Beyond standard SAP (Revolutionising open item clearing)

Chris Brooks, GL Product Manager at BEST and former SAP Finance consultant, shared his expertise on overcoming standard SAP clearing limitations through BEST’s innovative solution – The BEST open item clearing module. 

Key Takeaways

Understanding Standard SAP Limitations

• Configuration restrictions at chart of accounts level
• Inability to match across different accounts and company codes
• Challenges with reference matching
• Manual clearing constraints

The BEST Solution’s Core Features

• Cross-company and cross-account clearing capabilities
• Flexible matching criteria using any SAP field
• Reference modification without altering original data
• Both automated and manual processing options

Practical Applications

• Daily automated clearing processes
• Handling high-volume retail transactions
• Intercompany reconciliation
• Month-end clearing optimisation.

Understanding the Limitations of Standard Sap Clearing

Chris demonstrated several key limitations:

• Automated clearing rules must be identical for all companies using the same chart of accounts
• No automated matching across different account types or company codes
• Even minor differences in references prevent automatic matching
• Manual clearing limited to eight accounts at a time, making large-volume processing tedious

These limitations often lead to risky workarounds, such as posting additional journal entries to enable clearing or manually updating references – practices that Chris encountered firsthand as an SAP Finance consultant.

Real-World Applications of BEST’s Open Item-Clearing Module

During the live demonstration, Chris showcased key features:

• Real-time matching visualisation with colour-coded results
• Flexible matching across different fields (text, assignment, header reference)
• Totals functionality for managing large transaction volumes
• Mass reset and reverse capability
• Comprehensive clearing activity reporting

Implementation and Support

• 2-3 month typical implementation timeline
• Additional month of go-live support
• Online training tools available
• Pricing based on open item volumes

Audience Q&A Highlights

Key questions addressed during the webinar:

• Implementation timelines and impact of multiple company codes
• Handling clearing errors and reversals
• Migration considerations between ECC and S/4HANA
• Additional reporting capabilities
• Cross-instance implementation considerations

Success Stories

The solution is currently being used by major organisations, including:

• Pepkor Lifestyle
• Shoprite
• ITALTILE
• Dis-Chem
• Life
• AfriSam
• HSE
• Netcare 
• And others across various sectors

Next Steps

Ready to transform your SAP clearing processes? Contact BEST for a personalised demo of their open item-clearing module. Book a demo. 

If you missed the live session, don’t worry! The full recording is now available for you to watch at your convenience.