#COE #BA01 Supplier Invoice Workflow Posting Date change

[RyanMuller]

Hello,

We're using flexible workflow for Supplier Invoices and wondering how others are handling invoices with posting dates in prior periods that are approved after that period is closed. This is a very common occurrence for us (particularly with invoices entered in the last few days of a month), and the system behavior we'd like to occur is that the posting date is adjusted automatically to the current period when approved and posted (basically Posting Date = Approval Date).

Is there a setting to make that change happen in the workflow? I do see there is a mass change of posting date app that can be run (also a background job), is that the only option?

Opening a closed period and restating financials cannot be the desired behavior for most companies and a similar requirement would exist in other areas like in the approval of general journal entries via workflow so I'm curious how SAP intends to their customers to address this in S/4HANA Cloud.

Thanks for your help,

Ryan

[OwenLiu]

We helped you to accept the answer, since there were no updates after 7 days.

You can unaccept it anytime if you have further questions.

[former_member131691 · Accepted solution]

Hi Ryan

If posting into previous periods is enabled, then documents could be posted
into the current and/or previous period. If this is not allowed then you can only
post into the current open period. If the approval of the supplier invoice has
not been cleared until the posting date has expired it woudl have to be corrected.
In previous releases the invoice would have have been approved but the work item
would have gone into error. This was changed in CE2011.
Either way the posting date of the invoice must be set to the open period to be posted in any case.

What options do you have to handle such cases.

If the workflow is configured with "Rework Invoice", then the approver can reject the
invoice, which is then sent back to the original processors inbox. The invoice processor
can correct the posting date, and save the invoice as completed again. This will restart
the workflow and then after the approvals are done, the invoice will be posted.

With the APP Schedule Supplier Invoice Jobs - Advanced app, and the template Mass change posting
date, it is possible to change the posting date of parked invoices. This does not influence
the workflow and approval status, so after this is done, the approver(s) can proceed with
the approval from My Inbox.

There are also notifications and email templates to inform approvers of pending invoices to be approved
as well as configurable deadline reminders. See here for more information

https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_CLOUD/0e602d466b99490187fcbb30d1dc897c/ff92035b3da94a14a3d2d0fa...

Hope this helps further
Kind regards
Brian

[former_member131691]

Hi Ryan

As you pointed out, as soon as a user releases a supplier invoice in the My Inbox application the system checks whether the posting period is open with respect to the invoice's posting date and company code. There is no functionality developed to overwrite the posting date with the approval date.

There is an app called "Allow Posting to Previous Period" when this is enabled it would mean you would be able to post MM material documents and IV invoices into the current period AND/OR the previous period.

So invoices created in the previous period with a posting date in the previous period but approved in the next period will post without the workflow going into error (due to the posting date check) and without the need for further manual interventions.

I hope it helps further
Kind regards
Brian

[RyanMuller]

Hi brian.king,

Thanks for your response. Financially won't that allow Supplier Invoices to post on your GL in a closed period changing the values? I'm just at a loss for when companies would want that behavior for Supplier Invoices.

Best,

Ryan

[OwenLiu]

Hi brian.king could you please comment, or do you need FIN colleagues to answer? Thanks.