Balance Carryforward Tasks for Multiperiod Consolidation

Use

You can assign multiple balance carryforward tasks to a task hierarchy. These tasks can have different posting levels . You need this feature if you want to execute only a subset of the consolidation tasks using multiperiod consolidation.

Example Example

You want to perform only all of your two-sided eliminations in a planning version.

In this case, you need a balance carryforward task with posting level 20.

End of the example.

Features

One or More Balance Carryforward Tasks with Different Posting Levels

In multiperiod consolidation you can use balance carryforward tasks for specific posting levels to carry forward only the necessary data records when executing a task group across a fiscal year boundary.

You choose one of the following options in a balance carryforward task:

Posting Levels

Data to be Carried Forward

All posting levels

Data with all posting levels, except data records posted in consolidation group changes, but including additional financial data for investments and equity

Reported financial data, adjustment and standardizing entries

Data with posting levels 00, 01, and 10, including additional financial data for investments and equity

Two-sided elimination entries

Data with posting level 20

Consolidation group-dependent entries

Data with posting levels 02, 12, 22, and 30, except data records posted in consolidation group changes

Note Note

An All Posting Levels option also exists in the period initialization task . In contrast to here, period initializations process data at the consolidation group level.

End of the note.

How the system updates the task status depends on the posting levels to be carried forward.

Example Example

When carrying forward consolidation group-dependent data records, you do not need to unblock tasks on the consolidation unit level as long as you use a balance carryforward task of the category Consolidation Group-dependent Entries .

End of the example.

You need to define the task hierarchy so that the balance carryforward tasks used in that hierarchy (as a whole) cover all posting levels. This is the only way to ensure that the opening balances of the new fiscal year are consistent.

You need to arrange the balance carryforward task in the task hierarchy according to the posting levels assigned to it (see also the example below). You can add balance carryforward tasks to the task hierarchy in the following ways:

  • One balance carryforward task with the category All Posting Levels ;

    This must be the first task in the task hierarchy.

  • Three or more balance carryforward tasks, including:

    • One task with category Reported Financial Data, Adjustment and Standardizing Entries

      Tasks with this category can be located in the task hierarchy anywhere prior to the consolidation group-dependent tasks.

    • One task with category Two-sided Elimination Entries

      Tasks with this category must not be at the beginning of the task hierarchy, but must be prior to the consolidation group-dependent tasks.

    • One task with category Consolidation Group-dependent Entries

      Tasks with this category must not be at the beginning of the task hierarchy, but must be prior to the consolidation group-dependent tasks.

      You can have multiple tasks in the task hierarchy for each of these three task categories.

When you assign the tasks to the task hierarchy, the system checks whether these tasks are in the correct sequence.

Integrate Copy Method in a Balance Carryforward Task

To have a balance carryforward task include data from another version, or even from another consolidation area, you can assign a copy method to the balance carryforward task. If you do this, the system first executes the copy method, which processes the complete prior-year data from the source. After this preparation, the data flows into the balance carryforward logic.

The system applies the copy method only when the balance carryforward is executed for the first year of a consolidation cycle.

The copy method must have the following Customizing settings:

  • The copy method might require a specific data type depending on which posting levels are processed in the balance carryforward task:

    • If the task carries forward additional financial data for investments or equity, the copy method needs the data type All Data Types .

    • In all other cases, the data type Reported Financial Data suffices.

  • The copy method must have the input type Cumulative because all of the prior year data needs to be carried forward.

  • You can use the settings of the copy method (in particular, the settings for field mapping and the source selection). When doing this, make sure you manipulate the data in a way in which the opening balances resulting from the balance carryforward remain consistent.

Example

A task hierarchy with multiple balance carryforward tasks might look like this. As you can see, the balance carryforward tasks cover all posting levels and are arranged in the hierarchy according to their posting level.

Hierarchy "Monitor"

  • Data collection task 1

    • Balance carryforward, all posting levels

    • Period Initialization

    • Balance carryforward, posting levels 00-10

    • Data collection

    • Copy totals data (from version 100 to 200)

    • Data collection for multiperiod consolidation

    • Manual posting

    • Reclassification

    • Validation of reported financial data

  • Data collection task 2

    • Currency Translation

    • Validation of standardized financial data

  • Consolidation 1

    • Balance carryforward, posting level 20

    • Elimination of interunit receivables and payables

  • Consolidation 2

    • Balance carryforward, posting level 30

    • Reclassification, posting level 30

    • Manual posting, posting level 30

    • Additions to consolidation group

    • Divestitures from consolidation group

    • Consolidation of investments

    • Validation of consolidated financial data

See also:

Balance Carryforward