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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This relates generally to computer systems and more particularly to a
computer software method and apparatus for advanced financial applications
such as general ledger, inventory, accounts payable, accounts receivable,
financial and management reporting, and financial analysis and
consolidation.
Corporate software systems generally are divided into two categories. The
first, basic financial systems, includes general ledger, accounts
receivable and accounts payable systems. These systems include computer
worksheets and data bases. The second, advanced financial systems and
processes, uses information from the basic financial systems to perform
financial analysis and reporting functions.
At present many of the basic financial systems applications reside on micro
computer software packages.
Worksheet applications allow the user to keep a two dimensional chart of
his financial data on an electronic worksheet. Illustrative of such spread
sheet applications is Lotus Development Corporation's LOTUS 1-2-3.RTM..
That program allows the user to set up two dimensional worksheets in the
form of a grid made up of horizontal rows and vertical columns. Each
intersection of a row or column forms a cell in which data can be stored
in the form of numeric data (such as an account balance), text (such as an
account name), or arithmetic operators (such as a formula which
manipulates the contents of other cells). To enter data into a worksheet,
the user will usually enter data via a keyboard, cell by cell. When users
employ LOTUS 1-2-3.RTM. to perform more detailed analyses it is likely
that they have also created complicated strings of commands (i.e., macros)
to facilitate data entry, management and reporting capabilities. Since
these macros have been created by specific individuals, they can be
difficult to revise should business dictate. More important, because these
macros are tailored to a user's personal needs, the application's
usefulness across the corporation is limited.
These spreadsheet programs are also limited by their presentation of data
in only two dimensions. This often requires considerable reorganization of
the data before it can be used in advanced financial systems.
Database packages such as Ashton Tate's dBASE III.RTM. allow the user to
keep a financial data base. Frequently, this information is needed for use
in a report having a format different from that in which it is stored or
in a spreadsheet such as that generated by one of the computer
spreadsheets. However, report generation can be tedious and a great deal
of data manipulation must be performed in order to load data from a data
base into an electronic worksheet. For example, to load data from a data
base to an electronic spreadsheet, the user must convert the data into an
ASCII file and subsequently download it into an electronic worksheet. When
data is downloaded into a worksheet each field must be inserted into a
cell. The downloading of data into the worksheet must be done with extreme
care, otherwise cells containing formulas may be overwritten.
In addition to the above limitations, personal computer programs also
generally lack the capacity to implement complex information management
and finance controls such as audit trails and password protection
capabilities needed in high-level financial applications.
These programs also have the limitations that they are typing intensive
with the result that the user must either acquire reasonable typing skills
in order to use such programs efficiently or he must suffer considerable
time penalties as he attempts to cope with extensive keyboard input.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an advanced financial reporting and analysis
software package. The package collects, organizes, manages and
consolidates financial data and provides user defined capabilities for
creating financial and corporate reports.
Data can be loaded into the computer system manually as well as from known
micro-computer packages such as LOTUS 1-2-3.RTM. and Ashton-Tate's
dBase.RTM. and also from departmental and corporate data bases and basic
financial systems such as general ledger, accounts payable and inventory
applications. The software package can also incorporate data from outside
sources, such as Dow Jones News/Retrieval service to permit analysis of
competitive financial data.
Data is output from the financial data base of the present invention either
into reports or directly into electronic worksheets. The data can be
displayed in various ways allowing the user to use the system as an
analysis tool as well as a production reporting system. The process of
loading data base information into an electronic worksheet is far simpler
than the method which must be employed when working with two separate
conventional packages.
In accordance with the invention, financial data is organized into four
business classifications or dimensions: Schedule, Entity, Period and Type.
Schedule identifies the kind of document the data comes from (e.g., an
income statement, a tax schedule). Entity identifies the reporting group
within the business organization (e.g., departments, divisions,
subsidiaries). Period identifies the range of time that the data
represents (e.g., FY 87, Q2 87). Type provides an additional dimension
that can be used to further categorize the data (e.g., actual, budget,
forecast).
