Configure IFP Sync Tool

Before you begin

Make sure you install the IRIS Sync. Refer to Install IRIS Financial Planner Sync Tool

Once the application is installed you can configure it to transfer the applicable data between IRIS Financials and IRIS Financial Planner.

IRIS Financial Planner settings

IRIS Sync requires your username and password in order to send information to IRIS Financial Planner. To enter these credentials:

  1. Select Options > IRIS Financial Planner settings from the top menu in IRIS Sync.

  2. The IRIS Financial Planner connection settings dialog displays. Enter the following information, if it is not already present:  

    Field Detail
    Planner URL This is the website address which displays when you are logged in to the IRIS Financial Planner Home page.
    Username Username you use to log in to IRIS Financial Planner (this cannot be your email address).
    Password Password you use to log in to IRIS Financial Planner.

  3. Select Okay.

    If an error message displays, check your credentials are correct.
    If the connection is successful, a message appears at the top of the window.

PS Financials settings - Data

The IRIS Financials settings determine the particular budget information that is transferred to . IRIS Financial Planner

To configure the IRIS Financials settings:

  1. Select Options > PS Financials settings from the top menu in IRIS Sync.

  2. The Data tab displays. It is recommended you select the following check boxes as displayed in the following graphic. 

The following explains the function of each check box.

Budget Codes

Synchronise nominal codes from IRIS Financials with IRIS Financial Planner. It is recommended you create the Budget Code directly in IRIS Financial Planner, so leave this box unchecked.

Cost Centres

Synchronise cost centre information from IRIS Financials withIRIS Financial Planner. It is recommended you create the Budget Code directly in IRIS Financial Planner, so leave this box unchecked.

Cost Centres

Budget Import 

Enables the budget from IRIS Financial Planner to be transferred toIRIS Financials . 

Budget monitor

The Budget Monitor allows you to predict your school's year-end financial position, based on combining actuals with anticipated income and expenditure. It works by taking an upload from IRIS Financials and merging it with the future staffing costs held within . IRIS Financial PlannerManual adjustments can also be added, resulting in a projected year-end out-turn. Select this check box if you wish to turn this on.

PS Financials Settings - ConnectionStatus

The Connection Status tab holds your IRIS Financials connection information. You can find this information on your IRIS Financials login window.

Field Description
Server Server your IRIS Financials database is stored. You can find this on your PS Accounting login window
Database IRIS Financials database you wish to sync with IRIS Financial Planner. You can view a list of applicable databases on your IRIS Financials login window, by selecting the Database drop-down list.
Company
  • Company you wish to sync with IRIS Financial Planner. You can view a list of applicable companies on your PS Accounting login window, by selecting the Companies drop-down list.

PS Financials Settings - Budget Import

The Budget Import tab determines which budget code fromIRIS Financials i synchronised with IRIS Financial Planner. It also contains settings which determine how an import will impact any existing data in IRIS Financial Planner.

Working or Allocated Budget

IRIS Financial Planner budget code you are synchronising with IRIS Financials. This code must be in all caps and not contain any spaces or special characters. You must ensure this budget code exists in IRIS Financials. It will be this budget code that is updated with the information from your working budget in IRIS Financial Planner.

Year of IRIS Financial Planner budget to import

Number of budgeted years to transfer from IRIS Financial Planner into IRIS Financials.

Import Multi-School budget from parent planner

If selected, the consolidated Multi-School budget – including data from all child schools – will be copied into IRIS Financials. Leave this check box deselected if you only want to update budget information relating to your own school and not the entire Trust.

Before budget import 

Determines the treatment of the existing budget in IRIS Financials when it is synchronised with IRIS Financial Planner. Choose one of the following.

Selection Detail
Do not clear "Working or Allocated Budget" If selected, IRIS Sync will not clear any existing IRIS Financials budget data. This option will combine your budget from IRIS Financial Plannerwith any data that currently exists in your IRIS Financials budget. You would typically select this option if you only want to make a few changes to your existing budget without clearing out the rest of the data.
Clear appropriate year of ‘Working or Allocated Budget’ 

If selected, only budget data relating to the year being imported will be cleared. Budget data for other periods will be left intact. For example; if you are importing a budget for 2019/20, only data relating to this year will be cleared out and updated. No other years will be affected.
Clear entire ‘Working or Allocated Budget’ If selected, the entire IRIS Financials budget will be cleared prior to import for the applicable budget code.
Clear only nominals that match schools’ prefix If selected, only IRIS Financials budget information relating to nominal's for your own location will be cleared. For example, if the location you are currently connected to has the nominal prefix ‘ABC’, only information with nominal's starting with ‘ABC’ will be cleared before importing the budget. If Do not clear ‘Working or Allocated Budget’ is selected, this option has no effect.

