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AGRESSOBusiness WorldAGRESSOFinancialsYou need an advantageYou need AGRESSOA UNIT 4 AGRESSO COMPANY
FinancialsChoose AGRESSO for effective financialmanagement, planning, reporting andsupport for future growth. Capture, monitor and manipulate vast amounts of criticalfinancial data with AGRESSO Business WorldKey areas of functionality:!AGRESSO has all the features you would expectfrom a modern fully integrated financialsapplication including general ledger, accountspayable, accounts receivable together withcomprehensive budgeting, fixed asset and cashmanagement features!AGRESSO Financials offer users true multicompany, multi-currency and multi-lingualcapabilities!Powerful scheduling and automation features allowthe user to define automatic cost allocation anddistribution routines. These same features are usedto facilitate accrual and prepayment processingand periodic and year-end routines!Use of latest technology allows distribution of vitalbusiness information to users throughout theorganisation on an as-needs basisWhat it will do for your business:!Reduction in clerical time through fullintegration, external transaction import routinesand speedy keyboard entry of transactions acrossstandardised entry screens, enabling staff to focuson more value added tasks!Dramatically reduced reporting time tomanagement and investors through automation ofperiod-end tasks. The ability to have multiple openperiods eliminates the need to force a close tocontinue transaction processing, ensuring that allaccounts staff are working effectively!Speedy and effective answers to queriesenabled through quick and easy access toinformation on-line, complete with comprehensivedrill down, allowing users to pinpoint variances!Managers can concentrate on running thebusiness more effectively as ease of reportingmeans less staff time is required in producingstandard management reports2“Agresso has one of themost flexible General Ledgersin the business. Its ProjectManagement software has setnew standard in the industry.Dennis Keeling, Chairman of BASDA”
FinancialsAll organisations undergoing change,either of an entrepreneurial nature toexploit an opportunity, or as part ofthe natural evolution of a businessstrategy, need a thoroughunderstanding of their currentoperations in order to identify areasfor improvement. It is on the back ofthis that critical operationaldecisions can best be made. This isalso the basis for communication withbusiness partners, customers,authorities, legal bodies andshareholders.Shaping the foundation of such anunderstanding is a broad span offinancial data from a variable andwideranging number of sources. Thishas to be seamlessly integrated withother aspects of businessinformation, such as humanresources, project management andworkflow, to form a complete picturefor business management. Agressoprovides this with an easytouse,highly flexible and comprehensivesolution that helps its customersmaximise their return on investment.Why AGRESSO?AGRESSO Business World (ABW) is aworldclass integrated businessmanagement and informationsystem. It enables users in both thecommercial and public sectors to takefull advantage of the newtechnologies available and becomehighly competitive digital operations,ready to face the future. It has beendeveloped in order to increase thecompetitive edge of Agressocustomers in their respective marketsand further builds on the Agressostrategy of delivering systems withspecific features aimed at companiesexperiencing change and growth.The key benefit of ABW is derivedfrom the breadth and depth of itsfunctionality. Few, if any, competitiveofferings are able to capture such awide range of data for analysis andreporting. A key to the power ofAGRESSO is its structure, whichallows for unlimited dimensions ofanalysis. This covers all areasrelating to financial, operational andhuman resource management. It is astructure that can be altered to suitchanges in market conditions, tosupport divisional restructuring or thesetting up of a new organisationalchart, for example. This ensures thatyour financial and business reportingneeds can be met, not only now, butin an everchanging future. Thewealth of functionality provided canhelp cut down administrative effortand maximise the potential oforganisational resources whileminimising running costs andoverheads.3
AGRESSOBusiness WorldBusiness Analysisand ReportingFinanceHumanResourcesProjectLogisticsWhen selecting a business informationsystem, two basic key requirements stand out:the range and quality of retrievable informationand the integration of this for the purpose ofinterrogation and reporting. Additionally, asorganisations evolve over time, the systemneeds to continue to support these needs. Theattribute based architecture of AGRESSOBusiness World does this. An attribute is anyaspect of your data or organisation that isrequired to be analysed, reported on ormonitored. This could be, for example, a costcentre, division, project, company, customer ora product. An unlimited number of attributes isdefinable and new ones can be created at anytime during the life of the system. Attributesare then linked together into groups andhierarchies for integrated analysis andreporting.Not only does the coding structure allowmaximum flexibility in terms of analysis, butalso the structure can be changed at any timeas business requirements change, for example,to accommodate new product ranges or a neworganisational structure. These changes can beundertaken far more rapidly and at a muchlower cost than with many competitiveofferings, where often a completereimplementation is required.The AGRESSO approach makes the capture,presentation and manipulation of informationmuch easier and the user interface is alsocommon to the rest of the software. Inaddition, all enquiry, analysis and reportingtools are integral parts of the application. Whenit comes to changing AGRESSO, modification tothe system s underlying structure willimmediately be reflected in the analysis,reporting and enquiry facilities, thus eliminatingtime and resources spent on adapting thesetools.4The backbone element of AGRESSOBusiness World is AGRESSO Office, acomprehensive software tool foradministrative management, control andreporting. AGRESSO Office comprises aseries of closely integrated andcomprehensive modules Financials,Logistics, Human Resources, Project andBusiness Analysis and Reporting. Togetherthey include vast amounts of criticalinformation about both your business andthat of your customers a vital businesstool.AGRESSO Office offers a complete range offunctions for accounting, financial control,project management, logistics andpayroll/personnel administration. It ispossible to register, collect and distributethis information easily in an effectivemanner and present it simply and clearlyfor use, with real time, uptodate access24 hours a day.The Financials suite is one of the coreareas of AGRESSO Office. With integratedFinancials at the foundation, the AGRESSOOffice family supports international,multicompany, multilingual andmulticurrency requirements, creating asolution that can move in step withchanging business environments andmaximise return on investment.
