Simple Overview of Product Costing

SAP Product Costing deals with Plan Costing + Actual Costing of Finish products or Services.

CO comprises Product Costing + cost accounting integrated with FI.

It uses Integrated Cost Accounting.

Product costing also has 2 phases depending on the Mfg Scenarios. If you are a normal mfg comp, making goods to stock & sale, you have to first do planning of the costs of products initilally as a STD COST of a product. This is used in many phases in SAP CO acounting. In simple terms, you cost a product by different methods depending on different LIFE CYCLE phases of product. These are Development of new product. Growth stage by modifying it. Mature stage (mass prod). Decline Retirement of that product from Mfg+Mktng)

The whole CO process starts with this PLANNED costs of products & ends with totalling the STD Costs for Actual Production.

This is a simple Std cost Accounting system, in which the end result is calculating Variance bet Planned & Actual & analysing those for further corrective actions.

Product costing is well integrated to FI, but only where overhead cost accounting is used. Otherwise normally it used only for settlement.

All these actual costs of Prod are finally settled/offset to FI or Profitability segments.

SAP CO is a very vast & complicated module of all. It needs deep understanding of the subject.

This give you an overview glimpse of SAP CO.

what is Difference between Cost Centers and Internal Orders

Would any one please tell me that
1. What is the basic difference between Cost Centers and Internal orders?
2. I understand that their functionality is same like assessments, distribution etc. then why there are divided into Cost Centers and Internal orders?
3. How the data flows from Cost Centers and Internal Orders? ie is it first into Internal orders then to Cost Centers or Vice versa? or else the data is maintained independently?
4. Does settlement means running the Assessment cycle and distibuting the costs to various cost centers from an internal order?
5. How you determine the cost of an Order or cost for an order? ie how an Cost in Order is determined?

A cost center as you will know is for fixed reporting for a long time span as part of your company structure (cost center usually = department or work center).

An internal order is used to accumulate cost for a specific project or task for a specific time period. An internal order is therefore used for a short period with a specific deadline.

Your internal order will usually settle to cost centers (and not visa versa) according to the settlement rule in the order setup.

An internal order can therefore be used to group all the expenses incurred to plan and hold a conference over a 3 month period. The order can be settled on a monthly basis to cost centers.

When the conference is finished the order can be settled finally. The cost of the conference will then be spread over 2 or more cost centers, but can be viewed in total on the internal order when needed.

It is important to understand the difference between a settlement and an assessment cycle. An assessment cycle distributes costs from one cost center to various other cost centers. You cannot assess from a cost center to an internal order nor visa versa. Assessment cycles are only between cost centers.

Settlements are used for orders. In the setup of each order is a "settlement rule". In this settlement rule you tell the system to which cost centers the cost in the order must be settled.
Typically, you will execute the following procedure at month-ends:
1. Settle all orders - this will settle all costs on orders to cost centers.
2. Run assessment cycles - Now that you have al costs against cost centers from your orders, you can start distributing costs between cost centers with assessments.

Costs are posted to an order. When you process a purchase order you post to the internal order and not to a cost center. The same applies to journals in FI. You will post the costs to the order and not to a cost center. You will then settle the order on month-ends to post to the relevant cost centers. It is very important to settle these orders otherwise FI and CO will not
balance on your system.

Internal orders can also be used as "statistical" orders. This is also specified in the setup of the order. You do not have to settle statistical orders. When posting costs, you will post to the cost center and the order simultaneously. Both have to be specified when posting journals or purchase orders against statistical orders.

Populating Transaction Type during Order Settlement

You have an internal order that you want to settle to a balance sheet account. This accounts field status makes the transaction type (BSEG-BEWAR) required. During settlement you receive error message F5 808 stating that this field is status initial but the field is required. This field is not available to you in the settlement rule definition. Is it possible that this field is suppressed? You could not locate a means to display or require it if so. You attempted to resolve this using a substitution that would popluate the transaction type field. However, during execution you did not hit the breakpoint you put into the user exit. How to overcome this issue?

