDs have been entered in the Report Requests section,click the Save button to save all changes.q. Click the Run button to open the Process Scheduler page to run the ReportBook.qopFN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 24

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision ReportingStep 3. Run the Report Book using Process Schedulerr. On the Process Scheduler Request page change the value in the *Type field to‘Web’ if this value does not default in from previous runs of the Report Book.The *Format will default to ‘XLS’.s. Click the OK button to run the Report Book and return to the Report Bookpage where the user can select the Report Manager hyperlink to reviewsuccessfully run reports.rsStep 4.FN.02 LG v6Review the output using Report ManagerOnce the process has run successfully, the reports will be available in ReportManager under the Administration tab.Last updated July 25, 2013Page 25

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision Reporting2.2Distribute nVision reports and Report BooksDistribution of nVision reports may vary on campus. Some units print the reports, somesave reports in directories (network or local), and others email the reports or distributethem to the Report Manager via the Process Scheduler, which will be explained below.Once the user has selected the Run button on the Report Request page or ReportBook page, the Process Scheduler Request page will be displayed.a. Select either ‘Email’ or ‘Web’ as the *Type option. The value in the *Formatfield will automatically change to ‘XLS’ and the Distribution link will bedisplayed.b. Click the Distribution hyperlink to open the Distribution Detail page.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 26

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision ReportingIf ’Email’ is chosen as the *Type option:c. Add a subject line in the Email Only section on the Distribution Detail page.Enter your name at the end of the subject line to let the recipient knowwho has sent the email, because the ‘from’ address will display assmste@sms.ualberta.ca in your email application.d. Add a message text.e. Specify the recipient’s email address in the Email Address List. When addingmore than one email address, separate each name with a semi colon.f. Click the OK button to complete this page and return to the ProcessScheduler page. On the Process Scheduler page, click OK to submit theprocess.FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 27

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision Reportingg. An email will be sent to the recipients listed in the Email Address List. Thescreen shot below shows an example of the email that recipients will receive.FN.02 LG v6 Drills cannot be run on nVision reports sent via email. If using the email distribution functionality on an nVision reportor a Report Book, the reports will not be displayed in theReport Manager.Last updated July 25, 2013Page 28

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision ReportingIf ‘Web’ is chosen as the *Type option:h. Enter the recipient’s CCID in the Distribution ID field in the Distribute Tosection on the Distribution Detail page. Note: If the CCID is unknown, use thelook up function to find it.i.Click the OK button to complete this page and return to the ProcessScheduler page. On the Process Scheduler page, click OK to submit theprocess.Requesting nVision ReportsIt may be necessary to request the creation of a new report, for example,when: New chartfield values are created, such as the department IDs. A department acquires a new fund, e.g. when a department that has nothad endowments in the past acquires an endowment. A senior financial officer determines that a report could be useful fortheir unit.Before requesting a new nVision Report, users should ensure that a reportdoes not already exist.More information about requesting nVision reports can be found on theFinancial Services Website (identified in the Resources section of the guideunder the topic area Reporting/Financial Reporting).FN.02 LG v6Last updated July 25, 2013Page 29

Concept 2 - Create Efficiency with nVision ReportingHands-on ActivityRefer to PeopleSoft Function Exercise handout: PeopleSoft FunctionExercise 2 – Create efficiency with nVision reporting.FN.0

Upon completion of the training, learners will be able to utilize the PS Financial application to: 1 nVision Reports 1.1 Explain what is an nVision report 1.2 Analyze the naming convention for an nVision report description 1.3 Describe the roles of trees with nVision