Dual Control for Changing Master Records 

Use

You can use dual control to provide more security when changes are made to sensitive data in your customer and vendor master records.

Integration

This function can be used for changing customer master records (FI-AR) and vendor master records (FI-AP).

Prerequisites

You must define the required sensitive fields in the customer or vendor master record in Customizing (IMG) for Financial Accounting. To do so, choose Financial Accounting → Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable → Customer Accounts → Master Records → Preparations for Creating Customer Master Records → Define Sensitive Fields for Dual Control.

You must be authorized to change master records. You also define authorizations in Customizing (IMG) for Financial Accounting. To do so, choose Financial Accounting → Financial Accounting Global Settings → Maintain Profiles. The person who makes the changes is never allowed to confirm his or her own changes.

Features

You can define the required master data fields as sensitive in Customizing.

When an authorized accounting clerk changes a sensitive field in the customer or vendor master record (such as Alternative Payee), the relevant account is blocked for the payment run. The changes take effect immediately.

The account remains blocked until a second authorized person confirms the master data changes. However, it is still possible to make a further change to an account that is already blocked.

The second authorized person is informed of the changes by mail or by other means, and then uses the function Master records → Confirmation of change → Single (or → List) to edit the changes.

If the second authorized person does not confirm the master data change, the relevant account continues to be blocked for the payment run. The changes are likewise not reset.