AGRESSO FinancialsThe modules in the AGRESSO Financials suite bring together thediverse array of information that constitute a financial system. Theycan be grouped into the following key areas, which contain not onlymodules of general interest, but additional specialised applications forparticular types of customers:“We needed to replace amultitude of disparate accountingpackages with one fully integratedsystem which we can use toanalyse our business quickly andeasily. AGRESSO will be one ofthe foundations to help us remain”General Ledgerdominant in our market place.The heart of the Business Information delivery capabilities of AGRESSO,the General Ledger provides the power and flexibility to store andmanipulate large amounts of data to provide structured information.Typically, an organisation is required by law to meet certainrequirements in order to satisfy shareholders, government authoritiesand other interested parties. The General Ledger is usually seen as aninformation store used for producing the related financial andmanagement accounts and which also supports strategic and tacticaldecisionmaking. It is important that the gathering of such informationinvolves minimal administrative effort. Not only does the General Ledgerprovide some of the keys to AGRESSO s power as a provider of businessinformation for dynamic organisations, it also provides features forsimplifying and speeding up bookkeeping and periodic accounting tasks.Warren Gemberling,Project Manager, RACA wide range of features have been designed to satisfy the needs ofeven the most demanding and complex organisation and the system sflexibility enables adaptable reporting structures and hierarchies toreflect the way specific organisations work.Key features include:·Flexible and powerful structure·Exellent multicurrency capabilities·Accounting triggers automatemonth end·Full integration with all otherAGRESSO modules·Consolidation·Allocations·Multiple budgets5
Benefits“AGRESSO's flexibilityenables powerful analysis,while allowing us to maintaina simpler Chart of Accounts.We produce many softwaretitles on several platforms andin many languages and sellthese products to customersall around the world. We needto be able to analyse flexiblyby product, language or bygame title, for example andAGRESSO allows us to answercomplex questions quickly andeasily.”Chris Develin, Group FinancialSystems Administrator, EidosInteractive· Unique coding infrastructure provides the ultimate in flexibleanlysis and reporting.· Full integration with all relevant submodules, external transactionimport routines and speedy keyboard entry of transactionsreduce clerical time· Automation of periodend tasks dramatically reduces reporting timeto management and investors and requires less staff time· Flexibility benefits, such as facility for multiple open periods, ensuremaximum effectiveness· Access to information is quick, easy and online and withcomprehensive drill down, enabling speedy and effective response toqueries· Finger tip variance analysis leads to effective troubleshootingAdditional modules can be added to provide further functionality whereadditional specific requirements have to be met. Examples include:Cash AccountingFor those organisations, notably those in the public sector, who are requiredto report in whole or part on a cash basis, this module enables accounts tobe restated on a cash basis as opposed to the more common accruals basis.Financial InterfacesThis allows data from external systems to be imported into AGRESSO ledgersin a controlled manner. This could include third party feeder systems such aspayroll or spreadsheets.6
BudgetingBudgeting, a key element strategic in planning and financial control, isusually timeconsuming and iterative, taking a long time to finalise and oftenthen with subsequent revisions being necessary. Budgeting requirements alsovary in different types of organisation. Managers require assistance with thecreation of budgets and simple ways to review and enquire on performanceagainst budget, enabling appropriate action to be taken.The AGRESSO solution can provide a variety of solutions according toindividual customer requirements. To supplement the budgeting functionalityincorporated in the General Ledger module, further functionality is offeredthrough the additional modules, Budgeting, Financial Planning and AGRESSOBudget Manager. Functionality for specific projectrelated activities is alsoincluded in the Project modules.“Agresso will enable us todevelop a core business andaccounting solution for theUniversity, providingenhanced managementinformation, reporting andbudgeting facilities.”John Sandback, Director ofFinance, University of LiverpoolBenefits······Simple, integrated reporting facilitates easy budget tracking to helpprevent overspendingRelated activities such as contract negotiations and price setting can besupportedAutomated budget checking is incorporated in the procurement processthus preventing overspend with minimal administrative effortDevolved budgeting responsibility is supported through the transactionbased approach to budgeting and through securitySupport for long term investment decisions, particularly relevant for publicsector customers (Financial Planning module)Minimum training time is necessary with AGRESSO Budget Manager asthis tool takes advantage of users' familiarisation with Excel as amodelling tool, with the added benefit of integration with an accountingbaseAGRESSO’s budgeting solutions offer a lower cost alternative to some of themore complex competitive budgeting offerings (full details of AGRESSOBudget Manager are available on www.agresso.com).7
