How to load IC details in BFC

Center of Excellence

1. Abstract

During the first steps of a consolidation process, there are two possible ways to enter the Intercompany details: during the loading of the trial balances or in a subsequent moment, using a specific screen (IC integration screen) . 

In order to enter the Intercompany details using the IC integration screen, the standard BFC application allows the user to enter IC details by selecting the accounts that need to be detailed. This means that if an account has been selected, the only way to enter the Intercompany detail is through the IC integration screen. 

It can happen that two or more companies, using the same chart of account, enter Intercompany details using different methods (eg. the first company loads IC details during the data loading, while the other one enters the IC in the proper screen). 

The BFC application doesn’t allow us to manage that case without customization. 

The article aims to face one of the customers' needs related to the possibility for those companies sharing the chart of accounts and using different methods to load the intercompany details in a correct way. 

2. Context

In the BFC Application the “Data Load Local CoA” screen in the “Data Collection” menu, allows to import local trial balances using the Local Chart of Accounts of the Reporting units and map them to the Group Chart of Account in order to populate the first layer of the consolidation cube and process. 

By clicking on the button “1. Load Data”, the Trial Balances will be uploaded, using the standard templates. 

In the first column of the report (“Data Load Local CoA”) the user can flag – populating “Multi IC” cube if a specific account is related to a multi-intercompany counterpart or not. If one or more accounts are flagged, then it is needed to assign the amount to the counterparts in the “I/C Integration“ screen. 

The “2. Map and Run” button allows to integrate the IC information entered in the “I/C Integration“ screen and recalculate the third parties value. 

The “Submit” button moves the values to the consolidation cube. 

The multi IC cube, in the standard BFC, has only one dimension, the Local Account.  

Assuming that the Local Chart of Account is shared by all the Reporting Unit or a subset of them, if a specific local account has been flagged with Multi IC, all the reporting unit using that local account needs to be managed in the “I/C Integration“ screen. 

This is because the procedure that integrates the IC information, select the local account contained in the multi IC cube/flag and delete the data corresponding to that accounts for all the reporting unit using it and then replace them with the IC details entered manually through the proper data entry screen. 

3. Content

One of the needs of the customer could be to consider the reporting unit – in addition to the local account - when launching the Map&Run procedure to integrate IC data. 

This need could be linked to the fact that some reporting units can load the IC details directly through the trial balances instead other reporting units (using the same local chart of account) don’t have the IC details when loading the trial balances. 

When the user selects the Multi IC flag for a specific Local Account the Map&Run procedure replace the data on that account with the ic details entered so if one or more reporting unit has already loaded IC details through trial balances for an account being flagged with multi IC, those data will be lost. 

In order not to lose the IC details for those reporting units loading IC detail through the trial balances it is needed to add the reporting unit to the Multi IC cube and then modify the Map&Run procedure. 

In that way it will be possible to manage the Multi IC flag by Local Account and Reporting unit making sure to integrate the IC details (with the Map&Run procedure) for specific combinations of Local Account / Reporting Unit. 

3.1 Steps

Following the steps to be done: 

• Modify the structure of the Multi Ic cube adding the reporting unit entity 
• Modify the “090 - 02.2 Calculate IC” procedure, group “Single Multiple Intercompany” in that way, eliminating/disabling all the steps that are not mentioned below : 

• Clear cube Local Trial Balances (re-Mapped) No IC 
• Data flow: c=if(b>0;a) where 
  • c= Temporary cube X 
  • a= Manual IC edit 
  • b= Multi IC 
• Data Flow: b=a where  
  • b= Local Trial Balances (re-Mapped) No IC 
  • a= Temporary cube X 
• Data Flow: d=if(c>0;a-b) where  
  • a= Local Trial Balances (re-Mapped) 
  • b= Local Trial Balances (re-Mapped) No IC 
  • c= Multi IC 
  • d= Temporary cube y 
• Data flow: b=a where 
  • b= Local Trial Balances (re-Mapped) No IC 
  • a= Temporary cube y 
  • Extend on Ic and Related Parties 
• Selection on Ic and Related Parties = Third parties  
• Data flow: b=a 
  • a= Local Trial Balances (re-Mapped) No IC 
  • b= Temporary cube z 
• Remove selection Ic and Related Parties  
• Data flow: e=if(c>0;b+d;a) 
  • d= Temporary cube z 
  • b= Temporary cube x 
  • c= Multi IC 
  • a= Local Trial Balances (re-Mapped) final 
  • e= Local Trial Balances (re-Mapped) final 
• Go to Group:  Exit 

 Temporary cube – Structure: 

• Temporary cube X: Month, Reporting Unit, Consolidation Node, IC and Related Parties, Account, Custom 1, Movement, Layer, Custom 2, Local Account, Investment Cost, Scenario 
• Temporary cube Z: Month, Reporting Unit, Consolidation Node, IC and Related Parties, Account, Custom 1, Movement, Layer, Custom 2, Local Account, Investment Cost, Scenario 
• Temporary cube Y: Month, Reporting Unit, Consolidation Node, Account, Custom 1, Movement, Layer, Custom 2, Local Account, Investment Cost, Scenario 

Center of Excellence

Thanks @Katia Colciaghi for the insights on this article!