Financials from CODA - IBM

FinancialsThe or ig ina l s ing le- ledger,

g lobal f inance so lut ion

The original single-ledger, global finance solution

Financials from CODA

CODA has led the way for innovative financesoftware since 1979, when it created the first singleledger accounting system. And Financials fromCODA is still the most technologically andfunctionally advanced finance software in the worldtoday, offering you the best foundation for soundfinancial management.

Financials is a “best-of-class” application. It was designed

from the ground up as a dedicated, fully equipped solution

that integrates easily with your other business systems.

In fact, the more demanding or complex your requirements,

the better Financials rises to the challenge. It delivers all the

multi-everything (country, company, currency, language,

deployment…) capabilities that you need, as well as the most

flexible chart of accounts structure on the market – ensuring

that it can support and reflect the ways your organization

works and operates, whether centralized, decentralized or a

mixture of both.

The result is a powerful application that is designed not only

to cope with complexity but also to make life as

straightforward as possible for users. Financials has been

specifically designed for enhanced accessibility, consistency

and “user-friendliness”.

And the design elegance of our technology is just as impressive.

The architecture and accounting engine at the heart of our

solution are the envy of the industry and simply have not been

surpassed for their reliability, longevity, performance and an

economy of action, which enable highly efficient processing.

Better still, each new advance is built upon the firm foundation

of a stable, proven application, following development

processes that ensure minute attention to detail and deliver a

top-quality end product.

Global financial managementWith Financials, you gain comprehensive, enterprise-wide

accounting: tailored to each user; delivered where and how

they need it – all from a single, secure source of information

that is always in balance and up to date.

� Unified design – unlike modular systems, the financialdata for your various ledgers is held within onecombined database, for optimum efficiency,consistency and accuracy.

� Single instance; multi-everything – a single versionof the truth but with complete flexibility to cope with:complex structures; local accounting needs andpractices; and international trading, whether in adispersed or centralized, shared services environment.

� Flexible deployment – uniquely blending varioustypes of simultaneous access to this single, integratedfinancial system.

• Most users (regardless of their location) preferthe secure web-browser access of their ownpersonal CODA financial management Portal.

• Standard Microsoft® Windows® access is alsoavailable.

• In-built Web Services support enables eveneasier integration between key businesssystems. It also opens up secure global access toCODA applications and functions for the widestpossible range of users.

World-class processesCODA financial management solutions use the latest Web

Services and analytic technology to support the day-to-

day practices and processes of accounts departments. For

example:

� Procure to Pay

� Record to Report

� Sales Invoice to Collection

� General Ledger entry and maintenance

� Tax Assessment to Pay

� Expense Claim to Pay

� Project and Programme Management

� Financial management of assets

� Consolidation and Cash Management.

CODA is committed to making these as smooth, reliable,

flexible and complete as possible to support finance

professionals and improve the ways you work.

Unified ledger accountingAll your financial data in a single ledger – instantly up to date and always in balance

and available to view how you want

Powerful reporting and analysisFull, in-built day-to-day reporting on your data and a range

of other practical analysis options to extend the intelligence

you can gain from your financial information.

� Unlimited analysis – the unequalled chart ofaccounts structure means that Financials still offers themost flexible analysis capabilities of any availableaccounting package.

� User-friendly browsing – integral browsing and drill-down tools provide all the main tactical reporting thataccounts departments need from day to day.

� Extended analytic options – tools to maximize thecontribution to informed decision-making that CODAand your other key business systems can deliver.

Flexible compatibility and integrationOur commitment to open architected solutions provides

the platform compatibility, connectivity and integration to

support and strengthen your IT strategy.

� Technical environments – Financials offerscompatibility with a very wide range and combinationof hardware, database and operating systems.

� Swift, secure integration – drawing upon 25 years ofexperience to link, integrate or embed CODA solutionsinto other applications.

� Flexible upgrading – our revolutionary “integrationlayer” means pain-free, backwards-compatibleupgrades that keep your existing links to other systemsworking – so that you need never be stuck on an old

release ever again!

� Web Services – the “Service-Oriented Architecture” ofFinancials means that users can now access the systemsecurely over the Internet via an industry-standard,zero-install user interface, which is delivered using“Web Services”.

Controlled security and complianceYou can rely on CODA for solutions designed to meet the

highest standards of security and to support your

governance, risk and compliance management

requirements.

� In-built control and security – Financials offers youall the power and safeguards you need, to ensure thatyour financial data is genuinely secure, trusted, reliableand up to date.

� Reliable data – CODA delivers the well-managed,well-structured financial transaction processing that isthe basis for any form of financial reporting.

� Statutory and regulatory compliance – CODA offersthe support you need to make business processes morestreamlined, controlled, repeatable, visible and easy toaudit.

Comprehensive solutionsThe combination of CODA’s best-of-class software,

professional people and strategic partnerships enables you to

gain the maximum benefit from your CODA solution.

