A Configuration Example of How to Optimize Journal Entry Verification Workflow

SAP S/4HANA Cloud provides Fiori apps for setting up a general journal entry verification process in which you can configure conditions that require verification and authorizations for approval. Different configurations are needed for different workflows, because business requirements are different. However, have you thought about that you could have different ways to configure a workflow for one single scenario? To elaborate this, let’s come straight forward to a configuration question:

How do you configure the workflow and mange approver teams, if you want to set up a verification workflow for a company with multiple cost centers? Or let’s put it more simply, how many workflows will you create for this case?

Use Case Elaboration

Before you start to dig into it, we can make the case more concrete. Suppose you need to configure a workflow for company code 1010 to which four cost centers are assigned: CC01, CC02, CC03, and CC04. When G/L journal entries for CC01 or CC02 are submitted, User A or B can be the approver. Similarly, when G/L journal entries for CC03 or CC04 are submitted, User C or D is supposed to verify them.

Method 1: Create two workflows + one team

It is very likely that the first idea coming to mind is creating two workflows and making the cost centers as the start conditions to trigger the workflows. The following are the key configuration steps for creating two workflows and managing a team for each workflow:

In the Manage Workflows for Journal Entry Verification – In General Ledger app

1. Add a workflow.
2. In the Start Conditions section, define the rule for triggering verification. In each start condition, you have a cost center bound to the company code and make the conditions parallel. You can define the rules as the following screenshot shows:
   
   

3. In the Step Sequence section, create a Verify step. On the edit page, specify values for the Recipients sections:

   • Assignment By: Role
   • Role: Group 1 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries
   • Step to be completed by: One of the recipients
4. Create a Post step.
5. Save your changes and activate the workflow.
6. Add a second workflow.
7. In the Start Conditions section, define the rule for triggering verification. You can define the rules as the following screenshot shows:
   
   

8. In the Step Sequence section, create a Verify step. On the edit page, specify values for the Recipients sections:
   Assignment By: Role
   Role: Group 2 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries
   Step to be completed by: One of the recipients

9. Create a Post step.
10. Save your changes and activate the workflow.

In the Manage Teams and Responsibilities for Journal Entry Verification – In General Ledger app

1. Create a team.
2. In the Team Information section, choose FGLVG for Type.
3. In the Team Members section, create four entries for User A, User B, User C and User D.

4. Assign the following for Functions:

   1. User A and User B: select Group 1 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries
   2. User C and User D: select Group 2 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries
5. Save your changes.

Method 2: Create one workflow with two verify steps + one team

The following are the key configuration steps for creating two workflows and managing a team for each workflow::

In the Manage Workflows for Journal Entry Verification – In General Ledger app

1. Add a workflow.
2. In the Start Conditions section, define the rule for triggering verification. Set the following condition: Company Code = 1010
3. In the Step Sequence section, create a Verify step for CC01 and CC02. See the screenshot of Step Conditions as below:
   
   

4. On the edit page, specify values for the Recipients sections:

   • Assignment By: Role
   • Role: Group 1 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries
   • Step to be completed by: One of the recipients
5. Create a second Verify Step for CC03 and CC04. See the screenshot of Step Conditions as below:
   
   

6. On the edit page, specify values for the Recipients sections:
   

   • Assignment By: Role
   • Role: Group 2 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries
   • Step to be completed by: One of the recipients

7. Create a Post step.

8. Save your changes and activate the workflow.

In the Manage Teams and Responsibilities for Journal Entry Verification – In General Ledger app

The configuration of managing teams is the exactly the same as in method 1:

1. Create a team.
2. In the Team Information section, choose FGLVG for Type.
3. In the Team Members section, create four entries for User A, User B, User C and User D.

4. Assign the following for Functions:

   1. User A and User B: select Group 1 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries
   2. User C and User D: select Group 2 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries
5. Save your changes.

Method 3: Create one workflow with two teams

In the Manage Workflows for Journal Entry Verification – In General Ledger app

1. Add a workflow.
2. In the Start Conditions section, define the rule for triggering verification Set the following condition: Company Code = 1010

3. In the Step Sequence section, create a Verify step and go to the Edit Step page. Specify values for the Recipients sections:

   • Assignment By: Role
   • Role: Group 1 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries
   • Step to be completed by: One of the recipients
4. Add a Post step.
5. Save your changes and activate the workflow.

In the Manage Teams and Responsibilities for Journal Entry Verification – In General Ledger app

1. Create a team.
2. In the Team Information section, choose FGLVG for Type.
3. In the Responsibility Definitions section, enter CC01 and CC02 for Cost Center. See the screenshot:
   
   

4. In the Team Members section, select business users User A and User B as team members.
   Note: In this step, select Group 1 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries for Functions.

5. Save you changes.
6. Create another team.
7. In the Team Information section, choose FGLVG for Type.
8. In the Responsibility Definitions section, enter CC03 and CC04 for Cost Center. See the screenshot:
   
   

9. In the Team Members section, select business users User C and User D as team members.
   Note: In this step, select Group 1 for Verifying G/L Journal Entries for Functions.

Comparison and Conclusion

All the three methods are correct for this case, but the method complexity differ from each. Overall speaking, method 3 is the most recommended, because of the following reasons:

• The configuration steps are less compared to other two methods.
• It doesn’t mix the company code and cost centers together as the preconditions.
• If more cost centers are assigned to a company code, the changes to the configuration are easy and quick to make.

The disadvantages of method 1 and method 2:

• Method 1:
  

  • Mix the company code and cost centers as the workflow trigger. It could cause trouble if more and more cost centers are assigned to the company code.
  • Group 1 and Group 2 are specified in the Verify steps. In fact, you don’t have to do this.

• Method 2:

  • Two or more verify steps are needed, if more cost centers are added to this company code.
  • Group 1 and Group 2 are specified in the Verify steps. In fact, you don’t have to do this.

Maybe you have found that the cost center field can be used not only as the precondition when you configure the workflow, but also as a condition when you manage teams for approvers. The highlight in this case is to make good use of the cost center field when you manage teams, which can save efforts and pave the way for further changes to the cost centers. The Manage Teams and Responsibilities for Journal Entry Verification – In General Ledger app and the Manage Workflows for Journal Entry Verification – In General Ledger app provide you with high flexibility to configure settings that meet your business needs. Before you start to configure, please think about how you could use the flexibility and make the configuration compatible with company organization changes in future.

You can also refer to more configuration descriptions and examples on the SAP Help Portal.

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