ERPfixers Blog Series
ERPfixers
Mastering ACDOCA: 7 Essential Universal Journal ...

In SAP S/4HANA Finance, the Universal Journal (ACDOCA) forms the core of financial and controlling data. This blog breaks down the key things every consultant needs to know — from Margin Analysis and document splitting to embedded analytics and custom field extensions.

Whether you're implementing, migrating, or optimizing, this guide covers the essentials of ACDOCA and how to use it effectively in 2025.

Mastering ACDOCA: 7 Essential Universal Journal Insights for SAP S/4HANA Consultants (2025 Edition)
ERPfixers Blog Series
ERPfixers
AI-Driven Automation in Accounting and Finance ...

SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition 2023 FPS03 introduces powerful AI-driven capabilities that streamline core finance and operations processes. With innovations like Joule AI agents and Insight Apps—built on SAP Business Data Cloud—organizations can automate journal entries, predict labor demand, optimize sales fulfillment, and generate intelligent financial reports with minimal manual effort.

This blog explores the key AI features embedded in the FPS03 release and how they help finance teams shift from transactional processing to strategic analysis. By adopting these tools, businesses can reduce costs, enhance accuracy, and lay the foundation for a more agile, data-driven future in financial management.

AI-Driven Automation in Accounting and Finance with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition 2023 FPS03
ERPfixers Blog Series
ERPfixers
Revolutionizing ABAP Development with Joule’s ...

Earlier this year, SAP announced the availability of Joule for ABAP developers, bringing AI-powered assistance directly into ADT. This transforms SAP FI customization with smart code completion, real-time error detection, and automated compliance checks—streamlining ABAP development for S/4HANA.

In this blog we will see how AI is changing SAP development.

Revolutionizing ABAP Development with Joule’s ABAP Developer in ABAP Cloud: Enhancing SAP FI Customization within ADT
ERPfixers Blog Series
ERPfixers
SAP Business Data Cloud: Key Questions from the ...

At the SAP Business Unleashed event, key insights were shared about how SAP BDC supports AI applications, real-time analytics, and advanced planning across business functions like finance, HR, and enterprise analytics. But with existing solutions like SAP Datasphere and SAP Business Suite already in play, many users have questions on how to integrate these tools effectively.

In this blog, we’ve compiled the top 18 frequently asked questions from SAP users, addressing strategic, technical, and adoption-related concerns around SAP BDC. Whether you’re a consultant, customer, or SAP enthusiast, this blog will help clarify how SAP BDC works and fits into the broader enterprise data ecosystem.

SAP Business Data Cloud: Key Questions from the Launch
ERPfixers Blog Series
ERPfixers
Monte Carlo Simulation in SAP Analytics Cloud ...

Monte Carlo simulations use random sampling to model uncertainty and variability in decision-making. The name originates from the city in Monaco, known for its casinos, symbolizing randomness in probability-based simulations. While randomness may seem counterintuitive for business decisions, it provides a structured way to assess possible outcomes and mitigate risks. By running thousands or even millions of simulations, businesses can make informed choices based on probability distributions rather than single-point estimates.

Monte Carlo Simulation in SAP Analytics Cloud Compass

SAP

SAP Business Data Cloud: Key Questions from the Launch

SAP Business Data Cloud: Key Questions from the Launch

At the SAP Business Unleashed event, key insights were shared about how SAP BDC supports AI applications, real-time analytics, and advanced planning across business functions like finance, HR, and enterprise analytics. But with existing solutions like SAP Datasphere and SAP Business Suite already in play, many users have questions on how to integrate these tools effectively.

In this blog, we’ve compiled the top 18 frequently asked questions from SAP users, addressing strategic, technical, and adoption-related concerns around SAP BDC. Whether you’re a consultant, customer, or SAP enthusiast, this blog will help clarify how SAP BDC works and fits into the broader enterprise data ecosystem.

SAP Devtoberfest: Enhancing Financial Insights with Embedded Analytics

SAP Devtoberfest: Enhancing Financial Insights with Embedded Analytics

SAP Devtoberfest is an exciting annual event that brings together developers to explore the latest innovations within the SAP ecosystem. This year, a significant emphasis has been placed on ABAP Cloud, particularly its embedded analytics capabilities. These updates are designed to enhance financial reporting, providing organizations with powerful tools to analyze and visualize their financial data effectively—critical for making informed business decisions in today’s fast-paced environment.

