First Steps in SAP S/4HANA Universal Parallel Accounting

Book excerpt: Universal Parallel Accounting (UPA) is perhaps the most significant innovation since the introduction of the universal journal in SAP S/4HANA. The business requirements behind UPA will be familiar to anyone who has worked in a mul- tinational organization. What is new is the architecture—ledger and currency settings are used consistently, across all financial applications within the organization. If the universal journal was the single document that combined information from the general ledger, asset accounting, controlling, material ledger, and margin analysis, then Universal Parallel Accounting takes the idea a step further by providing consistent ledger and currency settings across all finance applications. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to Universal Parallel Accounting and explains how it is different from previous approaches. Troubleshoot the challenges of working with multiple accoun- ting principles, fiscal year calendars, and currencies in subsidiaries, alongside the common accounting principle, fiscal year calendar, and group currency. Take a closer look at ledgers, accounting principles, and fiscal year variants. Explore key changes to asset accounting, overhead accounting, and inventory accounting. Compare and contrast the approach to calculating WIP and vari- ances—instead of calculating at period-end closing, they are calculated with each goods movement and confirmation. Learn more about the new way to recognize revenue. This book expertly guides readers through key updates to parallel accounting in SAP. - Introduction Parallel Accounting in SAP S/4HANA - Use Cases for Universal Parallel Accounting - How Universal Parallel Accounting differs from Previous Approaches - Explore key changes to asset accounting, overhead accounting, and inventory accounting