What is S/4HANA for Central Finance?
S/4HANA for Central Finance (also Central Finance or simply CFIN) provides a vehicle to align and transform data from single or multiple SAP and non-SAP systems without having to make widespread changes on the source systems.
- It provides a harmonised data environment that supports financial reporting, planning and standardised processes.
- This is the stepping stone to full S/4 migration or future process activation within S/4 with continued mapping and replication of the disparate source systems.
- With S/4HANA at its heart, it makes use of the functionality and content of the Universal Journal, updated processes and improved technology and cloud solutions.
- With Central Finance, customers can connect their distributed system landscape to a centralised SAP S/4HANA Finance system.
- Financial Accounting (FI) and Management Accounting (CO) postings can be replicated in this Central Finance system.
- Central Finance lets you create a common reporting structure to feed consolidation and management reporting tools.
Find out more
When should a company consider SAP S/4Hana Central Finance?
Case 1
Catalysts
Companies with multiple ERP platforms or instances that do not want to embark on a process and systems consolidation project
CFIN enablers
- Replication of enterprise financial data including intercompany attributes, transaction type, etc.
- Real-time replication, allows for interim views of data as well as central processing scalability.
Case 2
Catalysts
Companies with aggressive merger and acquisition (M&A) activities, inorganic growth model or evolving business model
CFIN enablers
- Rapid integration of acquisitions.
- Rapid unwinding of changing and evolving business models.
- Allows time for acquisitions to go through their incubation period.
- Allows independence of business unit but provides a central finance view and, as a result, control.
Case 3
Catalysts
Companies on a journey to S/4HANA want to see what S/4HANA can do first
CFIN enablers
- Low-risk entry point to the S/4HANA journey.
- Finance goes digital first, providing value and confidence in S/4HANA capabilities.
- Gold tenet of finance data model.
- Stepping stone to future waves, decouples risk to deploy the full platform.
- Stabilise financial and management reporting to support downstream application and reporting stands.
Case 4
Catalysts
Solving complex business problems with the help of enterprise financial data
CFIN enablers
- Making the best use of financial data to deal with the cost of sales, including eliminations.
- Global allocations.
- Intercompany reconciliation and netting.
- Assortment planning.
We are really pleased to be positioned as a Leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SAP S/4HANA Application Services, Worldwide.
S/4 Central Finance leadership with 20+ CFIN projects
PwC’s experience and expertise in S/4 and Central Finance projects is recognised by Gartner for our vision of business-led transformation and benefits. We take a business-oriented approach to engagements and bring strategy, industry, financial effectiveness, tax and SAP experience to bear on a programme.
Our approach goes beyond technical implementation. We focus on outcomes – emphasising the alignment of business with IT and adding value in differentiated processes, which makes us a clear fit for SAP-enabled transformations.
Recognised by IDC, Kennedy and Gartner as the leaders in Accounting and Finance transformation, S/4 Central Finance Leadership with 20+ CFIN projects deploys the first and largest global SAP CFIN solution.
Contact us
Jean-Pierre Manfredi
Managing Director, Technology Consulting, PwC Switzerland
Tel: +41 58 792 17 61
