SAP SEM-BCS
Flexibility and efficiency with SAP SEM-BCS: functions, reporting and migration to modern solutions Contact usSAP SEM BCS (Strategic Enterprise Management Business Consolidation System) is a classic SAP product and is used by numerous large corporations for the preparation of consolidated financial statements, group planning and reporting.
Users of SAP SEM BCS have access to a wide range of functions that significantly accelerate the consolidation process.
Both business users and IT managers can flexibly adapt the system to their specific requirements.
Functions of SAP SEM-BCS
In contrast to its predecessor EC-CS and the strategic consolidation solution Group Reporting, SEM-BCS is based on a multidimensional data model in the SAP Business Warehouse.
This allows you to map business requirements very flexibly and automatically.
Thanks to the existing process view for the specialist department, you can use SEM-BCS to track the progress of the consolidated financial statements in real time and process data at the same time.
The consolidation monitor provides you with an overview of the consolidation steps and consolidation units that have already been carried out.
The consolidation steps are visible on the basis of tasks that are created in a specific order – the task hierarchy.
Capture all data in real time
Consolidation managed in this way provides audit measures at various levels which, in addition to the business requirements – such as assets = liabilities – also validates the technical requirements and informs you via information, warning and error messages whether you can continue the process or whether manual intervention is necessary.
This enables you to record, evaluate and report on all Group data in real time.
Assign your receipts to each posting
The SEM-BCS software works with documents.
These in turn are created on the basis of the account assignment level concept.
Regardless of whether the tasks are carried out automatically or you make manual postings, you can view every document at any time.
All documents are assigned a unique document number and account assignment level during a posting process.
Another advantage of SEM-BCS is the ability to test the execution of measures.
This allows you to see immediately whether error or warning messages have been generated and you can correct them before the first real posting run.
Benefit from versatile and integrated reporting
The SEM-BCS solution already offers you various reporting options in the consolidation monitor. You can view and analyze all documents and totals records posted since you started using the tool. You have a comprehensive filter option that includes all master data and its characteristics.
The “List of documents” function is particularly helpful, allowing you to view all the documents associated with the totals record. You can also use Analysis for Office (AfO), which is the strategic successor to the Business Explorer tools (BEx Designer and BEx Analyzer), to independently create queries on the basis of Business Warehouse objects such as info and multi-providers and also make them available for external purposes. You have the option of using data from the consolidation tool to integrate data from other departments, such as Controlling. Controlling, for example.
Use your business warehouse and let it guide you
Are you already familiar with the Business Warehouse, know what an info area, an info object and an info provider are and want to use the solution even more efficiently?
We would be happy to show you how to optimize the customizing of SEM-BCS and how to adapt the individual solution functions to your needs and legal requirements as part of our individual coaching. You have the choice. You can either copy the delivered real-time cube and use the characteristics and key figures provided by SAP that are necessary for consolidation or create your own info objects based on it and integrate them into a newly created real-time cube.
The advantage of the latter is that these objects are not used by other areas – e.g. profit centers in Controlling. This prevents unwanted changes to the master data. You also protect yourself against unwanted changes to the SAP standard after a release change. We would be happy to advise you in more detail. After activating the real-time cube, you work in the UCWB – Workbench transaction provided. Here you will be guided through the customizing step by step. In principle, all consolidation systems require the necessary specialist knowledge. Depending on the accounting standard, the individual functions in the SEM-BCS tool may need to be configured differently. Our coaching approach can help you with this. Otherwise, we will of course be happy to take over the customizing for you.
Set functions and master data variably for different versions
In addition to legal consolidation in accordance with the German Commercial Code (HGB), your group would also like to map legal consolidation in accordance with IFRS. In addition, it should also be possible to analyze forecast and planning data. This is easily possible with SEM-BCS. You can simply create an additional version for each of these requirements. For each version, you decide in which functions and master data it should differ from the other versions. You can discuss the right approaches and procedures with us in a workshop and using our coaching approach.
Expand and use new functions as quickly as possible after a release upgrade
In other consolidation tools, you have to write programs and define logics.
With SEM-BCS, it is easier to define new functions. To do this, you use the so-called business functions. Depending on the release status, you can activate different business functions. Typical functions that are available after activating business functions are, for example, the options for making organizational and structural changes to the group and merging consolidation units. We can discuss the individual expansion options for the SEM-BCS application with you in our workshops. Otherwise, we will be happy to take over the customizing for you.
BW/4HANA as an interface
BW/4HANA serves as a powerful interface for integrating and analyzing company data. The platform offers functions for extracting, transforming and loading data (ETL) in order to integrate various data sources from non-SAP systems. BW/4HANA also enables comprehensive analysis of data in real time using modern data warehousing technologies. Overall, BW/4HANA offers a central platform for bundling, transforming and analyzing data.
