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Microsoft Great Plains has multiple reporting options: Report Writer, MS SQLReporting Services, Crystal Reports, SQL Server Reporting services, but the mostpopular tool for financial reporting is still (and remains) FRx. If you areController  you probably use FRx reports on the weekly basis and have a need inadvanced options. FRx was available for all the major Great Plains versions, MS SQLServer, MSDE, Ctree, Pervasive SQL/Btrieve database platforms. In this smallarticle we would like to give you highlights on FRx reporting. Cash Flow. By one reason or another we find customers who are complaining abouttheir current Microsoft Business Solutions partner  more specifically thatconsultants are not capable to design Cash Flow report . They easily design P&L,Balance Sheet, but not Cash Flow. We would like to give you our opinion that CashFlow just needs good understanding of P&L and Balance Sheet accruals and in FRx youcan create cash flow from P&L with adjustments on non-cash accruals from BS  thisis well described in Accounting textbooks as Cash Flow indirect method.  Excel. This is very typical problem. When business is small or midsize  and itowns several legal entities/companies  the small entities might have no accountingapplication, but Excel tables (or QuickBooks that exports to Excel). In thissituation you should consider building consolidated reports in FRx, pulling infofrom Multiple Great Plains companies and Excel. You should use link menu item forthe Column in Row Format and have it as GL+Worksheet (Excel or Lotus 1-2-3) orExternal Worksheet. GL+Worksheet is the easiest  you specify your Excel file andworksheet in this form [C:\MyExcel.XSL]P&L in Worksheet File Name and then youshould understand the syntax in the Row layout  such identifiers as CPO (ColumnPeriod Offset) or RPO (Row Period Offset). These identifiers help you when you haveeither column with your fiscal periods (say twelve months) or row and want to adjustyour report to the period automatically  click on Report Date  you will see BasePeriod  this base Period should be the offset amount  horizontal (CPO) or vertical(RPO)  Consolidation. This topic is usually self explanatory, however you should knowthe classic accounting consolidation principles  such as inter companiesconsolidation accounts (exclude them from your consolidated report).  Technical Issues/Service Packs. Well  FRx has to deal with multiple accountingapplications and this leads to reasonably high number of bugs in its releases. Goodexample is  in initial FRx 6.5 when you use (C
