Record-2-Report Optimization

Blackline as part of the Record-2-Report Optimization

- Join our webinar on March 26, 1030 -1130
 

In the Finance Expert Session last week with experts from Waldorf, some of us were fortunate to once more get to listen to SAP's strategic approach to the R-2-R process.
One important aspect of their approach is the introduction of the Mission Control Center, as shown below:
 

 

From earlier on some of us were familiar with the SAP Closing Cockpit. With the introduction of the SAP S/4 HANA Cloud for Advanced Financial Closing, which is a stand alone app on the SAP Business Technology Platform, SAP has taken functionality out of the core at S/4Hana in a way that it can be used to orchestrate closing tasks across different SAP systems. A situation which is quite common for many companies in regard to ERP.
At the same time, SAP in the last 2 years have brought BlackLine Solution Extensions as part of their go-to-market offerings, mainly to support balance sheet account substantiation and automation to make sure that accounts are complete and accurate.
As part of a larger improvement-project in Finance and the R-2-R process in Aker Solutions, the implementation of BlackLine as a tool for balance sheet reconciliation went along with the implementation of SAP Closing Cockpit, because they complemented each other.
 
It is also clear that BlackLine, which also entails functionality for orchestrating closing task are partly competing with SAP and the SAP S/4Hana Cloud for Advanced Financial Closing and partly complementing the very same system. However, to achieve an integrated monitoring of your entity and group closing activities in the closing process, you probably need the Advanced Financial Closing from SAP.
 

As indicated, these are the complementary features of BlackLine in the R-2-R process:
·         Account substantiation including automation
·         Transaction matching, which is generic in Blackline and embedded in SAP like the GR/IR (see above)
·         Journal entry for non SAP systems
·         Intercompany in a mixed system landscape with non-trading transactions
 

 

In other words, looking at the whole R-2-R process and seeking to optimize your R-2-R process you will have to include apps from SAP and extensions from BlackLine to really succeed.
 
In addition, BlackLine also offers help in migrating to S/4HANA. 
In the forthcoming webinar on Friday, March 26, from 1030 to 1130, you can learn how BlackLine in cooperation with SAP can help you in 4 ways to migrate to S/4Hana.

You can read more about this event and register for the event here  below.
SBN Webinar - 4 Ways BlackLine Enables a Successful Move to SAP S/4HANA
 
If you have any questions, please contact
 

Didrik Arstad
Head of Innovation Team Finance & Analytics
SBN - SAP Brukerforening i Norge (SAP User Group Norway)
 
Cell: +47 90562921
Email: didrik.arstad@adfahrer.com
LinkedIn: https://no.linkedin.com/in/didrikarstad