UNCOVER WHAT S HIDDEN IN YOUR SAP ERP DATA TO HELP CUT COSTS AND RAISE COMPLIANCE

UNCOVER WHAT S HIDDEN IN YOUR SAP ERP DATA TO HELP CUT COSTS AND RAISE COMPLIANCE

UNCOVER WHAT S HIDDEN IN YOUR SAP ERP DATA TO HELP CUT COSTS AND RAISE COMPLIANCE Leverage the pre-packaged expertise in ACL Audit and Financial Control Solution for SAP ERP In many organizations, SAP systems are considered to be the lifeblood of the enterprise as they help manage business-critical processes and operations. Given this, it should be no surprise that the data underlying these core SAP processes can yield tremendous insight into the business operations underpinning an enterprise. As 66% of audit, compliance, and risk professionals are focused on internally-driven risk exposures for 2014 1, to auditors, SAP ERP data can be considered a goldmine. Having the ability to easily access and analyze SAP ERP data to identify patterns, trends, anomalies, and gaps in business processes could help reduce operational risks, minimize profit erosion and mitigate the risk of fraud all of which ultimately impact an organization s outcome. However, many audit teams either leave this SAP ERP data goldmine untapped or fail to leverage it to its full potential due to several barriers that are challenging to overcome. Typical Barriers to Effectively Auditing SAP ERP Data Long delays due to lack of accessibility of SAP ERP data Given the specialized nature of SAP systems, most auditors rely on IT to get them the data they need which leads to prolonged waiting and delayed progress. In fact, it often takes multiple requests to get the required data due to miscommunication between the two teams. If not depending on IT, the other common alternative to access SAP ERP data is through a manual process, which is time consuming and requires considerable effort to achieve and maintain. Difficulty in determining relevant SAP ERP data for analysis due to cryptic table names SAP ERP table names follow their own convention and are challenging to decipher. This makes it difficult for users to know which underlying database tables are associated with each table in SAP ERP. The complexity in making these connections just adds to the difficulty in working with SAP ERP data, and as a result, the progress from auditors is extremely slow. Lack of effective auditing analytics and tests While it is easy to state that by analyzing SAP ERP data, auditors can reveal important findings that benefit the business, the more important question is how? Testing for patterns, trends, anomalies and gaps is not a trivial process and there needs to be a higher level understanding of what to test for and why in order to have meaningful, actionable results. Upper management undoubtedly gets frustrated at the lack of output from the auditing team, who is equally frustrated given their lack of SAP ERP expertise. Fortunately, ACL has an independent, cost-effective solution that can help alleviate the pain. 2 1 source: ACL s 2013 GRC Technology Pulse Survey

SOLUTION SHEET ACL Audit and Financial Control Solution for SAP ERP The Audit and Financial Control Solution for SAP ERP provides clearly defined deliverables to help clients maximize insight into their SAP ERP data: A complete risk and control framework specific to customers using SAP ERP covering four key accounting and financial reporting processes: Procure to Pay, Order to Cash, Record to Report, and Vendor Management Pre-built common data models and matching import and transformation scripts leveraging ACL Direct Link, a SAPcertified add-on for ACL Analytics and ACL Analytics Exchange that provides straight-forward data access supporting the analyses above Approximately 250 hours of consulting for implementation in the client s environment These combined capabilities provide unparalleled insight into the complex business transactions underlying SAP ERP processes, enabling the identification of control breaches, risks, as well as opportunities for operational improvements that ultimately lead to cost savings. The synergistic solutions not only remove the IT hurdles of accessing the transactions underlying SAP ERP processes, but they also eliminate the complexity in understanding the data itself. Given the business-critical nature of SAP ERP systems, having easy access to the data coupled with sophisticated, yet easy to use, analysis, monitoring, and management capabilities reveals a whole new dimension to the auditing spectrum, providing more complete, defensible coverage and insight for making decisions that benefit the business. Easily identify details behind exceptions and violations by referring to supporting analytics An enablement program to help customers understand and integrate the process of data extraction and analysis into their existing process needs Pre-built analysis scripts used for auditing or continuous monitoring the key risks and controls within the processes noted above

