Cost centers
SRM7 is the Digital & technology solution used by approx 3,500 users across the world to request their needs, to access to e-catalogue, approve the request (techn. + purch. + fin.) and to declare delivery receipt
It is part of a global Purchasing process involving Solvay GBS, Purchasing and GBU organizations
It is very close to Finance structures (costs center, GL accounts, ….) and A/P process (invoice divergence)
It applies Group rules to approve expenses with a workflow, following different rules depending on:
- Matrix approval (including thresholds)
- Procurement organization
- Type of goods
- GBU’s or functions WW organization beyond plants/sites
Internal orders
When a requester creates a shopping cart, it goes through the SRM7 workflow.
The 5th step of the workflow is the financial approval.
The financial approvers are maintained in the financial matrix by the GBU / function controllers.
WBS
The financial matrix is stored in the tool SRM but can be downloaded in excel following the procedure SRM7 financial matrix
Description of the financial matrix
The financial matrix is a multi-level organisation chart.
Each level of the matrix is a position (not a name).
Level 1 is the highest level
Example >>
- In the example there are 5 levels
- the highest level is the Level 1 and the corresponding position is "Chief People Officer FCT 1"
There are 2 lines by level but the one used in the approval process is the one with the code "S" in column K (white lines)
Approval limit
There is an approval limit for each position.
Ex: The position "HR Connect Assistant to Manager" (Level 5) can approve a shopping cart if the amount is lower than 3 000 €,
if the amount is higher then the purchase cart will be approved by the level above (Level 4).
In the example, the level above (level 4) is the position "HR GDP Connect Manager", who can approve the purchase order if it is lower thatn 500k€.
If the amount is higher, then it goes to the level above and so on.
Position code
A 8 digits code starting with 5 is assigned to each position
Ex: the code 50027159 is assigned to the position "HR Connect Assistant to Manager"
=> It is the code that is used in SAP to make the link between a cost object and a position responsible.
User
In front of each position, the controller indicates which person holds the position at the current time
Ex: the day the extraction is done, the position "50079073 Chief People Officer FCT 1" is assigned to "TIBERGHIEN Hervé"
Who approves a purchase order ?
CASE 1 - the order is placed on a cost center
CASE 2 - the order is placed on an order
CASE 3 - the order is placed on a WBS element