How do you manage bank accounts in the SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) system? If you want to create a house bank or account ID, you first must configure it in the development system and then it travels through a test or a quality system to reach the production environment. Moreover, business users need to depend on the IT team, which might not be aware of how a bank account will be used. SAP S/4HANA Finance has reimagined this process and given full control to business users for bank account management. I walk you through the standard SAP workflow provided for bank account management and show how to configure and use those settings to streamline your banking structure. Let’s first see the structure of this offering in SAP S/4HANA Finance.  

Overview of Standard SAP S/4HANA Bank Account Management Workflows

Figure 1 shows the overview of a standard SAP workflow template, WS74300043, which is the main workflow for Bank Account Management. Based on the user activity (opening, modifying, and closing), the related sub-workflow is triggered.

Configuration to Activate Bank Account Management Workflows

To activate standard workflows in SAP S/4HANA Finance for cash management, you first need to activate the business function FIN_FSCM_CLM. To complete this step, execute transaction code SFW5 and select the check box for this line, as shown in Figure 2. After FIN_FSCM_CLM is activated, the cash management component in your system is enabled. (This activation is indicated by the following message: Business func. will remain activated.)

Define Number Ranges for the Bank Account Technical IDs

Each bank account in the SAP S/4HANA Finance system is also assigned a technical ID by the system automatically at the time a bank account is created. For this you need to define a number range interval in the customization menu path SPRO > Financial Supply Chain Management > Cash and Liquidity Management > Bank Account Management > Basic Settings > Define Number Ranges for Bank Account Technical IDs (transaction code S_E91_86000029). Figure 3 shows the sample number range I entered for this technical ID object. Click the save icon to save your data.

Define Number Ranges for a Change Request

When a user does an activity in Bank Account Management in SAP S/4HANA, such as opening or changing a bank account, the system triggers a change request. In this activity, you need to define a number range interval in the customization menu path SPRO > Financial Supply Chain Management > Cash and Liquidity Management > Bank Account Management -> Basic Settings > Define Number Ranges for Change Requests (transaction code S_E91_86000030) for such change requests. Figure 4 shows the sample number range to enter for these change requests in Bank Account Management for my example. Click the save icon to save your data.

Link Number Ranges for Bank Account Master Data Settings

In this activity, you link the number ranges created in the section “Define Number Ranges for the Bank Account Technical IDs” to the Bank Account Management component. For this you need to execute transaction code S_E91_86000021 or follow customization menu path SPRO > Financial Supply Chain Management > Cash and Liquidity Management > Bank Account Management > Basic Settings > Define Settings for Bank Account Master Data, as shown in Figure 5. In the menu on the left side, select the option Bank Account Master Data Setting, and then on the right side, enter the number range ID you created in Figures 3 and 4. Click the save icon to save your data.

Activate Sensitive Fields for Bank Account Modification Workflow

You can mark sensitive fields in the Bank Account Management master, and if you try to change any one of these, the system triggers the modification workflow to start the approval process for such changes. Execute transaction code S_E91_86000021 or follow customization menu path SPRO > Financial Supply Chain Management > Cash and Liquidity Management > Bank Account Management > Basic Settings > Define Settings for Bank Account Master Data. In the menu in the left side of the screen (Figure 6), select the option Sensitive Fields for Modification Process, and then on the right side, enter the details (Object and Field name) for the sensitive fields as per your business controls, and click the save icon.

Group Change Requests for Mass Changes Workflow in Bank Account Management

There is also workflow for mass changes in the Bank Account Management master data. An approver may not want to have a separate email for each bank account that is changed, as the emails could overflow his or her mailbox and make tracking the approval difficult. You can define settings to group together the change requests for mass modification in bank accounts based on company code, bank account type, or both. For example, you could group mass modification of bank accounts, such as changing a General Ledger (G/L) account or changing payment signatories. Execute transaction code S_E91_86000021 or follow customization path SPRO > Financial Supply Chain Management > Cash and Liquidity Management > Bank Account Management > Basic Settings > Define Settings for Bank Account Master Data. In the screen the system displays (Figure 7), in the menu on the left side, select the option Define Split Mode of Mass Change Request. On the right side, select the grouping option you want and click the save icon. Figure 7 shows an example of a grouping based on company code.

