Continuous Finance validation script

From individual AI use cases to Continuous Finance Decision Runtime

The FP&A technology direction changes the validation target. The strongest story is no longer invoice, journal, contract, credit, or spend in isolation. The stronger proof is that Sphere connects Continuous Accounting, Continuous Close, Driver-Based Planning, Daily Actuals, Automated Forecasting, Intercompany Automation, Automated Controls, and Variance Intelligence into one governed decision system.

End-to-end story validation should see
Business EventProduction, invoice, maintenance, FX, IC, journal, or actuals event occurs.
Driver ChangesDriver Ontology resolves production, price, volume, utilization, headcount, capex, or maintenance impact.
Forecast ChangesForecast Intelligence refreshes revenue, cash, EBITDA, margin, and confidence.
Accounting ImpactFinancial Event Fabric and Continuous Close Engine identify accrual, journal, reconciliation, or IC impact.
Control ValidationPolicy Runtime validates materiality, authority, SoD, evidence, and embedded controls.
Journal AutomationBlackLine/SAP path drafts or validates journal and reconciliation action.
Close Readiness UpdateContinuous Close recalculates readiness, blockers, owner, and critical path.
CFO InsightVariance/Narrative agents explain what changed, why, what happens next, and what to do.
Agent inventory required for validation
AgentPriorityDemoPurpose
Financial Event AgentP1YesConverts operational events into financial signals and impact triggers.
Driver Intelligence AgentP1YesMaps operational driver movement to financial outcomes.
Forecast AgentP1YesRefreshes forecast, confidence, and financial impact.
Variance AgentP1YesExplains plan/forecast/actual variance with driver attribution.
Journal AgentP1YesScores journal risk and recommends approval or escalation.
Accrual AgentP1YesFinds missing accruals and drafts evidence-backed recommendations.
Intercompany AgentP1YesMatches, explains, and recommends IC resolution.
Evidence AgentP1YesAssembles evidence packs, lineage, and replay proof.
Close AgentP1YesComputes close readiness and critical path blockers.
Policy AgentP1YesEvaluates rules, authority, controls, and action boundaries.
Narrative AgentP2YesProduces management commentary from evidence and drivers.
Capitalization AgentP1YesDetermines expense vs capitalize and AUC readiness.
AUC Monitoring AgentP1YesMonitors aged AUC, completion signals, contamination, and impairment risk.
Asset Completion AgentP1YesDetects technical completion and readiness to capitalize.
Fixed Asset Policy AgentP1YesApplies fixed asset policy, materiality, precedent, and SoX controls.
SoX Evidence AgentP1YesAssembles control evidence for capitalization and reporting decisions.
Allocation Driver AgentP1YesValidates allocation and recharge drivers.
PaPM Lineage AgentP1YesExplains formula, version, source driver, output, and posting target.
Recharge Variance AgentP1YesExplains bill-to-actual breaks and recommends adjustment or escalation.
Allocation Policy AgentP1YesApplies materiality, ownership, and approval controls to allocations.
Reporting Evidence AgentP1YesBuilds evidence packs for reported numbers and commentary.
ICFR Control AgentP1YesMaps reporting assertions to controls, tests, and exceptions.
Narrative Assurance AgentP1YesValidates commentary against evidence and variance drivers.
Certification Routing AgentP1YesRoutes reporting signoff and captures accountable approvers.
SAP Skill Orchestration AgentP1YesTreats SAP Joule/BTP/SAP-native actions as governed runtime skills.
BTP Extension Governance AgentP1YesValidates extension ownership, data boundary, and control impact.
SAP Coexistence AgentP1YesResolves ECC, CFIN, S/4HANA, and PaPM mapping state.
SAP Action Control AgentP1YesBlocks unsafe SAP write-back and routes controlled execution.
Data Readiness AgentP1YesScores finance dataset readiness for continuous finance decisions.
Lineage AgentP1YesTraces source system, transformation, version, timestamp, and owner.
Mapping Completeness AgentP1YesFinds missing HDS, OneData, Foundry, SAP, or PaPM mappings.
Freshness Guardrail AgentP1YesReduces confidence or blocks action when data is stale.
PRA AgentP1YesExtracts and reconciles production revenue accounting evidence.
Pilot Readiness AgentP1YesScores pilot readiness across data, controls, agents, evidence, and replay.
Pilot Evidence AgentP1YesDefines pilot proof requirements and builds evidence contracts.
Pilot Dependency AgentP1YesFinds missing source, owner, integration, and policy dependencies.
Pilot Value AgentP1YesLinks pilot outcomes to close compression, automation, forecast, and control value.
Reconciliation AgentP1YesExplains breaks, aging, root cause, and owner.
Settlement AgentP1YesRecommends IC netting, settlement, or adjustment.
Readiness audit framework
AreaQuestion
DataDo we have realistic data?
OntologyDo concepts exist?
EventsAre business events modeled?
PoliciesAre rules implemented?
EvidenceCan recommendations be proven?
ReplayCan decisions be replayed?
Agent LogicIs reasoning implemented?
Human WorkflowCan users intervene?
IntegrationAre SOR integrations demonstrated?
ControlsAre approvals enforced?
LearningCan agents improve?
ObservabilityCan runtime be monitored?
Additional enterprise data required
DomainData required
FP&AHistorical forecasts, latest estimates, actuals, variance explanations, driver hierarchies.
Continuous CloseClose calendar, close tasks, reconciliation exceptions, journal approvals.
IntercompanyIC balances, IC disputes, ownership, settlement history, counterparty mappings.
BlackLineJournal analyzer outputs, matching data, reconciliation data, close status.
Daily ActualsLighthouse Daily Actuals, UDP datasets, Databricks models, SAP actuals, Treasury balances.
PRA / EvidenceOperator statements, PDFs, spreadsheets, production data, SAP records, calculation support.
Fixed Assets / AUCAUC balances, project/WBS data, work orders, technical completion events, asset records, SoX controls.
PaPM / AllocationsPaPM formulas, allocation drivers, bill-to-actual records, SAC outputs, receiving entity mappings.
Reporting / WorkivaReported metrics, reporting package data, ICFR controls, approvals, commentary, source actuals.
SAP BTP / JouleSAP skill catalog, BTP extension registry, ECC/CFIN/S4 mappings, PaPM objects, ServiceNow handoffs.
Finance Data ReadinessQuantum HDS mappings, Lighthouse Daily Actuals, UDP datasets, Databricks tables, OneData definitions, Foundry mappings.
Continuous Accounting PilotsDrilling cost AGT/GOA, ANZ region, P&L-impact-led, terminal data automation, accrual automation, aviation pilot scope and owners.
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 4.5/5