The 2024 SAC Q3 Update: Transforming Financial Planning in SAP Analytics Cloud

The 2024 SAC Q3 Update: Transforming Financial Planning in SAP Analytics Cloud

SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) propels into Q3 2024, leveraging new features that enhance financial planning and strategic decision-making. This quarter, SAP introduces deeper integrations with Microsoft PowerPoint and advanced forecasting tools, paralleling innovations seen in tech leaders like Google and Amazon.

The highlight is the integration with Microsoft PowerPoint, allowing for live data updates directly in presentations—vital for real-time business decision-making. Deeper integration with Microsoft PowerPoint now allows financial planners to present up-to-the-minute financial data directly in their strategic presentations, ensuring decisions are based on the latest insights.

SAP Revamps Advanced Financial Closing Solution with New Company Code Groups

SAP Revamps Advanced Financial Closing Solution with New Company Code Groups

SAP has introduced a transformative update to its Advanced Financial Closing (AFC) solution with the introduction of Company Code Groups, allowing finance teams to streamline and organize financial closing tasks more efficiently. For those new to this, AFC is a robust SAP solution designed to optimize the complex process of financial closing by automating tasks, enhancing reporting accuracy, and reducing closing times.

This update marks a significant milestone for global enterprises like Siemens and Nestlé, which now have enhanced capabilities to streamline their financial operations efficiently across various business dimensions.

The new Company Code Groups feature revolutionizes financial closing by allowing more dynamic, customizable groupings of company codes. This means finance teams can tailor their processes to fit distinct business units or geographic regions with unprecedented precision. This tool simplifies handling your finances, making sure everything's up to standard with rules like IFRS and SOX, and lets you check your financial status on the fly, all from one spot.

In this blog, you will discover how SAP’s latest innovation in AFC will significantly reduce the complexity and duration of financial closing processes. We’ll delve into the technical nuts and bolts of Company Code Groups, explore their impact on flexibility and efficiency, and look at real-world applications that demonstrate why this tool is essential for today’s multinational corporations.

SAP Sets New Standards in Business AI Implementation

SAP Sets New Standards in Business AI Implementation

With the ongoing generative AI boom, businesses are seeing unprecedented scalability and accessibility in AI applications, making advanced AI tools available not just to large corporations but to startups and mid-sized businesses as well​. The blend of these advancements with SAP’s innovative approach paves the way for a transformative era in business technology.

Conducting Fit-to-Standard Workshop with Cloud Mindset – Mindset Shift to Cloud

Conducting Fit-to-Standard Workshop with Cloud Mindset – Mindset Shift to Cloud

To make an SAP S/4HANA Cloud implementation successful, we need to move away from the traditional "Fit-Gap" on-premise mindset to the Fit-to-Standard Cloud mindset. The purpose of the Fit-to-Standard Analysis workshops is to confirm the scope identified in the Digital Discovery Assessment and gather configuration and customization requirements. To do this, implementation consultants demonstrate the SAP S/4HANA Cloud business processes to customer experts from each line of business.

10 Skills You Should Master as an SAP Consultant

In our last article, we defined SAP Consulting as the activities, processes, and tasks SAP consultants undertake to help SAP customers manage and optimize their business operations. While SAP consulting comes in various forms and flavors, a successful SAP consultant typically excels in certain aspects and qualities, irrespective of his or her domain. In this article, we will cover ten basic skills every SAP consultant needs to be successful and why.

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Basics of SAP for Young Professionals

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Written By: Ndz Anthony Business Intelligence Expert

SAP, commonly pronounced as 'sæp' or S-A-P (System, Application, and Products In Data Processing), is a software company that offers transformative enterprise management solutions to businesses around the globe. 

The SAP company is a leader in ERP technology and business solutions.

SAP ranks amongst the Fortune 500 as the third-largest publicly-traded company(by revenue) globally. 

One reason for these statistics is their top-tier customer base. SAP solutions are frequently expensive, closed source, and require professionals to implement.

Here at ERP Fixers, we know too well how challenging implementing SAP software can be, hence the need for trained SAP experts, typically known as SAP consultants in the SAP Ecosystem.

This article will discuss SAP Consulting, the types of SAP Consulting, how to become an SAP consultant, and finally, the prospects of SAP consulting.

What is SAP Consulting?

We can define SAP Consulting as the activities, processes, and tasks. SAP consultants undertake to help SAP customers manage and optimize their business operations.