Activate Event Type Linkage for Bank Account Management Workflow Triggering

In this activity you assign the workflow to the event CREATED for change request object FCLM_CR. As shown in Figure 8, the SAP system has the pre-activated standard SAP workflow WS743000043. (This activation is indicated by the check box selected under the Type linka… [Type linkage for triggering workflow processes] column.) To access the setting shown in Figure 8, execute transaction code SWETYPV or follow customization path SPRO > Financial Supply Chain Management > Cash and Liquidity Management > Bank Account Management > Maintain the Event Type Linkage for Triggering Workflow Processes. This standard workflow template WS74300043 has the various features as sub-workflows as shown in Figure 1. You can define the custom workflow template and assign it in the highlighted line in Figure 8 in the Receiver Type column. (Creating a custom workflow is out of the scope of this article.)

Define Responsibilities for Rules Used in Workflow Steps

The SAP system uses rules for various user roles for the processing in standard workflow for bank account management as listed in Table 1. The use for different user roles is explained in the section titled “Process Flow for Opening a Bank Account for a House Bank in SAP S/4HANA Bank Account Management.”

Rule	Description
Rule 74300006: Cash Manager	The Cash Manager can approve or reject the change request for opening, changing, or closing bank accounts.
Rule 74300007: Bank Accountant	The Bank Accountant is responsible for opening, changing, or closing bank accounts and works under the Cash Manager.
Rule 74300008: Key User	The Key User is responsible for making configuration changes for bank accounts and house bank accounts.

To assign the responsibilities to the rules, execute transaction code S_E91_86000113 or follow customization path SPRO > Financial Supply Chain Management > Cash and Liquidity Management > Bank Account Management > Define Responsibilities for Rules Used in Workflow Steps. In the screen that opens (Figure 9), enter the rule number in the Rule Number field from the rule numbers mentioned in Table 1 and click the change icon. In the next screen (Figure 10), click the create icon to create a responsibility. In the pop-up screen that appears (Figure 11), enter the validity date range for this cash manager assignment and click the enter icon. The Object abbr. (object abbreviation) field shows the description of the rule number entered in Figure 9, which is CLM_CASHMGR in this example for rule 74300006. In the next screen (Figure 12), you can enter the company code and account type to which you want to apply this assignment. If you do not want to restrict a field, you can enter the wildcard character * (asterisk) to apply to all. After entering these details, click the save icon and then click the back icon. You can now see the responsibility created as shown in Figure 13. Click the insert agent assignment icon. In the next screen, you can select to which level in your organizational hierarchy you want to assign this responsibility. For example, if I assign a position here, then all users having such a position would be authorized agents for the cash manager task. For my example, I assign only a particular user, so I select the User option in Figure 14 and click the enter icon. Then you can search the object using wildcard symbols, as I have done in my search for a user with the name Cash (Figure 15). Click the enter icon to start your search. The system then shows that available user with that search. You can select and assign the user to the responsibility as shown in Figure 16 by entering the validity date range and then clicking the create icon. As shown in Figure 17, you can see that a user has been assigned to Cash Manager responsibility and is authorized for any task related to the Cash Manager position.  

Activate Internet Communication Framework (ICF) Services for Using Bank Account Management via Fiori Apps

You need to activate the ICF services listed in Table 2 via transaction code SICF so that you can use the various features in SAP Fiori apps for Bank Account Management. SAP Fiori apps provide the front-end screens for various users involved in the process to complete the Bank Account Management workflow.

