Using account symbols instead of general ledger accounts in the transaction messages of the business applications of an enterprise

A computer system operable for optimizing accounting in a multi-system enterprise environment by using account symbols, the system comprising:

• a storage to store a correspondence between a plurality of account symbols and a plurality of general ledger accounts;
• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions, which when executed from the memory, cause the processor to
• receive an accounting entry generated by a sending computer application, the accounting entry including an account symbol from the plurality of account symbols,
• replace the account symbol in the accounting entry with a general ledger account from the plurality of general ledger accounts based on the stored correspondence, and
• generate an electronic financial document based on the accounting entry.

A computer implemented method for optimizing accounting in an enterprise environment by using account symbols, the method comprising:

• storing in a memory of a computer system a correspondence between a plurality of account symbols and a plurality of general ledger accounts;
• receiving at a receiving computer application an accounting entry generated by a sending computer application, the accounting entry including an account symbol from the plurality of account symbols;
• at the receiving computer application, replacing the account symbol in the accounting entry with a general ledger account from the plurality of general ledger accounts based on the stored correspondence;
• and
• generating an electronic financial document based on the accounting entry at the receiving accounting application.