� Complementary products – a broad range ofFinancial Management solutions to offer you:

• unrivalled transactional accounting

• practical analysis tools

• better-managed processes.

� Flawless implementation – bringing our two culturestogether, following a tried-and-tested, phasedapproach that keeps all contributors informed andmoving forward together.

� Expert services – underpinning our solutions withconsulting, custom software development, training andsupport services, delivered by teams of experiencedaccountants, business analysts and technologyspecialists.

� Alliances – as well as CODA’s direct operations aroundthe globe, we can offer additional support to customersthanks to a worldwide network of partnerships.

� Ongoing product development – a massive 20% ofCODA’s revenue is ploughed back into R&D to meetour customers’ evolving needs.

CODA – stand-alone solutions that can easily slot into yourexisting IT infrastructure to work with any of your other business

systems – without impacting them.

Global Finance

Financials is a powerful unified ledger accounting

system that provides global, secure, real-time access to

key tools and data, making input more efficient and

reporting more relevant.

It creates a single, comprehensive and permanently in-

balance repository of financial data and then provides the

means to fully exploit this valuable company asset in a

secure, controlled, effective way. Users can be given access

to the appropriate tools and data, wherever or whenever

they need it and by the most effective means, whether

that’s via a company portal or web browser, through

Windows® or even embedded as part of another of your key

business applications.

Single instance…All your users – wherever they are – can access a single

implementation, with a unified database, in one location: “a

single version of the truth”. With everybody on the same

version:

� all your users stay “in sync”, accessing the latestfacilities

� features and formats are presented and usedconsistently

� implementation, maintenance and upgrading arefaster, easier, more controlled and efficient.

This approach is ideal for companies that are working to

control costs more effectively and improve operational

efficiency by bringing together their disparate financial

processes into a single, controlled set – through a strategy of

shared services or business process outsourcing (BPO).

…Unified ledgerCODA’s unified design gives you unique advantages over the

modular approach of many other finance applications:

� instantly up to date and always in balance

� eliminating any batch processing requirements

� driving out complexity in the solution as a whole.

Instead of entering transactions into separate sales, purchase

and nominal ledgers, each piece of data is entered just once,

into a single database. This means that there isn’t any control

account reconciliation to be done (as the figures are always

in balance) and it avoids repetitive manual rekeying of data,

as well as the accompanying risk or errors that this involves.

In addition, it gives increased flexibility in handling

transactions – especially foreign currencies – and cash

reporting is much easier too.

…User drivenFinancials is designed to deliver the best possible blend of

accessibility, consistency and user-friendliness.

� Clear & accessible – CODA is committed to helpingcustomers to ensure that the tools they provide totheir staff are visually and functionally accessible.Screens are designed to the latest Microsoft® WindowsVista™ & Office 2007 style standards for clarity,accessibility and useability. As well as screen layoutsand colour usage, this includes customizable shortcutsto address the needs of keyboard-based users.

� Consistent and logical – users benefit from smarterfinance process support and easier movement aroundthe applications, with as few clicks as possible. Easilycustomized interfaces mean that screens and entryforms can mirror your existing company systems andstyles – simplifying data entry, while ensuringconsistency and familiarity for operators.

� Intuitive and responsive – Financials has an advanceduser interface that delivers a “Windows®-like” level ofinteractivity for browser-based users. These include:

• the ability to drag & drop some types of list items orto apply various “right click” menu options

• total fields that update instantly, during input –without refreshing the whole screen

• document header and scrollable details togetheron a single screen for easier viewing of data

• context-sensitive quick links direct to the user’spermitted masters

• a “recently-used” list providing single-click accessback to viewed/used masters.

Multi-everything accounting for every user, anywhere – all from a single, secure source

…Multi-companyThe engine at the heart of Financials allows an unlimited

number of “companies” and their data to be managed and

accounted for, within a single unified environment – no

matter how complex your organizational structure, no

matter how many operating or legal entities make up your

enterprise. And each company can have its own unique chart

of accounts, reporting parameters, accounting periods, year

end, language and currency facilities etc. but can still all

exist in the same installation and the same database.

…Multi-lingualWith CODA you gain unrivalled language flexibility, through

a wide range of supported languages – from major European

languages to Simplified Chinese – enabling users in different

countries to access the same, single finance system

simultaneously but in their own local languages.

…Multi-currencyCODA has long been recognized by clients and analysts alike,

as offering the most comprehensive multi-currency

accounting available, including operation of individual

companies in dual currencies and entry of complex multi-

currency journals. Which explains why our client base

includes so many companies with worldwide operations and

highly complex currency requirements – from foreign

currency specialists to international retailers, global

transportation companies and multi-national manufacturers.

…Multi-culturalFinancials may be implemented and run as a single version

worldwide, delivering the control that you need to ensure

consistency across your enterprise. But it also offers the

capability and flexibility to satisfy a huge range of local

requirements and approaches to accounting found around

the world.

