Why You Should Use Forecaster for Budgeting and Not Excel in Microsoft Dynamics GP

Posted on: March 20, 2012 | By: SuperUser Account | Microsoft Dynamics GP

The Accounting and Finance departments always seem to be working on the budgeting process. One tool that is part of Microsoft Dynamics GP that is under used is Microsoft Forecaster. Forecaster is an excellent tool for budgeting and a far superior tool than the constant updating of Excel spreadsheets.

So the question is are you tired of trying to manage your budgeting and forecasting process using Excel spreadsheets? Trying to ensure all of your links work between tabs of data and all your formulas are up to date?

Microsoft Dynamics Forecaster can be the solution to solve all those budgeting issues that keep you up at night.

Features of Forecaster include:

  • Capability for independent Budgeting and Forecasting
  • Utilizes organizational tree structures and rollups in the same way your organization operates
  • User security allows access to only their responsibility center and only the sensitive data needed for that reporting entity
  • Actual financial data pulled from your Microsoft Dynamics GP system and budget data pushed back into GP for financial reporting using FRx or Management Reporter
  • Separate budgeting functionality for complex revenue models, Human Resource planning and Capital budgeting
  • Create complex budget models once and utilize throughout the organization
  • Lock budget managers out of calculations ensuring accuracy and consistency
  • Ability to provide detail supporting schedules for any line of the budget
  • Notes can be added for clarification and future reference
  • Tracks changes ensuring change control throughout your budget process
  • Submission and approval processes using Workflows
  • Templates are not lost from year to year, they can be rolled forward for the next reporting period
  • Ability to budget utilizing allocations
  • Variances are automatically flagged based upon user defined parameters
  • Application is built utilizing its own SQL database

There are many more features of Forecaster for Dynamics GP. Please contact us to learn more and stay tuned for a future White Paper from Logan Consulting on the features and benefits of Forecaster over Excel based budgeting.