Release Notes 24.1 IDL Konsis, Forecast, Xlslink

Contents

• 1 General Notes
  • 1.1 About This Release
  • 1.2 Data Backup
  • 1.3 Migration
  • 1.4 Documentation
  • 1.5 Security
  • 1.6 Technical Information
  • 1.7 Other Notes
    • 1.7.1 Application Server
    • 1.7.2 User Interface
    • 1.7.3 Multilingualism
    • 1.7.4 External Libraries
    • 1.7.5 Platform Data Sharing
• 2 IDL Konsis
  • 2.1 Menu Authorizations
  • 2.2 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
    • 2.2.1 New Applications for the Description of Numerical ESG data
    • 2.2.2 Extension of Existing Applications for the Description of Numerical ESG Data
  • 2.3 Multilingualism of Consolidation Functions
  • 2.4 Extensions to the Starterkit Deployment
  • 2.5 Automatic Generation of Postings
  • 2.6 Import
• 3 IDL Xlslink
  • 3.1 General
  • 3.2 Formula Editor Revision
  • 3.3 Read Function
    • 3.3.1 Adding Missing and Adapting Existing Fields
    • 3.3.2 Customizing Drop-Down List Chart of Controlling Objects 1 to 10
  • 3.4 Export Function
    • 3.4.1 Adding Missing and Adapting Existing Fields
    • 3.4.2 Customizing Drop-Down List Chart of Controlling Objects 1 to 10

1 General Notes

1.1 About This Release

This documentation describes the changes in IDL Konsis, IDL Forecast, and IDL Xlslink compared to Release 23.4. The minimum requirement for installing this version is the installation of Release 23.1.

The previously released fixpacks are included.

With this release, maintenance for the 23.4 release ends.

1.2 Data Backup

Before installation, please make a backup of your database(s) and check it to protect against data loss.

1.3 Migration

After installation, the release migration for IDL Konsis / IDL Forecast must always be performed first. After logging in, start the release migration via <Start migration now> in the message window. A restart is not necessary, all applications are available afterwards.

You can find the protocol of the migration under the short word KONVERT (right-click on the corresponding migration).

If the migration is not started in this manner, e.g., because the logged-in user lacks authorization, the call of other applications is blocked. The only exceptions are the applications for maintaining the authorization data if the logged-in user does not have authorization to execute the migration due to the use of individual authorization groups. After manual execution of the migration, IDL Konsis / IDL Forecast must be restarted.

1.4 Documentation

In the subdirectory Doku\Release you will find the following documentations:

• Technical Installation Instructions
• Operational Installation Instructions
• Release Notes

For the currently valid "Hard and Software Requirements", please refer to the Customer Portal https://help.insightsoftware.com/s/article/IDL-Hard-and-Software-Requirements (login required).

1.5 Security

TLS 1.3 is used as the communication protocol between the client and the application server. Perfect Forward Secrecy makes it even much more difficult to decrypt the connection at a later date.

1.6 Technical Information

To enable "Web Client (Streaming)" please start configure.exe on your Application Server and go to the Common Configuration Section. After services have been restarted you could access IDL Konsis with your browser at your individual URL followed by https://myIDLKonsisAppServer/webswing-server/konsis/

The Desktop Client and the Launcher deliver the used JRE (Java Runtime Environment) in the installation directory, so that no separate installation is necessary.

Java 17 has been used since release 22.1.

The business runtime environment included in this release is limited until 01.03.2027 and must be renewed from this date at the latest.

1.7 Other Notes

1.7.1 Application Server

Since release 23.4, part of the application code is executed in a different runtime environment. No additional processes are started anymore, instead the application code is always executed within the application server.

If not already done, please adjust the memory usage of the application server in the configuration program so that it has about 50 percent more memory available. This memory was previously used outside the application server and should therefore already be available on the infrastructure used.

1.7.2 User Interface

Further adjustments were made towards a uniform UI for all products of insightsoftware.

The left side menu, the menu bar, the button bar, and the homepage have been revised.

1.7.3 Multilingualism

Extensive improvements have been made to the French translations.

1.7.4 External Libraries

Numerous external libraries were updated to eliminate potential vulnerabilities.