Data is stored in the system in such a way that all data associated with a
particular Schedule, Entity, Period and Type (SEPT) is identified by that
particular SEPT value and is stored in a predetermined pattern relative to
the location of that SEPT value in the data store.
To accommodate automatic data entry, a mapping means or template is
provided that specifies for each different input spreadsheet the location
of the first data cell in the spreadsheet and the size of the spreadsheet.
From this information, the system is able to locate the data in the
spreadsheet and read it systematically into the data store.
Data is read from the data store by various report and spreadsheet
generating functions which convert data associated with particular SEPT
values to desired output formats. For example, one such function might map
data associated with the same Schedule, Entity and Type but consecutive
Periods over several years onto a spreadsheet having as many columns as
there are Periods so as to produce a spreadsheet showing the variation of
such data over time.
One function of the present invention is to consolidate information that
arrives at corporation's headquarters in multiple formats from the
corporation's numerous divisions and subsidiaries. Through user-controlled
dictionaries within its user interface, the computer application
standardizes the way financial information is managed and analyzed within
a corporation. In addition, the system allows for hierarchical mapping so
that subsidiaries are attached to the controlling entities. Therefore,
when data is input into the data base so as to update an entry, all
entities which are attached to the updated entity are also updated.
Other features of the invention include a modeling function which is
integrated with the data store so that data associated with any SEPT value
can be recalled for use in calculating the model or for comparison with
the model.
In addition to financial and management reporting and analysis, other
application areas include international planning and analysis,
consolidation and tax analysis and the like. Reporting functions include
currency conversion, journal entries, hierarchy roll-ups and computation
of year to date totals and variances. Additional features include audit
trails and data verification.
The present invention may be used as a stand alone system, but is
preferably for departmental use. The financial computer system and process
is designed for use by all levels of employees who are involved in
financial control, whether it be a firm's chief financial officer or an
end user in the financial department.
The financial system of the present invention is presently sold
commercially by the assignee as the FASTAR.TM. financial computer program.
Further details of the operation of the system are set forth in the
FASTAR.TM. Tutorial, Reference Guide, Quick Reference, Modeling Guide, and
Modeling Quick Reference available from the assignee, which are
incorporated here by reference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be
more readily apparent from the following description of a preferred
embodiment of the invention in which:
FIG. 1 is a system overview of an illustrative computer system used in the
practice of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a flow chart depicting the user's interaction with the system;
FIGS. 3A-6B are flowcharts depicting the implementation of the Create
function of the present invention;
FIGS. 7-18 are flowcharts depicting the implementation of the Input
function of the present invention;
FIGS. 19-23 are flowcharts depicting the implementation of the Query
function of the present invention; and
FIGS. 24-26 are flowcharts depicting the implementation of the Pop-up
function of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the invention is a computer
system 20 illustratively comprising a plurality of personal computers 30
and an interconnection network 40. The system can be networked to
twenty-five users or more. Resident in the memory of one of the computers
30 and accessible to all of them is the data base management program of
the present invention which provides for advanced query and analysis
functions.
The personal computers illustratively are IBM-PC's or clones or any of the
more advanced personal computers now available. As is well known such
computers include a processor, a read/write memory and means for writing
data into said memory and reading data from said memory. Typical memory
configurations used with the present invention should include at least 640
Kilobytes of semiconductor random access memory and at least a 10 megabyte
hard disk. Each such computer includes a video display 32, a printer 34,
and a keyboard 36 that provides for alphanumeric input, function keys and
a cursor control. Data can be input from the keyboard or from computer
files such as electronic worksheets. Data can be output to printed reports
and to electronic worksheets.