You can change the requirement of the field in the "Field Status" of the account (Financial Accounting -> General Ledger Accounting -> Business Transaction -> G/L Account Posting -> Carry Out and Check Documents Settings -> Maintain Field Status Variants)

or

In transaction OB41 where you define posting keys and its "Field status". Both "Field Status" are maybe differents, but if in one of them the field is like "required entry" you have to change it. But if you are posting a fixed asset account, you will need this field completed because it defines the movement you are making.

What is Production Order Settlement?

Settlement is nothing but offsetting the costs to the FI portion. CO objects carry costs, which needs to be re-assignd to the G/L accounts where it comes from.

CO never generates any data, it only tracks the same onto some objects which are analysed for definite purpose of tracking the resources which are debits in FI as costs in G/L).

In simple words, the flow is like following -

1. Direct Costs are incurred ( like material consuption ) in form of issues to prod orders. These are captured in G/L. Whenever you issue, consumption account is debited. But are also debited to prod order as

Consumption...Dr
Inventory.......Cr

2. Indirect costs are incurred in form of debits to Cost centers in G/Ls. These are actually to be allocated & absorbed in Products via Prod Orders. So it is allocated to prod orders via diff media like costing sheet or Indirect activity allocations.
Here again Prod order is debited with some amount.

When the costs are incurred these should be transffered futher when the order is closed or deliverd to stock.
So whenever you deliver the order, the follwing entry is generated-

Inventory....Dr
Cost of Prod /Mfg Variance.....Cr

If your Fin Goods' predetermined cost are same as that of actual costs incurred, there will no price difference account affected. But when your plan cost ( target cost ) & actual costs are differnet, the difference is OFFSET or SETTELLED
to price diff accout as-

Cost of Prod / Mfg Var....Dr
Price diff acc..........Cr

Note that Price diff accont is not created as COST ELEMENT.

If actual cost is less than target cost, entry would be reverse.

How does one Deactivate a Cost Center

How does one Deactivate a Cost Center?

I can find a tcode to Activate an Inactive one but how do I deactivate a CC. Or is it so simple I cannot see it...

Marios

Go to KS02- Change Cost Center. Go to the Control Tab. Tick on the checkbox for desired transaction activity you want to lock. Any postings made against the cost center under locked activity/ies will not be allowed.

Tiongco, Jezel D.

Thank you, I knew I could block the postings but I want to somehow make the Cost Center Look Inactive.

To explain:
In transaction OKEON (Change Standard Hierarchy) I have Green Dots for Active CC's. The legend (attached) says a Red Dot is for Inactive CC's.

How do you do that?

Marios

Hi Marios, If you want to change the status to inactive, the only optioin as far as my knowledge is concerned is to change the validity period. when you double click the cost centre, details of cost centre will be displayed at the bottom by T code OKEON and you will find the status of cost centre there, just right of that you will find button to change the validity period, change the period to some future date then it turns to inactive status.

Excellent! It works.

Thank you very much.

I had changed the Validity Period before but I set it to start right where the previous time horizon ended so looking in the future this was always active.

SAP Requires an Assignment to a CO Object

The first time Account 820290 was only created in FI as a primary expense. After that this account was created in CO too as a secondary expense and any posting will appear an error: Account 820290 requires an assignment to a CO object

Question : How to correct this account back to FI only and not to appear in co?

Note :
Account 820290 requires an assignment to a CO object
Message no. KI 235

Diagnosis
You have not defined a CO account assignment for an account that is relevant to cost accounting.

System Response
Account 820290 is defined as a cost element.
This means that you must always specify a CO account assignment.

Procedure
Enter one of the following CO account assignments

Order
Cost center / cost center/ activity type
Sales order item (for a project or cost relevant)
Project / WBS element
Cost object (Process manufacturing)
Network/ Network activities
Business process
Profitability segment
Real estate object
The posting row affected is 000, account 820290.

First, if G/L account was created in FI, you can only create primary cost element in CO.

Secondary cost element can only be created if no account exists in FI.

Second, if you created the primary or secondary cost element in CO, you have to assign CO account assignment.

You can delete cost element in CO (KO04) if dependent objects found.

