SAP S/4HANA for group reporting: 15+ Customer-Inspired Improvements Delivered in Q3-2024
At SAP, we believe co-innovating with customers is key to developing SAP S/4HANA for group reporting. Using our Customer Influence Platform (CIP), you have the chance to share and vote for ideas to improve our software. We just finished our Q3-2024 CIP review. We're proud to announce that we delivered over 15 of your ideas this quarter:
- Six improvements for data collection, including a new dashboard view of Group Reporting Data Collection jobs by status
- Seven improvements of the consolidation process, including the ability to adjust the partner unit during balance carry forward
- Three improvements for analytics, including the possibility to combine data and use reporting rules in SAP Analytics Cloud
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Data Collection
Dashboard view of Group Reporting Data Collection jobs by status
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/302995
We've released a new dashboard view of Group Reporting Data Collection jobs by status. The dashboard includes a consolidated view of jobs that have ended in error for a given period. This new feature significantly improves error monitoring. Also, the dashboard makes it much easier to operate Group Reporting Data Collection with many scheduled jobs. The feature is available since release 2408.
Upload of txt files via Group Reporting Data Collection
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/325741
You can now upload "txt" files via Group Reporting Data Collection. Previously, only csv files could be selected and uploaded using the Group Reporting mapping functionality. With this new feature, you can now upload txt files directly, eliminating the need to convert them to csv format. This improvement deals with the issue where many source systems, such as SAP ECC (ERP Central Component), generate txt files as standard export files. By allowing txt file uploads, the process becomes less time-consuming and reduces the likelihood of errors. The feature is available since release 2408.
Automated load of trial balances from non-SAP sources
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/323113
The feature is native in the data mapping app of Group Reporting Data Collection. With this app you can extract data from any system using custom connections with OData services, transform the data and load it to group reporting. Additionally you can schedule the trial balance import, to further automate the data load process.
Ability to enter multiple units of measure on a single financial statement item
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/309130
We've implemented the ability to enter/upload multiple units of measure for a single financial statement item into group reporting, for example through Group Reporting Data Collection. This enhancement addresses the limitation where group reporting only accepted a single unit of measure per financial statement item. With this improvement, group reporting fully supports multiple units of measures for a single item, enabling support for more non-financial scenarios such as collecting sales quantities and emitted greenhouse gas on the same financial statement item, such as revenues. Now, for example, Group Reporting Data Collection uploads will allow for the loading of multiple units of measure. The feature is available since release 2408.
Form design - Define links between forms to facilitate navigation
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/260500
You can now define links between forms to facilitate navigation in Group Reporting Data Collection. Previously, navigation within forms wasn't seamless, causing potential inefficiencies during data entry. With this new feature, you can now define links between forms and even create a home form that serves as a central navigation hub. This enhancement eases navigation within forms, making the process of data entry more intuitive and efficient. The feature is available since release 2408.
Document type used for realignment posting should be separated from normal FI postings
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/306306
There's now a dedicated document type 'GR' for realignment postings, separate from normal FI postings. This makes it easier for users to identify and manage the technical realignment documents, maintaining better control and governance over the posting process. Additionally, it ensures that sequential numbering and filing requirements for FI documents are not affected. Overall, this improvement streamlines the process and enhances the overall efficiency of the system.
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Consolidation process
Historical amounts (equity & investment in subsidiaries)
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/323112
We've improved the historical amounts management in group reporting, addressing the need for a simplified historical amounts process for companies that require the use of a spot rate for the translation of equity and investments in subsidiaries. This allows easy upload of historical amounts in the reporting currency against specific account codes and provides an alternative for the upload of historical rates if preferred. These amounts or rates are then used in the translation of these account codes from the functional currency to the reporting currency. This improvement is beneficial as it ensures accurate and GAAP-compliant translation of historical amounts in equity and investments in subsidiaries, which is fundamental to the consolidation process. Additionally, it simplifies the historical amounts process and eliminates the need for clunky workarounds, providing greater efficiency and accuracy in financial reporting.