…Globally accessibleWith CODA, your users can gain access to a world of key

data, whether:

� they are in the next room OR are on another continent

� they use all the system, every day OR they needoccasional access to specific functions and data

� they are experienced finance professionals OR non-accounting staff who need financial informationpresented in a way that they can both understand andapply.

Different users can access the system in different ways:

� via a secure, personalized web-browser interface

� direct from Windows® into the main application

� as part of our "add-on" applications that tie intoMicrosoft® Office (e.g. our XL product)

� embedded in your own custom front-end applicationsor a specialized line-of-business system.

Any or all of these can co-exist (and be accessed

simultaneously) in a single CODA installation, enabling you

to match the system to the needs and role of each individual.

Single instance; multi-everything– ideal for shared services or BPO.

Working Knowledge

CODA's comprehensive range of FinancialManagement solutions provides best-of-classtransactional accounting, complemented by thelatest Web Services, analytic, collaborative andprocess control technology to help make the day-to-day activities of Finance Departments as smooth,reliable, flexible and complete as possible for you.Here are brief overviews of three example processes.

Procure to PayA seamless process, incorporating the businessrequests, appropriate authorizations, ordering,receipting and invoicing of goods and services.

Procurement is much more than placing and trackingpurchase orders. From addressing specific elements of theprocess (such as enhanced Workflow, Invoice Matching andspend management – see the pages on “Added value”), rightthrough to a truly end-to-end, organization-wideprocurement solution, we can help you.

Our approach extends the benefits of more streamlined andeffective purchasing and requisitioning across your entireorganization (and beyond), delivering huge savings in timeand administrative costs. Full integration with Financialsavoids islands of information and duplicated effort, vastlyreducing the amount of manual entry and rekeying of data!

With CODA, the whole process is quick and efficient, keepingyou in control of spending against budgets (includingcommitments and encumbrances), with automatic checkingof purchase requests against Financials and reflecting newpurchases in the books, as soon as they are authorized.

DECISION POINTS1. Assessment of purchase request2. Identification of most appropriate supplier(s)3. RFQ generation and processing4. Validation and authorization5. What level of receipting is appropriate?6. Can the time spent dealing with invoices be reduced?

The result is a truly seamless online procurement process thatallows users to access and share real-time financial andpurchasing information.

� Swift, reliable and audited processing, circulation andauthorization.

� Instant logging of expenditure against budget.

� Economies of scale by consolidating purchasing acrossthe company.

� The flexibility, either to work with CODA’s own Workflowsolution out of the box or to integrate easily with yourexisting workflow tools, ensures that you can tailorprocurement processes to your organization’s specificrules and approval hierarchies.

The collaborative approachCODA Buy 2gether is CODA’s ultimate solution for theprocure-to-pay process. It complements Financials – or anyother accounting system – to deliver a completely integrated,collaborative procurement solution. It covers the extendedpurchasing cycle from the initial demand for goods or servicesand the approved requisition, right through to payment.

This revolutionary approach to procurement brings togetherall participants – from the person raising the purchase requestthrough to the selected supplier – within a single system.

� CODA has worked with Microsoft to deliver a trulymarket-leading solution – for the first time, dedicatedbuying tools are embedded within Microsoft®Outlook®. This makes it feel familiar andstraightforward for users at all levels in the business –not just the finance team. In particular, it supportsbuyers in the environment they know well, instead ofhaving to log into a separate procurement system.

� Quotations are gathered from suppliers via a secure,online procurement “portal” and presented to the buyerin Excel, for fast and flexible comparison.

� CODA’s XL tools offer easy procurement reporting andstreamlined loading of requisitions, orders and items.

State-of-the-art support for world-class financial processes

Encumbrance/Commitments

Accruals

Supplier

Sourcing

GRN & InspectionGRN

Mismatch Match

-Request for quote(RFQ)

- Response sentthrough dedicatedRFQ portal

- Informationanalysis throughExcel

- P/O Creation

Invoice Matching

Purchase Ledger

Demand Generation

12

3

4

5

6

Sales Invoice to CollectionEnabling effective debtor management

Financials includes comprehensive Accounts Receivablefunctionality, for managing customer debt. With CODA, yougain an instant financial management picture of theAccounts Receivable function, along with detailed customerrecords that can be analysed to any level – and all of thebenefits of an integrated system, working from a single setof books that are always up to date, and always in balance.

Our approach to supporting this process covers two keyobjectives.

The first, Better Management, is ensuring that you canreport and analyse the information contained withinAccounts Receivable and use that to focus your team whereattention is needed.

The second, Better Processes, involves CODA helping youmanage the specific events within Accounts Receivable,using the most efficient method possible – for example,processing receipts and matching these to invoices.

The focus here is in reviewing the process and ensuring bestpractice for your business. It includes the experience we bringfrom similar customers, adding value to the review. We thentailor the software to fit around the process you want, notthe other way around!

