Configuring Change Control for Financial Documents

In SAP S/4HANA Private Cloud, the ability to change financial documents allows authorized users to modify existing financial documents like journal entries that have been posted. Changing documents is an integral part of maintaining reliable financial records as it enables corrections, updates, and revisions of transaction details. This process is governed by control mechanisms to ensure that every modification is authorized, documented, and compliant with organizational policies and regulatory requirements.

In accordance with accounting principles, once a Financial document has been posted in SAP S/4HANA, modifications to the accounting journal entry should be restricted as much as possible.

It's important to understand that key accounting details such as posting keys, account numbers, posting dates, and amounts are immutable. These elements are locked from further changes because they have already impacted and updated the account balances.

When it comes to changing a journal entry document in SAP S/4HANA, users can adjust both header information and line items as necessary.

As users make changes to documents, SAP S/4HANA logs the following information:

• The field that was changed
• The new and old values
• The user who made the change

The time and date of the change

You can make certain modifications to financial documents that have already been posted. By providing a controlled mechanism to alter posted entries, SAP S/4HANA ensures that any changes are properly authorized, documented, and traceable, adhering to internal policies and regulatory standards.

The modifications to a journal entry can be made, if authorized, can be done by using the Manage Journal Entries app. Once authorization is granted, the Edit button allows access to the document header and line items. You will find that only certain fields are available for editing, in alignment with the specific settings determined by each company.

You can generally change fields like text descriptions and reference information while core financial data like document types, amounts, and account assignments can't be changed.

The functionality of displaying document changes in SAP S/4HANA is an essential complement to changing posted documents, as it provides transparency and accountability in financial management. Users can access a detailed change log or history that outlines every modification made to a document, including what changes occurred, who executed them, and when they were made.

It's important to note that SAP S/4HANA records every alteration made to journal entries. You can track these modifications by also using the Manage Journal Entries app, where you'll also find access to the change history. This feature provides transparency and accountability for all document changes.

This visibility is important for audit purposes and ensuring that all modifications are in compliance with organizational and legal requirements.