Third, when you create cost element in CO, documents would be also created in ‘Cost center accounting’ and ‘Profit center accounting’ when posing in FI. If no cost element exists in CO, no related documents would be created in CCA and PCA.

what is the Difference Between Primary and Secondary Cost Element

Explain the difference between primary and secondary cost element? With an example.

Primary cost elements are like materail costs, personnel costs, energy costs... where a corresponding GL account exists in FI..to allow costs to flow...

Secondary cost elements are like production costs, material overheads, production overheads, they can be created and administered in only CO. These are used in internal cost allocation, overhead calculation, settlement transactions., it does not flow to FI...

General - Cost Element
----------------------------------
Basically, cost element are carriers of costs.

Primary Cost Element
--------------------------------
When cost element carriers cost between FI and CO they are called Primary, the link is established GL A/c = Cost element(Primary). A question may arise as to whether all GL accounts are cost element, it again depends upon the business requirement, where COPA is active then revenue account (GL) are also cost elements, where COPA is not active then revenue account (GL) should not be made as an cost element.

Example....
Again cost of goods sold particularly in VAX (make to stock) is not an cost element, where the same COGS in VAY (make to order) is a cost element. Price Difference account should not be made as cost element.

Entry while booking expenses
Travel Expenses A/c - with Cost Centre Dr. Rs.YY
(will be a GL A/c and cost element) - entries flows to CO thru FI
To Cash A/c Cr. Rs.YY

Secondary Cost Element
-------------------------------------
When cost element carries cost with in CO, then they are called secondary cost element.

Example.... - Take Product Costing
---------------------------------------------------
On manufacture of the goods the cost of the above product (production order) is arrived at accumulating material cost + operational cost + overheads (%), additive cost if any.

The cost of operation is accumulated in cost centre be it production / production service / service cost centres, while booking FI entries.

Those operational cost has to be allocated to production order based on operational activities carried on and its cost involved in it. Those operation activities in CO are termed as activity types and has to link the same in KP26 with rates and cost centre (ie., sender cost centre and receiver production order).

In order to find the production order cost, the allocation of cost from sender cost centre to production order for the operational activities carried on and its cost associated with it, have to be loaded, hence in CO the cost centre allocate that portion of operational cost to production order, and this cost is carried by a cost element (since there are no FI involvement and entries are flowing within CO by crediting sender cost centre and debiting receiver production order a cost element has to be created.... say "Operational Cost - Activity" the entry will be

Operational Cost - Activity (Production Order) Dr Rs.XX
To Operational Cost - Activity (Cost Centre) Cr Rs.XX
The entries are with in CO. And the cost element created is secondary since it does not has an link with GL Account in FI correspondingly.

In CO the production order and cost centre are co object including but not limited to.

Controlling FAQ

CONTROLLING

Controlling: Controlling provides you with information for management decision-making. If facilitates co-ordination, monitoring and optimization of all process in an organization.

Features of Controlling: Cost Center Accounting, Activity Based Accounting, Internal Orders, Product Costing, & Profitability Analysis.

Controlling Area: Organization unit that represents a closed system Used for accounting purposes.

You can assign one or more company codes to one controlling area.

If you assign more than one company code to one controlling area, then you need to note the following.

1) Consistent Chart of a/c’s (Treat each cost element in all company codes in same way).
2) The Operative fiscal year variants in the company codes must match the fiscal year variant in controlling area.
3) You should execute period end closing in controlling for all company codes at same time.
4) The system only post reconciliation posting across company codes without taxes, which means that it cannot automatically create invoice.
5) Maintain controlling area - OKKP .
6) Maintain no. ranges for controlling documents - KANK
7) Maintain versions - OKEQ

COST ELEMENT ACCOUNTING

Cost Elements: Cost Elements Describe the origin of costs. Cost element classifies the organization valuated consumption of production factors within a controlling area.

Primary Cost Elements: These arise through the consumption of productions factors that are sourced externally. Primary cost elements are used for direct posting and must be accompanied in GL a/c’s in FI.

T-code : KA02 : The categories are follows 1) General primary cost element, 03 - Imputed cost element percentage method 4 - Imputed cost element, target = Actual Method, 11- Revenue elements, & 12 - sales deductions.

