How to run a step consolidation in SAP S/4HANA for group reporting using SAP Group Reporting Data Collection

Outline

If you have multiple consolidation groups within your group, you can implement a step consolidation scenario for organizational purposes, for example if you choose to not disclose detailed data to the next consolidation level in your ownership hierarchy.

Managing a step consolidation in SAP S/4HANA for group reporting consists in using the Data Mapping app of SAP Group Reporting Data Collection (GRDC) to copy consolidated subgroup data as reported data to a consolidation unit of the upper group (in the same or in different SAP S/4HANA Cloud tenants).

Simple use case: single level of subgroup  

For example, group CG 1 is organized as follows:

• Two consolidation units, Germany (CU E), France (CU F) and one subgroup Asia (CU A) which is consolidated on a first step.
• A regional head office manages region Asia and performs the consolidation for the region and then reports the consolidated data to the next step as if the region was one single entity (CU A) and with no breakdown by legal company, just the subgroup.

To run a step consolidation, you can proceed as follows.

• In SAP S/4HANA for group reporting:
  • Create a consolidation unit CU A where consolidated data of subgroup CG 11 will be copied as reported data
  • Run the CG 11 consolidation
• In GRDC Data Mapping, create and run two mapping definitions:
  • One to transform subgroup CG 11 consolidated data into reported data on consolidation unit CU A
  • Another to replace partner fields CU A1 and CU A2 by CU A for consolidation units CU E and CU F of the upper group
• In SAP S/4HANA for group reporting:
  • Run the CG 1 group consolidation

Note: step consolidations take more time and effort and, as part of the requirements, decrease the granularity and transparency of your consolidated data (no drilldown capabilities).

In GRDC Data Mapping, create your mapping definition 1: map CG 11 to CU A

• Create a Data Mapping definition with an ACDOCU table as a source (same or different tenant).
• Read all posting levels (Data Mapping will write on posting level “00”).
• Read all document types (Data Mapping will write on document type “07”).

Note: the more source filters you add to your definition, the longer the job run duration will be.

Create and upload your mapping file into the Data Mapping definition (see below).

Mapping file for definition 1

• Map the consolidation group (CG 11) to the consolidation unit (CU A).
• Map the group currency to the local currency.

• Optionally, map the consolidation version (SC1) to a dedicated version for subgroup consolidation (Y10).
• Using a dedicated version is optional but recommended if you want to have a distinct Data Monitor with a distinct status for your subgroup consolidation activities.
• In a mixed scenario, you can also use the version for one subgroup and a different one for another subgroup (depending on your privacy requirements).

• Map all other fields with a field-to-field mapping so that you don’t lose the detail of your data.

In GRDC Data Mapping, create your mapping definition 2: replace partner values CU A1, CU A2 by CU A

In a second GRDC Data Mapping definition:

• Use source filters to only select consolidation units CU E and CU F and only posting level PL00.

Mapping file for definition 2

• Replace the partner unit values CU A1 and CU A2, which are no longer legal companies, with the new partner unit value CU A (Asia), which becomes the new consolidation unit representing the subgroup Asia.

Advanced use case: multiple levels of subgroups

In the following example, group CG 0 has four levels of subgroups. We recommend processing a step consolidation, and especially intercompany reconciliation changes, step by step, from the lowest level (level 4) to the highest (level 1).

This case requires a sequence of six mappings that should look as follows:

• In SAP S/4HANA for group reporting, run consolidation CG 3 for CU 41, CU 42, CU 43, CU 4.
• In GRDC Data Mapping:
  • In mapping 1, map CG 3 to CU 3’.
  • In mapping 2, for consolidation units CU 31 and CU 32, map the partner unit values CU 41, CU 42, CU43, CU 4 to CU 3’.

—

• In SAP S/4HANA for group reporting, run consolidation CG2 for CU 31, CU 32, CU 3’
• In GRDC Data Mapping:
  • In mapping 3, map CG2 to CU 2’
  • In mapping 4, for consolidation units CU 21 and CU22, map the partner unit values CU 31, CU 32 to CU C2’

—

• In SAP S/4HANA for group reporting, run consolidation CG 1 for CU 21, CU 22, CU2’
• In GRDC Data Mapping:
  • In mapping 5, map CG1 to CU1’
  • In mapping 6, for consolidation units CU11, CU12 map the partner unit values CU 21, CU 22 to CU1’

—

• In SAP S/4HANA for group reporting, run your overall consolidation CG 0 for CU1’, CU11, CU12

Manage the granularity of your consolidated data

You can decide to lower the level of granularity of your data within a step. For example, if GL Account or Cost Center or Profit Center are not required on the upper level, you can simply aggregate the data by removing these fields from the output columns in your mapping file. This is typically the case when you need higher granularity data on the lower level and then upwards in the ownership hierarchy you can compromise on data granularity (which could also help with performance).

Wrap up

We hope this blog will help you leverage the data mapping capabilities of SAP Group Reporting Data Collection if you need to implement and run a step consolidation in SAP S/4HANA for group reporting. Using Data Mapping, you can copy / transform consolidated subgroup data as reported data to a consolidation unit of the upper group in the same or in different SAP S/4HANA Cloud tenants. Your consolidation unit then reports the consolidated data to the next step as if the subgroup was one single entity.

Feel free to react on our blog by posting comments on our SAP Group Reporting Data Collection tag. You can also get more information on our next-generation consolidation software here:

• SAP Group Reporting Data Collection in brief | SAP Blogs
• SAP Group Reporting Data Collection – SAP Help Portal
• SAP S/4HANA for group reporting | SAP Community