SAP SEM-BCS to SAP BCS/4HANA Migration: A Guide
As part of SAP’s product development and strategy, support and further development of SEM BCS will be discontinued at the end of 2027 (SAP Note # 1171344). SAP has developed more modern solutions such as SAP BCS/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA Group Reporting to meet the increased requirements for consolidation and financial reporting. BCS/4HANA offers the following key advantage, especially for companies that already use SEM-BCS: investment protection for the consolidation and group reporting application built up in the past. SAP offers the option of migrating from SEM BCS to BCS/4HANA. We can discuss the migration options with you in our workshops. The migration from SEM-BCS to SAP BCS in conjunction with SAP BW/4HANA requires careful planning and execution. There are basically two ways to migrate – in-place or remote conversion. The procedure differs depending on the target release.
Your benefits with SAP SEM-BCS
Focus on strategic management
SEM BCS focuses on strategic management and corporate planning.
It offers functions to support planning, budgeting and strategic analysis.
Currency conversion
The solution supports the conversion of financial data into different currencies, which is crucial for multinational companies.
Compliance with accounting standards
The solution ensures that companies can comply with local and international accounting standards and regulatory requirements.
Audit trail and security
SAP SEM BCS offers comprehensive monitoring and audit trail functions to ensure data security and traceability.
Integration into the SEM portfolio
SEM BCS is part of SAP’s Strategic Enterprise Management (SEM) portfolio.
This means that it can be seamlessly integrated with other SEM modules, providing companies with a comprehensive suite of tools for strategic management.
Elimination of intercompany transactions
SAP SEM BCS offers the option of automatically eliminating intercompany transactions in order to avoid double counting in the consolidated financial reports.
Core benefits of SEM BCS
The core benefit of SEM BCS is the simplification of consolidation and reporting in complex business environments.
Overall, SEM BCS offers companies familiarity for existing users, flexibility and customizability, better financial control, reduction of time and effort, and integration into the SEM portfolio.
Challenges and alternatives
Despite these advantages, however, it should be noted that the solution is being replaced by more modern alternatives, particularly with regard to SAP BCS/4HANA in conjunction with BW/4HANA and SAP S/4HANA Group Reporting.
These offer extended functions and better integration.
Our range of services
Our range of services includes not only the technical implementation, but also the development of concepts, specialist advice and ongoing support.
We make sure that the software runs smoothly and offers the maximum benefit for your company.
In addition, we offer comprehensive consulting services to assess how we can best support you with our customized solutions.
Our other SAP solutions in Group management
SAP S/4HANA for Group Reporting
SAP S/4HANA Finance for Group Reporting is a powerful solution that helps companies to efficiently consolidate and analyze financial data at group level.
BCS/4HANA
BCS/HANA optimizes business consolidation with a robust platform for financial data collection, analysis and reporting.
SAP ICMR
SAP S/4HANA's integrated solution ICMR facilitates intra-group reconciliations, makes the process more transparent and automated, and accelerates the transition to consolidated financial statements.
SAP SEM BCS
SAP SEM-BCS optimizes consolidation processes, collects and analyzes financial data, meets compliance requirements and improves reporting.
SAP Data Collection App
The Group Reporting Data Collection App collects, analyzes and transfers data to the consolidation system, saves time and resources and improves reports.
SAP BPC
SAP BPC optimizes financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and consolidation.
It manages complex financial data, creates accurate reports and supports well-founded decisions.
SAP EC-CS
EC-CS is stable and proven for many SAP customers.
With the introduction of S/4HANA, customers are faced with the decision of how they want to proceed with EC-CS, especially in the brownfield approach and for non-S/4HANA customers.
SAP Analytics Cloud
SAP Analytics Cloud is a cloud-based platform for business analytics.
It enables data analysis, business intelligence, planning and forecasting to make data-driven decisions and improve business performance.
Our latest articles
Knowledge
Consolidation in the SAC using the example of expense and income elimination
Group reconciliations and eliminations are necessary as part of the consolidated financial statements. Consolidation solutions such as Group Reporting and BCS are used for the actual posting and preparation of the legal consolidation and the financial statements. The...
From BCS to Group Reporting: Master the challenges of goodwill amortization
After switching to Group Reporting, many customers who previously used BCS find that some functionalities are no longer available in an automated and pre-supplied form, or are no longer available at all. One example of this is the scheduled amortization of goodwill....
SAP Business Planning and Consolidation as a central data provision platform for Group reporting
A consistent and high-quality data basis for the individual financial statements is essential for successful consolidated financial statements. As a rule, not all companies within a group use a uniform ERP system, but different software solutions. This leads to a...