Continuous Close Command Center

Audience: CFO, Controller, FP&A Lead
Story: Close status moves from unknown until period-end to visible every day.

Close Agent · Accrual Agent · Journal Agent SAP ECC · SAP S/4HANA · BlackLine
Demo elementDetail
DemoShow 92% close readiness, then drill into 3 accrual issues, 2 intercompany mismatches, and 1 journal awaiting approval with evidence, policy, action, impact, and replay.
Data requiredSAP journal data, BlackLine reconciliations, Close calendar, Close tasks, Approvals
IntegrationsSAP ECC, SAP S/4HANA, BlackLine, ServiceNow
AgentsClose Agent, Accrual Agent, Journal Agent, Policy Agent, Evidence Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data4Do we have realistic data?
Ontology5Do concepts exist?
Events4Are business events modeled?
Policies5Are rules implemented?
Evidence5Can recommendations be proven?
Replay5Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow4Can users intervene?
Integration4Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls5Are approvals enforced?
Learning4Can agents improve?
Observability5Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 3.7/5

Driver-Based Forecasting

Audience: FP&A Lead, CFO, Business Finance
Story: Business changes production assumptions and the forecast updates with financial impact.

Driver Intelligence Agent · Forecast Agent · Variance Agent UDP · Databricks · SAP
Demo elementDetail
DemoMove Oil Production -5% and immediately show revenue, cash, EBITDA, and margin changes with an explanation drawer.
Data requiredProduction drivers, Volumes, Prices, Historical forecast, Actuals
IntegrationsUDP, Databricks, SAP, Foundry
AgentsDriver Intelligence Agent, Forecast Agent, Variance Agent, Narrative Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data3Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events4Are business events modeled?
Policies4Are rules implemented?
Evidence4Can recommendations be proven?
Replay4Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow3Can users intervene?
Integration3Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls4Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability4Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 3.9/5

Automated Variance Intelligence

Audience: FP&A Lead, Segment Finance, CFO
Story: Variance explains itself instead of relying on manual commentary assembly.