Usage of historical foreign exchange rates
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/321619
We've added functionality that now automates the handling of historical foreign exchange rates in group reporting. This change removes the need for the previous manual approach. With this new functionality, the process of using historical foreign exchange rates is automated, reducing the need for manual workarounds. This improvement makes your financial reporting processes quicker and more accurate. It simplifies the steps involved, helping you avoid the risks of manual errors.
Use of separate financial statement items for foreign currency translation
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/321623
You can already define a specific currency translation difference financial statement item for investments and equity financial statement items, this feature is native. It allows for the use of separate financial statement items for foreign currency translation, addressing the need for a more diversified presentation and smoother analysis of translation effects. Additionally, this native feature offers the benefit of automated foreign currency translation without the need for manual adjustments.
Net income postings - Additional characteristics not inherited
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/303814
We've improved the automatic net income posting process so that now additional characteristics such as Partner Segment and Partner Profit Center are automatically inherited. The feature is available since release 2408.
Ability to capture multiple units of measure per breakdown category
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/317703
You can now capture multiple units of measure per breakdown category in group reporting. Previously, you could assign only a single fixed unit of measure per breakdown category. With the new enhancement, business users can enter different units of measure, whether amounts or quantities, for the same financial statement items or accounts. This provides greater flexibility and meets a broader range of business needs. By allowing multiple units of measure per breakdown category, our reporting now accurately reflects the diverse ways businesses measure and track data. This enhancement also reduces the number of financial statement items needed, simplifying and streamlining your reporting structure. The feature is available since release 2408.
Ability to exclude document types from required consolidation tasks
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/324232
We've delivered the ability to exclude document types from required consolidation tasks. This improvement allows for the configuration and maintenance of a selection of document types to be excluded from specific data processing tasks. This enhancement addresses the need to exclude certain document types from tasks such as Elimination, Consolidation of Investment, or Custom Reclass, which may involve postings meant for reporting or presentation purposes and not intended for inclusion in financial statements. With this new feature, there is now an easier way to maintain exclusion/required document types for a given consolidation task, providing more flexibility and efficiency in data processing. The feature is available since release 2108.
Allow partner unit change during balance carry forward
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/312676
You can now adjust the partner unit during the balance carry forward process. This enhancement allows you to modify and adjust the partner unit, providing greater flexibility and control over your data. Additionally, you now have the ability to remove partner information on accounts with optional breakdowns, such as related parties. This ensures cleaner and more precise data management, enhancing the overall consistency of your partner fields. The feature is available since release 2408.
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Analytics
Group Data Analysis reports should display Profit Center with Non-Compound Key by default
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/325369
The Group Data Analysis (GDA) report can now display Profit Center with Non-Compound Key by default, saving users a significant amount of effort in changing from compound to non-compound values. To enable this display, you can use "Key Not Compound" of Group Financial Statement - Review Booklet. This makes the report more user-friendly for viewing and analysis, aligning with the expected benefit of saving effort and enhancing user experience.
Usage of reporting rules outside of S/4HANA
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/295397
With the API called "API_CNSLDTNRLBSDGRPJRNLITM", you can now use the reporting rules defined in group reporting outside of S/4HANA, providing the ability to report profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow statement outside of S/4 and enhance reporting capabilities beyond Fiori apps. Additionally, it offers the opportunity to combine data and utilize reporting rules in SAP Analytics Cloud, including on acquired data, with the added benefit of automatically replicating the reporting rules to SAP Analytics Cloud through an interface. The feature available with release 2408.1.
Hierarchy of the consolidation segment not released for consumption in SAP Analytics Cloud
https://influence.sap.com/sap/ino/#/idea/269511
We've improved the Core Data Service (CDS) view "I_CnsldtnSegmentHierNode", which provides access to the hierarchy of the consolidation segment, to enable its consumption in SAP Analytics Cloud for reporting purposes. The feature available with release 2402.
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