Record to ReportCovering all aspects of operational, management andstatutory information & analysis

Here are a couple of examples of how Financials is tailoredto the needs and roles of specific types of user.

Finance Management userDifferent levels of user need different combinations of facilitiesand information at their fingertips. For example, a line managerfor the AR department may need high-level summaryinformation (especially the profit & loss, revenue analysis andstatutory accounts) together with operational information.

Accounts Receivable userAn operational user in credit control would have variousoptions on their customized home screen, targeted at keyAR functions.

This example of an AR main screen has an aged debt analysisfor the whole group that shows customer accounts and anaged debt profile for each. To investigate further, the usercan drill down to the underlying details or view customerdetails online (e.g. account summaries, contact details forpursuing queries, overdue items etc.), with the ability toprint or export the data for further analysis.

How good are we at matching cash?Who has been doing what?

Who is taking the longest time to pay?

Payment Period Cycles

Who has the largest debt?

Debt by ValueManaging Debtors

Team Efficiency

Process Receipts

Input Batch of Receipts

Input Using MS Excel Input & Match Input Single

Receipt

Effective Intelligence

The secret to turning data from your business systemsinto effective intelligence is knowing when to look atthe big picture and when to focus in on the fine detail– and being able to move easily between the two! Ourunequalled chart of accounts structure means thatFinancials still offers the most flexible analysiscapabilities of any available accounting package. Userscan then choose from a complete spectrum of tools:from in-built reporting and browsing functions,through extended reporting options and practicalanalysis solutions.

Unlimited analysisThe unrivalled account code structure of our Financialsaccounting system delivers complete flexibility to captureand analyse the financial data for each company or group inyour organization:

� up to 8 reuseable analysis levels

� variable length alphanumeric codes

� unlimited account groupings and hierarchies.

This unique design provides the scope to analyse youroperations in many different ways (for example: activities byperiod, by dimension). It will allow the capture of analyticalinformation to any level of detail you require, and it isproven to support the diverse needs of clients from everysector, including: retail; business services; financial services;insurance; manufacturing; transport and logistics; centraland local government; education; and media.

User-friendly browsingCODA’s powerful browse tool offers all the flexibility youneed to move through every stage from macro- to micro-data and see exactly the level of detail that is most useful.Data manipulation is both easy and effective – as well ascustomizable reporting facilities, it acts as an EnterpriseInformation System (EIS) and enables impressive “datamining” functions to drill down from consolidated figuresright to the original transactions. For example, you can:

� match the very latest financial information withstatistical information for on-the-spot analysis

� analyse data for reports

� consolidate financial information across multiple entities

� create a library of reports for ongoing use

� use any SQL report writer to interrogate the data orproduce outputs (e.g. report packs or statements)

� deploy to users and decision-makers across the organization.

Extended reporting & budgeting optionsCODA offers a number of dedicated “add-on” applicationsthat tie into Microsoft® Office. The suite includes: XL(simple and secure output, manipulation, display, sharingand input of your Financials data), as well as Planning andCODA Plan 2gether (solutions for smarter and morecollaborative budgeting/forecasting). These enable yourteam to carry out a range of day-to-day tasks (such as:producing and sharing statutory reports; processingexpenses; or even developing and setting financial budgets)using Financials with every accountant’s old favourite:Microsoft® Excel®, as well as other familiar Microsoft®Office tools that most organizations already have in place.Financials also gives users facilities to output data for day-to-day documents (like reminder letters, remittance advices,lists of payments due and received, and customerstatements) into Microsoft® Word.

Business Intelligence partnershipsCODA works closely with the major providers of reportingsolutions – in particular with Microsoft, Cognos andBusiness Objects, to ensure complete compatibility andease of use.

Unlimited analysis and online, up-to-the-minute reporting for users across the organization

Unrivalled flexibility to capture the key

operational data and analysisdimensions of your organization.

All the groupings and hierarchies to make sense of your accounts –however you need to view or combine the data.

Analysis options to suit your needsThese in-built and extended facilities are complemented by arange of other tools in our "CODA 2know" suite, which offersa range of practical tools to analyse your organization’sperformance. These tools can be tailored to match the level ofCorporate Performance Management (CPM) that isappropriate for your particular needs.

They are designed to take and analyse data from Financials, aswell as from other business systems you may be running.With these tools, you can get a clearer picture of yourorganization’s performance and make business decisionsbased on up-to-date, reliable information.

Personalized, enterprise-wide vision forinformed decision-makingIntelligence

This is a sophisticated analytic framework for in-depth, high-volume, offline analysis of financial and other key businessdata. It gives you access to the right information, in the rightformat, faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Intelligence enables users to extract and amalgamate keyfinancial (and other) data from any number of sourcesystems, and then load it into the system’s integraldatamart. The datamart is specifically designed for gatheringdata and delivering it for analysis (as opposed to theFinancials database, which is optimized for transactionaldata input and processing). You can then use the tool(s) ofyour choice to analyse, output or display the information inthe ways that best suit your needs – for example, fromcreating specific key performance indicators (KPIs) orbusiness scorecards to constructing complex “cubes” (a termused to describe data that has been assembled for multi-dimensional reporting, analysis and modelling)

The new Intelligence solution capitalizes on robust, provenMicrosoft technologies, including a new data-loading enginethat has been re-designed and built using the IntegrationServices tools from Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005.

