SAP FICO HANA R2R Interview Q&A

R2R process

1. What is the R2R process in SAP FICO?

Answer:
R2R (Record to Report) is the financial process of collecting, processing, and delivering accurate financial data for reporting. In SAP FICO, R2R includes:

  • Data recording (GL, AP, AR, Asset Accounting, Bank Accounting)
  • Period-end closing (Accruals, Provisions, FX Revaluations)
  • Consolidation (Group reporting, Intercompany reconciliations)
  • Reporting (Balance Sheet, P&L, Cash Flow, Management Reports).

2. How does R2R differ in SAP S/4HANA compared to ECC?

Answer:

  • Universal Journal (ACDOCA): Combines FI, CO, AA, ML, COPA tables → one single line item table.
  • Real-time integration: No need for reconciliation between FI & CO.
  • Faster closing: Accelerated processes with SAP Fiori apps and automation.
  • Embedded analytics: Real-time reporting with CDS views.
  • Elimination of redundant tables: BSEG, COEP, MLIT, etc. partially replaced by ACDOCA.

3. What are the key R2R sub-processes in SAP FICO?Answer:

  • Journal Entry processing (manual & automated)
  • Intercompany Accounting
  • Accruals & Provisions
  • Fixed Asset Accounting & Depreciation Run
  • Foreign Currency Valuation & Translation
  • Period-End Closing & Financial Statements
  • Consolidation & Reporting

4. Explain Universal Journal and its role in R2R.

Answer:
The Universal Journal (table ACDOCA) stores all financial and controlling data in a single line item table.

  • Eliminates reconciliation between FI & CO.
  • Allows multi-dimensional reporting (profit center, segment, customer, product, etc.).
  • Simplifies R2R cycle with real-time postings and analytics.

5. What is the importance of period-end closing in R2R?

Answer:

  • Ensures all revenues & expenses are recognized in the correct accounting period.
  • Activities include: Accruals, Provisions, Depreciation, Asset Closing, GR/IR Clearing, FX Valuation.
  • In S/4HANA, Closing Cockpit (Fiori apps) streamlines and automates period-end tasks.

6. How are Accruals handled in SAP FICO?

Answer:

  • Manual accruals (FB50, FBS1).
  • Automatic accruals using Accrual Engine or Recurring Entries (FBD1).
  • In S/4HANA, Accrual Engine is integrated with Universal Journal → better transparency and audit trail.

7. What is GR/IR clearing in R2R?

Answer:

  • Temporary account for goods receipt vs invoice receipt mismatch.
  • Ensures expenses/liabilities are booked correctly before invoice arrives.
  • At period-end, run GR/IR clearing program (F.19) to adjust open items.

8. How is Foreign Currency Valuation done in R2R?

Answer:

  • At period-end, foreign currency balances must be revalued.
  • Transaction: FAGL_FCV (New) in S/4HANA.
  • Adjustments posted to Unrealized Gain/Loss accounts.
  • Runs based on valuation area, currency type, valuation methods.

9. What are key reporting tools in R2R under SAP HANA?

Answer:

  • SAP Fiori apps (Trial Balance, P&L, Balance Sheet).
  • Embedded Analytics (CDS views + KPIs).
  • SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) integration for visualization.
  • Group Reporting (S/4HANA Finance) for consolidation.

10. What is Intercompany Reconciliation in R2R?

Answer:

  • Ensures balances between group entities match before consolidation.
  • Tools: Intercompany Reconciliation (ICR) process in SAP →
    • Process 001: Document-to-Document Reconciliation
    • Process 002: Account Reconciliation
    • Process 003: Transaction Matching

11. What are Closing Cockpit & Financial Closing Cockpit?

Answer:

  • Closing Cockpit (transaction CLOCO): Automates closing activities (schedules, dependencies, status tracking).
  • Financial Closing Cockpit (FCC): Advanced tool in SAP S/4HANA with Fiori integration for multi-entity closings.

12. How is Asset Accounting integrated in R2R?

Answer:

  • Depreciation Run (AFAB / FAA_DEPRECIATION_POST).
  • Asset acquisition, retirement, transfer directly update GL in Universal Journal.
  • No separate reconciliation needed.

13. What challenges in R2R does SAP S/4HANA solve?

Answer:

  • Manual reconciliations → eliminated via Universal Journal.
  • Delayed reporting → replaced by real-time analytics.
  • Multiple ledgers & currencies → supported natively in ACDOCA.
  • Complex closings → streamlined with Closing Cockpit & Fiori apps.

14. Difference between Leading Ledger and Non-Leading Ledger in R2R?

Answer:

  • Leading Ledger (0L): Used for Group/Corporate reporting under IFRS/GAAP.
  • Non-Leading Ledger: Used for local statutory reporting (e.g., India Accounting Standards).
  • Both updated in Universal Journal in parallel accounting.

15. Can you explain R2R KPIs tracked in SAP?

Answer:

  • Days to close books
  • Accuracy of financial reporting
  • % of automated journal entries
  • Intercompany reconciliation time
  • On-time statutory compliance

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