Types of SAP Consulting

There are numerous SAP consultant types; as a matter of fact, there are as many SAP Consultants as SAP Products.

However, we can group sap consultants into two main categories, functional consultants and technical consultants.

Who is a Functional SAP Consultant? 

This category of SAP consultants works closely with the domain experts and developers to set up and enable the use of functional SAP modules deployed within user departments. 

The Key roles & Duties of a Functional SAP Consultant include:

  • Liaising with Heads of Departments during business process design and implementation phases.

  • Liaising extensively with heads of departments and "super users" to understand their SAP requirements and provide solutions to business needs. Enforcement of internal controls within SAP and other business systems.

  • Provide user manuals and training to users of enterprise systems.

  • Provide operational and periodic ad-hoc reports to administration to aid decision-making on SAP and SAP-related Systems.

Examples of functional SAP consultant roles are SAP MM Consultant, SAP PaPm Consultant, SAP HCM consultant, etc.

Technical Consultants:

These categories of SAP consultants are more tech-savvy and work closely with the functional consultants to implement, modify or enhance the existing SAP system.

Their Key roles & Responsibilities include:

  • Based on approval, work together with functional consultants to proactively implement new features, introduce new systems and modify existing business processes to improve efficiency.

  • Oversee and manage projects to modify, enhance, or implement new functionality on SAP and other related products.

  •  Support users on change control and management.

Examples of technical SAP consultant roles are SAP ABAP Developer, SAP BW Consultant, SAP Basis consultant, etc.

How to Become An SAP Consultant

We have found two significant routes to commence your career as an SAP Consultant.

1. The SAP YPP Program

The SAP Young Professional Program is an initiative by SAP Digital Skills Center created to bridge the digital gap existing in today's workforce.

The program is designed to:

  • Sieve top graduates and subsequently equip them with soft skills, accredited SAP certifications, and a sense of belonging within the SAP Community.

  • Set a stage for career growth within the SAP Ecosystem as potential SAP consultants.

  • Balance the demand for SAP consultants across the SAP Ecosystem.

If you are interested in an SAP career and a B.s.c in  Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field, you should consider applying.

2. SAP Certification and Training

Suppose you already have some experience working with SAP, maybe as a superuser in your company. In that case, you might want to consider this path.

  • Pick your preferred SAP module.

  • Invest in the training course for that module

  • Write certification exam

  • Intern or Volunteer to join up with an SAP Consulting firm to gain experience.

With this route, your credibility and experience will be evident to potential employers. You stand a higher chance of being considered for SAP Consultant roles.

Prospects of SAP Consulting

SAP is an in-demand profession, and there are many possibilities within the sap consulting space.

In this section, I will outline a few prospects for sap consulting.

1. High Earnings

SAP software is to the ERP ecosystem what Apple products are to the tech-gadget industry. SAP software is relatively expensive and usually deployed by enterprises with high budgets and large-scale businesses. Hence, the reason for top-notch earnings in the industry. The compensation for SAP consultants ranks among the highest, with opportunities for job growth prospects, salary, quality of life, and other benefits. PayScale estimates an average SAP Consultant salary at $89,129k per year.

2. In-demand Profession

According to most recent articles and employment agencies, jobs in SAP consulting are high in demand. Due to the increased demand for technology solutions, they will continually rise.

3. Top-Tier Firm

According to Glassdoor, SAP ranks as the "best places to work in 2022". Due to its success as an international brand, SAP consultants are highly regarded and respected in the corporate world.

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Cost Flows in SAP Controlling

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One of the most misunderstood aspects in all of SAP is how to analyze production variances. This is partly because SAP’s method of Product Cost Controlling is different from other accounting software systems, in that production costs are passed through the P&L as well as the Balance Sheet. And also, because production activity (Labor, Machine Time, Overhead) is tracked using Secondary Cost Elements, which are not part of your typical Financial Statements. Even some of the most seasoned cost accountants are flummoxed with how the manufacturing information is represented in Financial and Management Accounting, and how to measure price and efficiency variances. To put it simply, Production Variance Analysis involves three steps:

Creating a standard cost estimate, which calculates the expected cost to manufacture an assembly.
Collecting the Actual manufacturing costs on a manufacturing order (production order/process order /product cost collector).
Calculating the Variance, which is the difference between:
actual costs: components, labor, overhead
actual credits: value of finished goods manufactured.

