Uploading Reported Financial Data

Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Upload data from files into group reporting

Flexible Upload Business Scenario

The flexible upload task is used primarily to import files that contain financial data from non-SAP S/4HANA consolidation units.

In our scenario, the United States and German consolidation units are in SAP S/4HANA. However, because this is a start-up scenario and not all historical data is in SAP S/4HANA, we are importing data for all of our consolidation units (including the United States and Germany).

After this start-up phase is over, the United States and German consolidation units' data can be released from accounting.

Note
If a non-SAP S/4HANA consolidation unit is migrated into accounting at a later point in time, it can be switched to integrated mode on a time-dependent basis.

Flexible Upload Key Points

  • Journal validation and substitution rules apply to flexible uploads.
  • There are several options with flexible upload:
    • Import periodic or YTD data.
    • Import one or multiple periods (when using the Flexible Upload of Reported Financial Data app).
    • Import one or multiple consolidation units.
    • Update mode options for importing updated source files.
  • The task log app is used to check the status for the flexible upload task.

Flexible Upload File

In the upload file, there are several special characters that are used by the system:

  • * – Comment
  • P – Parameter
  • D – Data structure
  • 2 – Data rows

In addition, there are the following parameters that are included in the file as well:

  • Periodical – import period or YTD data
  • Update mode – delete or overwrite
  • NSEP – number format
  • DOCTY – document type used for this file

The flexible upload file parameters are described in detail as follows:

  • Periodical:
    • If you enter x, the data of the file is interpreted as period data. The data of the file is written to the period specified in the file with no additional calculation.
    • If you leave the Periodical field blank, the data of the file is interpreted as cumulative (year-to-date) data. The system subtracts the cumulative data from the previous period and stores the periodic value.
  • Update Mode:
    • Enter 1 to delete all: All existing records in a block (consisting of ledger, consolidation chart of accounts, version, fiscal year, period, and consolidation unit) are reset to zero before loading the new data.
    • Enter 2 to overwrite: Only the uploaded records are written. Any existing records that share the same item and all of the same subassignments are overwritten.
  • NSEP - Number separator:
    • Enter 1 for number format 1,000.00.
    • Enter 2 for number format 1.000,00.
  • DOCTY - Document type: You can use different document types to distinguish source systems.
Note
The order of the columns can be changed by users. You can add group currency and amount to the file if needed.

If you use AmountInTransactionCurrency you also have to provide TransactionCurrency. If you use QuantityInBaseUnit you also need to provide BaseUnit. LocalCurrency is derived from the currency assigned to the consolidation unit automatically. Group Currency is derived from the currency assigned to the version.

This note contains the standard template: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2659672

Note
The source file for the class does not include annual net income or current year retained earnings. Therefore, the Calculate Net Income task should be run after the import.

Upload Options

Update options

In case there is new data in the source system, the flat file can be imported again. There are two update options in the flat file: delete mode and overwrite mode.

Delete mode example

First FileACDOCU after 1st ImportSecond FileACDOCU after 2nd Import
CU01CU01CU01CU01
111100 Cash111100 Cash111100 Cash111100 Cash
$120,000$120,000$120,500$120,000
121100 AR121100 AR 121100 AR
$25,000$25,000 $25,000
   111100 Cash
   $500
   121100 AR
   —$25,000

If the second source file represents the correct result for all FS items for CU01 (consolidation unit 01), use delete mode:

  • Cash is increased by 500. The resulting net amount is 120,500.
  • AR (accounts receivable) is decreased by 25,000 so the net amount is 0.

Overwrite mode example

First FileACDOCU after 1st ImportSecond FileACDOCU after 2nd Import
CU01CU01CU01CU01
111100 Cash111100 Cash111100 Cash111100 Cash
$120,000$120,000$120,500$120,000
121100 AR121100 AR 121100 AR
$25,000$25,000 $25,000
   111100 Cash
   $500

If the second source file represents the correct result for FS item 111100 and CU01, use overwrite mode:

  • Cash is increased by 500. The resulting net amount is 120,500.
  • AR (accounts receivable) is not changed.

Flexible Upload Process

Flexible upload run

In order to perform a flexible upload run, follow these steps:

  1. Choose Data Collection for the Consolidation Group → Right-click and select Update.
  2. In the Enter / transfer data screen, choose Import.

To upload reported financial data, the following prerequisites apply:

  • Open all periods that are included in the upload file.
  • Unblock the Data Entry task for the respective consolidation units.

To make your flexible upload selections, complete the following steps:

  1. Select the Upload Method (in the File area, not in the header).
  2. Select the file.
  3. Select the file format such as ASC (depending on the product release, this may not be an option).
  4. Choose Execute.
Note

During the flexible upload, the general selections are inherited from the data monitor and global parameters. The upload method contains the data separator.​​

See the following animation on the flexible upload selections.

See the following animation on how to use the flexible upload log.

Logs can also be exported to Microsoft Excel for analysis.

If the source file does not include annual net income and current year retained earnings, then the calculate net income task should be run from the data monitor.

Flexible uploads write to posting level 00 and the document type specified in the file.

Subitems that are blocked for entry (set to No Posting/Entry) cannot be changed. To avoid raising an error, the uploaded file must result in no change on this kind of subitem. There is an exception if no data exists for the consolidation unit in any preceding periods of the fiscal year. Then opening balances can be changed.

  • For example, subitem 900 (opening balance) is set to No Posting/Entry. For consolidation units that have opening balances carried forward from the previous fiscal year, if you upload a file that has the input type Cumulative and update mode Delete all, the exact existing values in the system need to be included in the file on subitem 900.
  • In a period equal to the date of first consolidation for a consolidation unit, the block posting/entry flag is not in effect.

Report on Imported Data

As we proceed through the corporate close process, we'll need to run reports to check the results and other items.. Most reporting is performed with the Group Data Analysis app.

With the Group Data Analysis app, you can display different views of consolidated data. You can use a group view based on the group structure that includes consolidation groups and units. Alternatively, you can use a hierarchy view 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.

From any measure, you can drill through to the Display Group Journal Entries - With Reporting Logic app to view the posting details at the line item level.

See the following animation on the group data analysis report.

Now that you have learned some basic reporting features, let's see how a group data analysis report can be used to analyze imported data.

After importing data, reports can be run to validate the results.

See the following animation on how to evaluate the flexible upload results in a report.

See the following animation to solve a flexible upload scenario. Note: there is no audio in this interaction.

Upload Reported Financial Data

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