Analyzing Financial Data Using SAP S/4HANA Embedded Analytics Reports

• Standard reporting in SAP S/4HANA Cloud for group reporting is done with the help of SAP S/4HANA embedded analytics reports, that is standard reporting using SAP Fiori tiles at consolidation unit or group level.

• SAP S/4HANA embedded analytics is available by default and allows drill-down to document level.

With the help of the Group Data Analysis app, you can display different views of consolidated data.

• Group View: The group view is based on the group structure that includes consolidation groups and units.

• Hierarchy View: The hierarchy view is based on hierarchies of profit centers, segments, and consolidation units. By selecting different FS item hierarchies within the app, you can generate consolidated financial statements such as balance sheets and profit and loss statements.

Before you use this app, make sure that you’ve selected values for the parameters in the Set Global Parameters app. Once these values are saved in the global parameters, they are then derived for the corresponding variables in this app.

As the corporate accountants are performing the close, the Group Data Analysis app can be used to quickly access the financial data.

• Drag and drop navigation

• Every dimension in ACDOCU is available for navigation in the standard app

• Filter on any dimension

• Report on multiple periods and versions

• Report on period or year-to-date data

• Save report filtering and navigation with bookmarks and report variants

• Create user-specific tiles based on personal report design

• Email reports

• Download into Microsoft Excel

• Collapsible filter and navigation areas

• Use group reporting time-independent hierarchies

• Use group reporting time-dependent hierarchies

• Display sign adjusted data

• Swap axis

• Defer layout update

• Sorting

• Grid and axis properties.

• A reporting item is technically an FS item whose FS item type is REPT (Reporting Item).

• A reporting item can be enhanced by assigning it a set of selection criteria of specific data such as:

  • FS items
  • Consolidation units
  • Document types
  • Subitems.

• The assignments of data selection criteria to reporting items are called reporting rules. These reporting rules determine how the values for a reporting item are derived in a report.

• With the reporting rules in place, when you use a reporting item in a report, its values are calculated at runtime by aggregating the data from the selection criteria defined in the reporting rules.

• Reporting items are arranged into reporting item hierarchies which are used in reports to display the reporting items in a hierarchical structure.

• You can use reporting items as additional analytical dimensions in reports such as:

  • Statement of cash flow
  • Statement of changes in equity
  • Statement of comprehensive income
  • Profit and loss (P&L) statement by function of expense.

The following figure shows how this comes together in a report. It also shows the relationship between an FS item, reporting item, reporting rules, and reporting item hierarchy.

• The system calculates an aggregated amount for Reporting Item 1 based on the selection criteria that are assigned in the reporting rules.

• The amount for Reporting Item 1 aggregates all the amounts from the range of FS items from FS Item 1 to FS Item 5.

• The reporting item acts as one entity, but actually represents a set of data defined by these selection criteria in the reporting rules.

• X1: Statement of changes in equity

• X2: Statement of cash flow

• X3: Statement of comprehensive income.

• X4: P&L by function of expense

• X5: IC reconciliation

The figure above shows the rule-based cash flow statement as an example:

Use the Group Financial Statements Review Booklet app to display, analyze, and validate group reporting data. The app presents an aggregated view of financial statements by combining predefined business pages grouped under the main areas of Consolidated Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss Statement, Cash Flow Statement, and Statement of Changes in Equity. This collection of pages forms a review booklet, which can be used to carry out a financial review.

The Group Financial Statements Review Booklet app provides the following key features:

• Working with Views
• Working with Filters and Variables
• Using the Business Pages
• Using the Context Menus
• AI-Assisted Analytical Business Insights
• Commenting
• Exporting your data to a spreadsheet or a PDF file. You can customize your export options and settings to meet your specific needs, whether it's for analysis, reporting, or sharing with others.
• Navigating from a data cell in the table to the Display Group Journal Entries app
• Navigating from the Context Information in the side panel to the Manage Global Hierarchies app by selecting a hierarchy in the Context Information.

Using AI-assisted analytical business insights, you can create an AI-generated analysis and summary of your data.

Business insights answer predefined business questions and offer detailed information to business users. To access the quick actions, open the side panel and choose Business Insights.

On the Layout panel, you can adjust the table layout by adding or removing measures, dimensions, and structures and by arranging them in the table. You can also add calculations.

In the Page Filters panel you can check which filters are applied on a business page. You can add filters and define conditions and you can transfer dimensions to other business pages.

On the Formatting panel, you can configure the appearance of the table and its contents. You can choose from various templates. Each one has a different format:

• Financials is the default template, which features hierarchical formatting with decoration lines. Actual figures have a black decoration line, while figures from, the previous year have a grey one.
• Report is the classical SAP Analytics Cloud template, which also has decoration lines.
• Basic doesn't have decoration lines.

With Alternating Rows the background color of each row is alternated between white and a darker shade.

The Wrap Text option allows you to adjust how the table contents appears.

With Scale/Unit/Currency Position you can change the position of the scale, unit, or currency.

With the Number Format option you can configure the format of all or some measures in the table by changing the scale, scale format, number of decimal places, and sign.

To highlight specific information in your financial statements, you can create Conditional Formatting rules for measures by defining thresholds and assigning colors and styles.

On the Comments panel, you access the Commenting features. You can, for example, create, display, rename, and search for comments for data cells and pages. In addition, you can add tags, change the status of comments, and filter them.