Online and offline analysisAnalytic Explorer

This straightforward but powerful analysis tool enables youto extract key data directly from Financials or from youroffline datamart (Intelligence), build multi-dimensionalanalysis “cubes” and then view and work with the resultsusing familiar Microsoft® Excel® tools.

It gives decision makers the information that is relevant totheir business area, so they can quickly, easily and cost-effectively: browse through data online; write reports; andanalyse information.

The source from which the data is drawn depends upon thelevel of solution that is appropriate for your particularorganization:

� directly from Financials for online analyticbrowsing – ideal if your reporting and analysisrequirements are lower volume and reasonablystraightforward. This provides an excellent startingpoint for improved performance management and ataste of the benefits you could achieve by makingbetter use of the data in your key business systems.

� from the datamart of Intelligence, for offline analysis– a perfect complement to online reporting andanalysis from Financials. Working “offline” meanstaking a copy of data from your live systems andworking with it in a completely separate place (in thiscase, our datamart). This approach is ideal fororganizations that have more complex, high-volumerequirements and where data from multiple businesssystems is required.

This new CODA solution has been developed with tried-and-tested, widely used technology from Microsoft(including: the Microsoft® .NET Framework; SQL Server™2005 Integration Services and Analysis Services; Microsoft®Office System; and Windows Server™ 2003).

DimensionBuilder

Financials

Analysis'cubes'

Intelligence

Payroll CRMFinancials

Analysis'cubes'

SalesManufacturing

Analytic Explorer and Financials

Analytic Explorer and Intelligence

Open Books

As one of your key business systems, youraccounting solution cannot exist in isolation. It is amajor investment in its own right, but it should alsoadd to the value of the other existing and plannedcomponents of your IT strategy. In addition, itseffectiveness is enhanced by the ability to informand be informed by systems across your enterprise(and beyond).

Open architecture…The open design and integration capabilities of Financialsdeliver the flexibility and adaptability that you need, tocapitalize on your IT investments:

� compatibility with a very wide range and combinationof hardware and software platforms

� secure, straightforward integration with other keybusiness systems

� complete flexibility on the type and level ofintegration

� our revolutionary “Integration Layer” for backwards-compatible, pain-free, non-interdependent upgrading.

…for the latest deployment andintegration optionsTo meet the need for efficient, widespread and diverseaccess to financial data and tools, Financials offers flexibleweb-browser-based access options. These are based on XML(eXtensible Markup Language) using the XMLi tools (in ourCODA 2link suite) to enable the secure sharing ofinformation between applications and remote access via a“thin” client – i.e. only needing minimal softwarecomponents to be installed on the users’ machines.

Now customers can benefit from the next generation offinance, delivering maximum accessibility and ease ofintegration through a “Service-Oriented Architecture”.Essentially, this means that each component and functionwithin the solution is created as an individual entity or“service” that can receive and respond to internal orexternal requests for it to operate. Thanks to thisarchitecture, users now have the additional option ofaccessing the system via an industry-standard, zero-install,“Web Services” interface, over an Internet connection thatuses a generated URL for each service (see panel).

…for flexible, secure integrationIn order to make the maximum contribution to yourorganization, your financial data needs to inform a widerange of other systems. And, in return, the raw facts andfigures of financial performance are made meaningful byplacing them in the context of other business information.

With 25 years’ experience of integrating with other best-of-class solutions and fitting into the existing infrastructureof thousands of clients, CODA understands integration –inside out! We take a well-refined yet fundamentallystraightforward approach that enables you to bring yoursystems together in the most appropriate ways and withfull CODA security.

…for your chosen technical environmentThanks to CODA's technology partnership with Microsoft,our solutions offer optimum support to get the most froma Microsoft environment but our open architecture alsoenables deployment across a broad range of hardware,operating system and database combinations.

Unrivalled platform compatibility; global, secure connectivity and integration

Financials

Other key business systemsacross the organization

Embedded in anotherbusiness system

Web Browser client

XL

Windows Client

Flexible, secure integration and access

Batch loading & real-time datasharing via CODA 2link tools

(e.g. Web Services)

Web ServicesCODA has always provided unrivalled integration tools to support its best-of-class financial accounting engine. Now,we have taken that to a new level by delivering the full range of Financials application functionality in a Web Servicesarchitecture. This offers such capabilities as:

� user authentication, sign-on and sign-off

� account validation

� financial transaction posting (journals, vouchers, invoices, credit notes, etc.) including real-time validation andaccount balance updates across all affected ledgers

� master file inquiry and updates e.g. foreign exchange rates, customer and vendor address details, project attributes, etc.