Accounts PayableThrough the processing of purchase invoicesand payments to suppliers, one of the keyroles of the accounts payable function is toprovideinterested parties with information and analysis on expenditure. This isnecessary in order to meet objectives relating to the optimisation of cash flow, managing creditors, maintaining trading partnerrelationships andsecuring maximum discounts. The AGRESSOsolution is a broadscope, fully functional offering that is easy to use and integrates fullywith other key functions such as GeneralLedger, Purchasing, and the Project modules.Supplementary functionality can be providedby the addition of theseparate module, Invoice Manager. Here theworkflow process is automated and optimised, thereby helpingreduce circulation times of invoices requiring approval, reducing costs andimproving internal capacity, whilst at the same time giving accounts staff andauthorisers full visibility of bookkeeping information and scanned,electronicallyarchived document images (See Invoice Manager brochure formore information on www.agresso.com).Benefits“AGRESSO will enable us to·streamline our orderprocessing and invoicingcontrol and make them more··efficient. Later on, AGRESSOBusiness World will transformthe way our staff interface·with the finance function,giving 200 plus users very·easy access to the order entrysystem and allowing them to·collect and report on orderdata.”·Alan How, Finance Director,The Consumers’ Association(Which)8·Integration of modules eliminates the need for rekeying data, saving timeand eliminating errorsStandardisation of transaction entry screens reduces the trainingrequirementWealth of functionality beyond the basic utilities expected of an AccountsPayable system provides support for a variety of business practices andlegal requirements in different countries, improving accuracy, saving timeand increasing productivityEnables visibility over creditors for planning and optimised cash flowand liquidity, as well as maintaining good relationships with suppliersCentralisation of functionality leads to decreased document circulationtime and enables responsibility to be devolved from head office to relevantpersonnel, irrespective of locationProcess automation and easy access to shared documents simplifyapproval decisionmakingImproved archive management permits better use of space and storagecost savingsTight financial control as invoices and other documents are distributedaccording to sophisticated yet comprehensive rules
Accounts ReceivableThe key roles of the accounts receivable function are threefold: initially, toprocess payments from customers; secondly, to manage cash collection andoutstanding debtors while meeting the organisation s objectives in terms ofoptimised cash flow and maintaining customer relationships and finally, tosupport the auditing of debtors. The AGRESSO solution is fully functional andsupports these business issues in a userfriendly manner. Additional modulescan provide further functionality relevant to the area of credit management.The solution is a broad scope, comprehensive offering that integrates fullywith other key functions such as General Ledger, Invoicing, Sales OrderProcessing and Project Management.Benefits·A variety of credit control tools enable effective monitoring and recoveryof debts·Visibility over debtors in order to plan and optimise cash flow and liquidity·Integration of modules eliminates the need for rekeying data·Standardisation of transaction entry screens reduces the trainingrequirement·Unrivalled sales analysis capability·Wealth of functionality beyond the basic utilities expected of an AccountsReceivable system provides support for a variety of business practices andlegal requirements in different countries, improving accuracy, saving timeand increasing productivityAdditional functionality can be provided by the addition of separate modulessuch as Free Text Invoicing, a simple tool for the production of invoices;Notes Portfolio, which supports payment by promissory notes as preferred insome countries; Debt Collection, which gives electronic integration withexternal debt collection agencies and Remittance, which supports automatedrepayment to customers of deposits and overpayments.9
