Comparison Group Reporting with BPC and OneStream
Comparison of SAP S/4 HANA Group Reporting, BPC, and OneStream
This topic encompasses complex aspects. It is important to recognize that while SAP S/4 HANA Group Reporting, Business Planning and Consolidation (BPC), and OneStream all fall within the Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) domain, they serve distinct functions. BPC and OneStream primarily focus on analytics and planning, whereas Group Reporting (GR) is an accounting tool designed to ensure accurate categorization, validation, and balancing data from the initial submission by local accountants to the final corporate monthly close with the last group validation. Group Reporting has been developed to satisfy the complex requirements of the corporate monthly close and comply with US GAAP and/or IFRS standards.
Group Reporting is super precise and geared towards providing functionalities that local accountants need to produce a trial balance with data integrity and assist the corporate accounting team in calculating complex eliminations and adjustments. It ensures users do not make contextually incorrect postings or enter erroneous data. Group Reporting excels in precision, making it ideal for accountants who value easy tracking and auditing. It handles complex calculations related to changes in capital structure, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, step acquisitions, and more. Users provide "control data" in a flat file, and the system automatically posts complex elimination entries, starting with equity against investments and any delta being posted to goodwill.
Unlike Group Reporting, BPC and OneStream require more developer intervention for scripting and involve more manual processes. BPC is favored by finance professionals due to its flexible and user-friendly Excel interface, which allows for easy report creation through drag-and-drop features. It offers high adaptability similar to using a whiteboard where various tasks can be completed with scripting. However, Group Reporting does not offer the Excel-based interface provided by BPC. Instead, it should be viewed as an additional solution, with alternatives such as SAC Analytics, Analysis for Office, or other partner-provided Excel-based interfaces.
Clients should utilize these standard customization options, avoiding the necessity for ABAP or API work, which are considered standard within the framework. For clients implementing S/4 HANA, the integration of master and transactional data, coupled with cost-efficiency, makes Group Reporting a preferred choice, particularly given SAP's favorable package deals. When properly configured and utilized to their full potential, Group Reporting ensures compliance, internal control, and audit readiness, requiring only occasional one-off adjustments.
Notably, Group Reporting pre-delivers all security roles, such as “local accountant” and “corporate accounting manager.” The Data Monitor is developed to enable local accountants to manage the entire process of providing their monthly data. Local accountants run tasks in the Data Monitor for both SAP and non-SAP entities, including loading data with correct trading partners, balancing trial balances, and performing custom validations. Tasks such as “Release Universal Journal” for SAP entities and “Data Collection” for non-SAP entities ensure an equal net income calculation from the Profit & Loss statement to the retained earnings in the balance sheet. Corporate accounting teams monitor progress in the Data Monitor and, upon submission of data by local accountants, streamline the data with currency translation, intercompany eliminations, and automatic consolidation of investments.
Group Reporting also has a pre-delivered solution for eliminating intercompany profit in inventory whereas the other mentioned EPM solutions will have that functionality built from scratch by IT technical support. In summary, Group Reporting and BPC/OneStream are distinct tools with unique functionalities. SAP enthusiasts who appreciate precision and conciseness will find Group Reporting highly satisfactory. Additionally, a robust Excel-based reporting solution can be built upon Group Reporting. SAP is moving towards enabling business users to independently manage their Group Reporting platform without needing extensive IT support. Changes in Master Data, such as the consolidated chart of accounts, organizational hierarchy adjustments, Balance Sheet and P&L hierarchy changes, and Cash Flow adjustments, are all designed for finance professionals to handle directly.
It is worth mentioning that OneStream is gaining popularity among finance professionals for similar reasons as BPC. However, OneStream, like BPC, does not integrate with S/4 HANA, presenting similar challenges. Overall, it represents a mindset adjustment: Group Reporting provides comprehensive control, compliance, and minimized risk through its precise and pre-delivered processes, whereas OneStream, much like BPC, is comparable to a versatile "whiteboard."
OneStream requires significant investment and is complex to implement. Licensing and implementation costs can be substantial. While intuitive for finance teams, the technical aspects may necessitate additional training (e.g., cube design, XF Marketplace). Compared to other CPM tools, OneStream may require extra effort for integration with certain ERP and business applications. It demands a dedicated team for maintenance and optimization. As a newer player, OneStream has fewer experienced professionals and resources available for support compared to established competitors.