Variance Agent · Root Cause Agent · Action Agent SAP · UDP · Databricks
Demo elementDetail
DemoOpen revenue variance -$120M and show attribution: 60% volume, 25% price, 10% FX, 5% timing, followed by recommended actions.
Data requiredActuals, Forecast, Drivers, FX, Commodity prices
IntegrationsSAP, UDP, Databricks, Market data
AgentsVariance Agent, Root Cause Agent, Action Agent, Narrative Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data4Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events4Are business events modeled?
Policies4Are rules implemented?
Evidence4Can recommendations be proven?
Replay4Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow3Can users intervene?
Integration4Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls4Are approvals enforced?
Learning4Can agents improve?
Observability4Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 4.1/5

Real-Time Intercompany Resolution

Audience: Controller, R2R Lead, Project LIBRA Team
Story: Intercompany mismatch is detected, explained, routed, and resolved before close pressure builds.

Intercompany Match Agent · Root Cause Agent · Settlement Agent SAP · BlackLine · Treasury
Demo elementDetail
DemoShow Company A $8.2M payable vs Company B $7.7M receivable; agent identifies timing issue, payment pending, and recommends resolution.
Data requiredIC balances, IC disputes, Settlement history, Counterparty mappings
IntegrationsSAP, BlackLine, Treasury
AgentsIntercompany Match Agent, Root Cause Agent, Settlement Agent, Evidence Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data3Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events4Are business events modeled?
Policies4Are rules implemented?
Evidence5Can recommendations be proven?
Replay5Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow4Can users intervene?
Integration4Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls5Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability4Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 4.5/5

Automated Journal Intelligence

Audience: Controller, R2R Lead, Internal Controls
Story: Journal risk is checked against policy, materiality, prior history, SoD, and evidence before approval or escalation.

Journal Intelligence Agent · Policy Agent · Risk Agent SAP · BlackLine · Microsoft Entra ID
Demo elementDetail
DemoOpen a journal, show risk score, policy evaluation, BlackLine/SAP state, and approve-or-escalate recommendation.
Data requiredJournal history, Policies, Approvals, SAP journals, BlackLine journal analyzer outputs
IntegrationsSAP, BlackLine, Microsoft Entra ID
AgentsJournal Intelligence Agent, Policy Agent, Risk Agent, Evidence Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data4Do we have realistic data?
Ontology5Do concepts exist?
Events4Are business events modeled?
Policies5Are rules implemented?
Evidence5Can recommendations be proven?
Replay5Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow4Can users intervene?
Integration4Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls5Are approvals enforced?
Learning4Can agents improve?
Observability5Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 3.8/5

Daily Actuals / Finance Pulse

Audience: CFO, FP&A Lead, Controller
Story: Current financial position is continuously visible rather than discovered after month-end.

Daily Actuals Agent · Financial Event Agent · Variance Agent SAP · UDP · Databricks
Demo elementDetail
DemoShow today revenue, margin, cash, EBITDA, and forecast drift; ask what changed today and trace source freshness.
Data requiredLighthouse daily actuals, UDP datasets, Databricks models, Treasury data, SAP actuals
IntegrationsSAP, UDP, Databricks, Treasury
AgentsDaily Actuals Agent, Financial Event Agent, Variance Agent, Forecast Refresh Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data3Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events5Are business events modeled?
Policies4Are rules implemented?
Evidence4Can recommendations be proven?
Replay4Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow3Can users intervene?
Integration3Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls4Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability5Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 4.2/5

Continuous Accrual Automation

Audience: Controller, Operations Finance, Internal Controls
Story: Maintenance completed but invoice not received becomes a recommended accrual with evidence and policy.