� powerful inquiry and reporting capabilities at either the account balance level (e.g. request summarized incomestatement for a business unit or product line) or transaction detail level (e.g. request list of unpaid invoices for aspecified customer)

� fixed asset inquiries and updates.

The potential benefits for CODA customers, system integrators and industry-specific solution providers adopting CODAin a Web Services architecture are enormous. Proven world-class financial accounting capability can now be rapidlyembedded within an overall solution with client and “feeder” servers running on any operating system (Windows®,LINUX, J2EE, IBM, mobile platforms) or device form factor (desktop PC, web browser, server, mainframe, mobile deviceor handheld). With no CODA software required on the client devices and a de-coupled, standard-based programminginterface, different components of the overall solution can be upgraded and modified independently to meet changingbusiness requirements.

The main hardware platforms supported for Financials are:

� Windows®/Intel

� HP-UNIX servers

� SUN SPARC

� IBM pSeries (formerly RS/6000)

� IBM iSeries (formerly AS/400).

A key attraction of CODA – both for customers and forsolution partners – is that Financials is supported on a widematrix of operating system and database servercombinations.

� Supported operating systems include Windows®,UNIX, Linux and OS/400. Supported databases includeSQL Server, Oracle, Sybase and DB2/400.

� Supported web servers include Internet InformationServer or Apache. As well as Internet Explorer, we alsosupport the Firefox browser platform.

� The application programming interfaces of Financials arefounded on an XML request/response model, supporting.NET, J2EE and Web Services development environments.

Financials is also ideally suited for embedding as thefinance engine within any other application suite that youhave developed or installed for your business. Users do noteven need to be aware that they are using a separatesystem!

…for the freedom to upgrade when itsuits you

Thanks to the underlying flexibility of Financials’ design, itsbackwards compatibility and the way it uses our own CODA2link integration tools you need never be stuck on an oldrelease ever again.

CODA’s unique integration layer sits neatly between thecore application and the systems to which it is linked. Itensures that when you want to move up to the latestfunctionality in our solution, you can do so withoutdisrupting any of the existing interfaces. This keeps any“pain” from upgrading to a minimum; it also makes ongoingmaintenance of links between systems far more costeffective, as there’s no need to manipulate the underlyingdata structures.

Full Accountability

Mounting internal and external pressures make theintegrity of your accounting systems and processesan issue that you simply cannot afford to ignore.

In-built control and securityToday’s organizations are more complex, fluid and diversethan ever before. Financials offers you all the power andsafeguards you need, to ensure that you can make moreinformed decisions, based upon financial data that isgenuinely secure, trusted, reliable, up to date and in balance– whoever your users are, wherever they are located andhowever they access the system.

� Each user can be assigned specific, individual rights toaccess particular types and levels of information andapplications.

� The look and feel of the application can be setcentrally, to maintain consistency with companyconventions and corporate identity requirements or tobuild secure online access to Financials into existingcompany intranet, extranet or web page content. Butyou can also allow end users some flexibility tocustomize their own screens and prioritize the contentand tools displayed.

� Seamless integration extends Financials’ securityacross your CODA solution, whilst inputs from otherkey software applications can also be incorporatedsafely, to enable the full range of business transactionsto be captured, monitored and reported upon.

Solutions designed for statutory andregulatory complianceIn addition to emerging worldwide initiatives such asInternational Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), new global,national and local requirements mean that organizations’accounting procedures – as well as the completeness,accuracy and verifiability of their financial reporting – areunder the spotlight.

The Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act of 2002 has already placedhuge pressure on US businesses but it also affects many non-US-owned companies. Meanwhile, the European Union hassimilar legislation in preparation and various new reportingrequirements are being introduced at a national level by manycountries worldwide, for example:

� Canada – Bill 198

� France – LSF

� Netherlands – Code Tabaksblat

� Sweden – Swedish Code of Corporate Governance

� Japan – J-SOX.

CODA constantly monitors and assesses legislative andfiscal changes around the world and Financials is widelyrecognized for its proven track record in meeting regulatoryand financial reporting requirements across the globe.

In terms of broader compliance, the basis for any form offinancial reporting is a well-managed, well-structured financialtransaction processing system. Financials’ highly flexible chart-of-accounts structure makes it easy to allocate transactions tothe right budget and easy to report and analyse financial data.By combining transaction processing with analysis in aCorporate Performance Management system based aroundIntelligence (CODA’s datamart solution), reports can combineboth financial and other forms of key operational data – asignificant step in the preparation of "triple bottom line"accounts, for example.

In addition, CODA has worked with Microsoft to develop anextremely effective process control solution – Manager. Thisstreamlines and automates finance processes like the month-end reporting cycle or specific compliance or internal controlsactivities, making them more visible, repeatable, controlledand auditable. We have also teamed up with specialists incompliance methodologies to deliver a complete end-to-endset of solutions for governance, risk and compliancemanagement, helping organizations to escape from the costlyperpetual cycle of documenting and re-documenting theircontrol processes.

