Independent SAP Financial Close Advisory

A Faster Financial CloseStarts with Understandingthe Entire Close

Financial close delays rarely come from one transaction, one team, or one system. They emerge from dependencies across plants, subledgers, interfaces, reconciliations, consolidation activities, controls, and management decisions.

Close Activity Flow

OperationalClose
SubledgerClose
General LedgerClose
IntercompanyReconciliation
Consolidation
Reporting
Certification

Close Performance Indicators

10–14
Days
Avg Close Duration
10
Hours
Assessment Scope
40
%
Potential Reduction
Process Complexity78%
System Dependencies65%
Manual Effort82%

Complimentary 10-Hour Assessment

A focused, architect-led assessment across five working sessions to identify bottlenecks and SAP improvement opportunities.

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5

2 hours per session · 5 focused working sessions

The Business Problem

When the Close Takes 10 to 14 Days, the Problem Is Usually Bigger Than the Calendar

A close transformation must consider process, people, data, systems, controls, dependencies, frequency, ownership, and decision-making — not merely the number of tasks on a checklist.

Late operational inputs
Plant and production close delays
Incomplete subledger processing
Manual journal entries
Intercompany mismatches
Reconciliation backlogs
Spreadsheet dependencies
Interface failures
Master data inconsistencies
Multiple ERP systems
Local-versus-group accounting differences
Consolidation adjustments
Reporting dependencies
Control and approval delays
Unclear activity ownership
Limited close-status visibility

SAPClose.com helps organizations assess the complete close landscape and identify practical SAP-enabled opportunities for improvement — across every domain, dependency, and decision point.

Complimentary Offer

Start with a Focused 10-Hour SAP Financial Close Assessment

The complimentary assessment provides a structured starting point for organizations seeking to understand close bottlenecks and SAP improvement opportunities — without beginning with a large consulting engagement.

The assessment is conducted by an experienced SAP Finance architect and organized across five focused working sessions of two hours each.

No large commitment required
Architect-led, not sales-led
Covers process, systems, data, and controls
Results in a practical roadmap
Apply for the Assessment

Assessment Structure

Day 1
2 Hours

Close Objectives & Enterprise Context

Close objectives, business context, close calendar, reporting obligations and stakeholder expectations

Day 2
2 Hours

Operational & Subledger Dependencies

Operational, plant, inventory, production and subledger close dependencies

Day 3
2 Hours

General Ledger & Intercompany Close

General ledger, intercompany, reconciliations, journals, allocations and period-end processing

Day 4
2 Hours

Consolidation, Reporting, Controls & Technology

Consolidation, reporting, controls, systems, integrations, data and automation opportunities

Day 5
2 Hours

Findings & Transformation Roadmap

Findings, priority opportunities, SAP capability alignment and transformation roadmap

Total: 10 hours across 5 sessions. Not every stakeholder must attend every session.

What You Receive

Assessment Outputs

The assessment is directional and advisory. It is not a substitute for a full implementation discovery, detailed solution design, audit opinion, or formal business case.

01

Close Landscape Summary

A high-level representation of the current financial close structure, major participants, systems, and dependencies.

02

Bottleneck Register

Identification of the activities, dependencies, controls, data issues, and system limitations contributing to close delays.

03

Close Maturity View

An initial evaluation of close maturity across process, technology, data, controls, ownership, and visibility.

04

SAP Capability Alignment

Identification of relevant SAP capabilities that may support improvement across the close landscape.

05

Priority Opportunity Map

Classification of opportunities into immediate improvements, medium-term enhancements, and strategic transformation areas.

06

Executive Readout

A concise summary of findings, observations, decisions required, and recommended next steps.

SAP Capabilities

Connect Close Challenges to SAP Capabilities

The appropriate SAP capability depends on the organization's landscape, close model, transaction volumes, reporting obligations, architecture, operating model, and transformation priorities.

The assessment identifies which capabilities are relevant — and which are already in place but underutilized.

Review SAP Capabilities

SAP Capability Coverage

SAP S/4HANA FinanceUniversal JournalAdvanced Financial ClosingGroup ReportingCentral FinanceSAP Analytics CloudSAP DatasphereSAP SignavioSAP Integration SuiteSAP Build Process AutomationSAP Business AIMaterial LedgerIntercompany AccountingSAP GRCBlackLine Integration+11 more

Not every solution is required. The assessment determines which capabilities align with the organization's specific close challenges and transformation priorities.

Maturity Journey

Move from Close Acceleration to Close Transformation

Build Your Roadmap
01

Stabilize

  • Clarify ownership
  • Resolve recurring failures
  • Standardize the close calendar
  • Improve task discipline
  • Address critical data and interface defects
02

Simplify

  • Remove redundant activities
  • Reduce manual journals
  • Standardize reconciliations
  • Harmonize local and global processes
  • Improve master data governance
03

Automate

  • Automate recurring activities
  • Introduce workflow and approvals
  • Improve close orchestration
  • Strengthen exception management
  • Use SAP standard capabilities more effectively
04

Transform

  • Event-driven close monitoring
  • Predictive exception identification
  • Continuous accounting practices
  • Integrated close analytics
  • AI-assisted analysis and decision support

The transformation journey is not linear for every organization. The appropriate starting point and pace depend on the current close maturity, SAP landscape, business priorities, and available resources.

How We Work

Engage Directly or Through Your Existing SAP Partner

We support the client's transformation ecosystem rather than requiring the replacement of existing partners.

01

Direct Advisory

Independent SAP Finance architecture, assessment, roadmap, and transformation advisory — working directly with the client organization.

02

Client and Partner Collaboration

Work alongside the client's SAP implementation partner, managed service provider, internal center of excellence, or finance transformation team.

03

Specialized Architecture Support

Targeted financial close architecture and design support within a broader SAP program, complementing the existing implementation team.

Get Started

Your Close Calendar Shows the Symptoms. The Assessment Identifies the Causes.

A faster close begins with a clear understanding of the activities, dependencies, systems, data, controls, and decisions that shape the current close. The complimentary 10-hour assessment provides a focused starting point.