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Prepare journal entries using templates

When working on a close task, prepare journal entries if the task is of type Journal Entry. Use JE templates to create journal entries.

Before you begin

Verify that the close task is of type Journal Entry.

Role required: sn_fcms.journal_preparer

About this task

Journal entries help you post financial data (such as revenue, expense, assets, liabilities, or equity) into your ERP system for proper accounting classification in the appropriate financial period.

Journal entry: A journal entry consists of a JE header and JE lines. The JE header contains the information (such as entity code and posting period) that uniquely identifies the journal entry. JE lines record the financial information associated with each transaction. A JE header can have multiple JE lines. You can create multiple journal entries for a task.
The information in header is saved in the JE Header [sn_fcms_journal_header] table and the line information is saved in the JE Line [sn_fcms_journal_line] table.
JE template: JE templates are defined in the JE Template [sn_fcms_journal_templates] table. Admins can assign these templates to different functions defined in the Function [sn_fcms_functions] table. A template applicable to multiple teams can be assigned to multiple functions.

Procedure

Navigate to Finance Close Automation > Finance Workspace.
Click the lists icon () and select the accounting period.
By default, the latest open accounting period is selected.
In the Lists tab, under Close Tasks, click My Pending.
In the list, select the task to work on.
Create a journal entry using one of the following options:
- To build a journal entry from scratch, in the Journal Entries tab, click New.
- To upload journal entries from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or a CSV file, in the Journal Entries tab, click the arrow icon next to the New button and select Import.
- To quickly create a journal entry from a posted journal entry, use the Close Assist.
In the journal entry that was created, you can perform the following actions:
- Attach a reference document: In the Contextual side panel, click the attachments icon ().
  You can attach multiple reference documents.
  Note:
  
  For a JE task using the task workflow, you can attach a single document at the task level.
  
  For a JE task using the JE workflow, you must attach the documents at each JE level in the task so that approvers can review the supporting documents at the JE level.
- Update the JE header information: In the Details tab of the journal entry, update the required fields.
- Work on JE lines: In the JE Lines tab of the journal entry, you can perform the following actions:
  - To edit the values in a JE line, double-click a cell and modify the value as required and click Save to save the journal entry.
  - To add lines in the grid, click Add Line. Click the arrow icon next to Add Line to select and add multiple line entries.
  - To delete a JE line, select the line and click Delete. You can select multiple lines to delete at once.
  - To export a journal entry to a CSV file, click Export.
In the journal entry, click Save and Validate.
The system performs a few validations. If there are validation errors, fix them and revalidate.
To park the JE documents (submit them for approval), click Submit.

Tip: For a task using the JE workflow, you can also submit multiple JE documents in one go. Select journal entries in the Journal Entries tab and click Submit.

Note: For a JE task using the JE workflow, if you want to modify journal entries after submitting, you can reset that are in the Pending Approval status. For more information, see Reset journal entries

Result

The system runs the ERP validations on journal entries. It sends the data prepared in different JE headers and lines to the ERP. The ERP then validates the information such as the master data, security data, and authorization data.

If the ERP validations are successful:

The task substate updates to Pending Approval, the state remains In Progress.
For a task using the JE workflow, the passed journal entries are sent for approval. The substate of the passed journal entries changes to Parked.
For a task using the Task workflow, all journal entries are sent for approval.

The JE approver assignment setting in the associated close workbook determines the approvers based on the workflow. For more information, see JE approver assignment.

If the ERP validations fail:

The task substate of the task updates to Pending JE Posting, the state remains In Progress.
For the JE workflow:
- The failed journal entries are not sent for approval. The substate of failed journal entries changes to Park Failed.
  Note: Any journal entries in the task that passed the ERP validations are sent for approval regardless of whether there are failed journal entries. The substate of the passed journal entries changes to Parked.
- A separate notification for each failed journal entry is displayed in the Finance Workspace. Open each failed journal entry listed in the notifications, fix it, and resubmit it.
For the Task workflow:
- A single failure notification is displayed at the task level in the Finance Workspace. Open the associated task from the notification, fix it, and resubmit it.