Designed to meet the highest standards of security and compliance

Design, control, streamline and monitor keybusiness processes.

ARCHITECT - Design & DocumentThe foundation for effective internal controls and processes. Enablingyou to identify and address risk factors and incorporate proven bestpractices for your specific organization, by applying the SOXlite™

compliance methodology.

MANAGER - Automate & StandardizeMaking documented processes more visible, repeatable,

controlled and auditable. Uses simple, Microsoft-based technology to automate and embed best practice processes and controls

across the organization.

ASSESSOR - Test & MonitorA shared, online control centre for the ongoing evaluation, monitoring,documentation and project management of a wide range of internal

control activities and programmes.

Today’s finance professionals need to do more, withless. You are under more pressure than ever, facinggreater demands, but with less time and fewerresources. If you’re looking for reliable solutions todrive efficiency and performance in the financedepartment and throughout your organization, thenyou need to talk to CODA.

Our comprehensive range of Financial Managementsolutions enables you to build on the power and flexibilityof Financials and maximize the benefits for yourorganization.

Thanks to the unique combination of CODA’s specialistsoftware, professional staff and strategic partnerships youcan successfully address issues around:

� ensuring compliance

� driving and monitoring strategic performance

and

� controlling costs.

With this support, you and your colleagues can keep incontrol of the organization, making business decisions basedon reliable, up-to-date information.

What does CODA offer?CODA has the answers you are looking for and theFinancial Management solutions you need:

We offer five suites of award-winning FinancialManagement products:

Award-winning, internationaltransaction engines…

…driving efficiency in yourday-to-day financialoperations.

No-nonsense analytical applications…

…transforming data into information you can trust.

Easy-to-use tools that support your business processes…

…delivering the efficiency and control you need.

Collaborative applications, using proven technologies…

…to make your organization more effective.

The tools you need for simple, effective integration…

…linking processes across your business.

And our products are all underpinned by our consultancy,customization, training and support expertise:

Expert services from the finance professionals…

…delivering results you can depend on.

Added ValueMaking the most of your financial information

Meeting the needs of finance departments…

…with our comprehensive range of Financial Management solutions.

Added Value

Unrivalled transactional accounting

AssetsCODA makes it easy to track and manage high volumes ofassets across multiple companies, currencies and “books”,improving asset visibility and replacement cycle controland planning.

Invoice MatchingA fully featured, stand-alone solution, which integrates withany ERP or accounting system to put clear, complete andaccurate matching at the heart of your procure-to-paycontrol process.

ImagePostGetting invoice documents onto your system has neverbeen easier! ImagePost works with scanned documents, forfast, accurate, automated input of the details.

BillingOur dedicated tools for global business or consumercustomer billing make even complicated or larger-scalebilling processes more efficient and controlled.

PortalOur web-browser-based design enables you to give eachuser a single, familiar and controllable ‘way in’ to theirlicensed CODA products, plus other useful information andtools.

WorkflowThis stand-alone solution applies your approval hierarchyand business rules, delivering information and alerts to themailboxes and desktops of process participants andfacilitating swift completion and return.

RetailThis combines specialized accounting with seamlessintegration to other CODA software and to leadingmerchandising and EPOS systems, to address the practicesand requirements of retail customers.

Practical analysis tools

IntelligenceA sophisticated analytic framework, specifically designedfor gathering financial and other key business data anddelivering it for analysis, in the form that best answerseach user’s particular needs.

Analytic ExplorerEnabling you to extract key data directly from Financials orfrom your offline datamart (Intelligence), build multi-dimensional analytic “cubes” and then view andmanipulate the results via Microsoft® Excel®.

XLA user-friendly tool that provides powerful, secure, two-way integration with Microsoft® Excel®. It enables you tooutput, manipulate, display, share and even input yourFinancials data.

PlanningEasy to use and rapidly implemented, this delivers moreefficient seeding, preparation, editing and production ofbudgets – based on (and updating) the information youhave entered in Financials.

Better-managed processes

CODA 2control SpendOur powerful, stand-alone spend management applicationprovides a completely integrated approach to anorganization’s procure-to-pay process. (see also: CODA Buy2gether – our enhanced, collaborative procurement solution).

CODA 2control ConsolidationQuick to implement, easy to integrate and offering rapidROI, our world-class consolidation solution helpsmulticompany and international organizations deliverstatutory group accounting and reporting more quickly,simply and consistently.

CODA 2control CashCODA also enables you to seamlessly integrateIntercompany Netting and Cash Planning functions with therest of your consolidation and general finance processes.

CODA 2control ExpensesEasier, clearer and more controlled personal expensemanagement. Forms apply your rates and rules, areautomatically routed for authorization and, once approved,the details are fed directly back into the accounts.

