The successful implementation of the world's largest SAP EC-CS project to date (based on the number of peripheral users) gave us the opportunity to present our many years of experience in corporate reporting and data processing support to a much broader public. We view this exchange of information as a mat ter of vital importance given the challenges that management reporting and external reporting are facing in the wake of global ization. This book illustrates the rationale behind current trends towards integrated reporting practices and offers a practical gUide for preparing to meet the challenges associated with these trends. Particular emphasis is placed on SAP EC as a foundation for the implementation of an efficient eRe porting system. While working on this book, we have benefited both from our own extensive project experience and the friendly support of the Accenture corporation. We wish in particular to thank the mem bers of the Accenture ESPRIT team for their commitment to the book's realization. We also wish to express our deep apprecia tion to Hermann Giehrl, staff department director of finance at Siemens AG, and Stefan Karl, director of consolidation develop ment at SAP AG. Aided by a wealth of practical experience, these two individuals have made a major contribution to the successful drafting of this book.
