Quick Take: Global Bank Ledger Transformation with Oracle Accounting Foundation Cloud Service.
Introduction Is it feasible to create a unified, enterprise-level ledger that can satisfy regulatory reporting requirements such as BASEL 4 while...
9 min read
Jessica P Jul 23, 2024 9:29:42 AM
The main goal of modernising finance for financial institutions is to enable business transformation by improving efficiency and providing ready access to more granular data and insights. This involves centralising core accounting processes and interrogating data at the lowest level grain of data, leading to improved efficiency, better control, and faster closing times.
When combined with Oracle’s Accounting Hub, Oracle's Accounting Foundation Cloud Service (AFCS) offers a transformative approach to unlocking an instrument-level ledger.
In this blog, we provide an overview of AFCS's core capabilities and benefits.
[Disclosure: This blog was written in collaboration with Revvy, a ChatGPT created by Revvence that is trained exclusively on finance systems transformation and related content. You can try Revvy here.]
Oracle Accounting Foundation Cloud Service is a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform created to streamline and improve financial operations. This service seamlessly integrates with Oracle's range of financial products and other general ledgers, such as SAP, allowing financial institutions to gather, organise, and analyse data from different sources at a highly detailed level. AFCS can support various financial processes, including ledger balance computation, reconciliation, and financial reporting.
Data Integration and Management
AFCS specialises in data integration, enabling institutions to collect data from various sources, such as transactional systems, core banking systems, and external sources. The data is ingested as ASCII text files in Oracle's Object Store, then mapped to the appropriate data structures and processed using AFCS's powerful Data Integration feature. This capability ensures accurate capture, validation, management, and storage of financial data critical to revealing core insights for global banks.
Comprehensive Data Catalog
The Data Catalog is a core pillar of AFCS. It contains essential business terms and descriptions for financial services. This catalogue is linked to different subject areas and business domains, like banking and insurance. It provides a well-organised way to manage data. The catalogue has meta information and physical properties needed to ensure data quality and move it around within the service.
Balance Computation and Reconciliation
AFCS offers sophisticated balance computation features, allowing banks to calculate accounting balances at a granular level, such as customer accounts. These computations are based on journals from ERP accounting systems. The reconciliation feature compares balance information from the general ledger with data from transactional systems, identifying discrepancies and facilitating necessary adjustments through a managed workflow.
Event and Subledger Applications (SLA) Configuration
AFCS supports detailed configuration of sub-ledger applications (SLAs) and event types. Banks can register SLAs based on contract types and transactions, enabling precise tracking and managing financial events. The event configuration feature allows for the declaration and publication of events, ensuring seamless integration with the Accounting Hub.
Governance and Analytical Content
Effective governance is critical for financial institutions, and AFCS provides robust governance functions. These functions help track performance, identify key indicators, and manage issues and actions related to essential elements of data. Additionally, AFCS offers out-of-the-box analytical content, delivering valuable insights into financial data and supporting better decision-making.
Pre-Built Analytics in AFCS
Here are some examples of the pre-built analytics in AFCS:
1. Balance Reconciliation Analytics:
2. Financial Performance Analytics:
3. Governance and Compliance Analytics:
4. Risk Management Analytics:
5. Customer and Product Analytics:
6. Operational Efficiency Analytics:
Oracle Fusion Accounting Hub (OFAH) is critical in delivering a scalable solution for banks. This integration ensures that all financial data flows smoothly between systems, enhancing efficiency and accuracy.
The AFCS Management Ledger capabilities provide comprehensive and detailed insights into an institution’s financial data, ensuring accurate financial reporting, compliance, and strategic decision-making. The Management Ledger is a crucial tool for financial institutions, allowing them to track, compute, and analyse financial balances at various granularities.
Balance Computation:
AFCS provides robust balance computation features, enabling institutions to calculate accounting balances at the granular level, such as individual customer accounts or financial instruments. The balance computation process includes the following:
Reconciliation:
Reconciliation is a critical aspect of the management ledger capabilities, ensuring consistency and accuracy in financial data. AFCS supports multiple types of reconciliation, including:
1. Global Bank Reconciliation:
A large global bank uses AFCS to reconcile its general ledger with various product processors across different regions. The bank configures reconciliation rules to compare balance information and identify discrepancies. AFCS automates the reconciliation process, flagging any inconsistencies and facilitating adjustments. This ensures that the bank’s financial records are accurate and compliant with regulatory requirements.
2. Currency Revaluation for a Multinational Corporation:
A multinational corporation operates in multiple currencies and must regularly revalue its balances. AFCS supports revaluation and translation using currency conversion rates and rate types. The corporation configures the system to perform revaluation at the end of each accounting period, ensuring accurate financial reporting across all currencies and geographies.
3. Customer Account Balance Management:
A financial institution uses AFCS to compute and manage balances at the customer account level. The system calculates each customer's period and average balances, providing detailed insights into customer financial positions. This information is used for strategic decision-making, such as offering tailored financial products or managing credit risk.
Enhanced Data Accuracy and Integrity
With its advanced data integration and management capabilities, AFCS ensures that financial data is accurate, consistent, and reliable. This reduces the risk of errors and enhances the integrity of financial reporting. The robust data quality checks and governance features further ensure that all data meets high standards of accuracy and compliance.
Streamlined Financial Processes
AFCS automates many financial processes, from data ingestion to balance computation and reconciliation. This automation saves time, reduces manual effort, and improves operational efficiency. The system's ability to handle complex financial data and processes ensures that institutions can focus on strategic activities rather than manual data management.
Improved Financial Reporting
The platform's powerful analytical tools and comprehensive data catalogue support detailed financial reporting and analysis. Banks can generate accurate, real-time reports that provide valuable insights into their financial performance. The pre-built dashboards and reports enable quick access to key metrics and trends, supporting informed decision-making.
Seamless Integration
If you are an Oracle ERP user, AFCS integrates seamlessly with Oracle's ERP Financials Cloud and Accounting Hub Cloud Service, providing a cohesive ecosystem for managing all financial data and processes. This integration facilitates smooth data flow and enhances overall system efficiency. The ability to pass through events and journals between AFCS and ERP Financials Cloud ensures that all financial data is consistently updated and available across the bank.
The integration with other ERP platforms, such as SAP, is also a straightforward integration process and there are several case studies of AFCS integration with a SAP GL.
Capabilities for the Future
As the financial industry evolves, AFCS is designed to adapt and grow with your institution. Its flexible architecture allows for customisation and extension, ensuring that it can meet your business's unique needs. Whether in banking, insurance, or capital markets, AFCS provides the tools to stay ahead in a competitive landscape.
AFCS's ability to support new financial products, integrate with emerging technologies, and comply with changing regulatory requirements ensures that it remains a valuable asset for financial institutions. The platform's scalability and flexibility make it an ideal solution for institutions looking to future-proof their financial operations.
Revvence is committed to helping our clients improve their profitability using advanced technologies like AFCS. AFCS is more than just a tool; it's a comprehensive solution designed to meet financial institutions' diverse and evolving needs. With its powerful features, flexible architecture, and strong integration capabilities, AFCS empowers banks to optimise finance processes, enhance data insights, and make better decisions based on the lowest level of granular data.
Revvence can help in several valuable ways:
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