Initial Load in central Finance

This blog is intended for project members responsible for implementing Central Finance. this blog explains the various options for Initial Load and the special Considerations for Initial Load along with pre-requisites.

What Is Initial load: The initial load is used to transfer postings from a period, for example the current fiscal year, from your source systems to your Central Finance system.

Central Finance Splits the process of data Replication into 2 parts:

• The first part is initial load -This step loads existing data only in the source system
• The second part is the real time replication -This step replicates all newly created data and changes existing data in the source data.

Postings Excluded from Transfer : Below postings cannot be transferred as part of the initial load and ongoing replication.

• Postings to CO-FI reconciliation ledger (GL Reconciliation Postings).
• Year-end closing postings where the reference transaction (AWTYP) is GLYEC
• Clearings are not transferred as part of the initial load, but you can activate the transfer of clearings via ongoing replication. For more information see Handling of Open Items
• Clearing resets are not transferred as part of the initial load but you can activate the transfer of clearing resets via ongoing replication. For more information see Handling of Open Items
• Recurring entries
• Sample documents
• Noted items (apart from down payment requests and payment requests)
• Parked documents
• Balance carryforward items
• Closing operations

Configuration in the source systems:

A. In the source system go to transaction SM30and call the view VCFIN_SOURCE_SET (or transaction CFINIMG, if it is available in your system).

In this activity, you make the settings necessary for both the initial load of data from your SAP ERP system to your Central Finance system and for the continued replication of this data once the initial load is complete. This activity is a prerequisite for transferring data from your system to Central Finance and is where you specify the company codes for which data is transferred

To transfer balances only: In the “Start – Balances” field, fill fiscal year from which you want the system to start transfer balances.

To transfer documents only: In the “Start – Documents” field, Fill the year from which you want the system to start transfer line items and in the “Period – Documents” field, fill the first period of that year.

Start – Balances: field, fill the year from which you want the system to start transferring balances.
Start – Documents: field, fill the year from which you want to start transferring documents.
Period – Documents: field, provide first period of that year

Replicate GL reconciliation postings: Select the GL Reconciliation Postings Transferred checkbox.

When the initial load has been completed: Select the Initial Load Finished checkbox.

B. Empty Initial Load: If you want to perform an empty initial load as part of a proof-of-concept, carry out the following steps. Make the following entries in the view VCFIN_SOURCE_SET.

1. Company Code – Enter the relevant company code
2. Start – Balances– Leave this field empty
3. Start – Documents– Choose a year in the future for which nothing has been posted so far
4. Period – Documents– Choose a period in the future for which nothing has been posted so far
5. Documents Period– Enter 12
6. Leave all other fields empty

Configuration in the Target system:

1. Choose Logical System:

In this Customizing activity, you choose the active logical source systems for the initial load. Central Finance uses the logical systems defined in this activity to upload data from the corresponding source systems. The initial load of financial postings (in contrast to the initial load of cost objects and CO postings) does not use SAP System Landscape Transformation Server to transfer data; instead the data is retrieved using RFC calls to the source system.

In addition, you can specify for each logical system which package size is used during the initial load.

2. Define Clearing and Substitution Accounts

In the first step of the initial load, all balances related to reconciliation accounts are transferred to their assigned substitution accounts. In a second step, open items are posted to the reconciliation accounts, while the offsetting entries are posted to the substitution account. Once the initial load is complete, the balances of the substitution accounts should automatically be zero.

In this activity, you define the migration clearing account and the substitution accounts to be used for postings during the initial load:

• You must define one migration clearing account for each company code for which postings are to be loaded into the Central Finance system. While balances are being posted, this account is used for offsetting postings. Once the initial load is complete, the balance should automatically be zero.
• For each reconciliation account you must first create a new balance sheet account without reconciliation (in transaction FS00) and assign this account as a substitution account.

3. FI Initial Load Execution for All Company Codes or for Selected Company Codes

You have the option of executing an FI initial load for all company codes or for selected company codes. The activities relating to these options are available in Customizing for Central Finance.

To execute the initial load for selected company codes, you must first create initial load groups to which you assign company codes. To execute the initial load for all maintained source systems and company codes at the same time you do not need to use initial load groups. It is not possible to mix these methods. If you execute an initial load using one method and afterwards decide you want to use the alternative method, you must first delete the initial load data.

Prepare for the Initial Load in the Source Systems:

Before you start an initial load, carry out the following activities in your source systems

A. Prepare for the Initial Load:

1. Execute all scheduled jobs and do not schedule any new jobs.
2. Perform closing for periodic asset postings using program RAPERB2000.
3. Execute the periodic depreciation posting run using program RAPOST2000.
4. Check for update terminations in your system and correct any that you find.
5. Lock all periods, apart from the current one, in Financial Accounting and Controlling (Plan/Actual).

B. Carry Out Consistency Checks:

1. Execute the FI consistency check (report RFINDEX). SAP recommends that you run the report RFINDEX with, as a minimum, the following checks: ○ Documents against indexes ○ Documents against transaction figures ○ Indexes – transaction figures Run the report RFINDEX for all fiscal years in the system. Restrict the selection to the relevant company codes.
2. If you are using New General Ledger Accounting, execute reconciliation for the general ledger and the sub ledgers. To do this, you can either run the report TFC_COMPARE_VZ or choose transaction FAGLF03
3. If you are using New General Ledger Accounting, compare the ledgers. To do this, you can either run the report RGUCOMP4 or choose transaction GCAC. Restrict the selection to the relevant company codes.
4. Reconcile Materials Management (MM) with General Ledger (GL). To do this, run the report RM07MBST/RM07MMFI. Restrict the selection to the relevant company code.