Unlike conventional data base management systems or worksheet applications,
the system of the present invention allows for a four dimensional analysis
of all financial data. In particular, the data stored in the system is
organized into four business classifications or dimensions, namely
Schedule, Entity, Period and Type (SEPT). Schedule identifies the type of
document the data comes from (e.g., income statements, budgets, tax
schedules) Entity identifies a reporting group within the organization
(e.g., departments, subsidiaries). Period identifies the time that the
data represents (e.g., FY 87, Q2 87). Type provides an additional
dimension that allows the user to further categorize data (e.g., actual,
budgeted, forecast).
In storage, all the data associated with a particular Schedule, Entity,
Period and Type is identified by that particular SEPT value. Thus, the
system data base can be represented as follows:
S.sub.1, E.sub.1, P.sub.1, T.sub.1, datacell.sub.1, . . . datacell.sub.x
S.sub.k, E.sub.l, P.sub.m, T.sub.n, datacell.sub.1, . . . datacell.sub.y
where the number of SEPT values can be as great as the product of the
numbers of Schedules, Entities, Periods and Types (i.e., k*l*m*n) and the
number of data cells associated with each SEPT value can vary.
In addition to the data base, the system of the present invention also
provides a means of mapping input data from its source to the location in
the database assigned to the particular SEPT value with which it is
associated and means for mapping data from the database location assigned
to the SEPT values to an output format. The input mapping means is
referred to below as an input template Several output mapping means are
described below for the generation of output reports or files.
When retrieving data from the system, the user can specify data from
different categories in each of the dimensions. For example, the user may
have defined a data base with the following SEPT entries:
______________________________________
SCHEDULES ENTITIES PERIODS TYPES
______________________________________
Income statement
Corporate Q1 87 Actual
Balance Sheet
U.S. Q2 87 Budgeted
Sales Budget Far East Q3 87 Forecast
Tax Schedule Europe Q4 87 Q4 Var
______________________________________
The user could then retrieve data on the basis of any combination of the
categories found in each of the four dimensions. For example, the user
could request:
Schedule=Sales Budget
Entity=U.S., Far East
Period=Q1 87
Types=Actual, Budgeted.
Or he could request:
Schedule=Income Statement
Entity=Corporate
Period=Q1 87, Q2 87
Type=Forecast.
This allows the user to work in a manner in which he is accustomed.
Although most financial analysts manually analyze data by using this four
dimensional approach, no known other computer system allows for this
"SEPT" method.
The General Flow of Operation of the Data Base Management System
The user enters the data base management system by typing the name of the
system. As illustrated in Table I, a screen will appear which will provide
(1) the date the user entered the system, (2) a copyright notice; (3) a
menu of available operations, (4) a work area, (5) the system status, (6)
an indication from which data base the computer system is reading, (7) the
default drive, (8) the SEPT selections and (9) the amount of available
memory. The last line (10) is a prompt line which describes the purpose of
a highlighted menu or sub-menu item.
TABLE I
__________________________________________________________________________
##STR1##
##STR2##
##STR3##
Create define and modify input schedule, hierarchies, dictionaries &
ranges.
(10)
__________________________________________________________________________
The menu of available operations (3) lists the main functions of the
computer system and highlights that one of them which is then available to
the user. In Table I the lines above and below CREATE identify the
highlighted function and the prompt line 10 describes the purpose of this
function. The user selects a function by advancing the highlighter to that
function by means of the cursor keys and confirms this selection by
depressing an appropriate function select key such as the ENTER key. The
system will then display a window on the screen containing a menu of
subfunctions of the selected function, the first of which will also be
highlighted. The user can then select a subfunction by advancing the
highlighter through the menu of subfunctions. Upon selection of a
subfunction, the system will then display a menu of further subfunctions
and so on.
The operations set forth in the main menu of Table I are as follows.
The CREATE function allows the user to build templates, define and modify
schedules, hierarchies, dictionaries, ranges, and certain system defaults.
The INPUT function allows the user to input data into a data base from
electronic worksheets, computer files or a keyboard.
