Successful organisations understand the benefits of information technology (IT). They recognise the critical dependence of many business processes on IT, the need to comply with increasing regulatory compliance demands and the benefits of managing risk effectively. To aid organisations in successfully meeting today’s business challenges, the IT Governance Institute® (ITGI) has published version 4.1 of Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT®).

COBIT is an IT governance framework that allows managers to bridge the gap between control requirements, technical issues and business risks. COBIT enables clear policy development and good practice for IT control throughout organisations. ITGI’s latest version— COBIT® 4.1—emphasises regulatory compliance, helps organisations to increase the value attained from IT and simplifies implementation of the COBIT framework. COBIT 4.1 presents activities in a streamlined and practical manner so continuous improvement in IT governance is easier than ever to achieve.

Our client, a large metropolitan council required a means of accurately tracking spend against budget and forecast monthly the likely out-turn for the year.

Previously Month Ending Reporting was cumbersome with disparate processes and hundred’s of spreadsheets. Our client required a tool that would support all financial reporting requirements, with the capability to be deployed to thousand’s of users whom posses various levels of Excel expertise. The system needed to be owned and supported by the central finance team, and allow controlled input of forecasts into the central finance database. Security and data validation at point of entry were paramount and secure interfacing with the new ERP system were required.

Our client implemented Qtier-Rapor – a secure method of delivering reports to users through an Excel spreadsheet interface, with automation to validate user input and update input information to the central financial database. The solution allowed each of the directorates working as a team to build a “core report”. This single report presents the user, from director to cost centre manager with a consistent spreadsheet layout, detailing actual spend against budget for their area of operation only. The user can drill down to an “Analysis Table” containing supporting details. The Core Report replaces over 20 previous separate reports.

Immediate validation against the ERP database ensures only valid combinations of cost centre and detail code can be added to a forecast, thus retaining the real time nature of the system. Exceptions can be annotated at every point. Reports compare actual spend and predicted year-end out-turn with budgets and cash limits. The system also reports on the status of completion at each cost centre in order to identify bottlenecks.

Having successfully implemented Qtier-Rapor, our client benefited in a reduction in time from period end to full availability of reports, time saving in each directorate on clerical tasks e.g. file downloads and manual cut & paste activity. Flexibility of the Qtier-Rapor designs means that the system can be deployed immediately then maintained and evolved with full version control by the finance community.

The Qtier-Rapor software product is to be featured in the forthcoming research article ‘Enterprise Spreadsheet Management’ written by Philip Howard (Director of Research – Technology) of Bloor Research.

Due to be published in May this research report is split into four sections including a discussion of the issues that are involved with spreadsheets and their management. A discussion of the types of technology available (whether that is for preventing fraud, discovering existing spreadsheets and their relationships, automating the development of spreadsheet applications, error detection in formulae and so on). A detailed discussion of each of the vendors and products included in the report, with a description of their features and potential benefits and a comparison of the various products on an apples versus apples basis.

Version 3.0.8 of Qtier-Rapor is due for general release during Q2 – 2009 and will include a number of functional enhancements.

Archive Management and Change Control Notification being two major enhancements to be included in this release.

Qtier-Rapor’s extensive spreadsheet Automation features also continue to be developed with the addition of further automation step types and enhancements being made in the area of dynamic data drill-down.

Please visit our Contact Us page or click the link below if you require further details.

A presentation on using Qtier-Rapor to Plan and Monitor Budgets will be delivered to the UKOUG Local Government Applications SIG meeting on Wednesday 8th October 08. The presentation will take place at Oracle City Office London and be delivered by representatives from Sheffield City Council and implementation partner InsightMSC.

Please visit our Contact us page or click the link below if you require further information.

On Wednesday 21st Nov. 07 in Dublin, Ireland, Qtier will be running a seminar in relation to the Prevention of Spreadsheet Risks. To download a copy of the Seminar Information and Booking Form click the link below.

If you wish to obtain a list of future seminars, please request this via our Contact Us web page.

This article has an associated document, click here to download – QSI The Prevention of Spreadsheet Risks Booking Form 211107.pdf

Qtier Software (Ireland) Limited has recently been formed to act as master distributor for the Irish market. Qtier Software (Ireland) Limited will be based in Dublin and be headed up by Mr Pat Chambers.