C. Business Reconciliation Before the Initial Load:

1. Carry forward balances again for all currencies and all ledgers to make sure all balance carryforwards are complete and consistent. For account payables and account receivables use report SAPF010. For GL accounting use transaction FAGLGVTR.

Create the closing documentation. SAP recommends that you run the following reports.

·The financial statements (program RFBILA00)

· The totals report for cost centers (transaction S_ALR_87013611)

·  The G/L account balance list (report RFSSLD00) Restrict the selection to the relevant company codes

·  The compact document journal (report RFBELJ00)

Execute Initial Load Posting:

Initial Load mainly covers 3 types of posting

• Initial Load for FI/CO Postings
• Initial Load for CO Secondary Postings and Cost Objects
• Initial Load Preparation for Management Accounting

A. Initial Load for FI/CO Postings:

• Extract Data for Initial Load:

This step of the initial load transfers the FI documents or balances to the Central Finance system. The initial load only includes postings up to and including the day before the initial load is started. This means that postings that are made on the day on which the initial load is carried out and that have not been transferred using SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server (SAP LT Replication Server) may be missing. Therefore, after the extraction process is complete, you must always start the extraction run again in delta mode, by choosing Start New Run, to enable the system to identify any postings that were not included in the first data extraction run.

This step is part of the option Initial Load for All Company Codes and of the option Initial Load for Selected Company Codes. In this step, data relating to all the company codes that you have specified in the source system (transaction CFINIMG) is extracted, regardless of which option you are working with. In contrast, if you are using the option Initial Load for Selected Company Codes, the subsequent posting and simulation steps do not involve all company codes

•  Monitor Data Extraction :

This monitoring step of the initial load is required to evaluate whether all packages have been successfully transferred to the Central Finance system. Dependencies: The extraction step must be finished completely before you can start this step of the initial load. This monitoring report is also available by calling transaction FINS_CFIN_LOAD1 or program FINS_MASS_DATA_MONITOR.

• Simulation of Mapping and Posting

The following optional activities are also available for both initial load options:

• Simulate Mapping
• Monitor Simulation of Mapping
• Simulate Posting
• Monitor Simulation of Posting

Executing these simulations allows you to identify and correct possible problems before they   occur. For more information, see the documentation of the individual activities.

•   Post Initial Load Data

This step builds the link between the CO document lines and the corresponding FI document lines and posts the resulting document to Accounting. It also posts the balances. The report tries to post as many documents as possible. If there are dependencies between documents, the packages must be executed several times.

As a prerequisite to this step of the initial load, the step Initial Load – Extract Data must be finished completely. The initial load also posts quantities from management accounting documents. The cost objects from the source system must be mapped to cost objects in the Central Finance and these quantities must be permitted in the Central Finance system.

This step of the initial load is required to complete the initial load. The activity calls program FINS_MASS_DATA_MASTER.

In this second step, the predefined variant SAP&_CJ2 is used when you execute the program. Enter the number of background jobs that you would like to use for the execution. Note that you should enter an optimal number considering the current server load. Otherwise, the program will take as many batch work processes as possible, which could create too much data load on the server.

•  Compare Initial Load Postings and Expected CO Postings in Central Finance

If the initial load data has been posted successfully, you can use this report to identify postings in which FI and CO document lines could not be matched. The system carries out matching based on amounts and account assignment objects.

B. Initial Load for CO Secondary Postings and Cost Objects:

• Preparation for the Initial Load of CO Secondary Postings :

Before you can start the initial load of CO secondary postings, you must complete the necessary preparations. You do this in the transaction CFIN_CO_INIT_PREP. In this Customizing activity, you complete the following preparatory activities before the initial load of CO secondary postings takes place:

● Converting CO-PA line items and characteristics into the key-value pair structure (CFIN_COPA).

● Storing additional attributes to generate the CO key sub number for the CO key sub number (HRKFT) field in table COEP.

● Storing references of the original documents for the reposting documents using the business transaction RKU3.

• Initial Load for CO Secondary Posting Documents

Once you have activated the objects, you can use SAP LT Replication Server to control the load and replication of data. In the SAP LT Replication Server Cockpit (transaction LTRC) enter your mass transfer ID. On the Table Overview tab page, you can stop or start a table by choosing the Data Provisioning pushbutton. Enter the table (COBK) for which you have defined your predefined objects and choose Start Replication.

You should apply filters in SLT such as controlling area, company code, fiscal year, and from date. The from date must match the period that you have defined for the initial load of FI documents in the view VCFIN_SOURCE_SET.

C.  Initial Load Preparation for Management Accounting

The initial load for CO secondary posting documents is started from the SAP LT Replication Server Cockpit. Before the initial load for CO secondary posting takes place, you must ensure that the preparation required before the initial load of management accounting (CO) postings takes place.

• Prepare for and Monitor the Initial Load of CO Postings

In this Customizing activity, you can complete the preparation required before the initial load of management accounting (CO) postings takes place. You can use this activity to convert CO-PA line items and characteristics, store references, and modify the CFIN_CO_ADD table.

• Smoke Test for Cost Object Mapping and CO Document Replication

In this optional Customizing activity, you simulate cost object mapping and management accounting (CO) document replication by executing the necessary checks, without creating the cost object mapping or posting. It is intended to help you to find missing Customizing and master data before the actual transaction posting takes place. ●

• Simulation of Initial Load of Cost Object Mapping

You can use this simulation to find problems in mapping before you proceed with the actual initial load of cost object mapping.

• Simulation of Initial Load for Management Accounting Document

You can use this simulation to find problems with postings before you proceed with the actual initial load of management accounting document replication.

Conclusion :

• Initial load Process is very Common for every central Finance implementation Project .By Using this Blog consultants can implement the solutions very easily .