The QUERY function allows the user to extract information and create a
report or a worksheet with the requested information.
The ANALYZE function allows the user to modify an existing query without
redefining the entire query.
The REPORT function reformats a previously run query or model into print
pages for viewing or printing. This function also allows the user to
design custom reports by extracting data from the data base.
The TRANSFER function allows the user to transfer data from one data base
to another, to a file or to a diskette. For example, the user may wish to
transfer all of his sales data to a file to be used in another computer
system.
MAINTAIN allows the user to perform various data base management tasks such
as creating, copying or restoring a data base and password protection. The
system uses seven levels of passwords to ensure tight security. The levels
of priority are:
1. System Administration
2. Management Control
3. Dictionary Maintenance
4. Data Transfer/Purge
5. Input Entry
6. Input Data
7. Inquiry
X-RUN allows the user to access other software packages without leaving the
data base management system.
EXIT allows the user to log off. Two options are available: QUIT and
BACKUP. BACKUP permits the user to backup his data base before he logs
off.
A "POP-UP" function is available throughout the operation of the system.
This function is used to extract data and transfer it between files,
validate syntax codes and view the contents of a specified data cell,
schedule, range or dictionary.
The operation of the system of the present invention falls into three
phases, namely set-up, production reporting and ad-hoc analysis. Each
phase involves specific computer functions, but all functions are
available for use even after set-up has been completed.
In the "set-up" phase, the user creates user passwords, enters data into
system dictionaries, sets default periods and types, specifies printer
configurations and configures the data base management system for input by
creating input templates and defining hierarchies and ranges. This phase
uses the CREATE and INPUT functions.
In the "production" phase, the user periodically inputs data into the
computer system, converts and consolidates it as needed, and outputs the
results to worksheets or reports for review and distribution. This phase
uses the INPUT, QUERY, ANALYZE, REPORT, TRANSFER, MAINTAIN and X-RUN
functions.
The "ad-hoc" analysis phase allows the user to review and create analytical
models without the constraints of formal production reports. This phase
uses the QUERY and ANALYZE functions.
The user interface for each of these phases is discussed in turn
immediately hereafter. Following such discussion is a description of the
implementation in software of the system of the present invention.
Set-Up
Before the data base management system can operate, it needs an "outline"
of the user's financial organization. For example, it must know which
subsidiaries send data, the currencies these subsidiaries use and the
currency conversion rules. This information is supplied by six
dictionaries. The data base management system also needs to know the
relationship or hierarchical organization of the entities that constitute
the financial organization.
Other features of the present invention include automatic data entry from
input files or worksheets into the system's data base and checking for
integrity errors. To accommodate this automatic data entry, a mapping
means or template must be created that specifies for each different input
worksheet, the location of the first data cell in the worksheet and the
size of the worksheet. From this information, the system is able to locate
the data in the worksheet and read it systematically into the data store.
These and other set-up procedures are accomplished by selection of the
CREATE function on the screen depicted in Table I. As shown in Table II,
the CREATE function has six subfunctions: INPUT.sub.-- TEMPLATE,
HIERARCHY, DICTIONARY, RANGE, X-INTEGRITY and SETUP and each of these
subfunctions has available to it a menu of sub-subfunctions such as ADD,
MODIFY, DELETE, LIST.
TABLE II
__________________________________________________________________________
May 20, 1987copyright .COPYRGT. 1986Corp. Class SoftwareREADY
##STR4##
##STR5##
Add input template format, integrity rules and descriptions.
__________________________________________________________________________
Table II illustrates the addition of entries in the DICTIONARY subfunction.
The CREATE, DICTIONARY and ADD functions are all highlighted as shown by a
line above and below each of these functions.
The INPUT.sub.-- TEMPLATE function allows the user to build templates which
are used as structured gateways for inputting data. All data passes
through one of these templates before being stored, in the data base.
