SAP ConsultingFinance
SAP Central Finance
SAP Central Finance replicates FI and CO postings from SAP ERP, S/4HANA and non-SAP systems on different releases into one S/4HANA system. The source systems stay live. A group reports on a shared chart of accounts first and moves processes such as payments to the center later.
Part of these processes
Process
From source system to SAP Central Finance
A document is created in the source system. SLT carries it over, mapping translates it to shared master data, and failures wait in AIF.
- 01Source systemDMIS 2011_1_700
Processes carry on as before
- 02SLT transferLTRC · CFIN_ACCHD
Separate SLT system advised
- 03 · SAP MDGMaster data mappingSAP MDG · MDG_KM_MAINTAIN
Mapping needs no MDG license
- 04Error handling/AIF/IFMON · /FINCF
Fix, then reprocess
- 05Shared ledgerFINS_CFIN_DFV_FI_BAL
Balances compared to source
- 06Central paymentCFINIMG · FINS_CFIN_CC
Activated per company code
Decision point
Many systems, one central ledger
The type of source system decides how it connects; once in, every entry goes through the same mapping and error checks.
- SAP ERP 6.0+DMIS add-on and SLT
- SAP S/4HANAOn premise and cloud
- Non-SAP ERPThird-party interface
SAP Central FinanceMapping and AIF checks
- Shared FI/CO reportingOne chart, profit and cost centers
- Selected processes run centrallyPayments, assets, budgets, projects
- Which system runs the e-LedgerSource system or the center
Source systems keep running; sales, purchasing and production stay where they are.
Scope
What we cover in a Central Finance project
SLT and source preparation
DMIS add-on, LTRC setup, note levels in the sources. SAP advises a separate SLT system, though the target can host it.
Key and value mapping
Key mapping for customer, supplier and material IDs; value mapping for company code, business area and country codes.
Initial load plan
Balances and open items for older years, documents for the current one, scoped in VCFIN_SOURCE_SET at the source.
Error handling in AIF
Message monitoring in the /FINCF namespace, a worklist of pending entries and temporary postings at period end.
Central Payment and CSPC
Activation scope per company code, treatment of historical open items and cross-system process control (CSPC).
Consistency and comparison
FINS_CFIN_CC to compare source and central settings; comparison reports for document counts and account balances.
Current state
What to settle before you start
- The central system is S/4HANA on premise or SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition (new name: SAP Cloud ERP Private); the public edition connects as a source system.
- The FINS_CFIN business function is switched on in SFW5. SAP asks you to confirm licensing with your account executive first; using the mapping alone needs no MDG license.
- With SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition (SAP Cloud ERP Private), Central Finance is a separate service: metric revenue, blocks of EUR 100 million, AIF included for that service only.
- SAP's prerequisites state that Central Finance cannot run together with Amount Field Length Extension (AFLE), see SAP Note 2643282. If a conversion plans AFLE, raise it early.
Localization
Türkiye: e-Ledger and filing calendar
e-Ledger report on the list
SAP's list of statutory reports enabled in Central Finance includes, for Türkiye, the e-Ledger (TR_ELDGR_REP), the inventory ledger and the cash flow statement.
E-LedgerWhich system runs the e-Ledger
The e-Ledger report runs in an SAP source system and in the center; which one is used is chosen at project start, along with the order companies connect in.
Filing and pending entries
Entries in a month whose certificate (berat) is filed cannot change. If the ledger comes from the center, close the month only when AIF holds no pending documents.
Central Payment in Türkiye
Türkiye is not among the country restrictions in SAP Note 3290988. SAP says the list may be incomplete and advises thorough tests on production data before go-live.
From the field
Patterns from SAP Central Finance projects
- Remapping after go-live splits the books. Remap a source company code mid-year and its documents land in two company codes; change a customer mapping and clearings move to another business partner. Mapping should be final before the initial load.
- Full document history slows the initial load. The initial load reposts every document centrally and needs the master data of each period. SAP suggests balances and open items for older years and document transfer for the current fiscal year.
- Pending entries quietly distort month-end. A document that cannot post centrally becomes a pending entry and is missing from the statements; an unopened period causes the same. The check belongs on the closing list; temporary postings cover missing master data or mapping.
- A saved Central Payment entry cannot be deleted. Once a company code row is saved, it stays. SAP asks for a planned cut-over date, for messages stuck in AIF to be processed first and for CSPC to be activated beforehand.
FAQ
Questions about SAP Central Finance
What is SAP Central Finance?
SAP Central Finance is the scenario that replicates FI and CO postings from several source systems into one S/4HANA system. In a typical setup the sources connect to one SLT server, which feeds one central system. Postings are mapped to shared master data and saved centrally as universal journal entries. SAP sells it as SAP S/4HANA Cloud for central finance.
Do source systems shut down with Central Finance?
No. Sales, purchasing and production carry on in the source systems while accounting entries are replicated to the center. Payments, fixed assets, budgets or projects can move to the center later if you choose. SAP describes this as a side-car deployment next to existing systems, rolled out in phases by organization, location, system and process.
Does Central Finance need a separate MDG license?
Not if you only use mapping: Central Finance reuses the MDG key and value mapping functions within its own scenario. Master data distribution is a different matter. For Central Finance itself, SAP asks you to confirm licensing with your account executive; SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition (SAP Cloud ERP Private) lists a separate service measured on revenue.
Can a non-SAP ERP feed Central Finance?
Yes. Details on connecting non-SAP systems are in SAP Note 2713300. For data from these sources, each statutory report has to be tested on its own, because SAP states that no tax consistency checks exist for the third-party interface. Getting the right tax amounts out of the source is therefore a core project topic.
Can Central Payment cover intercompany items only?
Yes, since S/4HANA 2022, and S/4HANA 2025 made scope selection more flexible; CSPC is mandatory on first activation. SAP advises Central Payment where Central Tax Reporting is supported, since tax reports for the activated company code come from the center (SAP Note 2509047). General restrictions are in SAP Note 2827364, country-specific ones in SAP Note 3290988.
Does Central Finance replace consolidation?
No. SAP positions Central Finance as a central reporting platform for FI/CO; the processes it can run centrally include budgeting, open items, payments, fixed assets, projects and tax reporting, but not legal consolidation. Eliminations and consolidated statements belong to SAP Group Reporting.
Sources12 sourcesSAP Help Portal, SAP, GİB
SAP Help Portal
- Central Finance (SAP S/4HANA 2025) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Prerequisites (SAP S/4HANA 2025, Central Finance) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Configuration in SAP Landscape Transformation Replication Server (SAP S/4HANA 2025, Central Finance) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Introduction to Data Mapping (SAP S/4HANA 2025, Central Finance) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Introduction to the Initial Load (SAP S/4HANA 2025, Central Finance) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Fiori Apps for Pending Journal Entries and Temporary Postings (SAP S/4HANA 2025, Central Finance) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Central Payment (SAP S/4HANA 2025, Central Finance) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Central Finance - SAP S/4HANA 2023, February 2025 (PDF) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
- Statutory Reporting: Country/Region-Specific Reports in Central Finance (SAP S/4HANA 2025) help.sap.com (opens in a new tab)
SAP
GİB
SAP Consulting
Design your move to central finance step by step
The first questions are which companies connect from which source systems and which system runs the e-Ledger.