Secondary Cost Elements: Cost elements arise through the consumption of production factor’s that are provided internally i.e., by enterprise itself. Secondary cost elements are used strictly for internal controlling posting like assessments and settlements. T-code - ka06

Category: 12 - internal settlements, 31 - Result analyses, 41 - overhead’s, 42 - assessments etc. Cost Element Group - kah1

COST CENTER’S

Cost Center’s: Organizational Unit within a controlling area that represents a defined location of cost incurrence. The definition can be based on 1) Functional Requirement, 2) Allocation criteria, 3) Physical location and 4) Responsibilities for cost.

Change Cost center hierarchy - OKEON
Creation of Cost Center - KS01

Distribution: Was created to transfer primary costs from a sender cost center to receiving controlling objects. Distribution is primary cost elements.
Define Distribution - KSV1
Execute “” - KSV5

Assessment: Was created to transfer primary and secondary costs from a sender cost center to receiving controlling objects.
During assessment, the original cost elements are summarized into assessment cost elements (secondary cost element, category=42).

Define Assessment - KSU1
Execute Assessment - KSU5

Activity Types: Categorizes productions and services activities provided by a cost center to the organization and used for allocating costs for internal activities to the originates of the costs.

Creation of Allocation Cost elements - KA06
Creating/Maintaining the Activity types - KL01

Statistical key figures: Are used as the basis (tracing factor) on which to make allocations (assessments & distributions) and to analyze structural key figures.

what is the Cost Component Split

Can someone brief what is cost component split? What config is to be done?

In addition to standard iteration, price calculation enables you to calculate prices as a cost component split. This means that the output price of an activity type can be split into a maximum of 40 cost components. These cost components represent either:

Individual cost components (such as wages, salaries, or operating supplies) or the costs of complete cost centers (such as energy or maintenance cost centers).

The cost component split enables you to analyze which cost components are contained in the output prices of the activity types.

You can then control cost elements, cost element groups, and also entire cost centers in cost component splits. The corresponding cost center costs and the costs of the cost centers providing the activity are channeled into this cost component split. For example, if you have assigned the salary cost element to component 1 (salaries), then the system displays the salaries (for example, for a production cost center) in this cost component. If a plant maintenance cost center provides services to the production center, then the salaries for the plant maintenance cost center are assigned to this cost component.

Cost center splitting apportions activity independent costs to the activity types of the cost center. It does this by multiplying the total of the activity independent costs by the equivalence number of the activity type, and then dividing by the sum of the equivalence numbers. So if there are two activities, one with equivalence number 1 and the second activity has an eqivalence number of 2, then 1/3 of the activity independent costs will be apportioned to activity one, and 2/3 will be apportioned to activity two.

Activity independent costs are always fixed, so any variable costs will need to be planned as activity dependent costs.

Planned cost center splitting happens automatically when calculating the activity price. You can view what costs will be apportioned during activity price calculation by clicking on the Splitting menu item.

I've ran cost splitting against one cost centre. For this cost centre I know the planned activity rate (per hour) and the planned quantity (in hours) but the target cost calculated for the activity is slightly different to the result of these two multiplied together.

Is this calculation correct please?

Planned act. qty in period @ planned act. rate for period = target costs

If you have only one Activity for the cost center, then you do not need to run splitting. Just run activity price calculation. Splitting is required only if you are allocating the same costs to 2 or more activities.

The calculation is generally right. The other thing to check will be rounding of the time (mins/hours) and value.

SAP FICO Period-End Closing CO-OM-CCA

Purpose

Period-end closing in Overhead Cost Controlling is part of the work carried out at period-end throughout the entire organization.

The tasks required at period-end, and the sequence in which they must be carried out, depend on what system functions you use and which cost accounting method. This topic describes the basic elements of period-end closing. The explanations assume that you are using all the features available.

Implementation Considerations

Before you can close a period in Overhead Cost Controlling, the data transferred to this component from other application SAP System components must be complete. In particular, all postings in Financial Accounting (FI) that are relevant to Cost Accounting must have been carried out.

This means, for example, that:

• Payroll accounting must have taken place in Personnel Management (PA).
• In Sales and Distribution (SD), all the invoices have been created and passed on to Financial Accounting.
• The vendor and customer accounts have been locked against postings in the period to be closed.