Benefits of the Audit and Financial Control Solution for SAP ERP Faster results with automation and scheduling capabilities In addition to providing easy access to SAP ERP data, the import and transformation scripts that leverage Direct Link can be automated to even further accelerate data extraction. With the ability to automate data pulls, auditors can maximize their time with minimal effort by scheduling extraction tasks to run during off-hours so that the data they need is ready for them first thing the next morning. COMMON DATA MODEL Expenses Purchase Orders Payments Direct, read-only access to SAP ERP data Reports, Extracts Human Resources SAP Active Employees Other Reviewing vendor invoice documents can involve connecting up to a half dozen SAP tables: BSIK, BSAK, BKPF, LFA1, LFB1, EKBE, and others. The common data models included would connect all these tables together into a single, documented, easy to analyze table. BSIK LFA1 EKKD Other Pre-packaged SAP application expertise for a simplified process The Audit and Financial Control Solution for SAP ERP provides pre-built, common data models that leverage Direct Link to remove the painstaking, time-consuming process of SAP ERP data access. The solution also provides pre-built analysis scripts designed to monitor key risks and controls in financial reporting processes. Having these elements of the process already pre-built and tailored for the intricacies of SAP ERP systems help speed up and simplify the process significantly, while adding more value to the organization as it allows auditors to concentrate on the results for increased coverage and assurance instead of being consumed with SAP-specific procedure logistics. Furthermore, since it s an independent and configurable solution with training included, the audit team can enable themselves to make modifications and make changes as the business inevitably changes. Faster time to-value with 25+ years of industry expertise & consultative approach In addition to the considerable wealth of knowledge delivered through training, pre-built scripts, and data models, the Audit and Financial Control Solution for SAP ERP includes on-site, best practice consulting services for a smooth and quick implementation, which includes delivery of an automation framework for the analytics tests to enable ongoing identification and monitoring of risks and controls for a repeatable and sustainable solution. ACL has been in the forefront of the auditing industry since their creation of the audit control language that has now become an industry standard. With over 25 years of knowledge and expertise, their proven consultative approach has helped Fortune 500 clients gain significant insight into their data through the identification, analysis, and management of risk. 4

SOLUTION SHEET Increased flexibility and automatic upgrades The Audit and Financial Control Solution for SAP ERP is designed for use with ACL GRC (governance, risk, and compliance), a SSAE 16- certified cloud-based solution, to distribute results making it not only secure, but also easy to scale and add capacity as needed. Another cloud-based advantage is the reduced burden on IT given that upgrades are provisioned automatically, ensuring the organization benefits from the latest features of the release with minimal effort from IT. Maximal audit coverage with support for multiple systems Although SAP ERP systems are a critical component of the enterprise, they are often only part of the picture. For more comprehensive coverage and insight across the organization, ACL analytics solutions have the capability to connect to other systems for cross-system analysis. For example, matching employee addresses with vendor payments is more effective when the financial data in SAP ERP can be correlated with HR data which often resides in a different system. Know results sooner with mobile access into audit processes and status Get immediate visibility into analysis results through the iphone or ipad without having to be in the office. A free app is available from the Apple AppStore to provide mobile access to the Audit and Financial Control Solution for SAP ERP, allowing project management and execution of fieldwork regardless of location. Flexibility for more strategic initiatives The drivers behind an audit are varied: it could be an ad-hoc request, verifying the effectiveness of a control, addressing a corporate risk there are multiple possibilities. When investing in an auditing solution, its ROI is maximized if it not only has the breadth and depth of capabilities to address your immediate/current challenge, but the flexibility to meet expanding, but related, requirements. While the Audit and Financial Control Solution for SAP ERP can more than sufficiently meet the needs for audit requests, it can also efficiently and easily manage governance, risk, and compliance projects as the scope of requests increase not only in volume, but complexity and corporate visibility. Help increase corporate visibility of audit and financial control efforts. Summary Get more insight into your key financial processes by embracing SAP ERP data rather than avoiding it due to a lack of expertise. With the ACL Audit and Financial Control Solution for SAP ERP, eliminate the typical roadblocks that plague most auditing teams and differentiate your organization get credible results faster to make better business decisions that increase the bottom line.

SOLUTION SHEET acl grc Interested in learning more about our products and services? Call 1-888-669-4225 to speak with a representative Visit our website at acl.com Email us at info@acl.com 130205 - Solution_Sheet_TE About ACL ACL delivers technology solutions that are transforming audit and risk management. Through a combination of software and expert content, ACL enables powerful internal controls that identify and mitigate risk, protect profits, and accelerate performance. Driven by a desire to expand the horizons of audit and risk management so they can deliver greater strategic business value, we develop and advocate technology that strengthens results, simplifies adoption, and improves usability. ACL s integrated family of products including our cloud-based governance, risk management and compliance (GRC) solution and flagship data analytics products combine all vital components of audit and risk, and are used seamlessly at all levels of the organization, from the C-suite to front line audit and risk professionals and the business managers they interface with. Enhanced reporting and dashboards provide transparency and business context that allows organizations to focus on what matters. And, thanks to 25 years of experience and our consultative approach, we ensure fast, effective implementation, so customers realize concrete business results fast at low risk. Our actively engaged community of more than 14,000 customers around the globe including 89% of the Fortune 500 tells our story best. Here are just a few. Visit us online at www.acl.com 2014 ACL Services Ltd. ACL and the ACL logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACL Services Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.