1.7.5 Platform Data Sharing

An initial set of database views is provided for data exchange between insightsoftware products within the insightsoftware platform.

2 IDL Konsis

2.1 Menu Authorizations

The following menu items have been deactivated with this release because they have already been replaced by other applications in previous releases. The menu items will be deleted in a subsequent release. Until then, please remove all individual uses (authorizations, menu structures) of these menu items:

• KTO - Accounts
• KTOE - Account
• PRF - Check rules
• PRFE - Check rule
• PRFGRP - Groups for check rules
• PRFGRPE - Group for check rules
• PRFPOS - Check rules/Positions
• PRFPOSE - Check rule/Position
• PRFZUO - Exclusion groups/Check rules
• PRFZUOE - Exclusion group/Check rule

2.2 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

The current release 24.1 enables the manual entry of ESG data. By this we mean numerical and textual information. The numerical information can be recorded in freely definable metrics and units.

The program extensions described below are part of the insightsoftware ESG solution, which is a chargeable package. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

With Release 24.2, we expect to be able to offer you even more extensive processing options for ESG data within Konsis and beyond.

2.2.1 New applications for the description of numerical ESG data

In the Metrics and Units application (abbreviation: METDEF), you define metrics (e.g. lengths, areas, volumes) and units (e.g. metres, kilometres, miles) with reference to a metric in each case.

You can already store the respective conversion factors between the units within a metric in the new application Conversion factors (abbreviation: METCONV). The actual unit conversion function is expected to be available with Release 24.2.

2.2.2 Extension of existing applications for the description of numerical ESG data

The Companies application (abbreviation: GES) has been extended for ESG data. Analogue to the local currency of a company (for accounts with balance sheet and p&l code = 1 to 4 and 6 to 9), it is possible to specify the desired local unit for each metric when entering ESG data (balance sheet and p&l code = M).

The facts application (abbreviation: FAC) has been extended for ESG data. There is a checkbox for ESG data on the third assistant page. If you intend to work with ESG data on this fact, please switch this option on accordingly. Firstly, this results in the fifth wizard page becoming active, on which you can select the desired unit for each metric in group units and parallel units. Secondly, this is expected to have an impact on the so-called fact carryforward with Release 24.2. If the option "with ESG data" is not set on a "lower" fact and you transfer again to a "higher" fact on which the option "with ESG data" is set, the ESG data on the "higher" fact will not be deleted. If, on the other hand, the "with ESG data" option is activated on both facts, the ESG data on the "higher" fact is deleted and replaced by the data from the "lower" fact when you transfer again.

The Chart of Accounts Definition application (abbreviation: KTODEF) has been extended for ESG data. On the second wizard page, the familiar balance sheet and P&L indicators 1 to 9 are now joined by the indicators M (for metrics) and N (for narrative, i.e. purely textual ESG information). If the balance sheet and P&L code M (metric) is assigned to an account, the sixth wizard page also becomes active and allows you to select the desired metric for this account.

ESG items can be defined in the same way as ESG accounts as part of the chart of position definition (abbreviation: POSDEF). In addition to the familiar balance sheet and P&L codes, the characteristics M (for metrics) and N (for narrative) items are therefore also available for the items.

The following applies to the allocation of ESG accounts and ESG positions:

Two alternative applications are currently available for the manual entry of numerical ESG data: Firstly, the account balances application (abbreviation: KTOSAL) and secondly, the account balances form entry application (abbreviation: I-KTOSAL). In both applications, the headings have been adapted and the word currency has been removed from the heading, as it would not have been appropriate for ESG data. For example, the heading Local currency was replaced by Local value, the heading Group currency value was replaced by Group value and the heading Parallel currency value was replaced by Parallel value.

2.3 Multilingualism of consolidation functions

Consolidation functions have a maximum of six digits with the following four parts:

• Consolidation function code (two letters, mandatory)
• Number for splitting the transactions (two digits, blank or mandatory depending on the code)
• Flag for deferred taxes (one letter, optional)
• Flag for carryforward (one letter, optional)

Previously, the consolidation functions were displayed with all four parts in one field, which prevented a multilingual display. In future, the four parts of the consolidation functions mentioned above will always be displayed in individual fields in all affected applications, with a drop-down box if necessary. The previously German-language codes and flags will be translated into the other supported languages in future.

