Visual IFPS/Plus for Business

Paul Gray, Claremont Graduate School

Table Of Contents:

  • 1. Introduction.
    What This Book is About. Modeling. Decision Support Systems.Overview of Visual IFPS/Plus. What Occurs in an Interactive VisualIFPS/Plus Session-Student Version.

  • 2. Getting Started in Visual IFPS/Plus.
    Getting Started: Hardware Requirements and Installation.Creating a Simple IFPS Model. Saving the Model You Have Created. ObtainingAnswers (SOLVE). Printing Out Results. Dealing with Models in YourDirectory. How to Get Out of IFPS/Plus. Correcting Mistakes (Editing).The New Product Model — An Example. Some Principles and Rulesin Writing Your Model. An Example — A Pro Forma Profit and LossStatement. What to Do If You Need Help (The IFPS/Plus Help Subsystem).

  • 3. Solving Visual IFPS/Plus Models.
    Using Visual IFPS/Plus to Ask Questions about the Model.Graphs. Explain, Analyze, Outline: Understanding Why You Get the ResultsYou Do. Using Data Files in Solving Models. Creating Reports. ChoosingText Format and Colors.

  • 4. Features of the IFPS Language.
    Templates (Using IFPS to Help You Write Your Model Correctly).Built in Functions (Financial, Forecasting, Mathematical). Subroutines(Depreciation, Amortization). Additional Calculational Features.

  • 5. The IFPS/Plus Database.
    The IFPS Database. Accessing Databases. Creating DatabasesDirectly. Using Model Outputs in Creating Databases. Using Datafilesto Create a Relation. Solving a Model Using Data from Relations. AskingSimple Questions of the Database (QUERY).

  • 6. IFPS/Plus Computational Features.
    Options. Variable Dictionary. Importing Files, Data, and Databases (Import,Import Data). Managing Files (Search, Copy, Delete). Creating Different Names andValues Each Time a Model or Report is Solved (Micros). Generating Many ModelStatements with Only a Few Lines (GENERATE). Consolidation. Files Entity. Rule Tables.Rule Tables. Creating and Using Sets (Setfile and Setname).

  • 7. Applications of IFPS/Plus.
    Applications in Finance. Applications in Statistics. Applicationsin Production and Operations Analysis.

  • 8. The IFPS/Plus Server.
    The Command Session. Command Files. Tagged Datafiles (Creating a ThirdDimension). More on Consolidation.

  • 9. Monte Carlo Simulation (Risk Analysis).
    The Rationale and Use of Simulation. IFPS Approach to Simulation.Built-in Probability Distributions. Defining Your Own ProbabilityDistributions. Choosing the Same Random Number for All Periods ora New Value for Each Period. Example: The Simple IFPS/Plus Model with Uncertainty.Generating Scenarios (HIGH, LOW, MEAN, MOSTP). Running a Monte CarloSimulation. STOP Command (What to Do If You Make an Options Mistake).Interpreting Monte Carlo Results. The POOL Command. Example: The NewProduct Model with Uncertainty. Example: A Risk Analysis Model. Example: Testingthe IFPS Random Number Generator.

  • Appendices.