CashbookCompanies often have a separatecashbook/treasury function, whichbrings together all cashrelatedprocesses. These processes include:bank reconciliation; status trackingfor notes and cheques; handling thecommissions associated withcurrency payments and forwardpurchasing of currencies; managingcash balances in various accounts tooptimise interest earned and thedistribution of this to cost centresand projects, and the managementof loans.The AGRESSO solution is not aseparate module. Instead, theintegrated nature of AGRESSO meansthat cashbook functionality isprovided through various othersystem modules.Benefits······10The option to manage cashthrough a single bank accountenables the interest earned tobe maximised and chargesminimised, whilst at the sametime giving full visibility of thecash position of each branchDepartmental performance canbe monitored, concerning, forexample, the time taken to cashcheques, or the rate ofdishonoured paymentsRemittance processes maximisesettlement discount and optimisecash flowMulticurrency features allowtrading in preferred currencies,whether local currency, tradingpartner's currency, or euroLoans functionality provides aclear picture of finances andsupports refinancing decisionsin order to improve cash flow,interest earned/paid and netasset positionAutomated nature of thecashrelated modules minimisesthe administrative time taken,thereby freeing time for morevalue added activitiesThe Bank Reconciliation modulesupports the automatic reconciliationof cash and bank balances with bankstatements. This again eliminates theneed for much manual processingand frees up time while ensuring fullcontrol is maintainedFixed AssetsThe management of the fixed assetsof an organisation throughout theircomplete lifecycle, from purchase,through their use, maintenance anddisposal, involves establishing theirvalue (and maybe revaluing them),so they can be written off over timein line with relevant accounting rules.A fixed asset system must be able tosupport the auditing of assets, bothin terms of the value and also theirphysical existence. The information isrequired for planning and applies toall assets, whether they are plantitems, computer equipment,buildings or anything else.The AGRESSO solution includes anintegrated Fixed Assets module.Benefits·····Ability to track the location ofphysical assets reduces thelikelihood of lossesAutomated depreciationeliminates the need for manualjournals and spreadsheetcalculationsSupport for capital projects givesimproved control even before theasset is capitalisedUnlimited analysis and userdefinable data fields, togetherwith linked external documents,give a complete asset recordPowerful, flexible enquiries highlight key information for assetmanagement, such as a scheduleof vehicles requiring servicing
Loans and savings“Not only did AGRESSOoffer us the flexiblemanagement information toolswe required at the point ofimplementation, but itprovides a system which wecan adapt to our changingrequirements whetherinternal reorganisation,handling the euro, orproviding web-based accessto our project data.”John Bennett, Implementation ProjectManager,Eutech EngineeringSolutions Ltd.An organisation with loans and reserves needs the ability to anticipate effectson liquidity and to support refinancing decisions. This requirement is usuallymet through the use of spreadsheets, which may be complex, and anyresulting transactions are typically carried out with manual processing.The AGRESSO solution provides two modules that support the management ofboth loans and savings of investments. The first, a human resources module,is called Employee Loans and Savings. This supports loans made toemployees or employee savings schemes where deductions are made fromthe employee s pay. The second module, from the Financials suite, calledLoan Management, is designed for commercial loans and investments to thirdparties. Both modules are integrated with other relevant AGRESSO Officemodules, including Payroll, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable andGeneral Ledger.Benefits····Provides a clear picture of the finances of an organisationSimulation facilities provide flexibility and support liquidity andrefinancing decisions, for example, anticipating the effect of interestrate changes or changes to the term of the loanThe automated nature of the modules, including payment of instalments,accrual of interest and generation of invoices to third parties, minimisesadministrative time requiredThe predefined nature of the modules eliminates the need to definecomplex formulae in spreadsheets11
Photo: Photodisc, Ole Walter JacobsenAchieving your business goalsTo ensure successful implementation Agresso has developedAIM, the AGRESSO Implementation Methodology. This isbased on current implementation models applied across allthe AGRESSO sites to produce a worldwide standard. AIM isdesigned to improve the smooth running of every stagefrom system selection to sign off, bringing a structured setof processes to the implementation of AGRESSO. Thecustomer is provided with a framework to plan, monitorand manage their part in the process and to improvecommunication between the AGRESSO implementation teamand the customer. All Agresso value added services,including consulting, training and support are an integralpart of this methodology. This structured approach hasproved successful in ensuring that Agresso's customerbusiness goals are achieved on time and within budget.Agresso R&D AS, Gjerdrums vei 4, P.O. Box 4244 Nydalen 0401 Oslo Tel. 47 22 58 85 00 Fax. 47 22 95 21 50www.agresso.com email: [email protected] UNIT 4 AGRESSO COMPANY
modelling tool, with the added benefit of integration with an accounting base AGRESSO s budgeting solutions offer a lower cost alternative to some of the more complex competitive budgeting offerings (full details of AGRESSO Budget Manager are available on www.agresso.com). Agresso will enable us to develop a core business and
