New Generation Software [1] (NGS) is offering Decision Assist -- Financial Performance, a solution for System i users designed to help modernize financial reporting and analysis without moving general ledger data. The product enhances DB2 data presentation and includes a System i data mart, web portal, performance dashboards, multidimensional models, and Excel spreadsheets and reports, supporting i5/OS V5R1 and above.

Bill Langston, NGS director of marketing, says the solution can save customers hours of labor and eliminates manual processes that often delay and introduce errors into financial reports. "Decision Assist -- Financial Performance achieves this while maintaining a link back to the underlying DB2 data on the i rather than by having to move the process off to a separate server and database," Langston explains. "The dashboards, reports, and multidimensional models make it easier to monitor financial performance toward key company metrics."

The product is a module for NGS-IQ, New Generation's business-intelligence application development and query software, and it integrates with NGS-IQ's desktop reporting, online analytical processing, and business-performance dashboard modules. Contact NGS for pricing information.

Langston says many businesses express concern that their current financial reporting systems are rigid and difficult to change. "Companies are tired of paying a software vendor or a consultant to maintain the underlying structure of their financial reporting systems and want a solution they can maintain in-house," he notes.

Decision Assist -- Financial Performance dashboards include extensive income statement by revenue, gross profit, selling expenses, general and administrative expenses, operating, and net income; year-to-date trial balance by organization, account, and month; actual versus budget by organization, account, and month; actual versus budget by month and percentage of budget; cash flow from operations, investments, and financing; non-cash deductions from income; changes in operating assets and liabilities; and balance sheet ratios (current, quick, debt to asset, cash, debt by month, etc.).

Bernard Gough, NGS CEO and president, says of the solution, "We know many companies want to reduce the time spent assembling financial reports each period and improve the quality and reliability of their presentations to their board, investors, employees, and auditors. Decision Assist --Financial Performance helps them to achieve those goals."

--Vicki Hamende, application development & database editor