Accelerated Closing

Feb. 20, 2014

Benny Velkeneers
Philippe Despierre

Stakeholders

Foreign
Subsidiary

Shareholders /
Financial
Analysts

Executive
Management

Domestic
Subsidiary

Internal
Audit
Corporate
Finance
Regulatory
Agents

Financial Close
Compliance
Deadline
Conformance with financial reporting

Transparency
Accurate
Centrally managed

Efficiency
Streamlined closing process
Error reduction
Greater automation fewer resources lower costs

Challenges?

Challenges - Planning
Repetitive but decentralized, unstructured
process

Unknown responsibilities
Unclear timing
Outdated process descriptions

Challenges - Execution
Progress indication
Triggering the next step
Questions/Errors during execution

Black box tasks

Excel, Excel, Excel, Excel, ...
Improvements

Challenges

IMPACT ?

Optimizing the process

STRUCTURE

VISUALIZATION

AUTOMATION

= EFFICIENCY

Responsibilities
Owner
Global management
Starts the closing run
Not an IT person

Task Responsible
Management per task (task
group)
Multi-entity
Documentation
SPOC
Key-user

Processor(s)
Execution (manual)
Follow-up (automated)

Tasks
Translate closing tasks into a closing project
plan
Dependencies Event triggering

SAP Closing Cockpit

Structuring:
Template
Management

Closing
Execution

Monitoring,
Progress
Tracking

Analysis,
refinements,
automation

SAP Closing Cockpit

Task definition

Dependencies

Task list from template

SAP Closing Cockpit

Structuring:
Template
Management

Closing
Execution

Monitoring,
Progress
Tracking

Analysis,
refinements,
automation

Closing Cockpit Execution

Update task status

SAP Closing Cockpit

Structuring:
Template
Management

Closing
Execution

Monitoring,
Progress
Tracking

Analysis,
refinements,
automation

Graphical overview

Automation of dependent tasks

Recap Demo
What: Task list
Who: responsibles
When: timing & dependencies
How: documentation & variants
Automation
Time-Efficiency
On-line status reporting

Benefits

Stronger
Governance

Accelerated
Financial Close

Increased
Efficiency

Better Insight

Lower TCO

Version overview
SAP ERP EHP3
Increased Usability
Web user interface

SAP ERP EHP4

Increased Usability

Status checked

Multiple calendars in the

same template

Structuring of tasks into

closing phases

Web UI in NW Business
Client

Factory calendar

Document upload

Remote Tasks

Better Insight

Via tight integration

to SAP CPS

Real-time SAP NW BW
queries for
- Status monitoring

Process Automation
Via tight integration
to SAP CPS

- Execution analysis
Better Integration

with SAP workflow

SAP ERP EHP5

SAP ERP EHP6

Increased Usability
Mass change for
template and task
lists
Improved filtering
Improved task
dependencies
Transport of template
and its components
Plant as new
organizational entity
Responsibilities on
folder level
Other web browsers

Increased Usability

Better Integration
with SAP CPS (status,
delete scheduling)

NEW APPROACH

Multiple attachments
per task (Office docs,
PDF, URL, )

Installable as add-on
on ERP 6.0 EHP4 or NW
7.01 or higher

User-definable time
zones

ALL functionality up to
EHP6 plus the below

Enhanced task list

creation / change

Stronger Governance

Presetting of task
list / template and
selection

Extended authorization
Central storage of logs
Change documents

Customer-defined fields
on template
and task level

Easy template
maintenance

Other UI improvements

Configurable notifications

Better Integration
Increased Compliance
Split of authorizations
(template maintenance,
task list creation)

SAP FCC

with SAP CPS

Increased Performance

Increased Efficiency

Improved usability
Remote task execution
Better Insight
Improved status
monitoring and analysis

SAP FCC add-on

Stronger Governance

Increased Efficiency

Internal Controls

Increased Automation

Additional task properties

New task type external job for integration to other schedulers

Change Documents

New task type remote workflow

Audit trail for all changes of

tasks during execution

Customer variable values at folder level

Integration of technical status for non-registered programs
Improved Usability
Flexible filters for opening templates and task lists

Better Insight

Enhanced time zone management (task definition time zone)

Definition of job name and job owner for local job

Monitoring and Analysis

Improved integration to SAP CPS (more detail about steps)

Background job monitor

Enhancements of task list status and transport functionality

Easier Deployment and Lower TCO

(Delivery as Add-on, includes ALL prior functionality, installation on SAP ECC 6.04 or higher)

Additional Capabilities of FCC

Stronger Governance

Increased Efficiency

Better Insight

Attachments per task in

templates and task lists

Easy template definition

Web user interface

Filtering, mass changes

Extended authorization (e.g.

on task, org unit)

Factory calendars

Improved user experience

(e.g. ready to execute)

Multiple processors per task,

HR org support

Event-driven execution

Flexible notifications

Central storage of logs

Remote task execution

Comprehensive audit trail

Integration to SAP CPS

Internal controls

Jobs of other schedulers

Extended dependencies

Access to WF monitor

Extended transports

Extensibility (e.g. variables)

Profiles for pre-selection

within a task list
GANTT chart
Time zone support
Real-time BW queries for
monitoring / analysis
Insight across multiple
entities / close cycles

BI-Analysis

Thanks for listening!

Any questions?
Benny Velkeneers/Philippe Despierre
Competence Area Finance