PS Financials Settings - Budget Monitor

This section defines adding Budget Monitor data to ,IRIS Financial Planner including year-to-date actuals, commitments and budget data from IRIS Financials.

Budget Monitor allows you to predict your school's year-end financial position, based on combining actuals with anticipated income and expenditure. It works by uploading data from IRIS Financials and merging it with the future staffing costs held within IRIS Financial Planner. Manual adjustments can also be added, resulting in a projected year end out-turn.

Working or Allocated Budget

This should be the name of your IRIS Financials budget that you are updating. Make sure you type the Budget Code exactly as it is displayed in IRIS Financials. You can find the budget codes by selecting Masters > Budgets from the IRIS Financials top menu. 

Original or Fixed Budget

This setting is optional. Entering a budget code here allows you to track your performance against your original budget at the start of the year. It displays in the Fixed Budget column in your IRIS Financial Planner Budget Monitor.

If you do not want to monitor against a fixed budget, leave this field blank.

Budget Monitor date

The Budget Monitor date allows you to configure the month for which you are performing a budget monitor. You have the following options.

Current month - Monitor the budget for the current month: for example, if you click the synchronise button on the 20th of March 2020, the Budget Monitor for March 2020 will be uploaded.

Last month - The previous month's data will be uploaded: for example, if you click the synchronise button on the 20th of March 2020, the Budget Monitor for March 2020 will be uploaded.

Specific month - Select a month and year for the Budget Monitor using the drop-down lists provided. This allows you to select a specific year and period to use for budget monitoring. This is recommended if you allocate all of your budget in period one of each financial year.

PS Financials Settings - Advanced

The Advanced tab determines which accounts and analysis codes are synchronised from IRIS Financials with IRIS Financial Planner.

Cost Centre Ledger(s)

In ,IRIS Financials accounts are stored on Ledgers. The Cost Centre Ledger(s) field determines which accounts will sync with IRIS Financial Planner as cost centres. You can enter multiple ledgers separated by commas. 

CFR Keylist Title

This is typically used by maintained schools only. If you do not use CFR reporting, you can leave this field blank.

If you have configured IRIS Financial Planner to use CFR (Consistent Financial Reporting) analysis codes, IRIS Sync must determine which CFR code each nominal is mapped against. It does this by examining the Analysis Code for each nominal in IRIS Financials. 

GAG Keylist Title

GAG Reporting will typically be used by most academies. If you have configured IRIS Financial Planner to use GAG (Government Annual Grant) codes, IRIS Sync must determine which GAG code each nominal is mapped. It does this by examining the Analysis Code for each nominal in IRIS Financials. This is the Management Reporting Analysis Code which is stored in the Analysis tab against each nominal.

To view or amend the GAG Analysis Code in IRIS Financials:

  1. Select Masters > Nominals from the top menu.

  2. Select the applicable nominal from the list and select the Analysis tab.

  3. The current GAG Analysis Code is displayed in the Management Reporting field. To change this to another category, click the drop-down menu and select the applicable entry and click the Apply button.

Overwrite IRIS Financial Planner Online Budget Codes / Cost Centres

This setting determines whether or not to overwrite existing information when you are copying your nominals and/or cost centres from IRIS Financials to IRIS Financial Planner.
If this is unchecked, only new codes will be added to your IRIS Invoice Planner. Nominal/cost centre information that already exists will not be modified.

If this setting is selected, information in IRIS Financial Planner is be overwritten with any new information and mappings from IRIS Financials.

For example; nominal code LLL1000 in IRIS Financial Planner has the description GAG Funding. 

In IRIS Financials, nominal code LLL1000 has the title Pre-16 School Budget Share. If you synchronise IRIS Sync with this setting selected, the Title of nominal code LLL1000 will have its description changed to Pre-16 School Budget Share in IRIS Financial Planner.

If this setting is not selected, the nominal code LLL1000 will not be modified.

Database username

This setting should only be changed by your System Administrator.

If you are a PS Cloud customer, contact the IRIS support team who can enter this for you.

Database password

This setting should only be changed by your System Administrator.

If you are a PS Cloud customer, contact the IRIS support team who can enter this for you.