Evaluating the Planning Features Available for Group Reporting

Planning Options

In this lesson we check which planning tools can be used with SAP S/4HANA Cloud for group reporting and which is the best option for different use cases.

The figure gives an overview of the three possibilities to enter plan data for consolidation: Uploading plan data with the delivered SAP S/4HANA Finance local or global upload functionality, using SAP S/4HANA Finance for group reporting Data Collection or using SAP Analytics Cloud.

There are various approaches for entering plan data that are to be consolidated using SAP S/4HANA Finance for group reporting.

Scenario 1:

The easiest way, regardless of how the data was created, that is available for entering both local and global accounting plan data, is to load the plan data using an Excel file. In this case, plan data of integrated as well as non-integrated companies can be loaded.

Scenario 2:

More convenient, especially if subsidiaries themselves are responsible for determining and manually entering plan data at group level, entry forms in SAP S/4HANA Finance for group reporting data collection can be used for entering plan data.

Scenario 3:

If, on the other hand, you want to generate planning data and use planning functions, for example, to copy the actual data to the plan or to carry out plan simulations that determine, for example, the additional personnel costs, IT costs, and rental costs of five planned new employees, SAP Analytics Cloud is the suitable software because planning functions can be defined flexibly here.

SAC Planning Scenarios for SAP S/4HANA Finance for group reporting

The following two planning scenarios for group reporting with SAC are possible.

The first SAC planning scenario (Scenario 3A) is only possible for companies that are in SAP S/4HANA (integrated companies).

The figure explains in scenario 3A how the integration between SAC and SAP S/4HANA Finance for group reporting can be set up. Scenario 3A integrates local actual data and SAC. Planning is done in SAC and exported to ACDOCP, the plan data table in SAP S/4HANA. With the help of the data release functionality this data is then copied from ACDOCP into table ACDOCU.

The integration between SAC and SAP S/4HANA for group reporting can be, that the actual data of the universal journal (table ACDOCA), that is, balance sheet and P&L statement of the previous year, as well as the related master data (product number, plants, company codes, profit centers, G/L accounts, and so on) have to be imported from SAP S/4HANA Accounting to SAC.

SAC provides the Integrated Financial Planning content, which focuses on the integration of operational plans such as for example balance sheet planning, P&L planning, cash flow planning, and so on.

In SAP Analytics Cloud, a plan is created and written back to the plan data table (ADCOCP) via an export run. Plan/actual comparison reports can then be created, and the plan data can also be allocated using the allocation functionality.

This plan data is then copied to the group journal (ACDOCU) by release which is executed in SAP S/4HANA for Group Reporting. During the release, consolidation-relevant information such as the consolidation unit and FS item must be derived.

The second SAC planning scenario (Scenario 3B) is possible for all companies (integrated and non-integrated).

In scenario 3B plan data is directly entered into SAC stories using the delivered SAC planning content. When planning is finished, data is directly exported to table ACDOCU, the data table of SAP S/4HANA Finance for group reporting.

For the second possible integration scenario, the SAP S/4HANA for group reporting master data and actual data is imported into SAC.

SAC provides the group financial planning content, in which the actual closing data of consolidation is the starting point for planning.

The subsequent planning takes place on consolidation-relevant entities such as the consolidation unit and financial statement (FS) items, and so on.

When planning is complete, an export run copies the data directly to the group Journal (ACDOCU).

Note