The HIERARCHY function allows the user to define the structure of the
corporation for financial analysis. A hierarchy entity is the entity into
which a specified group of other entities, called detailed entities, can
be consolidated. The HIERARCHY function defines the order in which data
can be automatically rolled-up from detailed entities to hierarchial
entities.
The dictionaries are defined by the DICTIONARY function. There are six
dictionaries for Period, Type, Entity, Currency Rate Code, Currency Rate
Type and Account Description. These dictionaries are the first thing to be
defined in setting up a system; and since the other dictionary entries are
all defined relative to a specific period, the first dictionary entry to
be defined is a Period. The other dictionary values are then defined for
that period as well. For each additional period that is defined in the
period dictionary, the remaining dictionary values must again be defined.
Since these values are often the same over many different periods, this
can usually be done simply by allowing the system to copy such values over
for each additional period.
The RANGE function permits the user to define the categories into which the
data is organized in the system by providing a pointer between a name and
a datacell associated with a particular SEPT value. By assigning the same
name to several data cells each associated with a different SEPT value,
the user can extract data from each of these data cells by using the one
name rather than by specifying the location of each of the data cells.
X.sub.-- INTEGRITY permits the user to set up the cross-integrity checks.
For example, the data in the Income Statement can be compared against data
in the Balance Sheet to see if they are equal. If the data is incorrect
the system will prompt the user with an error. A status/error report
listing integrity errors is also available at this point. This is part of
the audit trail which is provided by the system.
The set-up functions allow (CREATE and INPUT) allow the user to do certain
administrative tasks such as create user passwords, enter data into system
dictionaries, set default periods and types, and specify printer
configurations.
The dictionaries form the basic structure of the system's data bases. Each
function of the system refers to these dictionaries in order to validate
data while processing. For example, if the user desires to input data for
the first quarter of 1987 he must first enter this period in the Period
Dictionary as Q1 87.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention uses six defined
dictionaries. The following five dictionaries are required:
Period--To specify time periods such as Quarter, Year, Month and Day. The
data base management system's operation is based on time periods which are
specified by the user to conform to the user's unique reporting needs. All
data is input for a specific period and all other dictionary entries are
defined for that period.
Type--To specify the types of data being reported and analyzed. Common
types are Actual, Standard Budget, and Forecast but the user may use and
type any name he wishes.
Currency Rate Codes--To specify the currencies in which the user does
business, such as dollar, peso, or yen.
Currency Rate Type--To specify how to convert the currencies used.
Illustrative currency rate types are Average or End-of-year.
Entity--To describe the business units which send data to the user. An
entity can be a subsidiary, division, product line, etc.
Although not necessary to proper operation of the system, a sixth
dictionary is provided:
Account Description--To describe accounts (e.g., accounts payable, accounts
receivable, cash, goodwill, etc.) to which the user will post journal
entries and indicate their location on the input documents.
The dictionaries are provided for use at any level of the system's
operation. Their record capacity is limited only by the user's computer
storage capacity.
The HIERARCHY function allows the user to define data organizations which
are identical to the structure of the user's financial organization. In
creating a hierarchy entity, the user specifies the subsidiaries or
subentities which report to a higher level entity and the percent of each
subentity that is owned. As a result, when data is input into the data
base, it is possible to consolidate financial data from the subentities in
reports of the higher level entity or entities.
In prior art financial applications, the process of generating a
consolidated report for a hierarchal environment is to first input the
data for the detailed entity and then consolidate the information for a
summary report. In addition to such a "batch" consolidation, the preferred
embodiment of the present invention provides a unique "on line"
consolidation. The "on-line" consolidation feature allows the user to see
the effect of his entries on the higher levels of the report at the time
he enters the detailed information with no need to wait for operation of a
consolidation program such as used in "batch" consolidation.
Once the dictionaries are created, the system can be set up to accept
incoming data. For example, the present invention interacts with a
worksheet application such as LOTUS 1-2-3.RTM. by reading and writing data
formulas, creating worksheets with very little data manipulation and
supporting queries of the system's data base via LOTUS 1-2-3.RTM.. This
interaction of LOTUS 1-2-3.RTM. is done in both the input stage and the
output stage of the present invention.
