Using FRx with Dynamics GP Analytical Accounting

Lately I’ve had more and more inquiries on using FRx with Dynamics GP Analytical Accounting.

Seems it’s being used more and more since its introduction a few years ago. While most of my posts apply to all of FRx’s ERPs, today’s post will apply only to GP, although the basic principles are exactly the same for other dimension-aware ERPs such as Dynamics AX and Dynamics NAV.

So this will be a brief (sort of) explanation of how to set up FRx to take advantage of the extra information tracked by dimensions. In essence, Analytical Accounting adds what are called ‘Dimensions’ to your existing account structure to enable you to track additional information. For instance, programs, events, and expense type. This post presumes that you have dimensions already set up in GP.

Install the Add-In
The first step is to get the GP Analytical Accounting add-in installed. There will also be a service pack to install and SQL scripts to run. (Use the readme for instructions.) These are completely separate installations from the installation of FRx itself. Once it’s installed, open FRx, go to Admin Organization and you should be able to see Analytical Accounting in the dropdown list under Accounting Systems. Select it and then enter the registration key.

Set up Dimension Structures
Installing the AA add-in puts a folder under your FRx directory called, not exactly surprisingly, ‘Analytical Accounting’.

In this directory, find the file ‘AAWizard.exe’ and run it. This will walk you through the process of setting up dimension structures. The wizard reads the dimensions set up in GP, then allows you to set up one or more dimension structures that FRx will read.

For example, if you have 3 dimensions, ‘programs’, ‘events’, and ‘expense type’, you can set up one or more structures such as:
• Programs only
• Events only
• Expense type only
• Any combination of the above

So if you want to see a dimension showing just event and expense type, the wizard allows you to create a dimension structure for these two dimensions. You might name it something like ‘event and expense’.

Now you’ll associate this dimension structure with a company.

Set up Companies
It is common practice to see at least 2 companies set up in FRx when AA is used: one for the ‘normal’ account structure (if there is such a thing!) and another company for the normal account structure plus dimensions.
You might actually end up with multiple companies for the same database, one pointing to the original GP account structure, and others pointing to the multiple dimension structures you set up in AA.

Back to setup: set up a new company in Company Information, and for Accounting System, select ‘Analytical Accounting’. Complete the remaining information as usual. (You might want a new spec set too, so you can keep your AA reports separately grouped.) Only one other change for AA: on the System Specific Information tab, choose the dimension structure you just created, i.e., ‘event and expense’.

Now you’re finished setting up—time to move on to actually using dimensions in the user interface.

Using Dimensions in FRx
This maybe goes without saying, but in order to see your dimensions, you’ll need to log into the AA company you just created in FRx, the one that points to the dimension structure you created earlier.

In a row format, try the dropdown box in Column H Link to GL. Experiment with it. Notice the dimension data available.

FRx adds underscores in dimension fields for accounts that don’t have dimensions attached. You can pull either account or account + dimensions on the same report.

Back to experimenting: while you’re still in a row, try Edit Add Rows from Chart of Accounts.

Now move to a new reporting tree, try Edit Add Units from Chart of Accounts. You’ll see the entire structure there.

You can use FRx as usual to pull in or filter this data, just as if it was a part of your ‘normal’ account structure.

Good luck…have fun.