Advanced Fund
Management Solutions

The Budget Control Report

Included with your FundWare modules is the Budget Control module. It can watch any group of accounts you specify (with an attribute) and report as you approach the budget amounts on those same accounts. It can even stop you from going over budget, based on how you setup the module.

Budget Control has a useful report that is associated with it. It shows your budgeted accounts and how they are doing compared to budget. The Budget Control Report is shown below. It reveals which accounts are over budget (by percentage) and those that are under budget, also by percentage.

When you run the report you may use masking to see only certain funds or departments, for example. You may also run for an individual period (if you have budgeted on a monthly basis). Below, we ran the report on a yearly basis. We think your department heads would like this report!

Ask Judy...

Q You should write an article on backups! Meanwhile, how can I see a list of my backups and delete the old ones?

A What a timely request! See the backup article in this issue. One way to see the list of backups you have made in FundWare is to use Print Manager. Open print manager and select a “Files of Type” of “All Files”. Then double click on the Backup directory. You will then see the list of backups in descending order by date. Highlight the ones you want to remove and press the “Delete” key. You can use Microsoft Explorer also- the BACKUP directory is under the DATA directory.

Q I would like to change the way the REAB1 report page breaks, but I can’t edit it. What’s the deal?

A The REAB1 report is one of a number of reports that are maintained by the System. In Report Manager you will see this in the Source and Maintain boxes to the right of the list of reports for each module. Highlight each report to see its settings. If a report is System/System, it can’t be modified. However, you can highlight a report and copy it. Next, just name, save, and then edit the copy!

Backing Up Your Data

We’ve written about this subject before. But, we still see clients having problems with lost data when backups have been done incorrectly, or not at all. Some clients have thought that backups were being done, but they weren’t, or that backups could not be restored (the restoring process had not been tested). This article addresses how to make backups of your database.

The most direct way for you to make a backup is to do it through division maintenance (this is found in Division 00). Making a backup there has several advantages: you know that it has been done, and you know that the correct files have been backed up, because the system knows where they are. In the same location you can restore your backup if it is necessary. A disadvantage of this backup method is that the backup is made in the same directory (which means that it will be on the same computer drive) as the FundWare Data directory (where your accounting information resides). If the drive where FundWare resides fails, your backups and accounting data could both be lost. However, making a backup in Division Maintenance is recommended because it is easy to restore without your IT department’s help—some clients make a backup every day. However, your IT department can, and should, a key part of your overall backup plan.

You’re making the FundWare backups, and that’s a partial and convenient solution. Your IT department is also making backups every night (right?). That will probably include the drive with the FundWare directory on it. That will backup the backups you have been making. The IT department is sure to keep their backups on a drive, or tape, on a different machine. So, if the drive upon which FundWare is loaded fails, the backup will be handy. The IT folks have numerous ways to ensure that backups are made. They may use one of several RAID configurations, for example, to ensure data on drives is duplicated. These are all great techniques, but your accounting data and the weekly and daily backups must all be physically separated—in separate buildings, for example. The data and the backups cannot be physically located where a disaster can destroy both. Consider taking a weekly backup to a safe deposit box at the bank, for example.

Should your IT department wish to make a complete FundWare backup, in addition to the one you are making each day, they need to know where the data files are located. The Fundware directory (which contains the DATA and BACKUP directories) is a start, but there is also FundWare data in a SQL database that is frequently located in an MSSQL directory. This directory might be found in a Program Files directory. The SQL databases found under the MSSQL directory must be backed up also. The MSSQL and FundWare DATA directory files must be backed up at the same time so they maintain their proper relationships.

You can see why making a backup in Division Maintenance is easier (FundWare knows where to get everything). When you make a backup in Division Maintenance, the backup files are stored in the BACKUP directory which is located under the DATA directory. The number of these backups will keep increasing and take up more and more disk space. You’ll want to delete the older ones periodically. Contact us with questions you may have regarding the critical topic of backup. We’ll be happy to talk to you or your IT folks about what’s best for you!

Did You Know...?

Report Manager. When creating a user defined report you can add your own columns. One of the choices for a column is “Worksheet”. This column will remain blank (it can have column titles, if you wish). Just like any other column, you can specify its width. It is great for making space on reports for hand written notes. In addition, a worksheet column can be used to place empty space between other columns with information in them.

Accounts Receivable. There is a field on the customer’s record (individual customers, not organizational customers) where you may add their e-mail address. This e-mail address can be brought out in queries (a type of AR reporting capability). Contact your customers, anyone?

Accounts Payable. To quickly find details of your activity with vendors, go to the Open menu, and then Vendors. Double click on the vendor. The Activity Detail tab will show all of your activity. Right click in the columns and you will see additional columns that can be brought on screen. The ones with the checks are currently visible. Click on other fields to bring them on screen, too. Click on a checked one to remove it from the screen.

Links to Other FundWare® Sources

There are several sources of information on the internet that can make your Fund-Ware® experience more productive and effective. Check out the following sites:

Fundware.com

This is Fundware's home page. On it you will find the latest in file fixes and program updates. In addition, you may search the knowledge base for answers to your support questions.

www.afmss.com

Check out my site for a complete listing of the products and services I offer.

www.20pines.com

This site offers a number of products that add an extra measure of functionality to FundWare®. One of these products may make your life a lot easier.

www.muhnconsulting.com

This site offers a number of free downloads that will help you get more out of Fund-Ware®.