Accounting Software & Systems
Reporting & Dashboards
5 question(s)
What is financial reporting within accounting software?
Beginner
The generation of statements and management reports (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, aged debtors) directly from the ledger data.
Run P&L by month, Balance Sheet, Aged Receivables report
Real-world example
Managers pull an up-to-date P&L any time instead of waiting for a spreadsheet.
What is the difference between standard and custom reports?
Intermediate
Standard reports ship with the software (P&L, TB); custom reports are built for specific needs (by segment, KPI, or layout) using the tool's report writer.
Custom: P&L by department with budget vs actual columns
Real-world example
A CFO wants profit by region and channel, which needs a custom report.
What finance KPIs are commonly put on dashboards?
Intermediate
Cash balance and runway, DSO (days sales outstanding), DPO, gross margin, revenue vs budget, and aged receivables/payables.
DSO = (Accounts Receivable / Credit Sales) x 365
Real-world example
A cash dashboard warns leadership early when runway shortens.
How does self-service BI (e.g. Power BI) extend finance reporting?
Advanced
It connects to ledger/ERP data, lets users drill down interactively, blends finance with operational data, and refreshes automatically.
Power BI model: GL + Sales + Budget -> interactive margin dashboard
Real-world example
Finance publishes a live dashboard so managers self-serve instead of emailing for reports.
What is consolidated reporting?
Intermediate
Combining the financials of multiple entities into group statements, eliminating intercompany transactions and translating currencies.
Entity A + Entity B - intercompany sales = Group revenue
Real-world example
A parent company reports group results across several subsidiaries.