Espresso Tutorials eBooks Library for SAP FICO Users

HPC America is pleased to offer Espresso Tutorials library of e-books for SAP users at utility

companies. We’ve known the Espresso Tutorials team for years, and find their guides to be clear, insightful, and highly effective at helping SAP users boost their practical knowledge SAP ERP functionality.

If you're training a new SAP team, or want to provide reference materials for experienced users, Espresso Tutorials' books are a great resource. Learn more about discounted subscriptions to Espresso Tutorials online library, and specific SAP FICO titles that HPC recommends.

#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.

HPC America on Twitter

SAP FICO/FERC professionals at utility companies on SAP can now follow HPC America on Twitter to get our insights, customer case studies, and white papers on SAP Financials, Regulatory Reporting (FERC), and Work Management optimization.

Follow @HPCAmerica

Utility Accounting Controllers Love

In anticipation of the SAP for Utilities conference coming up in two weeks, HPC has been thinking about what makes for truly exceptional utility accounting. After serving utilities on SAP for more than 20 years, we've learned that customers value—dare we say love—the following:

• A complete and accurate functionalized view of their financials
• No reconciliation issues between GAAP and FERC/NARUC/AWWA
• Meaningful data every day, not just at month-end
• Cost flows that are easy to understand and explain
• Financials straight from the ERP, without dependency on (waiting for) third-party solutions
• Field Ops free to focus on their work, not arcane regulatory accounting
• Highly defensible rate case data

To learn more about how HPC delivers utility accounting that Controllers love, look for us at the SAP for Utilities conference (booth #39) or schedule a meeting with us in advance. During the conference, we’ll not only discuss optimization of SAP Financials, Regulatory Reporting, and Work Management on ECC 6.0 systems, but also SAP S/4HANA adoption strategies and HPC's latest innovation for real-time regulatory financials on S/4.

Top Seven Things Your SAP FERC Reporting Solution Should Do

After spending a couple days at the SAP Controlling conference, we're reminded that utility accounting professionals are often unaware that regulatory reporting on SAP does not have to be opaque, error-prone, slow, or otherwise painful. Utilities that are relatively new to SAP may not have exposure to alternative ways of generating and managing FERC data; all they know are their own systems, which may not be configured to their full potential.

One way to test this is to see if your own SAP FERC reporting solution delivers key benefits of modern regulatory accounting systems.

Does Your SAP FERC Reporting Solution Do This?

1. Deliver all the data that Accounting and Rates need without Field Operations having to know anything about FERC
2. Assign regulatory indicators to work orders automatically
3. Translate natural to regulatory accounts automatically
4. Eliminate reconciling differences between FI, CO, and FERC
5. Help Accounting allocate common costs very easily and flexibly
6. Run fast without errors
7. Let Accounting reverse and rerun FERC quickly, anytime they want

If your current SAP FERC system doesn’t deliver these benefits, talk to HPC about it.

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.