Finacle Standing Instructions — SIM Command, Execution Types & Troubleshooting
- Add / modify / cancel a Standing Instruction:
SIM(Standing Instruction Maintenance) - Manually execute Standing Instructions:
SIE(Standing Instruction Execution) - View SIs executed today:
SIETR(SI Executed Today Report) - View failed / carry-forward SIs:
CFLM(Carry Forward List Maintenance) - Inquire on SIs for an account:
SIM→ Function I
A customer calls to ask why their monthly RD installment didn’t get credited from their savings account. You check the account — the balance was there. You check the SI — it is set up correctly in SIM. You check SIETR — the SI ran at BOD, but it shows as failed. You open CFLM — insufficient balance at the time of execution, even though the balance is there now.
Standing Instructions are one of Finacle’s most useful features and one of the most frequently misunderstood when they go wrong. This article covers the SIM command in full — execution types, the setup walkthrough, how to run SIs manually, how to diagnose failures, and when to use SIM instead of an ECS mandate.
What Standing Instructions Are — and What They Are Not
A Standing Instruction (SI) in Finacle is an automated transaction instruction set up on an account that executes on a defined schedule without manual intervention. The most common uses: monthly RD installment debit from a savings account, periodic transfer from savings to loan account for EMI, recurring credit to a beneficiary account on a fixed date.
What SIs are not: they are not ECS (Electronic Clearing Service) mandates or NACH mandates. The key distinction is that SIM-based standing instructions are internal to your bank — the debit and credit accounts must both exist within the same CBS. An ECS or NACH mandate pulls funds from a customer’s account at your bank to benefit a third party at another institution (insurance company, utility, housing finance). If a customer wants an inter-bank recurring payment, that requires an ECS/NACH mandate — not a SIM entry.
The 4 Execution Types — This Is Where Most Confusion Happens
Every Standing Instruction in Finacle has an execution type that determines when it runs during the day. Getting this wrong is the most common SIM setup mistake.
| Code | Execution time | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| B | BOD — Beginning of Day | The SI runs automatically when BOD runs in the morning, before branch opens. Use for SIs that must execute first thing — RD debits, loan EMIs, sweep transfers where the amount needs to be available for the full business day. The debit happens before any counter transaction. |
| A | EOD — End of Day | The SI runs during the EOD batch. Use for SIs where the end-of-day balance is what matters — sweep-in arrangements where you want to capture the day’s residual balance, or transfers that should reflect after all day’s transactions are complete. |
| D | Anytime — first SIE run of the day | The SI runs the first time SIE (Standing Instruction Execution) is triggered manually during the day. Use when the customer or branch wants the SI to run during business hours but at a flexible time — the operator runs SIE and all Type D SIs execute at that moment. |
| E | Every SIE run | The SI executes every time SIE is run during the day — potentially multiple times. Use carefully. This is appropriate for sweep-type arrangements where you want the SI to execute at each SIE trigger, but should not be used for SIs that should execute only once per due date (like RD installments). |
The SIM Command — Setting Up a Standing Instruction
Open SIM (Standing Instruction Maintenance) → Function A (Add). Fill in the fields below. All fields are mandatory unless noted.
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Debit Account ID | The account from which funds will be debited. Must be within your bank’s CBS. |
| Credit Account ID | The account to which funds will be credited. Also within CBS — for RD installments, this is the RD account number. |
| Amount | The fixed amount to transfer per execution. For variable-amount sweeps, check your bank’s specific sweep SI configuration. |
| Frequency | How often the SI executes: Monthly, Quarterly, Weekly, Daily, Fortnightly, or a specific number of days. For RD installments, select Monthly. |
| Start Date | The first execution date. For an RD opening today with the first installment due on the 5th of next month, set the start date to the 5th. |
| End Date | The last execution date. For a 12-month RD started in June 2025, the end date is May 2026. If left blank the SI runs indefinitely — always set an end date for time-bound arrangements. |
| Execution Type | B, A, D, or E — see the execution type table above. For RD installments: B. For EOD sweeps: A. |
| Remarks | Brief description — “RD installment”, “Loan EMI SB to Loan”, “Monthly sweep”. Helps when auditing SI records later. |
Commit with F10. The SI is now active and will execute on the start date as per the frequency and execution type set. Verify the entry using SIM → Function I (Inquire) on the debit account to confirm all fields are correct before the first execution date.
