FIN-CS and SAC Data Flow - a quick view

This diagram illustrates the data flow between SAP S/4HANA and SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC), specifically focusing on the integration of financial planning processes. Let's break down the key components:

SAP S/4HANA (Finance and Group Reporting)

• Finance: This is the core financial module in S/4HANA where actual financial transactions are recorded.
  • Universal Journal Entry Line Items table (ACDOCA): This table stores the detailed line items of all financial postings in S/4HANA. It acts as the single source of truth for financial data.
  • Plan Data Line Items table (ACDOCP): This table stores the planned financial data, essentially the budget or forecast information.
• Group Reporting: This module is responsible for consolidated financial reporting across multiple entities within an organization.
  • SAP Universal Consolidation Journal Entries table (ACDOCU): This table stores the consolidated financial data after adjustments and eliminations are performed in Group Reporting.

SAP Analytics Cloud (Planning and Analytics)

• Planning: This is where financial planning and forecasting activities take place.
  • Input for planning: SAC allows users to input planning data directly or import it from various sources.
  • Plan creation: Users can create and manage different planning scenarios and versions within SAC.
• Analytics: This module provides tools for analyzing and visualizing both actual and planned financial data.

Data Flow and Connections

The diagram highlights different ways data is exchanged between S/4HANA and SAC:

• Import connections (master data and transaction data): SAC can import both master data (e.g., accounts, cost centers) and transaction data (actual financials) from S/4HANA to provide context for planning and analysis. This is typically a batch process.
• Export to SAP S/4HANA (transaction data): Once planning is finalized in SAC, the plan data can be exported back to S/4HANA as transaction data. This allows the plan to be integrated with operational processes in S/4HANA.
• Live connections: SAC can establish live connections to S/4HANA, enabling real-time analysis of both actual and planned data. This provides up-to-the-minute insights for decision-making.

Key Takeaways

• This integration between S/4HANA and SAC facilitates a seamless flow of data between operational and planning systems.
• By leveraging SAC's planning and analytics capabilities, businesses can perform more accurate forecasting, analyze plan variances, and make informed financial decisions.
• The use of live connections ensures that planning activities are based on the latest actuals, leading to more realistic and achievable plans.
• This integrated approach streamlines financial planning and analysis processes, improving efficiency and collaboration across the organization.