Accrual Agent · Evidence Agent · Policy Agent SAP · Ariba · Maintenance systems
Demo elementDetail
DemoShow maintenance event, PO/receipt/history evidence, recommended accrual, policy validation, control validation, and SAP/BlackLine action path.
Data requiredPO, Receipt, Maintenance events, Historical costs, SAP actuals
IntegrationsSAP, Ariba, Maintenance systems, BlackLine
AgentsAccrual Agent, Evidence Agent, Policy Agent, Control Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data3Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events5Are business events modeled?
Policies5Are rules implemented?
Evidence5Can recommendations be proven?
Replay5Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow4Can users intervene?
Integration3Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls5Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability4Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 3.6/5

PRA Evidence Intelligence

Audience: Upstream Finance, Controller, Audit
Story: PDFs, operator statements, spreadsheets, production data, and SAP records are transformed into evidence-linked reconciled finance decisions.

OCR Agent · Evidence Agent · Reconciliation Agent SAP · SharePoint/OpenText · Databricks
Demo elementDetail
DemoExtract and reconcile PDF/operator statement/spreadsheet/SAP data, then show evidence lineage, confidence, calculation, and replay.
Data requiredOperator statements, Production data, PDFs, Spreadsheets, SAP records
IntegrationsSAP, SharePoint/OpenText, Databricks, Evidence Intelligence Runtime
AgentsOCR Agent, Evidence Agent, Reconciliation Agent, Calculation Agent, Policy Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data2Do we have realistic data?
Ontology3Do concepts exist?
Events3Are business events modeled?
Policies4Are rules implemented?
Evidence5Can recommendations be proven?
Replay5Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic3Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow4Can users intervene?
Integration3Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls4Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability4Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 4.1/5

Capitalization and AUC Intelligence

Audience: Controller, Fixed Assets Lead, Project Finance, Internal Controls
Story: Auto-capitalization and AUC decisions become policy-backed, evidence-linked, SoX-aware, and visible before close.

Capitalization Agent · AUC Monitoring Agent · Asset Completion Agent SAP Asset Accounting · SAP BTP · Project systems
Demo elementDetail
DemoOpen an AUC project, show technical completion, policy treatment, capitalization evidence, SoX impact, SAP asset path, and replay.
Data requiredAUC balances, Project/WBS data, Work orders, Technical completion events, Fixed asset policy, SAP asset records
IntegrationsSAP Asset Accounting, SAP BTP, Project systems, Evidence Intelligence Runtime
AgentsCapitalization Agent, AUC Monitoring Agent, Asset Completion Agent, Fixed Asset Policy Agent, SoX Evidence Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data3Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events4Are business events modeled?
Policies5Are rules implemented?
Evidence5Can recommendations be proven?
Replay5Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow4Can users intervene?
Integration3Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls5Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability4Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 3.6/5

PaPM Allocation and Recharge Automation

Audience: FP&A Lead, Controller, Allocation Process Owner
Story: Allocations and recharges become driver-linked, calculation-lineage-backed, policy-controlled, and replayable.

Allocation Driver Agent · PaPM Lineage Agent · Recharge Variance Agent SAP PaPM · SAP SAC · SAP
Demo elementDetail
DemoOpen a bill-to-actual variance, show PaPM formula version, source drivers, recharge recipient, policy threshold, recommended adjustment, and replay.
Data requiredPaPM allocation outputs, Driver sources, Bill-to-actual records, SAC reports, Receiving entity mappings
IntegrationsSAP PaPM, SAP SAC, SAP, Databricks, UDP
AgentsAllocation Driver Agent, PaPM Lineage Agent, Recharge Variance Agent, Allocation Policy Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data2Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events3Are business events modeled?
Policies4Are rules implemented?
Evidence4Can recommendations be proven?
Replay5Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic3Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow4Can users intervene?
Integration3Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls4Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability4Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 3.9/5

Statutory Reporting Evidence

Audience: Group Reporting, Controller, CFO, Internal Controls
Story: Reported numbers and commentary become evidence-backed, control-mapped, approved, and replayable.

