Why should a company use EPM Automate instead of custom scripting

EPM Automate allows for robust, bi-directional data orchestration between Oracle EPM and source ERPs (like NetSuite or Fusion) using native capabilities. It is highly scalable, easier to maintain during Oracle's monthly updates, and avoids the fragility of heavy custom coding.

Can Oracle Cloud EPM integrate with multiple different ERPs simultaneously?

Yes. Through strategic data pipeline architecture, Oracle EPM can ingest, consolidate, and even write-back finalized data to multiple disparate ERPs concurrently, acting as the single source of truth for the enterprise.

How does Oracle FCCS handle Minority Interest (NCI) and CTA?

While standard FCCS provides out-of-the-box functionality, complex global enterprises often require advanced configuration to isolate and calculate Minority Interest (NCI) and Cumulative Translation Adjustments (CTA) accurately at the top consolidated hierarchy without relying on manual journals.

Can you bypass the out-of-the-box Goodwill calculation in Oracle FCCS?

Yes. By utilizing advanced native configuration and custom consolidation rules, you can bypass standard Goodwill Input/Offset functionality to meet highly specific, non-standard acquisition accounting requirements.

How many daily transactions can Oracle ARCS process?

Oracle ARCS is built for enterprise scale. With proper architecture in the Transaction Matching engine, ARCS can easily process and auto-match hundreds of thousands of daily banking transactions, representing billions of dollars in value.

What is the difference between Transaction Matching and Reconciliation Compliance in ARCS?

Transaction Matching automates the high-volume, line-by-line matching of data (like daily bank feeds or ACH). Reconciliation Compliance is used to govern the period-end justification of broader balance sheet account balances.

Does Oracle TRC handle Country-by-Country Reporting (CbCR)?

Yes. Oracle Tax Reporting Cloud (TRC) provides built-in frameworks to automate Country-by-Country Reporting, ensuring multinational organizations remain compliant with global BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) regulations.

How does Oracle TRC integrate with FCCS?

TRC and FCCS share the same platform architecture, allowing for seamless data flow. Finalized pre-tax consolidated data from FCCS feeds directly into TRC for tax provisioning, ensuring perfect alignment between the finance and tax departments.

Is a "White Font" Problem Lurking in Your Balance Sheet?

Nadia Lodroman | Oracle EPM Consultant | Integrity in Every Insight.

28 September 2025

Listen to Tresora and Ledgeron's chatting about this blog post:

How spreadsheet shortcuts become corporate risks and why a purpose-built platform is the only real solution.

Imagine this: one of your employees is struggling to reconcile a key account. The numbers just aren’t adding up. Facing the pressure of a month-end deadline, they decide to "fix" the problem by adding a plug number into their Excel spreadsheet. To hide it, they change the font color to white. The formula now balances, the reconciliation looks clean, and it gets filed away.

Now, imagine this isn’t just any account. It’s your main bank account, and that "plugged" amount is material. Suddenly, you don’t have the cash you thought you did to pay your main supplier or even meet payroll.

This isn’t a far-fetched horror story; it’s a real-world example of the critical dangers lurking in spreadsheet-based reconciliation processes. It highlights a fundamental weakness of operating on blind trust—a weakness that purpose-built platforms are designed to eliminate entirely.

The Strategic Shift: From Blind Trust to Verifiable Control

While other solutions like BlackLine or FloQast exist to help companies move beyond spreadsheets, Oracle Account Reconciliation offers a uniquely compelling strategic advantage, particularly for businesses seeking deep integration and scalability. It transforms the reconciliation process by replacing blind trust with verifiable, automated controls.

Here’s how a dedicated platform like Oracle’s systematically prevents a "white font" scenario:

1. Systemic Controls to Block Manipulation

The core issue in the "white font" story is a complete lack of systemic control. In Oracle Account Reconciliation, this kind of manipulation is systematically blocked.

Segregation of Duties: The system enforces a strict workflow where a Preparer cannot also be a Reviewer for the same reconciliation. This creates a mandatory layer of independent oversight.
Forced Accuracy: The platform can be configured to require a zero unexplained difference. The system calculates this difference automatically based on trusted data loaded directly from your general ledger, not on easily manipulated cell formulas. The employee’s white-font number would create a very real, very visible unexplained difference, making it impossible to submit.

2. Radical Transparency to Shine a Light on Every Action

The employee in our story was banking on their deception remaining invisible. In a modern reconciliation platform, that's impossible.

