Supply Chain Management Blogs by SAP
Expand your SAP SCM knowledge and stay informed about supply chain management technology and solutions with blog posts by SAP. Follow and stay connected.
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
When we are talking about new SAP Credit Management solution in SAP S/4HANA, It is a system to implement a company-wide credit policy and it helps companies to run central credit management in a distributed system landscape. The Credit Manager can monitor a customer’s credit exposure in one central system. Normally it is comprised of three parts, Basic Credit Management, Advanced Credit Management, and SAP S/4HANA Cloud for Credit Integration. This blog is going to compare Basic Credit Management and Advanced Credit Management from process, operation and configuration aspects, you will also get to know how SAP S/4HANA Cloud for Credit Integration helps.

 

You must know before the content



  • The classic credit management(FI-AR-CR) is not available as part of SAP S/4HANA, The functional equivalent in SAP S/4HANA is SAP Credit Management (FIN-FSCM-CR). Using FSCM and classic credit management (FI-AR) in parallel is not supported.

  • You can activate/deactivate SAP Credit Management by implementing BAdI UKM_R3_ACTIVATE. Please note, for product versions of SAP S/4HANA 1610 and above, SAP Credit Management is implemented as standard, so deactivation will turn off the functionality completely. 2760814

  • In SAP Credit Management (FIN-FSCM-CR), customer credit master data is centralized managed by Business Partner(BP Role: UKM000 Credit Management). You can reach the data by running tcode BP then switch BP role to UKM000, or running tcode UKM_BP directly.

  • FSCM requires the configuration of the communication between the Sales and Distribution (SD) and SAP Credit Management (FSCM) system components. You need to activate the integration by BAdI BADI_SD_CM. 2315269


 

Basic Credit Management


Function Overview



  • Set credit limits for a business partner manually

  • Set the risk class for a business partner manually

  • Do credit checks on sales documents

  • Process credit blocked sales documents as documented cedit decision

  • Calculate payment behavior key figures

  • Define relationships for a business partner (like "in Credit Management is managed by...", “Higher level Credit Management Account of...")


You do not need additional license for above functions in SAP Credit Management.

Main process and Operations


The main process for Basic Credit Management(BD6)


The credit controller maintains customer score, risk class, check rule and credit limit manually by running tcode BP then switch BP role to UKM000 or running UKM_BP directly.



You can click Simulate button to simulate customer credit check. Then assign a credit analyst to a customer by click Relationships on top of the screen.



When you create a sales document for credit managed customer, credit checks can be executed for sales documents with different steps, depending the configuration of Credit Checking Rules.


If there is a credit check with negative outcome, the system triggers the creation of a 'Documented Credit Decision' (DCD) as per configuration. Credit analyst or processor can check the DCDs via tcode SCASE, UKM_CASE or UKM_MY_DCDS. They can recheck, release or reject the sales document, and leave note on DCD.


If your sales order or delivery is blocked but DCD is missing. Please refer to Note 2616393.

Configurations



  1. Activate BAdI UKM_R3_ACTIVATE and BADI_SD_CM



 

  1. Credit segment is the organizational unit of FSCM. it needs to be created and assigned to the equivalent credit control area. In FSCM you can use a 'Main Credit Segment' (0000) and flag the setting on the sub-segments to 'Add. contribution to main segment', so the liabilities of the sub-segments will be collected at the main segment level. Create credit segment, and assign to the equivalent credit control area.


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Credit Risk Monitoring -> Master Data -> Create Credit Segments


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Integration with Accounts Receivable Accounting and Sales and Distribution -> Integration with Sales and Distribution -> Assign Credit Control Area and Credit Segment




  1. Risk class is maintained for the whole business partner in UKM_BP on 'General Data' -> 'Credit profile' tab. A distinction is made between the risk category in classic CM and the risk class in SAP Credit Management (FSCM). For each risk category you need to define a risk class with the same ID. The risk class is directly mapped to risk category during the credit master data determination when creating sales documents.


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Credit Risk Monitoring -> Master Data -> Create Risk Class



If you need to create a new risk class, then you should create the equivalent risk category as well and assign it to the relevant credit control areas.


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Integration with Accounts Receivable Accounting and Sales and Distribution -> Integration with Sales and Distribution -> Define Risk Categories





  1. Credit checks are executed on three levels: sales order, delivery and post goods issue. This is controlled the same way as in classic CM.


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Integration with Accounts Receivable Accounting and Sales and Distribution -> Integration with Sales and Distribution -> Assign Sales Documents and Delivery Documents






  1. In order to perform the automatic credit check you need to maintain the relevant CCAr - Risk cat. - Credit Group combination in OVA8 transaction. 2207394


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Integration with Accounts Receivable Accounting and Sales and Distribution -> Integration with Sales and Distribution -> Define Automatic Credit Control



Credit control is defined by control area/risk category/credit group in classic CM for sales documents credit checking criteria. It performs like a trigger between SD and FSCM, to enable credit check rule maintained in FSCM for sales documents credit checking.

  1. Flag the item category type “credit active” by OVA7 or VOV7.


In the pricing procedure, subtotal 'A' must be entered in a line for determining the credit value (VBAP-CMPRE), it’s the same with classic CM.

  1. FSCM is using the liability categories to distinguish between the credit value of sales orders (100), deliveries (400), billing documents (500) and FI documents (200).