You are not allowed to lock all accounts, as period-end closing in Overhead Cost Controlling sometimes requires postings to be made Financial Accounting.

Features

Transferring of Statistical Key Figures from the LIS

To ensure that all primary costs and revenues from other components have been posted to Overhead Cost Controlling, it is advisable to start by updating the statistical key figures. Statistical key figures are used as the basis for allocations. This update can occur, for example, through a transfer of the key figures from the Logistics Information System (LIS).

Periodic Repostings/Accrual Calculation

After this, you use repostings to adjust any values that are incorrect or had been posted to allocation cost centers for reasons of simplification. Then the primary costs are distributed according to their source. The primary costs can now be used as the basis for the accrual calculation of valuation differences and additional costs.

Periodic Allocations

Secondary allocations then occur. Using the appropriate allocation or settlement method, the costs are allocated between the business objects of Overhead Cost Accounting and to the cost objects of Product Cost Controlling (CO-PC).

Splitting

When all the costs have finally been assigned to the cost centers, you use splitting to assign the activity types to the cost centers. This is the basis for calculating the prices of the activity types based on actual costs. Using the actual prices, you can perform an actual price valuation of the activity produced by the cost centers.

Variances

After splitting you can analyze the variances of the actual costs from the target costs. These variances lead to cost center under- or over-absorption. The variances of the production cost centers and the costs of the sales and distribution and the administration cost centers are transferred to Profitability Analysis (CO-PA). In CO-PA, the overhead costs can be assigned to any level of the contribution margin scheme. This is the final step in actual cost accounting. You should now lock the period against all postings.

Reconciliation with Financial Accounting

If there is a need for reconciliation between Controlling and Financial Accounting, the relevant allocations are made in FI using the reconciliation posting.

The system then lists the period-end closing tasks in a logical sequence:

1. Transfer of statistical key figures from the Logistics Information System (LIS)
2. Periodic reposting of costs from allocation cost centers
3. 
   
Distribution of primary costs
4. Accrual calculation of accrued costs
5. Indirect
internal activity allocation
6. Allocation of process costs.
7. 
   
Overhead Calculation
8. Settlement of overhead orders and projects
9. 
   
Assessment of primary and secondary costs
10. Balance-effective settlement of orders to fixed assets, material stock or the balance sheet account
11. Assignment of actual costs to the activity types by means of splitting
12. Calculating prices of cost centers activities or business processes, based on the actual costs
13. Calculation and analysis of the variances between target and actual costs
14. Assessment to Profitability Analysis of the under or over-absorption for the cost centers or business processes
15. Locking the period for all cost accounting business transactions
16. Generating reconciliation postings in Financial Accounting

Follow-up costs can be dealt with by repeating the processing for the given period.

SAP FICO Overview of Period Closing

Use

Within period-end closing for Cost Center Accounting, period-related business transactions are executed after the period end.

This includes:

• Periodic reposting
• Accrual cost calculation
• Transfer of statistical key figures from the LIS (Logistics Information System)
• Overhead calculation
• Periodic allocations
• Variance calculation
• Predistribution of fixed costs
• Actual price calculation in Cost Center Accounting

Features

Schedule Manager

Schedule Manager assists you in carrying out and checking period-end closing (see: Schedule Manager).

Periodic Repostings

Periodic reposting is a posting adjustment method. It offers you the same results as several transaction-based repostings made during the fiscal year.

Accrual Calculation

Making accrual calculations involves determining accrued costs using percentage overhead rates. These are then apportioned to credit objects (cost centers or internal orders).

Transferring of Statistical Key Figures from the LIS

You can transfer statistical key figures in the Logistics Information System (LIS) to the Cost Center Accounting component (CO-OM-CCA).

Periodic Allocations

With periodic allocations, the costs incurred are allocated by means of user-defined keys (for example, fixed amounts or percentages). With this method, the actual costs incurred for each period can only be identified after the given period is closed.