Create a journal entry by uploading a Microsoft Excel or a CSV file

If you have journal entries saved in a Microsoft Excel or a CSV file, you can upload the data from the file into the ServiceNow Finance Close Automation (FCA) to quickly create journal entries for a journal entry task.

Before you begin

Role required: sn_fcms.journal_preparer

About this task

The column names in the import file and in the selected JE template must match.

Procedure

In the Journal Entries tab, click the arrow next to New and select Import.
In the Import Journal Entries dialog box, select a template in the JE Template field.
(Optional) To modify the MS Excel file, if necessary, so that it matches the selected template,
1. Click the download template icon () to download the selected JE template in Excel format.
2. Open the downloaded Excel file, add journal entries in it, and save.
Note: If you want to create multiple journal entries from a single Excel file, leave a blank row after each journal entry in the Excel file to indicate the end of one entry and the beginning of the next entry.
In FCA, navigate back to Import Journal Entries dialog box and select the same template as selected in step 2.
Click Browse.
Select an Excel or CSV file and click Open.
If you have selected the Excel file to import the data, enter the sheet name and a header row number in the Sheet Name and Header Row respectively.
The default sheet name is populated from the default_je_sheet_name property defined in Properties installed with Finance Common. The default header row number is 1. You can enter values in these fields based on the sheet name and the header row number in the selected import file.
Note:
- Import fails if the entered sheet name does not exist in the import file or an invalid header row number is entered.
- If the Sheet Name field is empty, by default the first sheet in the import file is selected for importing the data.
- If the Header Row field is empty, by default the first row in the import file is considered as the header row.
Click Import.
Important:
- If you encounter a file size issue in Excel import, contact your administrator to add the glide.scriptable.excel.max_file_size system property and set its value to 1024000000 (1 GB in bytes).
  However, uploading larger files might impact the memory usage of the platform. A large file causes out of memory error.
- If you encounter a time-out issue in Excel import, contact your administrator to set the maximum duration for the REST Attachment API request timeout transaction quota rule to 750 seconds or more.
  However, transactions that run for a longer time might impact the performance of the platform.

Result

A journal entry based on the import file is created.
The imported Excel or CSV file is attached to the task as a reference document for approvers.
If the close task uses the JE workflow, then the imported Excel or CSV file is attached separately to each journal entry created by the import.

Create a journal entry from a posted journal entry

Create a journal entry using a journal entry posted in a prior period to quickly create similar entries.

Before you begin

Role required: sn_fcms.journal_preparer

About this task

Typically, journal entries are posted for each accounting period. If a journal entry in the current period is similar to the one posted in a prior period, copy the old journal entry to quickly create the similar entry in the current month.

Journal entries of the previous two accounting periods can be used for duplication only if the following conditions apply to each journal entry:

JE Header value of the journal entry and the Short description value of the current task must be an exact match.
JE is in the Posted state.
JE has the same template, same ERP source, same legal entity, and same close task function.
Preparer of the JE is the current task owner.

Procedure

In the Close Assist section, click the select a search resource icon () and select the Posted Journal Entries option.
The Close Assist section lists journal entries from three accounting periods (current and prior two periods) matching the criteria prepared by any task owner.
In the journal entry card that you want to copy, click the more actions icon () and select Duplicate.

Note: The Duplicate option is available only in the JEs which you have prepared.

The system automatically populates the JE header information in the Details tab from the selected posted journal entry.
All the header information from the selected posted journal entry is copied except the Posting date and Document date fields.
If necessary, open and modify the details of the journal entry.
Click Save.

Result

A journal entry is created. Click the refresh list icon (

) to show the new JE in the Journal Entries list. The system copies the entire journal entry along with JE lines from the selected journal entry and inserts them into the new journal entry.

Create a journal entry manually

Create a journal entry by manually entering the information.

Before you begin

Role required: sn_fcms.journal_preparer

Procedure

On the Close Task form, in the Journal Entries tab, click New.
In the Select JE template type dialog box, select a template in the JE Template field.
A journal entry template is available for a JE only if the template is mapped to the function to which this task belongs.
Click Continue.
On the JE Header form, in the Details tab, fill in the header information.
Click Save.
The journal entry information is saved and the JE Lines tab appears.
For the new journal entry, fill in the information in the JE Lines columns.

