Dimension Sets are groups of dimension values that are often reported on together. The term dimension is used to represent the different dimensions of an ERP system, or if it is an account based system, then a dimension would represent each segment of your chart of accounts. For example, if you have a fully qualified account of 000-1100-00 (Department 000, Account 1100, Division 00), then the first dimension in Management Reporter would be Department, the second dimension would be account, and the third dimension would be division.

Dimension sets help reduce the maintenance of reporting and speed up report design. For example, if you report on your cash accounts in multiple reports, and the cash accounts range from  1100 :1140, but you need to subtract one or a few from the range, you could save this common combination as a Dimension Set. This would save you from constantly adding the range and subtracting the select few from it on different rows, columns, and reporting tree definitions.

In Microsoft FRx, Dimension Sets were instead referred to as Account Sets. Because of structural differences in Management Reporter, migrating Account Sets requires a few additional steps to use them in Management Reporter.

Figure 1: Account Sets in Microsoft FRx

In Microsoft FRx, when an account set is created the application does not specify what segment it is being used for the set. As a result, when migrating from Microsoft FRx to Management Reporter, the Account Set name is migrated and included in the reports that were using it, but the contents of the set are not migrated. In Figure 1, an account set called Cash exists in Microsoft FRx based on the Natural Account.

In order to keep using those account sets without updating all of your reports, a Dimension Set with the same name needs to be created.  Once the Dimension Set is created, with the same name as the Microsoft FRx account set, reports using those sets will be able to report on them.  

To create a dimension set in Management Reporter, open a Row, Column, or Reporting Tree Definition, and click Edit > Manage Dimension Sets. Select the Dimension for which you want to create the Dimension Set. Create a new Dimension Set with the same name you used in Microsoft FRx and add the dimension values.

Figure 2: Cash Dimension Set in Management Reporter

In Figure 2, the Cash dimension set has now been created in Management Reporter. Any reports that reference the Cash dimension set will now generate with the correct values. This dimension set, as well as any others you create, can be used on any Row, Column, or Tree Definition. Dimension sets can also be exported and importing with the Building Block Groups.

Using Dimension Sets is a great way to increase the speed of report design and reduce maintenance.