--- title: "Custom Financial Reports Writer: Overview and Security" slug: "custom-financial-reports-writer-overview-and-security" description: "CFR Writer overview: navigation path, permissions for reports and templates, Report Role access, and location access controls." updated: 2026-07-27T16:26:54Z published: 2026-07-27T16:26:54Z canonical: "docs.restaurant365.com/custom-financial-reports-writer-overview-and-security" stale: true --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.restaurant365.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Custom Financial Reports Writer: Overview and Security The Custom Financial Report Writer is an added R365 service allowing users to customize the content, layout, and look and feel of financial Reports. For more information on the R365 Financial Report Writer, please reach out to your R365 Sales or CSM Representative or [R365 Support](https://help.restaurant365.net/en/support/tickets/new). --- ## Navigation ****Navigation Steps**** 1. From the left navigation, open the **Reports** application. 2. Click **Custom Financial Reports**. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/5c9d1111-0c69-4e96-8910-d7f2750fdc9d/Images/Documentation/image-XXKPXCPD.png) ****Search**** Navigate to pages with the [R365 global search bar](/doc/docs/r365-search): 1. Enter all or part of the **page name** in the R365 global search bar. 2. Select the page from the results list. > Only enabled pages can be searched for. If the desired page is not enabled, contact your CSM for assistance. ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/5c9d1111-0c69-4e96-8910-d7f2750fdc9d/Images/Documentation/image-1745007955784.png) --- ## Security The permissions listed here are associated with Custom Financial Reports. These permissions can be added to **custom user roles** or single **users**. Learn more about [managing permissions and custom user roles here](/doc/docs/custom-user-roles) Custom Financial Reports Permissions are found in the Permission Tree as follows: - Reporting - Custom Financial Reports - View All CFR Reports (Bypasses Report Role) - Manage Multi-Instance Financial Dashboard Views - Packages - Edit Custom Financial Report Packages - Create Custom Financial Report Packages - Delete Custom Financial Report Packages - Reports - Create/Edit Custom Financial Reports - Delete Custom Financial Reports - Templates - View/Create/Edit/Delete CFR Templates The [Permission Access report](/doc/docs/generating-a-permissions-access-report) can be used to determine which [user roles](/doc/docs/security-permissions-user-roles) or [users](https://help.restaurant365.net/support/login) already have these permissions assigned. Learn more about [User Setup and Security here](/doc/docs/user-setup-security-and-location-access). --- ### Viewing Custom Financial Reports **Report Roles** Custom Financial Reports must be added to a user's report roles in order to be viewed. Learn more about [adding Custom Financial Reports to report roles here](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-assigning-reports). To add Custom Financial Reports to a report role, the user must have the following permission: - Administration → Users → Report Roles → Create/Edit/Delete Report Roles **View All CFR Reports** Users with the following permission will be able to view **all** CFR Reports, regardless of which reports are included in their Report Role(s). - Reporting → Custom Financial Reports → View All CFR Reports (Bypasses Report Role) ### Location Access The locations that are assigned to each user on their user record determines which locations they can view data for when running reports. If a user **does not** have access to a specific location, they cannot view data for that location. Learn more about [User Location Access here.](/doc/docs/user-setup-security-and-location-access) --- ## Initial Setup The initial setup of the R365 Financial Report Writer requires the following: 1. Your R365 Sales representative or R365 CSM enables the R365 Financial Report Writer. 2. You submit a request to provision your R365 Database for use with the R365 Financial Report Writer. 3. A user with the User Setup security role accesses [System Preferences](/doc/docs/system-preferences-overview) and sets up [Organizational Units](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-organizational-structure) for reporting purposes. 4. A user with the Financial Report Builder security role builds and customizes your financial reports. Learn more about each step of the [R365 Financial Report Writer: Initial Setup](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-initial-setup). --- ## Related Articles ### System Preferences: Organization Structure The R365 Financial Report Writer gives you additional reporting capabilities through a custom organization structure. This means you can create your desired organizational hierarchy for reporting purposes. Click here for more information on [setting up the organization structure](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-organizational-structure). ### Building Reports Building reports in the R365 Financial Report Writer requires you to create templates and utilize row and column layouts within each template. When the template and its contents are completed, you can use the template to easily build new custom reports. Click here for more information on [building reports](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-building-reports) or use the links below to access the desired topic in the building process: - [Templates](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-templates) - [Rows](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-report-writer-report-rows) - [Columns](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-report-columns) - [Reports](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-creating-reports) - [Combination Reports](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-combination-reports) ### Running Reports Once Custom Financial Reports are available to your organization, any user with the Financial Report Builder or Financial Report Viewer security role will have the ability to run those reports. Learn more about [running reports](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-report-writer-running-reports). ### Assigning Reports Reports must be assigned to users with the Financial Report Viewer Role through their report roles in either the Financial Report Viewer or Report Role Setup windows. Learn more about [assigning reports](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-assigning-reports). ### Sharing Reports Partner channel users have the ability to share report templates across instances. Learn more about [sharing reports](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-sharing-across-instances) here. ### Sending Report Packages Reports can be bundled together in a unique structure and format by creating report packages. Learn more about [report packages](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-report-packages). ### Subscribing to Reports Set up [report subscriptions](/doc/docs/report-subscriptions) to automatically generate reports on a regular basis. The reports can be scheduled and sent to specified recipient email address(es). ### Creating Report Groups Report groups allow selected reports and/or documents to be grouped together and run by a selected report parameter, enabling reports/documents within a report group to be organized by their selected parameter and not by report order. multiple report groups can be created, but not all reports/documents need to be in a report group. Learn more about [report groups](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-report-writer-report-groups). --- ### FAQ #### Why can a user see every Custom Financial Report even though only some are assigned to their report role? That user likely has the "View All CFR Reports" permission, which bypasses report role assignments entirely and grants visibility into every CFR report regardless of what's assigned. Learn more about [managing permissions and custom user roles](/doc/docs/custom-user-roles). #### What's the difference between the Financial Report Builder and Financial Report Viewer roles? The Financial Report Builder role can create and customize reports, while the Financial Report Viewer role can only run reports that have already been assigned to them. Learn more about [running reports](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-report-writer-running-reports). #### A user has the correct report role, but still can't see data for a specific location. Why? Report role and location access are separate. If a location isn't assigned to that user's record, they can't view its data no matter what their report role includes. Learn more about [User Location Access](/doc/docs/user-setup-security-and-location-access). #### How do I find out which users already have Custom Financial Reports permissions? Run the [Permission Access report](/doc/docs/generating-a-permissions-access-report) to see which user roles or individual users already have these permissions assigned. #### What has to happen before our team can start building Custom Financial Reports? Four things: your R365 Sales or CSM rep enables the feature, you request database provisioning, someone sets up Organizational Units in System Preferences, and a user with the Financial Report Builder role builds the reports. See the full [initial setup guide](/doc/docs/r365-custom-financial-reports-writer-initial-setup). Structured documents that provide insights and summaries of various operational metrics and financial data. Access rights granted to users or user roles that dictate what actions they can perform within the system.