To accommodate manual data input as well as automatic data input from an
ASCII file or from a worksheet file, the user must ordinarily create an
input template. As illustrated in Table II, the user can create an input
template by selecting the CREATE function. This causes the system to
display a submenu shown on the left side of Table II. When the user
chooses the INPUT.sub.-- TEMPLATE option, a further sub-menu appears which
allows the user to ADD a new template or MODIFY, DELETE or LIST existing
templates. Each input template is designed to handle data that is input
from a particular type of financial schedule. For example, if subsidiary
entities furnish data in an income statement or balance sheet, the user
would create two input templates, one for the income statement schedule
and one for the balance sheet schedule. For each template which represents
a specific schedule, the user can enter data for any entity that uses or
used such schedule for every period and type of data for which the
schedule was used. Since most entities will use the same schedule for the
same type of data over extended time periods, the user can often use a
default Period and Type. Thus the only SEPT variation for data on any one
template is Entity; and the user need only create the input templates
required to handle data in the different formats or schedules used by the
different Entities.
To define the input template, the user must specify the relationship
between the data in whatever format it is found in the input file and the
format in which it is desired to be arranged in the system database.
Typically, all financial data is organized in rows and columns. For
example, a corporation's income figures may be listed by rows and the
periods (i.e., Q1 87, Q2 87) may be listed by columns. Thus the task of
defining the input template is one of relating the columns and rows of
data as formatted in the input file to the format of the system database.
The process is best illustrated with an example. Let us assume that the
input file is an income statement entitled Income Statement 1 (IS1) for
the Entity ABC, for the Period Q1 87 and for the Type Actual. The income
statement might look like Table III as follows:
TABLE III
______________________________________
A B
______________________________________
1. Schedule IS1
2. Entity ABC
3. Period Q1 87
4. Type Actual
5. Income Statement 1
6.
7.
9. Amt (000)
10. Sales 424
11. Cost of Goods Sold
161
12. Depreciation 64
13. Selling and Admin.
93
14. Total Operating Expenses
318
15. Operating Profit 106
16. Other Income 51
17. Total Income 157
18. Interest Expense 34
19. Earnings Before Taxes
123
20. Provisions for Taxes
57
21. Net Income 66
______________________________________
TABLE IV
__________________________________________________________________________
##STR6##
##STR7##
Add input template format, integrity rules and descriptions.
__________________________________________________________________________
Table IV is illustrative of a screen which is displayed to the user in
response to a CREATE/INPUT TEMPLATE/ADD command. The user types the
template name: INCOME STATEMENT 1 in the DESCRIPTION FIELD and presses the
ENTER key to verify his entry. The user then fills in the rest of the
information. In this example number of ROWS: 21, NUMBER OF COLUMNS: 1,
CURRENCY: parent, RATE TYPE: Local, DENOMINATION: K(Thousand), ARE THERE
ANY FORMAT EXCEPTIONS? N, IS THIS IS A WORKSHEET TEMPLATE? Y. By filling
in this screen the user is specifying the number of rows and columns
required to hold the data on the template. In filling in the number of
rows, the user begins counting from the first row that contains data. The
number of rows required need not match the number of rows in the schedule
definition. It is usually a good idea to add a few extra rows in case the
user miscounts so that input data will not be truncated. The CURRENCY
selection allows the user to specify whether to use the Parent Currency
(e.g. U.S. dollars) or to use local currency (e.g. Pesos). The
DENOMINATION selection allows the user to specify whether the input
amounts are in thousands, millions, etc.