Reporting Evidence Agent · ICFR Control Agent · Narrative Assurance Agent Workiva · SAP · BlackLine
Demo elementDetail
DemoOpen a board-pack metric, show source lineage, narrative support, ICFR control, owner certification, Workiva-style evidence package, and replay.
Data requiredReported metrics, Workiva/reporting package data, ICFR controls, Approvals, Variance commentary, Source actuals
IntegrationsWorkiva, SAP, BlackLine, UDP, Evidence Intelligence Runtime
AgentsReporting Evidence Agent, ICFR Control Agent, Narrative Assurance Agent, Certification Routing Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data2Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events3Are business events modeled?
Policies5Are rules implemented?
Evidence5Can recommendations be proven?
Replay5Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic3Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow5Can users intervene?
Integration3Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls5Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability4Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 4.2/5

SAP BTP and Joule Coexistence

Audience: SAP Architecture, AI Platform, Security, Finance Technology
Story: SAP-native capabilities participate as governed skills while the runtime coordinates cross-platform policy, evidence, replay, and accountability.

SAP Skill Orchestration Agent · BTP Extension Governance Agent · SAP Coexistence Agent SAP Joule · SAP BTP · SAP ECC
Demo elementDetail
DemoShow a SAP-native validation skill, BTP extension, ECC/CFIN/S4 object mapping, action gateway policy check, optional SAP deep link, and replay.
Data requiredSAP API/event catalog, BTP extension registry, ECC/CFIN/S4 mappings, PaPM objects, ServiceNow task/posting metadata
IntegrationsSAP Joule, SAP BTP, SAP ECC, SAP CFIN, SAP S/4HANA, SAP PaPM, ServiceNow
AgentsSAP Skill Orchestration Agent, BTP Extension Governance Agent, SAP Coexistence Agent, SAP Action Control Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data3Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events4Are business events modeled?
Policies5Are rules implemented?
Evidence4Can recommendations be proven?
Replay5Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow4Can users intervene?
Integration4Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls5Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability5Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 4.0/5

Finance Data Readiness

Audience: Data Architecture, FP&A, Quantum/HDS Team, AI Platform
Story: Agents only recommend or execute when finance data freshness, lineage, mapping completeness, and source confidence are explicit.

Data Readiness Agent · Lineage Agent · Mapping Completeness Agent UDP · Databricks · OneData
Demo elementDetail
DemoOpen a Daily Actuals data product, show UDP/Databricks source freshness, Quantum HDS mapping, OneData/Foundry semantics, confidence guardrail, and blocked autonomous action for stale data.
Data requiredQuantum HDS mappings, Lighthouse Daily Actuals, UDP datasets, Databricks tables, OneData definitions, Foundry ontology mappings
IntegrationsUDP, Databricks, OneData, Foundry, SAP ECC, SAP CFIN, SAP S/4HANA
AgentsData Readiness Agent, Lineage Agent, Mapping Completeness Agent, Freshness Guardrail Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data4Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events4Are business events modeled?
Policies4Are rules implemented?
Evidence4Can recommendations be proven?
Replay4Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow3Can users intervene?
Integration4Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls5Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability5Can runtime be monitored?
Must-have demonstration scenario · readiness 4.0/5

Continuous Accounting Pilot Tracker

Audience: FP&A Technology, Pilot Owners, Architecture, Controls
Story: The six FP&A pilot themes become inspectable delivery increments mapped to agents, source systems, policies, evidence, owners, readiness, and replay proof.

Pilot Readiness Agent · Pilot Evidence Agent · Pilot Dependency Agent SAP · BlackLine · SAP PaPM
Demo elementDetail
DemoOpen the six-pilot tracker, select Accrual Automation or Terminal Data Automation, and show agents, source data, evidence contract, policy gates, readiness score, and replay path.
Data requiredPilot scope, Owner mapping, Source-system catalog, Policy controls, Evidence requirements, Readiness scores
IntegrationsSAP, BlackLine, SAP PaPM, UDP, Databricks, Terminal/operational systems
AgentsPilot Readiness Agent, Pilot Evidence Agent, Pilot Dependency Agent, Pilot Value Agent
Readiness audit
AreaScoreQuestion
Data3Do we have realistic data?
Ontology4Do concepts exist?
Events4Are business events modeled?
Policies4Are rules implemented?
Evidence5Can recommendations be proven?
Replay5Can decisions be replayed?
Agent Logic4Is reasoning implemented?
Human Workflow4Can users intervene?
Integration3Are SOR integrations demonstrated?
Controls5Are approvals enforced?
Learning3Can agents improve?
Observability4Can runtime be monitored?