The central task of G/L accounting is to provide a comprehensive picture for external accounting and accounts. Recording all business transactions (primary postings as well as settlements from internal accounting) in a software system that is fully integrated with all the other operational areas of a company ensures that the accounting data is always complete and accurate.

The SAP FI General Ledger has the following features:

• Free choice of level: corporate group or company
• Automatic and simultaneous posting of all sub-ledger items in the appropriate general ledger accounts (reconciliation accounts)
• Simultaneous updating of general ledger and cost accounting areas
• Real-time evaluation of and reporting on current accounting data, in the form of account displays, financial statements with different financial statement versions and additional analyses.

Essentially, the general ledger serves as a complete record of all business transactions. It is the centralized, up-to-date reference for the rendering of accounts. Actual individual transactions can be checked at any time in realtime processing by displaying the original documents, line items, and transaction figures at various levels such as:

• Account information

• Journals

• Totals/transaction figures

• Balance sheet/profit and loss evaluations