We ask for your special attention:

As the consolidation functions, vouchers, postings, and parameters are only translated in the program interface, but the previous German abbreviations must still be used internally in the database, this has the following consequences for you as a user:

One and the same consolidation voucher is displayed in the UI with a different voucher number depending on the selected Konsis language. The voucher number in the database is, of course, unique.

We therefore recommend that internationally active groups/subgroups that work with several users in consolidation agree on a common consensus language for communication with each other. This will facilitate internal communication.

The calculation of the checksums within the consolidation vouchers and postings continues to be based on the internal (German) abbreviations. The translation therefore has no effect on the calculation of the checksums.

When exporting consolidation vouchers and postings, the internal (German) abbreviations are exported as before. When importing, only the internal (German) abbreviations can be used.

For Release 24.2, it is planned to display the German abbreviations in addition to the English or French abbreviations if the option Show internal info columns is activated.

2.4 Extensions to the Starterkit Deployment

When processing check rules, check rule exclusion groups and their assignments are now also processed as part of the Starterkit Deployment.

The new metrics and units for describing numerical ESG data are also considered during Startkit Deployment.

2.5 Automatic generation of postings

For the generation of postings, you can now also define in the BUCHDEF application that postings are generated exactly for all existing IC balances. Inversely, you can also define that a posting is generated for the remaining amount, i.e. the difference between the account balance and the total of the IC balances.

In addition to the familiar clearing rule, which reverses the amount in the source account and transfers it to the target account, we now offer a second type of posting rule in the form of the reference value rule. In the new posting rule, a third account can be specified that supplies the amount for the posting from the source account to the target account. This third account can also be a statistical account.

All posting rules no longer generate postings with a value of 0.00. This contributes to clarity and transparency within the generated postings.

2.6 Import

There is now a new import table for posting keys (I173) to simplify automated import.

3 IDL Xlslink

3.1 General

In addition to the new features described below, several bug fixes and performance improvements have been incorporated into IDL Xlslink in this release.

3.2 Formula Editor Revision

Within the release 23.4, we have already implemented the first step towards revising the formula editor to fix many known errors in the formula editor as well as to simplify the editing and input of formulas.

The formula editor technically has now been moved out of the main application and into the Excel add-in to ensure better interaction within Excel functions. As a novelty, it is possible to edit formulas in all known Excel languages.

While the layout of the input fields of the read and export functions has been retained, each input field is now preceded by a button that clearly indicates the type of input and can be changed by clicking on it.

The following input types are available:

In the past an Excel cell reference was entered in the form of ($A$1), now it will be entered using the corresponding icon, in this case 'fx' and just $A$1.

By the way, it is not necessary to adapt the formulas in existing documents!

With this release, we have made the second step to revise the formula editor.

In addition to the first bug fixing, we have now started with the partial conversion and extension of functionalities of the known formula editor.

• Extension and revision of the tooltip function within the drop-down lists and the recent input fields.

  They will be displayed by hovering the cursor over the respective graphic element.

We kindly would like to ask you to give us feedback via the known email-address, if a function is missing or support is needed.

3.3 Read Function

3.3.1 Adding missing and adapting existing fields

In several reading applications, missing fields have been added, existing fields have been adapted and the drop-down lists have been customized.

3.3.2 Customizing drop-down list chart of controlling objects 1 to 10

The drop-down list for the chart of controlling objects 1 to 10 has been customized. The adaption will take all the relevant reading functions into account.

The plans defined for the relevant controlling dimension can only be selected by the user.

3.4 Export Function

3.4.1 Adding missing and adapting existing fields

In several export applications, missing fields have been added, existing fields have been adapted and the drop-down lists have been customized.

3.4.2 Customizing drop-down list chart of controlling objects 1 to 10

The drop-down list for the chart of controlling objects 1 to 10 has been customized. The adaption will take all the relevant export functions into account. The plans defined for the relevant controlling dimension can only be selected by the user.