Web Dynpro services	Workflow services	Power list (POWL) services
WDA_FCLM_BAM_ACC_MASTER	IBO_WDA_INBOX	POWL
WDA_FCLM_BAM_ACC_REVIEW	SWF_FORMABSENC	POWL_COLLECTOR
WDA_FCLM_BAM_ADAPT_SIGN	SWF_WORKPLACE	POPWL_COMPOSITE
WDA_FCLM_BAM_BANK_DATA	UCT_DISPLAY_DOCUMENT	POWL_EASY
WDA_FCLM_BAM_CHGREQ	UCT_DISPLAY_INBOX	POWL_ERRORPAGE
WDA_FCLM_BAM_HIERARCHY	UCT_DISPLAY_SIGNOFF	POWL_MASTER_QUERY
WDA_FCLM_BAM_HIER_BP	UCT_DISPLAY_CHANGE	POWL_PERS_COMP
WDA_FCLM_BAM_HIER_MAINTAIN	USMD_CREQUEST_PROTOCOL2
WDA_FCLM_BAM_MASS_CHANGE	USMD_SSW_RULE
WDA_FCLM_BAM_REVIEW_REPORT	USMD_WF_NAVIGATION
WDA_FCLM_BAM_REQOVERVIEW
WDA_FCLM_REPORT
WDA_FCLM_UPLOAD_DOWNLOAD

To activate a service, execute transaction code SICF, and in the screen that appears (Figure 20), enter the name of the service to be activated in the Service Name Field and click the execute icon. In the next screen, right-click the service name (in this case, Bank Account Master Data) and select the Activate Service option as shown in Figure 21. A message in a pop-up screen (Figure 22) then asks you to confirm the activation. Click the Yes button to activate the services.

Process Flow for Opening a Bank Account for a House Bank in SAP S/4HANA Bank Account Management

There are various sub-processes in Bank Account Management for bank accounts as shown in Figure 1 (e.g., opening, changing, or closing a bank account). Let’s go through the bank account opening procedure by considering the various steps as per standard SAP workflow template WS74300047, as shown in Figure 23. This workflow involves various steps and related SAP Fiori apps as structured in Figure 24. Now let’s go through these steps.

The Bank Accountant Creates a Bank Account Opening Request

A cash management specialist or bank accountant selects the SAP Fiori app Manage Bank Accounts, as shown in Figure 25. Then in the next screen, the user selects the New Bank Account button as shown in Figure 26. In the next screen (Figure 27), enter details about your new bank account’s request under the General Data section. You can enter organizational details such as profit center and segment in the Additional Data section as shown in Figure 28. You can also attach any supporting documents in the Attachment section. After entering details, click the Save and Submit button as shown in Figure 28. In the next screen (Figure 29), you can add notes about this request, which go to the cash manager via workflow. Then click the Submit button. The system then shows the change request number generated for new bank account creation as shown in Figure 30.

The Bank Accountant Checks the Bank Account Opening Request

This is an optional step used if a bank accountant wants to see the status for the change request. For this, the user selects the SAP Fiori app My Sent Requests as shown in Figure 31. In the next screen, you can see the status of the change requests as shown in Figure 32. You can click the line to see the details of the bank account requested as shown in Figure 33.

The Cash Manager Approves the Bank Account Opening Request

For this, the Cash Manager selects the SAP Fiori app My Bank Account Worklist as shown in Figure 34. In the next screen, the cash manager can see the status of the change requests as shown in Figure 35 and can click the request to open the details. In the next screen, the cash manager can see the details of the bank account requested as shown in Figure 36 and select the action Approve or Reject to process the workflow. The cash manager can also check the Existing Bank Accounts to ensure there is no duplication. In this example the cash manager clicks the Approve button to process the workflow. In the next screen (Figure 37), the cash manager can provide notes and then click the Approve button to proceed with approval. You then can see the system message that the change request is approved as shown in Figure 38.

The Bank Accountant Opens Bank Account and Creates a Bank Key

After getting approval from the cash manager, the bank accountant can approach the bank to open a new bank account. This process happens outside the SAP system. Also, if it is a bank in which there is no existing bank key in the SAP system, then the bank accountant needs to create a bank key in the system. For this, you select the Manage Banks - Basic SAP Fiori app as shown in Figure 39. Then in the next screen, the bank accountant can check if the bank key already exists. If a key does not yet exist, the bank accountant creates a new bank key using the Create Bank button as shown in Figure 40. In the next screen, enter details for this new bank and click the Save button as shown in Figure 41. Then you can see a success message as shown in Figure 42.

