What does operational accounting in SAP FI typically include?

Operational accounting in SAP FI primarily focuses on the record-keeping and management of day-to-day financial transactions. This includes activities such as posting invoices, managing vendor payments, processing customer receipts, and tracking expenses and revenues as they occur in real-time. The essence of operational accounting is to provide accurate and timely information about a company's ongoing financial health, enabling management and stakeholders to make informed decisions.

This continuous cycle of recording and analyzing financial data ensures that a business can operate efficiently and react quickly to changes in its financial landscape. The other areas mentioned, such as long-term strategic investments, year-end financial statement preparation, and regulatory reporting, are more aligned with financial planning and reporting functions that happen less frequently and are often considered part of financial management rather than operational accounting. Thus, the focus on everyday financial transactions is what distinguishes operational accounting in SAP FI.