Adding a New Configuration Set to SAS Solution for IFRS 17

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Introduction

SAS Solution for IFRS 17 provides a comprehensive facility to manage the solution configuration via Configuration Sets workspace. This workspace provides a flexibility of creating custom configurations and plug them in using MS Excel workbook. The objective of the article is to provide an overview of steps to configure a new custom configuration and its related aspects in the solution. 

You can obtain more information on SAS Risk Stratum and

SAS Solution for IFRS 17 through the following training programs.

Data Preparation, Configuration, and Administration in SAS® Risk Stratum

Business Overview of SAS® Solution for IFRS 17 in SAS® Risk Stratum

Configuration Set Tables

The solution interface enables controlled uploading of static and mapping configuration set tables through a dedicated screen. After installing or upgrading to version 07.2022 or any later version, system configuration is automatically deployed and can be adjusted by overlaying modified tables. The upload uses an Excel workbook for easy embedding of tables in their native structure. New configurations can undergo an approval process (optional) with extendable prebuilt validations and comparison functionality. The system allows for both group and local (entity-specific) configurations, with restricted access in a multi-entity context.

The following table provides an example for types of configurations and a sample of configuration tables available in the configuration set that can be modified based on your requirements.

Example Configuration Area	Example Tables
Data Management	DATASTORE_CONFIG, DQ_CONFIG, DQ_INPUT_TABLE_THRESHOLD.
Calculations	CALCULATION_DETAILS, CALCULATION_FLOW_DEFINITIONS, DISCOUNTING_CONFIG
Subledger Accounting Module	SUBLEDGER_DIM, SUBLEDGER_SCHEME, ACCOUNT_POSTING_GROUP ACCOUNTING_EVENT_TYPE_DIM and many other static and mapping tables.
Reporting	REPORT_CONFIG, REPORT_OPTION, VA_REPORT_CONFIG
Batch Execution	BATCH_CYCLE_PARAM_TABLE, BATCH_CYCLE_TASK_LIST
System Configuration	RUN_OPTION
Process and Job Flow Parameters	ANALYTICS_OPTION

If you are new to SAS Solution for IFRS 17, you can learn more about configuration tables by studying the data model of the solution with a focus on static and mapping tables.

Steps to add a custom configuration

Primarily there are five steps:

1. Download an existing configuration set.
2. Update or modify the required tables.
3. Upload and validate the set as new configuration.
4. Compare the changes.
5. Test by using the new configuration in a cycle.

 Illustration of Steps for Adding a New Configuration Set 

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Download 

Downloading a configuration task is really easy.

1. Access SAS Solution for IFRS 17 using credentials with administrative rights.
2. Navigate to the Configuration Sets workspace interface. It is available under configuration related workspaces, and it displays a list of configured sets.

Illustration of Available Configuration Sets

3. Identify the configuration set you want to download. This might involve browsing through a list of available configuration sets.
4. Click the configuration set to view the details. Notice the option to download the configuration set.

Illustration of Configuration Download Link 

5. Click the link Download Configuration Set Template. Notice that an Excel file GROUP_ CONFIG_SET is available in the Downloads folder. This will be an Excel workbook with tables embedded in their native Data Definition Language (DDL) structure.

Update

For updating the file you need a deep understanding of the solution's data model and your requirements.

1. Select the relevant table in the Excel file.
2. Identify and modify the parameter values, options or settings depending on your requirement.

Note that your change might vary from couple of changes in few tables to several changes in various tables.

Example of simple updates: You may want to make a new configuration for testing few changes like options for day basis settings or discounting curve interpolation method in ANALYTICS_OPTION table or updating a newly configured reports in REPORT_CONFIG table.

Example of complex updates: Configuring a new SLAM. This involves making several changes to tables like SUBLEDGER_DIM, SUBLEDGER_SCHEME, CALCULATION_DETAILS, POSTING_DETAILS, RULE_SL_ACCOUNT_EVENT_TYPE, ACCOUNT_POSTING_GROUP, ACCOUNT_EVENT_TYPE_DIM, COA_GL_DIM, and DATASTORE_CONFIG.  

Illustration of a Downloaded Configuration Excel Worksheet 

3. Save your changes in the Excel file.

Upload and Validate

Validation is a must. If there are errors, SAS do not enable you to proceed without removing the errors.

1. Ensure that the configuration set you want to upload is in the correct format.
2. Verify that all necessary tables and parameters are included and correctly formatted.
3. Navigate to the Configuration Set Interface.
4. From the list of configurations, use the same configuration you downloaded and click the Actions icon and select Create New From.

 Illustration of Actions Menu

5. Click Save. Note that you can choose an optional approval workflow. Here we are not using the workflow.
6. Click Add icon available in the section Configuration Files. Notice that a new window Add Document.

 Illustration of Add Document Window

7. Click Browse and select your newly prepared excel file. Click OK.
8. Verify that there are no validation errors. Click Move to Final.

Illustration of Validation Message 

SAS validates an updated file. The prebuilt validations are

• Structural checks are the changes compliant with the DDL definition (like primary keys).
• Completeness checks for tables like RUN_OPTION or ANALTICS_OPTION.

 

Compare

Comparison is always a good idea.

1. On the Configuration Sets workspace, click Compare Configuration Sets.
2. For Scope, select Group and choose the two configuration sets. Pick the one you recently loaded and for the other one, click any previous version you need to compare. Select Yes for Compare Configuration Set.

 Illustration of Compare Configuration Sets Tab

3. Download the Excel file for the differences between the two configurations. Verify that the changes are reflected in the comparison file. Note that there are two following sheets.

• • A summary sheet (no_differences) that lists all the configuration tables for which there are no changes (and their source configuration).
  • A sheet by configuration table for which there are changes, which contains all the observations with differences. The differences will be shown one by one. If one row for one configuration is not followed by a row for the other, then the row is missing in the other configuration (new/dropped).

Test

For testing or deployment. You just need to create a new cycle and simply initialize the cycle with the newly created configuration. Note that the Initialize Cycle is the first task in any cycle.  

Illustration of Configuration Set Usage in Initialize Cycle Task

Note that as you progress with the steps of the cycle, during the data management step the selected configuration set will be written to the landing area.  You must verify that the tasks in the desired cycle are executing without errors and the results are according to your requirements.

Conclusion

The article presents steps to manage Configuration Sets workspace in SAS solution for IFRS 17. These steps enable you to try setting up and testing new or custom configuration sets based on your requirements. Such steps might be beneficial in the development and implementation stages of SAS Solution for IFRS 17. For more details refer to the documentation of the solution available at Documentation for SAS Solution for IFRS 17

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