What's New in IFP 3.3.0?

New and Improved Features

IFP 3.3.0 includes the following new and improved features:

New Features in Crosstabulation Analysis

Some useful new features have been added to crosstabulation analysis. You are now able to:

• Add columns to display comments entered in Forecast Editors
• This is useful for sharing key assumptions used when entering forecast data.
• Add columns to display Classification Variable data
• This greatly increases flexibility in reporting by allowing you to add columns to reports to show codes and/or descriptions for  key variables such as customer, item status,  country, BU or franchise.

Import Reports to Data Files

You can now import directly from a Report Package into a Data File. This greatly simplifies many modelling processes in IFP by avoiding the need to export reports to Excel and import data as separate operations. By avoiding export and import operations using Excel files these processes will also run faster than they did in previous versions of IFP.

You can also import data from Packages in other databases (if you have the required permissions).This replaces Database Relationships.with a much more efficient and flexible process. In particular, you can now transfer both sales and cost of sales data to P&L databases for many years in one operation.

Custom Export Formats

We have implemented a new feature that will allow you to create a wide variety of custom export formats. In most cases, IFP will be able to support these without further software updates. Essentially, if you can create a report with sufficient data, we should be able to help you create your required export file.

We can also help to ensure that your business rules are met when creating custom export formats.

Audit Log Improvements

We’ve made several usability improvements to the database, security and user session audit logs:

• Enabled filtering by date, category, user etc.
• Enabled export of audit entries - useful for support tickets
• Improved performance

Retirement of Unused Features

We have retired several features that are either no longer used or have been replaced by better functionality. If you used any of these features in your databases, please contact Support if you have any concerns.

Removed Cost of Sales menu

Cost of Sales features have been replaced by storing costs in summary files. This allows more flexibility in which levels of detail a report can be run at, as well being able to compare cost of sales across a range of costs/sales files more easily.

Removed Squeeze Analysis

A more powerful report is now achieved using the Squeeze Analysis Crosstab.

Removed Standard Costs menu

Standard Costs features have been replaced by storing costs in summary files. This means that these costs can now be updated quickly and easily using the Standard / Actual Forecast Editor or the File Summary Actual / Forecast Editor.

Removed Advanced Reporting Menu

The advanced reports have been superseded by crosstabs.

Removed Database Relationships

Database Relationships have been replaced by the new Package Import feature.

Minor Removed Features

• [IFP-2027] - Removed unused data file import types
• [IFP-2030] - Removed Requirements Planning and Associated Features
• [IFP-2041] - Removed Page Break Options from Report Viewer
• [IFP-2042] - Removed View Comments File from Report Viewer
• [IFP-2044] - Removed Graph % Shares options from Report Viewer
• [IFP-2046] - Removed Report Definition File Type option
• [IFP-2047] - Removed Report Definition Line Database Option
• [IFP-2049] - Removed Project Output to Multiple Files
• [IFP-2051] - Removed Apply Inventory Model from Forecast Editor
• [IFP-2052] - Removed Edit External Variables menu from Item Codes Maintenance
• [IFP-2053] - Removed Database Folder Cleanup
• [IFP-2054] - Removed Export Format from Export Data Files

Bug Fixes and Minor Changes

All of the following issues have been addressed in this release:

• [IFP-2136] - Added a default Source Files path setting. This also means that you can move your source files without having to edit multiple AutoTasks.
• [IFP-2187] - Added shortcuts to Source Files, Public Documents and Personal Files paths to File Open and Save dialogs - less clicks to get to your commonly-used paths.
• [IFP-2132] - Changed the order of import types when importing data or item codes
• [IFP-2182] - Type column wasn't wide enough in Crosstab editor
• [IFP-2016] - Running a report definition-based report at a Master Level other than Grand Total caused a "Too many open files" error
• [IFP-2085] - Adding an item code classification variable could cause some database configuration issues under certain circumstances

Release Date

IFP 3.3.0 was released on 18th May 2015.

Version Number

The version number for this release is 3.3.0.23698.