Periodic allocations include

• 
  
Distribution
• 
  
Assessment
• 
  
Indirect Activity Allocation
• 
  
Target=Actual Activity Allocation
• 
  
Template Allocation

During distributions and assessments the system allocates costs incurred (or quantities incurred, for indirect activity allocations) according to user-defined keys. In Target=actual activity allocation the R/3 system determines the actual activity quantities to be allocated, based on the plan activity inputs of the receiver, and taking into account the operating rate of the receiver.

After allocating your costs and activities, you can calculate variances and actual activity prices.

Variance Calculation

Variance calculation lets you categorize and display variances incurred on cost centers by cost element. Variance calculation is based on the results of actual cost entry and the allocation methods as well as planning.

Predistribution of Fixed Costs

Predistribution of fixed costs lets you apportion the fixed costs, which were planned for the activity production, in full as actual costs to the cost centers that planned the activity input.

Actual Price Calculations

Actual price calculation lets you determine prices using exclusively actual data. You can use the actual activity price to revaluate all the activity in the actual. In this way, cost centers can be credited in full.

SAP Schedule Manager (CA)

The extensive automation features of the Schedule Manager facilitate the definition, scheduling, execution, and review of tasks that are executed on a regular basis, such as period-end closing.

The Schedule Manager consists of four independent components:

• 
  
Flow Definition
• 
  
Scheduler
• 
  
Monitor
• 
  
Worklist

SAP FICO Variables in Schedule Manager in co

Variables in Schedule Manager

By defining variables in Schedule Manager, you can minimize the amount of work that is required to make the necessary value changes (for example, Period) for tasks in the task list.

For more information, see:

Defining Global Variables for the Task List and Flow Definition

Defining Selection Variables

Specifying Selection Variables in the Program Variants

Specifying Selection Variables for Flow Definitions With Parallel Branches

SAP Defining Global Variables for the Task List and Flow Definition

Defining Global Variables for the Task List and Flow Definition

Use

Normally the selection criteria for period-end closing do not change very often. Criteria that do change regularly are the closing period and the fiscal year. The period and fiscal year must be changed for each program or flow definition specified as a task in the task list.

To avoid having to change these values for every single program or every flow definition, you can define selection variables in the program variants.

Features

You can define selection variables for single programs that are included as tasks in the task plan, as well as for flow definitions.

You can specify global parameters for the task list, such as the company code or profit center.

In Schedule Manager, the same flow definitions (= workflows) can be run in parallel, such as for different plants. The definition of the global variables defined for the main workflow can also be used for the parallel branches.

Activities

You can display the currently defined selection variables. To do so, choose Extras ® Settings ® Selection variables. You can also define new selection variables. You can then choose these as selection variables in the variable attributes when creating variants for single programs.

For more information, see:

Defining Selection Variables

Specifying Selection Variables in the Program Variants

Specifying Selection Variables for Flow Definitions With Parallel Branches

SAP FICO Defining Selection Variables

Defining Selection Variables

Use

Normally the selection criteria for period-end closing do not change very often. Criteria that do change regularly are the closing period and the fiscal year. The period and fiscal year must be changed for each program or flow definition specified as a task in the task list.

To avoid having to change these values for every single program or every flow definition, you can define selection variables.

Prerequisites

You must assign a TVARV variable for the plant to each program that is to be run once for all plants.

Procedure

1. Call up the transaction STVARV (
Display table TVARV: Selection variables).
2. Choose Change.
   You can create, change and delete new variables.
3. Define a parameter name for your variant.
4. Call up the transaction SM34.
5. Go to view cluster VSMANTVARV.
6. Specify the same parameter name for the variable as you did in transaction STVARV.

Changes to the global selection variables specified for the task list are transferred to all variables specified in tasks in the task list.

Result

You defined a global selection variable for Schedule Manager.

For more information, see:

Defining Selection Variables in the Program Variants

Specifying Selection Variables for Flow Definitions With Parallel Branches

SAP Specifying Selection Variables in the Program Variants

Use

The selection criteria for period-end closing normally do not change very often. Criteria that do change regularly are the closing period and the fiscal year. The period and fiscal year must be changed for each program or flow definition specified as a task in the task list.

To avoid having to change these values for every single program or every flow definition, you can define selection variables in the program variants.

Prerequisites

You have defined the variables already. For more information, see Defining Selection Variables.