If the data is input consistently, the user answers "NO" to ARE THERE ANY
FORMAT EXCEPTIONS? If the data contains values such as cells with
different formats such as different currencies and denominations, the user
answers "YES." If the user answers, "YES," the system will prompt the user
with a screen that allows the user to indicate where exceptions exist on
the template. Therefore when inputting the data, the system will know to
treat the specified fields that contain exceptions differently. If the
user answers "Y" to IS THIS A WORKSHEET TEMPLATE?, the system knows that
data will be input by a worksheet. Otherwise data can be input manually
through the keyboard.
Upon completion of Table IV, a screen such as Table V is displayed. The top
of the screen will allow the user to keep track of all of his function and
subfunction selections. As indicated, in this example the user has chosen
CREATE/INPUT-TEMPLATE/ADD. For the INPUT.sub.-- TEMPLATE to be able to
read a worksheet, it must be given instructions identifying from where on
the worksheet the data is being extracted. The screen of Table V permits
the user to give these instructions.
TABLE V
__________________________________________________________________________
##STR8##
CREATE/INPUT-TEMPLATE/ADD
__________________________________________________________________________
##STR9##
WORKSHEET TEMPLATE DEFINITION
PERIOD : Q1 87SCHEDULE : ISI
##STR10##
WHAT IS THE DIRECTION OF THE VARIABLE ?ACROSSDOWN
FIRST DATA CELL : B10
CELL LOCATIONS FOR : -----
##STR11##
##STR12##
WORKSHEET FILE NAME : ABC
##STR13##
Enter cell locations where data begins, and where schedule,
entity, period, and type are stored.
##STR14##
__________________________________________________________________________
Add input template format, integrity rules and descriptions.
##STR15##
If the user wishes to extract all data from the worksheet beginning with
Sales, he will specify the FIRST DATA CELL as B10 since the sales data
(424) is located at that cell in the input and the template is defined to
have 12 rows and 1 column. This will instruct the system to extract the
data from the worksheet starting with cell B10 and continuing with all
In order for the system to associate the extracted data with its SEPT
value, the location of the SEPT specification in the input file values
must be indicated. These values are on the first four lines of column B of
the input file of Table III. Accordingly, B1, B2, B3 and B4 are inserted
after the prompts for these values on the screen of Table V.
______________________________________
Schedule =
B1
Entity = B2
Period = B3
Type = B4
______________________________________
The user must also specify the location of the first row and column
descriptions in response to screen prompts. In this example A10 contains
the first row description "SALES. The user enters A10 after the prompt for
the first row description. The user then enters the first column
description. Since B9 contains the first column description "AMT", the
user enters B9 after the prompt for the first column description.
The screen then prompts the user to designate if the worksheet is on the
system and is ready to be processed. If the user indicates yes, the user
enters the worksheet file name so the worksheet can be located and the
worksheet is processed. The row and column descriptions from the input
file are stored in the system's database. In addition if there are any
formulas as part of the worksheet, they too are stored as part of the
INPUT TEMPLATE definition.
When this process is complete, the computer system will ask the user if he
wishes to print a status report. This status report describes the
parameters of the worksheet that was just read in. It is a useful part of
an audit trail.
This process is repeated for as many different input schedules as are used
with the system. As will be apparent, this procedure eliminates the need
for manual reentry of data and eliminates the need to massage data into
ASCII files in order to be fed into a data base.
If, however, data is not available on an electronic worksheet, the system
will accommodate manual entry of data as well. Again the
CREATE/INPUT.sub.-- TEMPLATE/ADD function is selected, the screen shown in
Table IV is displayed and the user fills in the screen as described above.
However, when he indicates in response to the last question on the screen
of Table IV that this is not a worksheet template, the next screen
displayed is an array of empty rows and columns of the size specified
earlier in Table IV. The user then types in column and row headings to
complete the manual input template.
Once the dictionaries, hierarchies and templates are created, the system is
ready to accept data from electronic worksheets, computer data files and
the keyboard. Table VI illustrates the screen used to input data from an
existing electronic worksheet. After the user chooses the INPUT function,
a submenu appears as shown on the left side of Table VI with the input
choices: WORKSHEET, MANUAL, FILE, ENTRIES, and CALCULATED.sub.-- DATA.