The Bank Accountant Confirms the Creation of the Bank Account and Maintains the Additional Parameters

Once the account has been opened with the bank, the bank accountant can maintain additional parameters, such as the International Bank Account Number (IBAN), contact details, and overdraft limits, and confirm the bank account creation. For this, select the SAP Fiori app My Bank Account Worklist as shown in Figure 43. Then in the next screen, the bank accountant can see the change request for the new bank account pending with the Step Name Bank accountants process the account (Figure 44). Click the request to display the details as shown in Figure 45. In Figure 45, the bank accountant can maintain various parameters (e.g., contact details and bank key) for the bank account that is now opened with the bank. The bank accountant can also click the Additional Data tab to maintain the profit center or segment, as shown in Figure 46. In this tab, the bank accountant can enter the relevant Profit center or Segment fields or select the value by and press the F4 button. Then the bank accountant can navigate to the Overdraft Limits tab for defining the overdraft limits sanctioned by the bank for this new account as shown in Figure 47. To add the limits, click the Add button and then populate the fields under the Currency and Overdraft Limit columns. In the fields under Valid From and Valid To enter validity ranges. The bank accountant can navigate to the Payment Signatories tab for defining responsible persons for various approval levels activated for the bank account type. For example, in Figure 48, you can see two levels assigned to different users for approval of any payment and amount limits also defined for single payment and batch payments. To add a level, click the Add button and then enter the signatory group, currency, amount limits, and validity ranges. After you click the Confirm button in Figure 48, a pop-up screen appears (Figure 49) in which the bank accountant can enter notes (optional) and then click the Confirm button. You can then see the confirmation message as shown in Figure 50.

The G/L Accountant Creates the Needed G/L Accounts

Various bank accounts can use the same G/L account if they have same currency key, so this step is optional and needed only if new bank accounts must be created. Also, there might be multiple G/L master data records to be created (for example, one for incoming, one for outgoing, and one for clearing) based on the business process design. For creating a new G/L master data record, the G/L accountant selects the SAP Fiori app Manage G/L Account Master Data as shown in Figure 51. In the next screen, the G/L accountant can search an existing G/L account and copy it or click the + icon (as shown in Figure 52) to create a new G/L account. In the next screen, the G/L accountant can enter general data, company code assignment, and controlling-area related details for the new G/L account as shown in Figures 53 and 54. After you click the Save button in Figure 54, the system shows that the G/L account is created successfully (Figure 55).

The Key User (Configuration Expert) Creates the House Bank

If the account is a new house bank, then the key user can create it. For this, the key user selects the SAP Fiori app Manage Banks as shown in Figure 56. Then in the next screen (Figure 57), open the bank line to see details. In the next screen (Figure 58), click the Edit button to create a house bank. In the next screen (Figure 59), click the add icon (the + sign) in the House Banks section. In the next screen (Figure 60), enter the details for the new house bank and click the Save button. Then the system shows the success message for this house bank creation as shown in Figure 61.

The Key User (Configuration Expert) Links the House Bank to the New Bank Account and Performs Final Confirmation

As a last step, the key user opens the change request, such as the house bank, and then performs the final confirmation of the new bank account creation. For this, the key user selects the SAP Fiori app My Bank Account Worklist as shown in Figure 62. Then in the next screen (Figure 63), the key user can see the change request for the new bank account pending with the Step Name Key users finish the configuration. Click the request to display the details. In the next screen, the key user selects the Connectivity Path section and specifies the company code, house bank, validity details, and account ID for this new bank account as shown in Figure 64. After the key user clicks the Confirm button, a pop-up screen appears (Figure 65) in which the key user can enter notes (optional) and click the Confirm button to save them. You then see the confirmation message shown in Figure 66. If you click the Approval History button in Figure 66, you can see the flow details as shown in Figure 67. From the flow details, you can see who has approved or confirmed and at what date or time, resulting in a proper audit trail for the workflow.

Feature	Description
Centralized Bank Account Management	This feature enables you to replicate bank accounts, house banks, and house bank accounts from a central system to remote systems using SAP pre-delivered Intermediate Document (IDoc) message types.
Mass upload of bank accounts	A business can download the data from production or legacy systems or manually prepare data in a Bank Account Management Excel file.
	This Bank Account Management Excel file can be uploaded in development, quality, production, and other areas in SAP S/4HANA systems.
	This mass upload can also trigger relevant workflows for various entries in Bank Account Management Excel files.