New JE Header field descriptions

FCA JE Header form field descriptions.

A journal entry consists of a JE header and JE lines. The JE header contains the information (such as entity code and posting date) that uniquely identifies the journal entry.

The fields are available based on the selected template. However, the admins can configure the form to add more fields to the template.


Field	Description
Header text	Brief description of the journal entry.
Document date	Date when the journal entry is created. This field is auto-populated based on the accounting period end date. However, it can be changed.
Entity	Entity in which a transaction is carried out. These entities are defined in the Entity Info [sn_fcms_entity] table when you configure the application.
Reference	Any references for the journal entry created, if any.
Posting period	Fiscal period in which the journal entry is posted in the ERP.
JE type	Type of the journal entry, such as Intercompany and Accrual. JE types are defined in the Journal Entry Type [sn_fcms_journal_type] table when you configure the application.
Posting date	Date that determines in which posting period the journal entry is posted in the ERP.
Currency	Currency of the transaction.
Ledger group	Ledger group to which this journal entry should be posted. Ledger groups are defined in the ERP.
Preparer	User who prepared the journal entry.
ERP Source	Name of the ERP source system.
JE Template	JE template selected for the journal entry. JE templates are defined in the JE Template [sn_fcms_journal_templates] table when you configure the application.
Approvers	Name of the approver for the journal entry. The field is available only for a task using the JE workflow with the JE approver assignment set to manual. Note: For a task using the JE workflow with the JE approver assignment set to automatic, approvers and their levels are automatically assigned based on predefined rules. The approvers are assigned when you submit the journal entry and are shown in the Approvers tab of the journal entry.
Approval group	Name of the approval group for the journal entry. All the members of the selected group are assigned to the journal entry and any member can approve the journal entry. The field is available only for a task using the JE workflow with the JE approver assignment set to manual. Note: For a task using the JE workflow with the JE approver assignment set to automatic, approval group members and their levels are automatically assigned to a journal entry based on predefined rules. The members of the approval group are assigned when you submit the journal entry and are shown in the Approvers tab of the journal entry.

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Prepare journal entries using templates

When working on a close task, prepare journal entries if the task is of type Journal Entry. Use JE templates to create journal entries.

Before you begin

Verify that the close task is of type Journal Entry.

Role required: sn_fcms.journal_preparer

About this task

Journal entries help you post financial data (such as revenue, expense, assets, liabilities, or equity) into your ERP system for proper accounting classification in the appropriate financial period.

Journal entry: A journal entry consists of a JE header and JE lines. The JE header contains the information (such as entity code and posting period) that uniquely identifies the journal entry. JE lines record the financial information associated with each transaction. A JE header can have multiple JE lines. You can create multiple journal entries for a task.
The information in header is saved in the JE Header [sn_fcms_journal_header] table and the line information is saved in the JE Line [sn_fcms_journal_line] table.
JE template: JE templates are defined in the JE Template [sn_fcms_journal_templates] table. Admins can assign these templates to different functions defined in the Function [sn_fcms_functions] table. A template applicable to multiple teams can be assigned to multiple functions.

Procedure

Navigate to Finance Close Automation > Finance Workspace.
Click the lists icon () and select the accounting period.
By default, the latest open accounting period is selected.
In the Lists tab, under Close Tasks, click My Pending.
In the list, select the task to work on.
Create a journal entry using one of the following options:
- To build a journal entry from scratch, in the Journal Entries tab, click New.
- To upload journal entries from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or a CSV file, in the Journal Entries tab, click the arrow icon next to the New button and select Import.
- To quickly create a journal entry from a posted journal entry, use the Close Assist.
In the journal entry that was created, you can perform the following actions:
- Attach a reference document: In the Contextual side panel, click the attachments icon ().
  You can attach multiple reference documents.
  Note:
  
  For a JE task using the task workflow, you can attach a single document at the task level.
  