The WORKSHEET function allows the user to input data from a WORKSHEET
directly into the database. The MANUAL function allows the user to
manually enter data from hardcopy, such as standard reporting forms. FILE
allows the user to input an ASCII or binary file directly into the
database. ENTRIES allows the user to post, print and review journal
entries. CALCULATED.sub.-- DATA allows the user to create a new type of
data by combining data from different periods and types (lateral
consolidation). The user may then choose to input data from one of these
choices by advancing the highlighting box from one choice to another by
means of the cursor keys and pressing the ENTER key when the highlighted
function is the desired function.
If the WORKSHEET function is chosen, the system will prompt the user by
displaying a selection of available templates as illustrated on the right
hand side of Table VI. For example, if the user wishes to enter data
through the Income Statement 1 (IS1) template created in the foregoing
discussion of Tables III-V, he would use the cursor keys to move the
highlighter to the Income Statement 1 selection. The user would then press
the enter key to confirm his selection. The template code "IS1" would then
appear in the "ENTER" box in the middle of the screen. Once the template
is chosen, the system will read in the worksheet data through the template
and into the data base. The data from the input file will then be stored
in the system's database in association with the SEPT value read from the
input file of Table III in accordance with the location information
specified in the input template of Table V. The data from the first data
cell (B10) of the input file will be stored in the data cell.sub.1
associated with that SEPT value and data from the succeeding cells
(B11-B21) will be stored in data cells.sub.2-12. By passing the worksheet
through the template, the system checks the data to make sure it
corresponds to integrity rules which are set up in the template. When the
system has finished processing the data, it will update the data base and
generate a status report.
TABLE VI
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May 20, 1987 copyright .COPYRGT. 1986 Corp. Class SoftwareSELECT
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Production
Once data has been input into the computer system, the user can study
relationships between various data elements by querying the data. This is
the production phase. This phase uses the INPUT, QUERY, ANALYZE, REPORT,
TRANSFER, X-RUN, EXIT and POP-UP functions.
The QUERY function can generate reports from the system's data base without
the requirement of typing by the user. As in the case of the INPUT.sub.--
TEMPLATE function, this is a matter of format conversion, but now from the
format of the system's data base to that of the report.
To better understand the QUERY function, it is helpful to understand the
structure of the report generated by this function. A typical report is
illustrated in Table VII.
TABLE VII
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As will be apparent the report is a two-dimensional array of data. The
column headings in this example specify Periods, Entities and Types. Other
combinations of up to three of the four SEPT dimensions are possible.
These headings are selected by the user by means of the QUERY function and
a sub-function named ACROSS. In this example, the row headings are
elements of a Schedule; but other headings selected from the SEPT
dimensions not used as column headings can be used. The headings are
specified by the user by means of QUERY and a sub-function named DOWN.
Table VIII is illustrative of the screen that is displayed when the QUERY
function is selected.
TABLE VIII
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Define the parameters for a query or a model.
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The DEFINE function allows the user to define a query. For example, the
user will set up column and row headings for the report, set up selection
criteria, set up format and specify output mode. Column and row headings
will be selected from available values of the four SEPT categories.
The RUN function generates a report or a worksheet in response to a query
defined by the DEFINE function.
The LIST function lists the available queries that have been established by
the DEFINE function. This will allow the user to review his selection
criteria, report format and output modes.
The COPY function allows the user to copy an existing query to a new query.
The ERASE function deletes an existing query.
The MODIFY function allows value modifications to an existing query.
By selecting the DEFINE function, the user prompts the system to display a
submenu which lists all subfunctions available from the DEFINE function.
Table IX is illustrative of the screen displayed to the user once he has
chosen the DEFINE function. The user may now go through all of these
subfunctions in order to define his query.
TABLE IX
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