The Electronic Bank Statement (EBS) Reconciliation process in SAP S/4 HANA is designed to automate the reconciliation of transactions between the bank and the company’s general ledger (GL). It enables efficient tracking of both incoming receipts and outgoing payments by importing an electronic bank statement file (such as MT940), which includes all transactions over a given period. The system automates the matching and clearing of these bank transactions against the SAP system entries. This process reduces manual efforts, ensures accuracy, and supports overall financial control. In cases where discrepancies arise, the system allows manual intervention to verify and clear outstanding items.

The attached flowchart image outlines the end-to-end process for Electronic Bank Statement Reconciliation in SAP S/4 HANA with the steps specified below;

• Send Bank Statement: The Bank sends an electronic statement that contains all the transactions (incoming receipts and outgoing payments) for the specified period.
• Receive Bank Statement: The Accounts Receivable Accountant receives the bank statement in the system.
• Check for Acceptable Format The system checks if the bank statement is in an acceptable format (e.g., MT940).
  Yes: If the format is correct, proceed with importing the bank statement.
  No: If the format is incorrect, manual reconciliation may be required.
• Import Bank Statement: The Accounts Receivable Accountant imports the bank statement into SAP.
• Clear Bank GL Clearing Account: The system automatically clears the Bank General Ledger (GL) clearing account by matching the transactions from the bank statement with the system entries.
• Check if Reconciled: The system checks if all items are reconciled.
  Yes: If all items are reconciled, the process moves to completion.
  No: If there are unmatched items, manual intervention is required to clear open items.
• Contact AP and Verify Open Items: If reconciliation fails, the Accounts Payable Accountant is contacted to verify and resolve the open items.
• Manage and Clear Open Items: The accountant manages and clears the open items by resolving discrepancies between the bank statement and the SAP system entries.
• Reconciliation Completed: Once all items are reconciled, the system marks the process as complete.

📚Useful resources for Electronic Bank Statement (EBS) Reconciliation in SAP S/4 HANA:

• SAP Bank Reconciliation Process: Quick Reference Guide
• SAP S/4 HANA: New Bank Reconciliation Account Configuration Guide [PDF]
• Managing Payments and Bank Reconciliation in SAP: A Back-to-Basics Tutorial