  For a JE task using the JE workflow, you must attach the documents at each JE level in the task so that approvers can review the supporting documents at the JE level.
- Update the JE header information: In the Details tab of the journal entry, update the required fields.
- Work on JE lines: In the JE Lines tab of the journal entry, you can perform the following actions:
  - To edit the values in a JE line, double-click a cell and modify the value as required and click Save to save the journal entry.
  - To add lines in the grid, click Add Line. Click the arrow icon next to Add Line to select and add multiple line entries.
  - To delete a JE line, select the line and click Delete. You can select multiple lines to delete at once.
  - To export a journal entry to a CSV file, click Export.
In the journal entry, click Save and Validate.
The system performs a few validations. If there are validation errors, fix them and revalidate.
To park the JE documents (submit them for approval), click Submit.

Tip: For a task using the JE workflow, you can also submit multiple JE documents in one go. Select journal entries in the Journal Entries tab and click Submit.

Note: For a JE task using the JE workflow, if you want to modify journal entries after submitting, you can reset that are in the Pending Approval status. For more information, see Reset journal entries

Result

If the ERP validations are successful:

The task substate updates to Pending Approval, the state remains In Progress.
For a task using the JE workflow, the passed journal entries are sent for approval. The substate of the passed journal entries changes to Parked.
For a task using the Task workflow, all journal entries are sent for approval.

The JE approver assignment setting in the associated close workbook determines the approvers based on the workflow. For more information, see JE approver assignment.

If the ERP validations fail:

The task substate of the task updates to Pending JE Posting, the state remains In Progress.
For the JE workflow:
- The failed journal entries are not sent for approval. The substate of failed journal entries changes to Park Failed.
  Note: Any journal entries in the task that passed the ERP validations are sent for approval regardless of whether there are failed journal entries. The substate of the passed journal entries changes to Parked.
- A separate notification for each failed journal entry is displayed in the Finance Workspace. Open each failed journal entry listed in the notifications, fix it, and resubmit it.
For the Task workflow:
- A single failure notification is displayed at the task level in the Finance Workspace. Open the associated task from the notification, fix it, and resubmit it.

Create a journal entry by uploading a Microsoft Excel or a CSV file

Before you begin

Role required: sn_fcms.journal_preparer

About this task

The column names in the import file and in the selected JE template must match.

Procedure

In the Journal Entries tab, click the arrow next to New and select Import.
In the Import Journal Entries dialog box, select a template in the JE Template field.
(Optional) To modify the MS Excel file, if necessary, so that it matches the selected template,
1. Click the download template icon () to download the selected JE template in Excel format.
2. Open the downloaded Excel file, add journal entries in it, and save.
Note: If you want to create multiple journal entries from a single Excel file, leave a blank row after each journal entry in the Excel file to indicate the end of one entry and the beginning of the next entry.
In FCA, navigate back to Import Journal Entries dialog box and select the same template as selected in step 2.
Click Browse.
Select an Excel or CSV file and click Open.
If you have selected the Excel file to import the data, enter the sheet name and a header row number in the Sheet Name and Header Row respectively.
The default sheet name is populated from the default_je_sheet_name property defined in Properties installed with Finance Common. The default header row number is 1. You can enter values in these fields based on the sheet name and the header row number in the selected import file.
Note:
- Import fails if the entered sheet name does not exist in the import file or an invalid header row number is entered.
- If the Sheet Name field is empty, by default the first sheet in the import file is selected for importing the data.
- If the Header Row field is empty, by default the first row in the import file is considered as the header row.
Click Import.
Important:
- If you encounter a file size issue in Excel import, contact your administrator to add the glide.scriptable.excel.max_file_size system property and set its value to 1024000000 (1 GB in bytes).
  However, uploading larger files might impact the memory usage of the platform. A large file causes out of memory error.
- If you encounter a time-out issue in Excel import, contact your administrator to set the maximum duration for the REST Attachment API request timeout transaction quota rule to 750 seconds or more.
  However, transactions that run for a longer time might impact the performance of the platform.

Result

A journal entry based on the import file is created.
The imported Excel or CSV file is attached to the task as a reference document for approvers.
If the close task uses the JE workflow, then the imported Excel or CSV file is attached separately to each journal entry created by the import.

Create a journal entry from a posted journal entry

Create a journal entry using a journal entry posted in a prior period to quickly create similar entries.

