High- Level Specification
| Implementing System | S/4 HANA RoW, S/4 HANA CUI, S/4 HANA CHINA |
|---|---|
| Invoked by/Invokes | |
| Business Process Reference | 09.07.01.05. Manage General Ledger Period Close |
Functional Overview
BlackLine has been chosen as the application that will be used for account reconciliation post period-end in Syensqo. Account reconciliation is a process whereby G/L account balances will be substantiated and certified by accountants to ensure control of a company’s accounts. In Syensqo this only refer to balance sheet accounts. Each G/L will be assessed as to how often it needs to be reconciled based on the account’s perceived risk and the entity’s complexity. This is performed as a monthly exercise for Syensqo company codes in SAP S/4 HANA
In order to enable account reconciliation in BlackLine, G/L account balances will be extracted from SAP S/4 HANA once the accounting period has been closed as part of the period-end process.
There are three methods of integration between SAP S/4 HANA and BlackLine that available:
File-Based Integration. This method is by exporting financial data in structured file formats (CSV, XML, or TXT) and transfers it to BlackLine via Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). BlackLine then process this data for reconciliation and reporting. Although this is simpler to setup however it prone to error and requires robust error-handling mechanisms
SAP Connector for BlackLine. BlackLine offers a pre-built SAP-certified connector that enables seamless integration with SAP S/4 HANA. This connector automates data extraction and transmission without manual file handling. In Syensqo this is the method that will be used and described in this document
API-Based Integration. BlackLine also offer organizations that seek a more dynamic and real-time integration to use API. SAP S/4 HANA's RESTful APIs (SAP BTP, SAP API Business Hub) facilitates direct communication with BlackLine's API endpoints. In Syensqo the extraction is only once after period-end close hence it does not necessitate to have this method for real-time data processing
The purpose of the SAP Connector is to provide easy-to-use interface that enables configuration to automatically extract data from S/4 HANA systems and formats the data to be compatible with BlackLine. The SAP Connector retrieves data related to account balances and transactions from the SAP S/4 HANA instance. Once the G/L account balances are retrieved, the SAP Connector formats the data into BlackLine’s specifications in order for the data to be imported for use in BlackLine’s Account Reconciliation.
Scope and Objectives
The execution of the account balances extraction will be scheduled as a centralised batch job running on after period end close (WD+3 – to be confirmed before batch job creation).
Process Flow Diagram
Step | Description | Comment |
|---|---|---|
1 | Work Day 3 (D3) 18:00 Local Time Period Close | The extraction will be triggered from AFC to run once G/L Accounting period for IFRS ledger is fully closed in S/4 |
2.1 | Extract Account Balances (including subledgers) to BlackLine | SAP Connector extracts and format the account balances from S/4 for the entities/region on the day accounting period has been closed in S/4 |
2.2 | Receive data in BlackLine from S/4 | SAP Connector send the data from S/4 in pre-formatted result for BlackLine |
Assumptions
It is assumed that business will not start with the preparation of account reconciliation before the periods have been closed in S/4. This has been endorsed from Signavio L4 process review with SME
Dependencies
Month end closing needs to be completed before the extracts can be run. Extracts will be run centrally via a batch job after D3 18:00 Local Time to ensure the data is complete and final.
Security, Integrity and Controls
S/4 HANA
Transaction codes and programs for configuring and extracting the data from S/4 HANA to BlackLine should only be granted to BlackLine administrator. As there are no standard Fiori Apps available for Blackline extract transaction codes, General Ledger Accountant will not be having access to these transaction codes. The batch job triggered from AFC will be executed by Remote Processing User Group that will have access to Blackline extractor programs
BlackLine
Configuration Requirements
Special Requirements
Design Rationale
API Use
Data Structure
The following fields will be used to provide the required data structure of the interface:
| Parent | Field | Description | Mandatory (Y/N) | Data Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Calculation and Validation
| Parent | Field | Rule Type | Rule Instruction |
|---|---|---|---|
eDocument mapping
| General | Syensqo XML (Intermediate Target) | SAP eDoc Standard Mapping (Source) | Custom Mapping (Source) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-NR | Flow (SD/FI/MM/ALL) | Target Field | Target Field Details | Condition | Syensqo XML Node | Syensqo XML Field | SAP eDoc Standard Node | SAP eDoc Standard Field | Fixed Value | Custom Logic |
Processing Logic
Delta or Full Load Requirements
Interface Alert & Monitoring
Language Requirements
User Interface Requirements
Sequencing
Volumetrics
Performance Consideration
Error Handling
Testing
How to Test
Test Conditions and Expected Results
| ID | Condition | Expected Results |
|---|---|---|
Test Considerations/Dependencies
Other Information
Development Details
Package
| Package Name | Parent Package |
|---|---|
Other Development Objects
| Object Type | Object Name | Purpose/High Level Logic | Design Rationale Reference |
|---|---|---|---|