Automation in uploading the electronic statement file in SAP

As you may already know, manually uploading the electronic bank statement files of the various bank accounts takes a lot of time for the user.

Inefficiencies in manual uploading of electronic statement file​

The treasury user's tasks in uploading the bank statement files in SAP include the following:

  • Daily connection to each of the banks to download the electronic statement file.

  • For each of the n banks, the file must be downloaded with all transactions.

  • For each of the n banks, you must run the standard (or custom) transaction in SAP to upload the electronic statement file.

  • For each of the bank accounts, it is necessary to verify that the balance of account 572* (assuming the Spanish chart of accounts) matches the actual balance of each bank account.

 

At CUVIV, we have automated each of these tasks we have just mentioned through a product.

 

Advantages of automating the upload of the electronic bank statement​

Automation of the process brings the following advantages:

  • Reduced risk of fraud. By not connecting the user to online banking, the risk of possible computer hacking is reduced

  • Reduction of the time spent by the user

  • Automatically balances each of the 572* accounts reflecting bank transactions with the balance of each account

  • Current cash balance every day. Many companies choose not to upload bank statements daily as it is very time-consuming. If you do not perform the daily loading process, the last movements will not be reflected in SAP and consequently, the balances of the 572* accounts will not be real.

  • Optimization of the balancing tasks of the finance department. The finance department (receipts and payments) usually performs the tasks of accounting for collections from customers and suppliers and then compensating the invoices corresponding to these collections. To facilitate the work, it is necessary to upload the electronic bank statement daily.

 

CUVIV add-on to automate the upload of the electronic bank statement

To automate the upload of the electronic bank statement from start to finish, you need software/product that connects to each bank to download the file of the electronic bank statement.

Below are the most commonly used options by our customers:

  • Editran: Communication software used in Spain

  • Multibank Connectivity: SAP Standard option that supports most banks internationally

  • SWIFT: Option that many international customers have and that also covers most international banks

  • RPA: Using one of the RPA products available on the market or software development based on Webscrapping, it is possible to automate the online connection process with each of the banking entities and download the file. However, this is not the ideal solution and we recommend this as a fallback solution

Likewise, the decision depends on the problem of each client and we can provide independent advice depending on the situation. We usually show the advantages and disadvantages of each decision so that the customer can decide which is the best option.

Once we have decided on the platform we will use for the download, these automatically downloaded files are automatically placed on the client's server.

At CUVIV we have developed an add-on that performs the following tasks:​

  • The process automatically collects all the files from the server and through a program and a job they are loaded into SAP, using the transaction that the user uses to load them every day. It is a process that runs below without the user having to intervene.

  • Logging the process and reconciling the balances. In CUVIV we have a monitor that shows the status of 2 processes: the execution of the electronic bank statement and the balance of the bank accounts. To do this, we display 2 status lights that indicate if things went well (green) or if there was a problem (red). In addition to the traffic lights, the monitor displays the most representative data of the debit of the electronic bank statement

  • Sending an email to the financial manager in case of an error. This way we avoid the possibility of remembering the execution of the monitor. In this way, the user responsible for the upload, viewing his email account, can see if the upload of the electronic statement has gone well or if an error has occurred.

Additional electronic statement automation processes​

At CUVIV we have different products that help to automate subsequent tasks after uploading the electronic statement and that practically avoid the need to connect to online banking. In this way, we avoid evident fraud risks.

Regarding the electronic statement, we usually recommend the following 2 automation processes:

  • Accounting and clearing of the most relevant third-party operations that can be automated (for example, customer transfers, supplier domiciliations, commissions, cashpooling / Cash-Concentration...)

  • Upload the bank statement and attach it to your financial note in SAP related

 

If you require more information about any of our treasury solutions or simply see a demo, you can write to us at info@cuviv.com.