Before you begin

Role required: sn_fcms.journal_preparer

About this task

Journal entries of the previous two accounting periods can be used for duplication only if the following conditions apply to each journal entry:

JE Header value of the journal entry and the Short description value of the current task must be an exact match.
JE is in the Posted state.
JE has the same template, same ERP source, same legal entity, and same close task function.
Preparer of the JE is the current task owner.

Procedure

In the Close Assist section, click the select a search resource icon () and select the Posted Journal Entries option.
The Close Assist section lists journal entries from three accounting periods (current and prior two periods) matching the criteria prepared by any task owner.
In the journal entry card that you want to copy, click the more actions icon () and select Duplicate.

Note: The Duplicate option is available only in the JEs which you have prepared.

The system automatically populates the JE header information in the Details tab from the selected posted journal entry.
All the header information from the selected posted journal entry is copied except the Posting date and Document date fields.
If necessary, open and modify the details of the journal entry.
Click Save.

Result

A journal entry is created. Click the refresh list icon (

) to show the new JE in the Journal Entries list. The system copies the entire journal entry along with JE lines from the selected journal entry and inserts them into the new journal entry.

Create a journal entry manually

Create a journal entry by manually entering the information.

Before you begin

Role required: sn_fcms.journal_preparer

Procedure

On the Close Task form, in the Journal Entries tab, click New.
In the Select JE template type dialog box, select a template in the JE Template field.
A journal entry template is available for a JE only if the template is mapped to the function to which this task belongs.
Click Continue.
On the JE Header form, in the Details tab, fill in the header information.
Click Save.
The journal entry information is saved and the JE Lines tab appears.
For the new journal entry, fill in the information in the JE Lines columns.

New JE Header field descriptions

FCA JE Header form field descriptions.

A journal entry consists of a JE header and JE lines. The JE header contains the information (such as entity code and posting date) that uniquely identifies the journal entry.

The fields are available based on the selected template. However, the admins can configure the form to add more fields to the template.


Field	Description
Header text	Brief description of the journal entry.
Document date	Date when the journal entry is created. This field is auto-populated based on the accounting period end date. However, it can be changed.
Entity	Entity in which a transaction is carried out. These entities are defined in the Entity Info [sn_fcms_entity] table when you configure the application.
Reference	Any references for the journal entry created, if any.
Posting period	Fiscal period in which the journal entry is posted in the ERP.
JE type	Type of the journal entry, such as Intercompany and Accrual. JE types are defined in the Journal Entry Type [sn_fcms_journal_type] table when you configure the application.
Posting date	Date that determines in which posting period the journal entry is posted in the ERP.
Currency	Currency of the transaction.
Ledger group	Ledger group to which this journal entry should be posted. Ledger groups are defined in the ERP.
Preparer	User who prepared the journal entry.
ERP Source	Name of the ERP source system.
JE Template	JE template selected for the journal entry. JE templates are defined in the JE Template [sn_fcms_journal_templates] table when you configure the application.
Approvers	Name of the approver for the journal entry. The field is available only for a task using the JE workflow with the JE approver assignment set to manual. Note: For a task using the JE workflow with the JE approver assignment set to automatic, approvers and their levels are automatically assigned based on predefined rules. The approvers are assigned when you submit the journal entry and are shown in the Approvers tab of the journal entry.
Approval group	Name of the approval group for the journal entry. All the members of the selected group are assigned to the journal entry and any member can approve the journal entry. The field is available only for a task using the JE workflow with the JE approver assignment set to manual. Note: For a task using the JE workflow with the JE approver assignment set to automatic, approval group members and their levels are automatically assigned to a journal entry based on predefined rules. The members of the approval group are assigned when you submit the journal entry and are shown in the Approvers tab of the journal entry.

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Prepare journal entries using templates

Prepare journal entries using templates

Create a journal entry by uploading a Microsoft Excel or a CSV file

Create a journal entry from a posted journal entry

Create a journal entry manually

New JE Header field descriptions

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Prepare journal entries using templates

Prepare journal entries using templates

Create a journal entry by uploading a Microsoft Excel or a CSV file

Create a journal entry from a posted journal entry

Create a journal entry manually

New JE Header field descriptions

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