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SAP Product Costing Controlling Configuration and Beyond

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- Look into the design aspects that are jointly owned by CO, MM and PP teams. (e.g. Resource / Work Center and their Standard Value Keys, Formulae for Activity Types).
- Review options to add freight, other incidental costs in the standard cost estimates and track actuals (e.g. Costing Sheet, Additive Costs, User exit for material valuation, Accrual pricing conditions in Purchase Order, etc.)
- Understand how to investigate and rectify messages encountered during product costing
- Deep dive into movement types and account determination, analyze MM-FI accounting flow

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Variance Analysis in SAP Controlling

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One of the most misunderstood aspects in all of SAP is how to analyze production variances. This is partly because SAP’s method of Product Cost Controlling is different from other accounting software systems, in that production costs are passed through the P&L as well as the Balance Sheet. And also, because production activity (Labor, Machine Time, Overhead) is tracked using Secondary Cost Elements, which are not part of your typical Financial Statements. Even some of the most seasoned cost accountants are flummoxed with how the manufacturing information is represented in Financial and Management Accounting, and how to measure price and efficiency variances. To put it simply, Production Variance Analysis involves three steps:

Creating a standard cost estimate, which calculates the expected cost to manufacture an assembly.
Collecting the Actual manufacturing costs on a manufacturing order (production order/process order /product cost collector).
Calculating the Variance, which is the difference between:
actual costs: components, labor, overhead
actual credits: value of finished goods manufactured.

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Gain better Visibility of Inventory Costs within your ERP System

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In the standard ERP system (and even S/4HANA) it is difficult to find reports that give you a multidimensional view of your inventory costs. Many customers download the information to Microsoft Excel or use external reporting tools such as BI to do the analysis. There is nothing wrong with these options, but sometimes they lead to reconciliation errors (in the case of Excel) or realtime update issues (in the case of BI). With the Material Ledger Activated and by utilizing an enhanced report, there are several reporting options that will give you a more granular view of your inventory values.

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Recording Stock-in-Transit in Accounting and Logistics Transactions

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Stock-in-Transit can occur when goods transferred between two entities have left the sending entity, but ownership has not yet been transferred to the receiving entity. In traditional SAP the Stock-in-Transit of Inventory can be identified in Inventory Management reports, but this is not reflected in Accounting. With the Business Function LOG_MM_SIT, which is available in ECC (from Enhancement Pack 5) and also in S/4HANA (switched on by default), you can reflect the Stock-in-Transit in dedicated G/L Accounts.

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Reorganizing Profit Centers in SAP

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As of ECC 6 EHP 5, SAP rolled out a functionality which allows for reorganization of the profit center on the core SAP objects in the Logistics and Accounting functions.

This includes changing profit centers on Materials, Sales Orders, Cost Centers, Orders, Projects, AR, AP, and GL Open Items. With this functionality companies can update the core data in their SAP ERP systems to enable financial reporting which better aligns with how they manage their business today versus 10-15 years ago when they first implemented SAP. Learn how SPX Flow used this functionality to transform their financial reporting and enable full financial statements which align with a new management structure.

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“Professionalized Business Case” is the first step of SAP S/4HANA Journey!

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“Professionalized Business Case” is the first step of SAP S/4HANA Journey!

SAP provides mainstream maintenance for core applications of SAP Business Suite 7 software including SAP ERP 6.0, SAP Customer Relationship Management 7.0, SAP Supply Chain Management 7.0, and SAP Supplier Relationship Management 7.0 applications and SAP Business Suite powered by SAP HANA on the respective latest three Enhancement Packages (EhPs) until December 31, 2027. From January 1, 2028, all SAP Business Suite 7 core applications and respective SAP Business Suite 7 add-on products will enter the customer-specific maintenance (CSM) phase. SAP offers an optional extended maintenance phase from January 1, 2028, until December 31, 2030. This three-year phase comes at an additional fee on top of the maintenance fee. Details outlined in SAP Note 2881788.

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Universal Allocations in S/4HANA

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Cost Allocation within the Overhead Cost Controlling module enables business users to periodically allocate posted amounts and quantities from sender cost objects to receiver cost objects based on a Cycle Structure. Some challenges exist with the current ECC functionality such as the ability of users to easily understand their allocation processes and the ability to simulate the results from allocations. Also, several other modules such as General Ledger, Profit Center Account, and Profitability Analysis also contain allocation functionality, but it is difficult to keep track of all the allocations, as they are not stored in the same area of the system. In S/4HANA 1809, Universal Allocations were introduced to handle most of these issues as well as provide new functionality.