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Credit Risk Monitoring -> Credit Exposure Update -> Define Liability Categorie



Advanced Credit Management


Function Overview



  • All capabilities of Basic Credit Management plus:

  • Calculate the internal credit score of a business partner automatically

  • Derive the risk class automatically from the internal score

  • Store external credit information like a rating from credit agencies on the business partner or to integrate credit agencies in another manner

  • Import credit score, credit risk class or credit limits from 3rd party systems and assign it to a business partner

  • Automatically calculate credit limits

  • Work with credit limit requests

  • Work with documented credit decisions (DCD) that are not automatically generated by the system for a sales document

  • Use the credit event / follow-on process functionality

  • Setup a central Credit Management in a multi-system landscape


You need additional license for above functions in SAP Credit Management. SAP note 2696793.

Main process and operations


Main process for Advanced Credit Management(1QM)


In Advanced Credit Management, it is possible to calculate the internal credit score of a business partner automatically, then derive the risk class automatically from the internal score, and calculate credit limits automatically using credit rule engine and formula editor.



Note The credit limit currency in all company codes is set to use the group currency, which is defined when the solution is activated.

Credit Limit and Risk class can be automatically calculated based on internal and external rating. You can define own calculation logic for internal rating, either import the rating from external 3rd party agencies.

For the link to an external credit agency, an xml formatted file can be added as project work or the data can be input manually on the Business Partner as a part of the base license. An additional license is required for using SAP S/4HANA Cloud for credit integration, access the Configure Credit Agency Integration app and go to Credit Rating under the Maintain Mapping section. The cloud-based service provides about 20-30 credit agencies such as Dun & Bradstreet right out of the box. (SAP Blog: SAP Credit Management in S/4HANA 1909)

Also, additional role authorization may be required for the Credit Controller role to provide access to the credit integration solution app. For more information, see the SAP Help Portal.



The sales representatives are able to access the web-based customer credit information via Display Credit Master Data app(tcode UKM_BP_DISPLAY).


Then they can request a new credit limit for the business partner. The request can be documented as Credit Limit Request in Manage Credit Cases app(tcode SCASE or UKM_CASE).


The credit controller will review the request, monitor customer exposure/limits in a central system, then determine to approve or reject the request with comments.



Configurations


The credit rules engine helps you automate the processes within your credit management. It provides rules for:

  1. Credit Scoring Rule: automatically calculate the scoring and the Risk Class of your customer. Please check 2803189 for customer credit score calculation.


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Credit Risk Monitoring -> Master Data -> Create Rule for Scoring and Credit Limit Calculation





  1. Credit Limit Rule: automatically propose a credit limit


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Credit Risk Monitoring -> Master Data -> Create Rule for Scoring and Credit Limit Calculation




  1. Rating procedure selection:


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Credit Risk Monitoring -> Master Data -> Create Rule for Scoring and Credit Limit Calculation





  1. Credit Check Rule: which credit check steps should be applied for a customer when an external system calls the credit check (e.g. dynamic credit limit check, static credit limit check, oldest open item…) See note 2761313 and 2926009


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Credit Risk Monitoring -> Credit Limit Check -> Define Checking Rules



The following check steps are delivered in the standard FSCM:

  • 010 Statistical Check of Credit Exposure

  • 030 Dynamic Limit Check with Credit Horizon

  • 020 Check for Maximum Document Value

  • 100 Check for Maximum Dunning Level

  • 110 Check for Age of Oldest Open Item

  • 120 Check of Payment Behavior Index

  • 130 Check for Overdue Open Items


The following five parameters can be maintained on segment level:

  • CREDIT_HORIZON      -     Credit Horizon in Days

  • MAX_OVDUE_PC         -     Percentage Overdue

  • MAX_OVDUE_DAYS    -     Number of Days

  • PAY_HIST_LIMIT          -     Limit for Amt from Payment Behavior

  • MAX_DOC_VAL            -     Maximum Doc. Value



  1. Define formulas for scoring rule, credit limit calculation and risk class determination.


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Credit Risk Monitoring -> Master Data -> Define Formulas




  1. Credit Check Workflow: which follow up activities should be triggered after a credit check has been executed (e.g. trigger workflow, block customer account)


SPRO -> Financial Supply Chain Management -> Credit Management -> Credit Risk Monitoring -> Processes -> Define Events and Follow-On Processes




Reporting


Display Credit Data – Segment


Display Credit Exposure


Analyze Credit Exposure


Display Credit Log



Display Credit Limit Utilization


Credit Limit Utilization (SAP S/4HANA)


 

Summary


This blog compared the Basic Credit Management and Advanced Credit Management in SAP S/4HANA from process, operations, and configurations aspects. You may find that the Advanced Credit Management is more flexible and automatic to manage customer credit info, you will get to know the status of your customer at early stage then reduce the risk of financial losses. Advanced Credit Management supports your company with making an early determination of the risk of losses on receivables from your business partners and with efficiently making credit decisions.

 

Other Fiori Credit Management Apps



What’s New in SAP S/4HANA 2020



Find more innovations in What’s New Viewer – SAP S/4HANA

 

References


Blogs in SAP community:


https://blogs.sap.com/2019/11/06/sap-credit-management-in-s-4hana-1909/

https://blogs.sap.com/2018/03/30/s4-hana-credit-management-configuration-process/

https://blogs.sap.com/2020/04/17/conversion-of-credit-management-to-sap-s-4hana/

https://blogs.sap.com/2020/05/13/3ws-of-credit-management-high-level-comparison-of-fscm-with-ecc-cre...

https://blogs.sap.com/2020/04/30/list-of-s4hana-credit-management-reports-tables-some-issues-we-face...

https://sap4tech.net/sap-fscm-credit-management-tables/

SAP Notes


2270544 - S4TWL - Credit Management

2788718 - Configuration checklist for SAP Credit Management (FSCM)

SAP Help


SAP Credit Management Configuration Guide

What's New Viewer - SAP S/4HANA

 
13 Comments