SAP Finance Automation Platforms

By Andrew Hayden, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Precisely

Finance automation initiatives are becoming ubiquitous for enterprises in today’s connected, digital world. For many SAP finance organizations, however, the challenge is finding an automation platform that can quickly and efficiently deliver automation solutions that address multiple use cases.

The key to an effective finance automation platform is having SAP automation options that can be quickly developed and implemented with minimal programming or IT engagement. Automation generally falls into two categories:

1. Desktop automation
2. Process automation

Desktop automation is well suited for replacing manual tasks that are often laborious and time consuming, such as mass data changes in asset accounting or general ledger (G/L) account updates that many companies manage using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. And, with desktop automation, transactions can be processed either on the user’s computer or loaded onto a server for processing at a more convenient time. The server-side execution has the advantage of freeing up the user’s computer for other tasks and has a lower impact on VPN bandwidth.

Process automation is used for complex end-to-end processes from initiation — through data collection and management reviews and approvals — to posting the final data in the SAP system. These processes often involve multiple steps and can require input from numerous individuals or departments.

Flexible process automation platforms enable users to supply or approve data using Excel workbooks or business-friendly web forms. Customers often adopt the file management type of process automation for established processes that involve email routing of Excel files for review and approval. These include complex journal entry processes.

Business-friendly web forms are excellent for processes such as G/L account creation. Creating a G/L account often requires inputting information and reviewing that information across multiple departments. The entire process is centrally managed, tracked, and governed, making audits easier.

Andrew Hayden, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Precisely

It is important to find a finance automation platform that offers this level of flexibility. Assume that within your finance and accounting departments, you have SAP processes that are best automated using one of these methods. A flexible, scalable automation platform for SAP systems gives you the option of choosing which automation type is best for specific business processes.

Remaining Productive While Working from Home

If your company relied substantially on manual processes for managing SAP data prior to the pandemic, it is likely that you have been forced to make tough choices and have seen your productivity suffer as a result of remote work. Now, imagine how you might have utilized a finance automation platform? Your employees would have been able to seamlessly transition from the office to working at home.

Chances are, your enterprise has processes that are perfect for desktop automation. And it is equally likely that you have inefficient, complex SAP processes that could benefit from workflow automation. It’s time you adopted a flexible and scalable SAP automation platform that can address both.

Precisely is the global leader in data integrity, providing accuracy, consistency, and context in data for 12,000 customers in more than 100 countries, including 99 of the Fortune 100. Precisely’s data integration, data quality, data governance, location intelligence, and data enrichment products power better business decisions to create better outcomes.

If you would like to learn more about SAP finance automation from Precisely, please visit our website at precisely.com