Financial Modules Setup Checklist AX2012

As setting up financial modules in Microsoft Dynamics AX is getting more and more complex due to a large set of parameters, a checklist in order to avoid wasting time going back and forth between dependent ones becomes a real need. With some experience in Microsoft Dynamics AX configurations from scratch, hereby, I provide sort of a road map to get essential features up and running. I assume that the legal entity is already created with related Organization administration module setup also configured, although, you can set them up later:

1. Financial Dimensions: General ledger > Setup > Financial dimensions > Financial dimensions
2. Dimension link: Inventory and warehouse management > Setup > Posting > Dimension link
3. Fiscal calendars: General ledger > Setup > Fiscal Calendars
4. Rate Types:  General ledger > Setup > Currency > Exchange rate types
5. Exchange rates:  General ledger > Setup > Currency > Currency exchange rates
6. Chart of Accounts: General ledger > Setup  > Chart of accounts  > Chart of accounts
7. Account structures  General ledger > Setup > Chart of accounts > Configure account structures
8. Ledger: General ledger > Setup > Ledger
9. Number sequences: Organization administration> Common> Number sequences> Number sequences
10. Bank Accounts: Cash and bank management > Common > Bank Accounts
11. Accounts for automatic transactions:  General ledger > Setup > Posting > Accounts for automatic transactions
12. Ledger posting groups:  General ledger > Setup > Sales tax > Ledger posting groups
13. Sales tax authorities: General ledger > Setup > Sales tax > Sales tax authorities
14. Sales tax settlement periods:  General ledger > Setup > Sales tax > Sales tax codes
15. Sales tax groups: General ledger > Setup > Sales tax > Sales tax groups
16. Item sales tax groups:  General ledger > Setup > Sales tax > Item sales tax groups
17. Journal names: General ledger > Setup > Journals > Journal names
18. General ledger parameters: General ledger > Setup > General ledger parameters
19. Terms of payment: Accounts payable > Setup > Payment >Terms of payment
20. Vendor groups: Accounts payable > Setup > Vendors > Vendor groups
21. Posting profiles: Accounts payable > Setup > Vendor posting profiles
22. Accounts payable parameters: Accounts payable > Setup > Accounts payable parameters
23. Terms of payment: Accounts receivable > Setup > Payment > Terms of payment
24. Customer groups: Accounts receivable > Setup > Customers > Vendor groups
25. Posting profiles: Accounts receivable > Setup > Customer posting profiles
26. Accounts receivable parameters: Accounts receivable > Setup > Accounts receivable parameters
27. Item groups: Inventory and warehouse management > Setup >Inventory > Item groups
28. Posting: Inventory and warehouse management > Setup >Posting > Posting
29. Inventory and warehouse management > Setup >Inventory > Item model groups
30. Your comments!

How to create AX Shortcuts for different testing users

When testing scenarios, we often need to run AX in different users so we can test applied configurations or customization etc. The standard way to do that is to use Shift+Right click on AX Shortcut and then click on Run as different user.

Frankly, this way is time consuming and error prone, especially, when time is pressing, and it is also confusing when leading a presentation to your customer.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to automate it :

1- Create a new shortcut : Right Click on Desktop > New > Shortcut.

2- Once your are on the above screen, here is what to put in the location: C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /user:<DomainName>\<UserName> /savecred “C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60\Client\Bin\Ax32.exe”.

3- Click Next.
4- Give a Name to your shortcut.
5- Click Finish.
6- Run the shortcut, “cmd” will open. Type the user password and then press Enter.

7- That’s it!

Now the credentials are saved in the system, so the shortcut won’t ask for password anymore.

Hope it helps.

Report Wizard in Management Reporter

Are you new to Management Reporter?  Do you want to quickly design some basic reports?  Management Reporter has a step by step report wizard that allows you to quickly create a balance sheet, income statement, or trial balance.  (Tools -> Report Wizard)

As you can see from the screen shot below, there are multiple report templates available; with the option to include budget data as well.




Once, the report type has been selected, you can select the  accounts that you want to use.  On the right hand side of the window below you can see a drop down list for each report section.  After you select a report section, you can add the accounts that belong in that section of the report from the list of available dimensions in the left column.  One nice feature is that when an account is added to a section of the report, it’s removed from the available dimensions in the left column.  This ensures that an account is not duplicated on your report.


After adding the accounts to each section, you can edit the sections of your report.  In the screen shot below, you can see that I have selected a row in the report.  After doing that, I had the option to move that row up or down in the report.  You can also double click the descriptions for each of the lines to edit them.



 In the next window of the Report Wizard, you can preview the report.  There is an option in the upper left to shade the total lines.



After previewing the report, you can choose the structure of you report.  This option allows you to create a report for the entire company or create multiple reports based on a dimension in your chart of accounts.  For example, you could select to create an income statement based on your location dimension or project dimension.



Finally, you will need to give your report a name and description, and enter in the year/period that you would like to generate the report for.



The final window of the Report Wizard is a summary view of the information that was entered.  The thing that I really like about the Report Wizard is that it automatically creates your row, column, and tree (if applicable) for you AND it gives those building blocks the same name as the report for easy identification later.


 In summary, the Report Wizard is an easy way to quickly create a report.  Also, for new users, it’s a great way to view a completed row, column, or tree, as well as see how the building blocks work together to build a report.

Voided sales order function

Microsoft Dynamics AX has a function to control for the deleted sales orders or deleted lines, on this post will illustrate the voided sales order function, where the deleted sales order lines are stored in another form for reference only. First this function must be activated under accounts receivable parameter.
Accounts receivable| Setup| Accounts receivable parameters then under General go to Sales fast tab, under Setup field group, Tick the following option Mark the order as voided. 

During the sales order transaction assume that the end user after select a sales line then delete it, the deleted line is moved to Voided sales order form


Let us create a new sales order line and delete it from the header

Then go to Sales and marketing| Inquiry| History| Voided sales orders

The voiced sales order form will open, and the voided sales orders will be shown as the following screen shot

The Voided filed has two options;

• The first is Voided lines; which represents the sales order lines that have been deleted and the sales order header is not deleted
• The second is Voided; which represents the sales order that have been deleted from the header 

Go to Lines tab, which shows the voided lines.

You can press Show to show the sales order and order lines.