Free Webinar: FERC Reporting Options for Utilities on SAP S/4HANA

Utility companies running SAP have a number of different FERC reporting options on SAP
S/4HANA. On September, 6, 2017 at 11:00am Pacific, HPC America’s free Webinar for utility company Finance, Accounting, Rates, and IT professionals will answer the following questions:

What FERC reporting functionality is possible on S/4HANA…

• as delivered?
• with configuration changes alone?
• with a partner’s software solution such as HPC DECIPHER?

Utility companies attending the Webinar will gain a clear understanding of the capabilities and limitations of these three approaches to regulatory accounting on S/4HANA, and have an opportunity to learn from HPC America’s 20+ years of experience supporting utilities on SAP. Register for the event now.

New White Paper About FERC Reporting Options on SAP S/4HANA

HPC America’s FERC Reporting Option Matrix for SAP S/4HANA outlines three alternative regulatory accounting designs for utilities on SAP. It covers one derivation-based FERC reporting model, and two different transaction-based FERC models. Request your copy now.

This detailed white paper is based on HPC America’s 20+ years of experience developing regulatory accounting solutions for utilities on SAP. It summarizes how three different approaches to FERC accounting function on S/4HANA, including their respective technical requirements, reporting capabilities, and data granularity to support rate case preparation and regulatory inquiries. It also addresses FERC-GAAP reconciliation, financial statement drill-down, FERC adjustments, FERC budgeting, and other topics relevant to utility accounting stakeholders running SAP S/4HANA.

Utility finance, account, rates, and IT professionals may request their copy of the white paper online.

2017 SAP SAPPHIRE - FERC on SAP S/4HANA

Utilities considering SAP^® S/4HANA can discuss SAP FERC reporting on S/4HANA with HPC America at the 2017 SAP SAPPHIRE NOW conference in Orlando, Florida from May 16-17, 2017. 
HPC will be available to answer questions about regulatory accounting on S/4; explain what HANA can (and can't) do as delivered with respect to FERC reporting; and, more broadly, outline S/4HANA upgrade strategies and best practices for financials, cost flows, and rate case support in an HANA-based system.

#SAP4UTL Take-Aways About FERC Reporting on SAP S/4HANA

Like some of you attending the 2016 SAP for Utilities conference earlier this week, we had the opportunity to learn and talk about different approaches to regulatory accounting on SAP S/4HANA. FERC reporting has historically been an obscure topic, but it’s getting more airtime as utilities consider carefully the business case for, and impact of, moving to S/4HANA or S/4HANA Finance ("Simple Finance").

In the course of discussing FERC processes and results with #SAP4UTL conference attendees, we validated that HPC’s new design for real-time reporting on S/4HANA will in fact meet the needs of utilities adopting SAP’s in-memory platform. The software solution we introduced at the conference, HPC DECIPHER, has a light architecture: it runs natively on the Universal Journal, and doesn’t entail the use of a second HANA system running in parallel (or any additional hardware for that matter). As well, HPC DECIPHER does not require SLT replication of master data or coding block changes.

Bigger picture, we determined that HPC DECIPHER reinforces — even clinches — the business case for SAP S/4HANA in several ways. 

By making the most of SAP’s new technology, HPC DECIPHER translates GAAP to Regulatory accounts in real-time, directly in your S/4HANA server; eliminates GAAP-FERC reconciliation issues; functionalizes operational costs with the most granular level of detail; allocates common costs by utility code or line of business; generates full Financial Statements with drill down to all regulatory line items; enables easy, controlled reversal and reposting of regulatory data; identifies all cost flows traced from start to finish—and in reverse—with drill-down to details; and translates the fixed asset sub-ledger to regulatory accounts (e.g., the 300 series for FERC) directly in S/4HANA, thereby creating the potential to reduce the use of some costly third-party fixed asset solutions. And HPC DECIPHER does all of this, and more, without the legacy FERC module.

So, if you, too, discussed real-time FERC reporting on S/4HANA at the SAP for Utilities conference, and are now asking questions about regulatory reporting on S/4HANA, please contact HPC to chat about HPC DECIPHER — or to simply pick our brains. As you may already know, we’ve specialized in FERC reporting for utilities on SAP for a long time, since the very beginning, and our unmatched expertise will benefit most utilities transitioning to SAP S/4HANA.

SAP S/4HANA Add-On: HPC DECIPHER for Real-Time Regulatory Financials

HPC America is pleased to announce its latest innovation for utilities on SAP^® S/4HANA: HPC DECIPHER for real-time regulatory financials.

HPC DECIPHER is an ABAP-based software application that runs natively on the SAP Universal Journal. It provides the most comprehensive translation, allocation, adjustment, reporting, and forensics for utilities on SAP S/4HANA or S/4HANA Finance. HPC DECIPHER delivers greater accounting transparency, stronger rate case positions, and improved back-office efficiency.

Key Benefits for Utilities on SAP S/4HANA

• Translates GAAP to Regulatory accounts in real-time, directly in S/4HANA or S/4HANA Finance
• Portions line items to multiple regulatory accounts
• Allocates common costs, such as those from shared services, by utility code
• Generates full Financial Statements with drill down to all regulatory line items
• Eliminates the need for lump-sum journal entries that lose valuable transaction details
• Enables easy, controlled reversal and reposting of regulatory data
• Improves responsiveness to regulatory inquiries, and strengthens rate case positions
• Establishes one version of the truth between GAAP and Regulatory views

Read the full product description of HPC DECIPHER.

Learn More at the SAP for Utilities Conference #SAP4UTL

Utilities can learn more about FERC reporting on SAP S/4HANA and the benefits HPC DECIPHER delivers at the SAP for Utilities conference in Huntington Beach, CA, October 10-11, 2016. Meet HPC America at booth #39 to discuss SAP S/4HANA adoption strategies and alternative approaches to regulatory accounting for utilities on SAP S/4HANA. Schedule a meeting with HPC now.

FERC Reporting on SAP S/4HANA - Updated FAQ

In the course of developing solutions on SAP S/4HANA this year, we've updated our FAQ about Regulatory Reporting (FERC) on SAP S/4HANA.

Whether your utility runs the SAP FI-RRU (“FERC”) module or a homegrown derivation- or transaction-based regulatory accounting solution on SAP to functionalize your GAAP accounts, this FAQ will provide some guidance on S/4HANA’s impact on regulatory reporting for utility companies on SAP.

This paper is for public and investor-owned utilities considering S/4HANA, and is ideal for Finance, Accounting, Rates, and IT managers with SAP FICO/FERC responsibility. Request the FAQ online.