SIE — Running Standing Instructions Manually
SIE (Standing Instruction Execution) is used to manually trigger the execution of Type D and Type E standing instructions during the day. It is a supervisor-level command — not available to tellers.
When SIE is run, Finacle processes all SIs that are due on today’s business date and have execution type D or E. Type B SIs have already run at BOD; Type A SIs will run at EOD. SIE only picks up D and E types.
After running SIE, check SIETR (SI Executed Today Report) immediately to see which SIs were processed, which succeeded, and which failed. Do not assume success — always verify with SIETR after any SIE run.
When an SI Fails — CFLM and What to Do
The most common SI failure is insufficient balance in the debit account at the time of execution. For Type B SIs running at BOD, this means the account did not have enough free balance (after any lien deduction) when the morning batch ran — even if the customer deposited money later in the day.
Failed SIs are tracked in CFLM (Carry Forward List Maintenance). CFLM shows:
- The SI that failed — debit account, credit account, amount
- The date it was due and the reason for failure
- Whether it has been carried forward for retry
Depending on your bank’s SI configuration, a failed SI may be retried automatically on the same day (via a later SIE run if execution type allows) or carried forward to the next execution date. Some banks configure a retry window — for example, retry on the same day if funds become available within business hours.
1. Check SIETR for today — confirm whether the SI ran and what status it shows.
2. If failed, check CFLM for the failure reason — almost always insufficient balance or a lien blocking the debit amount.
3. If the customer has since deposited funds and the SI should have run, the options are: wait for the next scheduled execution date, or (if your bank permits) manually execute the SI via SIE if it is a Type D or E, or process a manual transfer for today’s installment and log it appropriately.
4. Inform the customer clearly — a failed RD installment may affect the RD’s maturity date or penalty calculation depending on your bank’s RD scheme rules.
How to Modify or Cancel a Standing Instruction
To modify an existing SI — change the amount, update the end date, or correct the execution type — open SIM → Function M (Modify) → enter the SI reference number or search by debit account → update the relevant field → commit. Modification requires checker verification.
To cancel an SI a customer no longer needs — open SIM → Function D (Delete) or Function C (Cancel, if your bank uses a cancel rather than delete approach) → locate the SI → confirm cancellation → commit. Once cancelled, the SI will not execute on future due dates. Verify the cancellation by checking SIM Inquire on the debit account — the SI should no longer show as active.
Always get a written request from the customer before cancelling a recurring SI — particularly for loan EMI SIs. A cancelled EMI SI with no follow-up payment becomes a loan overdue. Retain the cancellation request in the account file.
SIM vs ECS Mandate — Which to Use
| SIM (Standing Instruction) | ECS / NACH Mandate |
|---|---|
| Debit and credit both within your bank’s CBS | Debit from your bank’s customer account; credit to another institution |
| Set up entirely in Finacle by the branch | Mandate registered with NPCI; processed through clearing |
| Examples: SB to RD installment, SB to loan EMI, inter-account sweep within same bank | Examples: insurance premium to LIC, SIP to mutual fund AMC, EMI to NBFC |
| No external mandate registration needed | Requires signed NACH mandate form; registration via HECSM or NACH portal |
The confusion arises because customers use “standing instruction” to mean any recurring payment. When a customer says “set up a standing instruction for my LIC premium,” they mean a NACH mandate — not a SIM entry. Clarify the destination: if the money stays within your bank, use SIM. If it goes outside, use NACH/ECS. Setting up a SIM entry for an inter-bank payment will result in a credit to a non-existent internal account — which either fails or posts to a suspense account, creating a messy correction.
Daily SI Checklist for Branch Officers
- ☐ SIETR — check SI Executed Today Report after BOD; note any failures
- ☐ CFLM — review carry-forward list; contact customers with failed SIs if needed
- ☐ Run SIE for Type D SIs at the appropriate time during the day (supervisor action)
- ☐ After SIE run, check SIETR again to confirm Type D SIs executed
- ☐ EOD: Type A SIs will run automatically — verify via SIETR next morning
Standing Instructions, when set up correctly, are one of the most reliable features in Finacle. They run without human intervention, on the right date, for the right amount, to the right account. The problems arise from setup errors — wrong execution type, missing end date, wrong credit account — that only surface when the first execution either fails or posts to the wrong place. Verify every SIM entry carefully before the first execution date, and the SI will take care of itself for the life of the arrangement.