CODA 2control CloseCombining our powerful process management tools withMicrosoft® Office productivity technologies to make yourperiod-close processes and financial reporting more visible,repeatable, controlled and auditable.

ArchitectThis builds a coherent, comprehensive, documented set ofbest-practice processes and controls across yourorganization – helping to address specific regulatorycompliance requirements or to simply benchmark and refineexisting procedures.

ManagerWe’ve combined our advanced task management enginewith simple, Microsoft-based technology to help youstreamline the implementation, coordination andcompletion of any financial or business processes.

AssessorSimplify and automate the assessment work carried out byyour internal control and audit teams, with this complete,web-based “control centre” for documentation, evaluationand testing.

Making the most of your financial information

Smarter, collaborative solutions

CODA Plan 2getherIn this enhanced solution, control of distributing, revising andapproving budgets and maintaining correct versions of revisedbudgets is automated – making the coordination of recurringbudget cycles much more efficient.

CODA Buy 2getherA revolutionary approach to procurement that brings togetherall participants – from the person raising the initial requestthrough to the selected supplier – including dedicated buyingtools embedded within Microsoft® Outlook.

Seamless system integration

Table LinkSimple loading of specific types of data from externalsystems, via intermediary tables, into the correct databasetables of your CODA application.

Callable LinkThis provides secure, two-way integration to load, accessor modify data in the CODA database, from within yourother programs.

XMLiUsing the XML data exchange standard to provide anextremely flexible interface between the functions and dataof CODA products and other business systems.

Web ServicesSecure, two-way Internet-based integration. Its completeflexibility makes it easy to develop interfaces to update,validate or extract CODA data and to embed CODA functionsor whole applications in other systems.

Expert services from the finance professionals

Implementation ServicesOur products are designed to be up and running quickly,with a minimum of impact on your staff and business. Weuse a PRINCE2-based project management methodologyto ensure your implementation is well planned, predictableand straightforward.

Technical Services and Business ConsultancyOur team of 100% finance-focused consultants work withyou to implement the CODA products, train your staff andoptimize your business processes, software and systems.

Custom SoftwareWe also provide the option to have your CODA solutionspecifically designed or extended to meet the individualrequirements of your business.

TrainingWe offer a variety of training services to help yourorganization to gain the maximum benefits from your CODAsolutions, including scheduled courses or tailored/ad hoctraining to meet your specific requirements.

SupportOur worldwide network of linked Support Centres deliversfriendly, professional, effective assistance to CODA customershelping you to resolve any queries or issues you experiencewith your CODA software.

CODA Alliance Member networkTo support our customers globally, CODA has developed aworldwide Alliance Member network for shared customers –bringing excellence and consistency by creating a local“ecosystem” around CODA's products and our customers'specific needs.

Alliance Members fall into four main categories.

� Solution providers

� Resellers

� Technology partners

� Third-Party complementary products partners.

Ongoing product developmentCODA remains one of the few finance software companiesthat is both able to invest heavily in product developmentand willing to respond to its customers’ suggestions. Ourongoing commitment to R&D sees more than 20% ofrevenue ploughed back into delivering new and enhancedCODA products to meet our customers’ evolving needs.

For example, the Neon release was the result of a £15Minvestment in new and enhanced products, involving almost300 man-years of research, development and testing time.

Financials is already an incredibly powerful browser-basedfinancial management solution and we shall continue toexpand the functionality, as well as exploring newtechnologies and techniques in order to develop and deliverthe ones that are the most appropriate to give yourorganization what it needs to succeed.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?For more information on how CODA can help unlockthe power of your organization’s financial information,talk to us today! Contact details for CODA offices inkey locations around the world are listed on ourwebsite at: www.coda.com

Copyright © CODA plc. All rights reserved. The information contained in this document is intended for general information only, as it is summary in nature and subject to change. CODA is a trademark of CODA GroupInternational Ltd. Further details about CODA trademarks are on the CODA website – www.coda.com. Microsoft; .NET; SQL Server; Windows; IIS; Excel; Outlook; SharePoint; InfoPath and any other Microsoft productor service names referenced herein are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. BR0040INT

About CODA

CODA is the choice for finance professionals who need business

software and services they can count on.

We provide award-winning Financial Management solutions that help

organizations to streamline and automate their finance processes (from

accounting and procurement to reporting and analysis) and to achieve

better compliance and corporate governance. CODA applications work

seamlessly with each other or independently and they integrate with

other leading operational systems to maximize the return on your

broader IT investment too. And our products are all underpinned by

expert consultancy, training and support services, delivered by teams of

experienced accountants, business analysts and technology specialists.

Founded in the UK in 1979, the CODA Group now employs around

600 people and has offices around the world to deliver easy, local

access to sales, service and support. Around 2600 medium and large

organizations, across all sectors, use CODA solutions to control

costs, drive performance and ensure compliance, while remaining

agile and responsive.

www.coda .com