You are in flow definition in Schedule Manager (Extras ® Flow Definition ® Edit Flow Definition).

1. Choose a processing step in the navigation area.
   On the right of the screen, you see Flow Definition: Task Details.
2. Enter a new variant for this processing step and define a name for this new variant in the Variant field.
3. Choose Create Variant.
   The screen Maintain Variant: Program , Variant appears.

Procedure

4. Choose Attributes.
5. Make an entry in the Description field.
6. Now you want to specify variables for the period and fiscal year that you can then change once centrally for all programs and flow definitions that use those variables. To do this, under the heading Selection Screen Objects, select the column S in the lines Period and Fiscal year.
7. Choose Selection Variables.
8. To choose selection criteria for the variables P_FROM (period) and P_GJAHR (fiscal year), use the input help.

You previously entered these variables in table TVARV.

9. Save your entries.
   You return to the screen Maintain Variant: Program , Variant .

Result

You can no longer make entries in the Period and Fiscal year fields. These fields are now always filled through the current entries in table TVARV.

SAP Specifying Selection Variables for Flow Definitions With Parallel Branches

Specifying Selection Variables for Flow Definitions With Parallel Branches


Use

Normally the selection criteria for period-end closing do not change very often. Criteria that do change regularly are the closing period and the fiscal year. The period and fiscal year must be changed for each program or flow definition specified as a task in the task list.

To avoid having to change these values for every single program or every flow definition, you can define selection variables in the program variants.

You have five programs that must run with the same valuation for nine plants. That means that every program must run with a plant-specific variant for each plant. These variants differ only in their Plant specification.

As described below, you define global variables for fiscal year, period and plant . Create variants for the five programs and define the global variants that you created previously. Finally define a flow definition (A) for the five programs. Define a flow definition (B) with nine parallel branches (for the plants). Include the flow definition A in each of these branches. A dialog box appears that displays the three global variables (fiscal year, period, plant). Enter a value for the variable Plant and flag the entry as to be saved. The dialog box reappears when you plan flow definition B in the day view. Enter values for each fiscal year and period. Do not make an entry for the variable Plant. If you make an entry here, the system does not accept it. You defined the plant when creating the flow definition.

Prerequisites

Y ou have defined the variables already. For more information, see Defining Selection Variables.

You are in flow definition in Schedule Manager (Extras ® Flow definition ® Edit flow definition).

1. Choose a processing step in the navigation area.
   On the right of the screen, you see Flow definition: Task details.
2. Enter a new variant for this processing step and define a name for this new variant in the Variant field .
3. Choose Change variant.
   The Maintain Variant: Program , Variant screen appears.

Procedure

4. Choose Attributes.
5. Make an entry in the Description field.
6. Now you want to specify variables for the period and fiscal year that you can then change once centrally for all programs and flow definitions that use those variables. To do this, under the heading Selection screen objects, select the column S in the lines Period and Fiscal year.
7. Choose Selection variables.
8. To choose selection criteria for the variables P_FROM (period) and P_GJAHR (fiscal year), use the input help.

You previously entered these variables in table TVARV.

9. Save your entries.
   The Maintain Variant: Program , Variant screen appears.

Result

The system uses these entries for the following purposes:

• To feed these variables to a program created directly as a task in the workflow.
• To feed these variables to the parallel branches.

The system mixes the variables of the parallel branches with those of the main workflow.

If the parameter values of the main workflow are different from those of the subworkflows, the system uses the parameter values that were specified when the subworkflows were created.

SAP Important Tables in SAP CO

CO-KBASCORE          Overhead Cost Controlling: General Services

CSKA                 Cost Elements (Data Dependent on  MANDT / KTOPL / KSTAR
CSKB                 Cost Elements (Data Dependent on  MANDT / KOKRS / KSTAR / DATBI
CSKS                 Cost Center Master Data           MANDT / KOKRS / KOSTL / DATBI
CSLA                 Activity Master                   MANDT / KOKRS / LSTAR / DATBI

