Because financial health signifies the backbone of long-term corporate sustainability, effective management is crucial. However, the risks associated with unpaid invoices, taxation, partnerships, and technological or regulatory changes make this management increasingly complex. Financial teams must therefore rely on powerful tools capable of managing a wide variety of data. This is precisely the case with SAP Finance. Discover this software and its features.
What is SAP Finance?
SAP Finance is the financial management system of SAP. This software manages all business processes related to an organization’s financial management (revenues, expenses, and assets). It supports daily financial operations to ensure long-term company viability and maximize profits.
With this software, teams have a single source of truth regarding the company’s financial health. And because SAP Finance is powered by artificial intelligence, processes are much more streamlined and precise.
SAP Finance can be integrated into the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, providing decision-makers with an overview of the business. However, it is also possible to use this financial application independently.
What are the features of SAP Finance?
To help organizations modernize their financial processes, SAP offers a wide range of features.
Financial Planning and Analysis
SAP Finance helps make data-driven decisions with reliable and accurate analyses. Here are some examples:
- Financial data analysis: users have access to real-time multidimensional information and scenario simulations for more relevant analyses.
- Budgeting: leveraging past expenses and growth forecasts. As data is available in real-time, companies can always adjust financial planning.
- Financial plans: using activity accelerators and predictive simulations, SAP allows the creation, execution, and monitoring of plans.
- Financial performance monitoring: you can create analytical reports to highlight key figures and financial trends.
By making data-driven decisions, companies improve their performance and revenue.
Accounting and Financial Close
The accounting process is full of time-consuming tasks, but necessary ones. SAP Finance automates them:
- Streamlining invoicing and invoice collection;
- Automatically recording financial transactions (entries and assignments);
- Automating closing processes (especially for group closings where all financial data needs to be unified).
Between automation and data integration, workflows are more flexible, error risk is reduced, and financial closing activities are accelerated.
Financial Operations
Here again, SAP Finance automates tasks related to financial operations:
- Optimization of accounts receivable: Teams can manage open receivables and resolve disputes more quickly. In doing so, they reduce bad debt.
- Vendor account management: payments to suppliers are automated based on completed transactions. This feature optimizes control over cash outflows.
- Improving financial health and transparency: with detailed analyses, teams can monitor receivables, anticipate disputes, and identify the causes of potential financial problems.
Compliance and Tax Management
Given the particularly strict regulations in tax matters, SAP Finance includes several specially dedicated features, such as:
- Real-time information on compliance, risks, filing deadlines, etc.;
- Automated document exchanges and consistency checks;
- Simplified and standardized reports;
- Complete traceability of financial data;
- Detailed access to transactions and electronic submissions, etc.
The automation of controls related to risk management allows organizations to comply much more easily with current regulations. And this, worldwide.
Cash Management
Economic downturns, unpaid invoices, payment delays, debt cancellation, litigation, reduction of bank facilities — cash flow problems are unfortunately very common. Poorly anticipated, they can be very costly for organizations. SAP Finance helps reduce this risk:
- Optimizing working capital through AI-based analyses;
- Centralized cash and liquidity management;
- Streamlining internal and external payments;
- Secure banking communications.
All these features help mitigate financial risks.
What are the benefits of the SAP financial management system?
Even with the best commercial offer, companies don’t survive long if they are not financially healthy. But to achieve this, risks must be anticipated: unpaid invoices, new regulations, tax filings, difficulties in obtaining bank loans.
SAP Finance helps organizations reduce these risks by fostering the development of a data-driven culture. With data easily accessible and available in real-time, organizations are less hindered in leveraging it.
And because the platform is powered by artificial intelligence, it is possible to carry out relevant and accurate predictive analyses. Thanks to AI, companies not only reduce risks but also identify growth opportunities to develop even faster.
Finally, with all its automated financial processes, SAP Finance will increase productivity and workflow efficiency.
Do you want to learn how to use SAP Finance? Train in data analysis to help organizations grow, while ensuring their financial stability.