Unalterable Audit Log: The History tab on each reconciliation logs every single change—who made it, when it was made, and precisely what was altered.
Centralized Repository: Instead of being scattered across network drives and email inboxes, all reconciliations are held in a centralized, secure repository, giving managers and auditors a complete, real-time view of every account's status.

3. Intelligent Automation to Reduce Errors and Temptation

While the employee’s action was inexcusable, it was likely born from the frustration of a complex, high-volume manual task. When processes are overly burdensome, the risk of errors—and misconduct—increases.

For these high-volume accounts, Oracle’s Transaction Matching module is a game-changer. It automates the tedious work of matching thousands or even millions of transactions from the GL against bank statements or subsystem data based on predefined rules. This powerful automation saves immense time, reduces human error, and removes the very inefficiency that might tempt an employee to take a dangerous shortcut.

4. A Strategic Choice for Businesses of All Sizes

Beyond preventing fraud, Oracle's key advantage is its deep integration and scalability.

Seamless GL Integration: Oracle ARCS is designed to connect directly to your ERP (Oracle ERP Cloud, NetSuite, and others), ensuring the balances you reconcile are the actual GL balances. This single source of truth is the foundation of a trustworthy close.
Built for Your Scale: Oracle offers two distinct editions to fit your needs.
EPM Standard Cloud: Perfect for growing businesses looking to escape Excel chaos with core automation and control.
EPM Enterprise Cloud: Built for corporate complexity with advanced features like Transaction Matching, ensuring the platform scales with you.

The Real Question

The "white font" problem isn't just about a single employee; it's about a fragile, high-risk process. When the integrity of your financial statements is at stake—along with your ability to pay your vendors and your people—the question isn't whether you can afford a purpose-built reconciliation platform.

It's whether you can still afford not to have one. 🔒

Ready to eliminate the 'white font' problem for good?

To explore how a purpose-built solution like Oracle Account Reconciliation can protect your business and streamline your financial close, contact Nadia Lodroman for an expert consultation at www.lodroman.com.

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General EPM Strategy FAQs

Why should a company use EPM Automate instead of custom scripting
EPM Automate allows for robust, bi-directional data orchestration between Oracle EPM and source ERPs (like NetSuite or Fusion) using native capabilities. It is highly scalable, easier to maintain during Oracle's monthly updates, and avoids the fragility of heavy custom coding.
Can Oracle Cloud EPM integrate with multiple different ERPs simultaneously?
Yes. Through strategic data pipeline architecture, Oracle EPM can ingest, consolidate, and even write-back finalized data to multiple disparate ERPs concurrently, acting as the single source of truth for the enterprise.
How does Oracle FCCS handle Minority Interest (NCI) and CTA?
While standard FCCS provides out-of-the-box functionality, complex global enterprises often require advanced configuration to isolate and calculate Minority Interest (NCI) and Cumulative Translation Adjustments (CTA) accurately at the top consolidated hierarchy without relying on manual journals.
Can you bypass the out-of-the-box Goodwill calculation in Oracle FCCS?
Yes. By utilizing advanced native configuration and custom consolidation rules, you can bypass standard Goodwill Input/Offset functionality to meet highly specific, non-standard acquisition accounting requirements.
How many daily transactions can Oracle ARCS process?
Oracle ARCS is built for enterprise scale. With proper architecture in the Transaction Matching engine, ARCS can easily process and auto-match hundreds of thousands of daily banking transactions, representing billions of dollars in value.
What is the difference between Transaction Matching and Reconciliation Compliance in ARCS?
Transaction Matching automates the high-volume, line-by-line matching of data (like daily bank feeds or ACH). Reconciliation Compliance is used to govern the period-end justification of broader balance sheet account balances.
Does Oracle TRC handle Country-by-Country Reporting (CbCR)?
Yes. Oracle Tax Reporting Cloud (TRC) provides built-in frameworks to automate Country-by-Country Reporting, ensuring multinational organizations remain compliant with global BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) regulations.
How does Oracle TRC integrate with FCCS?
TRC and FCCS share the same platform architecture, allowing for seamless data flow. Finalized pre-tax consolidated data from FCCS feeds directly into TRC for tax provisioning, ensuring perfect alignment between the finance and tax departments.

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Oracle EPM Consultant Nadia Lodroman based in Ireland providing global finance automation services.

I’m Nadia Lodroman