CO-OM (KACC)         Overhead Cost Controlling

COBK                 CO Object: Document Header        MANDT / KOKRS / BELNR
COEJ                 CO Object: Line Items (by Fiscal  MANDT / KOKRS / BELNR / BUZEI
COEJL                CO Object: Line Items for Activit MANDT / KOKRS / BELNR / BUZEI
COEJR                CO Object: Line Items for SKF (by MANDT / KOKRS / BELNR / BUZEI
COEJT                CO Object: Line Items for Prices  MANDT / KOKRS / BELNR / BUZEI
COEP                 CO Object: Line Items (by Period) MANDT / KOKRS / BELNR / BUZEI
COEPL                CO Object: Line Items for Activit MANDT / KOKRS / BELNR / BUZEI
COEPR                CO Object: Line Items for SKF (by MANDT / KOKRS / BELNR / BUZEI
COEPT                CO Object: Line Items for Prices  MANDT / KOKRS / BELNR / BUZEI
COKA                 CO Object: Control Data for Cost  MANDT / OBJNR / GJAHR / KSTAR
COKL                 CO Object: Control Data for Activ MANDT / LEDNR / OBJNR / GJAHR
COKP                 CO Object: Control Data for Prima MANDT / LEDNR / OBJNR / GJAHR
COKR                 CO Object: Control Data for Stati MANDT / LEDNR / OBJNR / GJAHR
COKS                 CO Object: Control Data for Secon MANDT / LEDNR / OBJNR / GJAHR

CO-OM-CEL (KKAL)     Cost Element Accounting (Reconciliation Ledger)

COFI01               Object Table for Reconciliation L MANDT / OBJNR
COFI02               Transaction Dependent Fields for  MANDT / OBJNR
COFIP                Single Plan Items for Reconciliat RCLNT / GL_SIRID
COFIS                Actual Line Items for Reconciliat RCLNT / GL_SIRID



CO-OM-CCA            Cost Center Accounting (Cost Accounting Planning RK-S) – What is RK-S

A138                 Price per Company Code            MANDT / KAPPL / KSCHL / KOKRS
A139                 Price per Profit Center           MANDT / KAPPL / KSCHL / KOKRS

CO-OM-OPA (KABR)     Overhead Orders: Application Development R/3 Cost Accounting Settlement

AUAA                 Settlement Document: Receiver Seg MANDT / BELNR / LFDNR
AUAB                 Settlement Document: Distribution MANDT / BELNR / BUREG / LFDNR
AUAI                 Settlement Rules per Depreciation MANDT / BELNR / LFDNR / AFABE
AUAK                 Document Header for Settlement    MANDT / BELNR
AUAO                 Document Segment: CO Objects to b MANDT / BELNR / LFDNR
AUAV                 Document Segment: Transactions    MANDT / BELNR / LFDNR
COBRA                Settlement Rule for Order Settlem MANDT / OBJNR
COBRB                Distribution Rules Settlement Rul MANDT / OBJNR / BUREG / LFDNR

CO-OM-OPA (KAUF)     Overhead Orders: Cost Accounting Orders

AUFK                 Order Master Data                 MANDT / AUFNR
AUFLAY0              Enttity Table: Order Layouts      MANDT / LAYOUT

EC-PCA (KE1)         Profit Center Accounting

CEPC                 Profit Center Master Data Table   MANDT / PRCTR / DATBI / KOKRS
CEPCT                Texts for Profit Center Master Da MANDT / SPRAS / PRCTR / DATBI
CEPC_BUKRS           Assignment of Profit Center to a  MANDT / KOKRS / PRCTR / BUKRS
GLPCA                EC-PCA: Actual Line Items         RCLNT / GL_SIRID
GLPCC                EC-PCA: Transaction Attributes    MANDT / OBJNR
GLPCO                EC-PCA: Object Table for Account  MANDT / OBJNR
GLPCP                EC-PCA: Plan Line Items           RCLNT / GL_SIRID



EC-PCA BS (KE1C)     PCA Basic Settings: Customizing for Profit Center Accounting

A141                 Dependent on Material and Receive MANDT / KAPPL / KSCHL / KOKRS
A142                 Dependent on Material             MANDT / KAPPL / KSCHL / WERKS
A143                 Dependent on Material Group       MANDT / KAPPL / KSCHL / WERKS