Full Process Map

Process description

Specific process Section 1 - If process starts with Accounts Receivable

1- AR creates a dispute for a credit resulting from an overpayment or duplicate payment.

2 - AR reaches out to the customer asking if they accept to deduct the credit from an upcoming payment - Mandatory question

2.1 - Customer accepts > Cash stays in account to be applied as per agreement with customer (End of Process)

2.2 - Customer does not accept > Refund process moves forward

2.2(Cont) AR checks if it's a Chinese customer with foreign currency:

YES - 2.2.1 - Analyse/Obtain necessary information related to local specificities

NO - 2.2.2 - AR sends email to customer asking them to send a bank letter with their account details to data management mailbox (no need to cc collections)

2.2.1(Cont) Are we ok to proceed with refund according to local specificities? Can the refund proceed?

YES - Skip to 2.2.2

NO - Skip to 2.1

CUSTOMER RECEIVES EMAIL » Skip to Common Process Section

Specific process Section 2 - If process starts from the GBU

3 - Customer Service or Sales create a case for Collections in BMC

4 - Collections checks if it's a Chinese entity with foreign currency

YES - Transfer case to AR > Skip to 2.2(Cont)

NO - Collections send email to customer asking them to send a bank letter with their account details to data management mailbox (no need to cc AR)

CUSTOMER RECEIVES EMAIL » Skip to Common Process Section

Common Process Section

5 - Data Management receives email from the Customer and checks the document received:

It's a formal bank letter > Skip to 5.1

It's a non-editable document and Customer is not in the United States > Skip to 5.1

None of the above > Reply to customer asking  for formal confirmation of bank account info in non-editable format (not written in email body)

If no-reply, TO BE COMPLETED

5.1 - Data Management updates/inserts/confirms bank account info in Master Data,  and then creates a task in Helix to inform Collections that their action was performed.

6 - Collections creates a dispute in SAP, records the Dispute Number in the task in Helix and closes it.

7 - Credit Management checks the dispute and approves (8) or rejects.

8 - Dispute is transferred to AP who performs the refund.

1 Request for refund for documents in PI1 SAP system

1.1 Bank data update

Before a refund can be processed, the creator of the refund must ensure that the correct bank details are available in Customer Masterdata.

If they are valid, a note must be left on the disputing mentioning that and adding the Bank Type (if customer has more than one bank account registered).

If not the case, the creator of the refund must take the following actions:

• Request customer (by e-mail) to send his bank details in an official document with  datamanagement.3s-pt@solvay.com in copy;
• Ensure that datamanagement.3s-pt@solvay.com duly receives the document provided by the customer;
• Confirm that Data Management Team has successfully updated the bank details.

Note – The only exception to these actions is whenever the payment to customer is related to cash-in, direct debit and RiBa (when the purpose is to debit the customer’s account). In those circumstances, bank details can be sent by any stakeholder (customer, Business or Credit Management) as long as the request clearly mentions the purpose of the action (debit customer’s account).

1.2 Request Creation

1.3 Credit Management Validation

A mail to the Credit Manager’s email address is automatically sent to inform about:

• documents to be paid
• checks leading to payment errors

After execution and consulting customer line items, the documents (ex: invoice and credit note) will have a payment block U. In the item(s) there will be a dispute case.

Dispute is created with the specific reason “REFUND: request for outgoing pmt” and default status “Refund: Pending approval”.

The credit manager needs to indicate his decision to approve/reject the refund by changing the dispute status to: ‘Refund: Approved’ or ‘Refund: Rejected’.

If approved, the Credit Management can insert a comment in the dispute note to motivate his/her decision related to other failed checks.

Before SBS Procure to Pay Team proceed with the payment, a control has to be performed through transaction Z3F_PMTS_MONITOR, please verify below step by step of this transaction:

Choose Company Code and select Customers:

Blocked Documents will appear:

Open customer account in FBL5N and verify if Credit Manager approved the refund and if Yes, go back to Payment Monitoring selecting all lines and click on  and choose a reason "CM Validation in dispute verified"

After you validate it, the status will be green:

2 Request for refund for documents in PF1 / WP1 SAP systems

2.1 Request creation

Whenever it is necessary to perform a refund for a document that is not in PI1 SAP system, the procedure is similar of PI1 Documents:

Bank Data Update - same steps for PI1 Documents;

Request Creation - same steps for PI1 Documents but the transaction in WP1/PF1 is ZPC_CONTROL_CUS

Credit Management Validation - same steps for PI1 Documents, but for LAM Region there's a matrix of approval to manage Customers Refunds:

 

The Credit Manager or approvers for refunds of LAM Region need to indicate his decision to approve/reject the refund by changing the dispute status to: ‘Refund: Approved’ or ‘Refund: Rejected’.

If approved, the Credit Management can insert a comment in the dispute note to motivate his/her decision related to other failed checks. 

SBS-Procure to Pay team will then proceed with the customer payment.

Another cases of refunds:

• The refund creator must fill-in the form below with the refund details:

• The refund creator will send the form to the correspondent Credit Manager requesting their approval;

• The Credit Manager will send the request to another team depending on the SAP system and the Solvay company location. The different recipients are mentioned below:

End of document