Standard Hierarchy 

Definition

Tree structure representing all cost centers belonging to a controlling area from a Controlling perspective.

Structure

You can combine cost centers into cost center groups. You can then create cost center hierarchies from these groups by combining the groups according to decision-making area, area of responsibility, or management area.

A cost center hierarchy comprises all cost centers for a given period and therefore represents the whole enterprise. This hierarchy is known as the standard hierarchy.

Integration

You can make changes to the standard hierarchy:

If you have activated the enterprise organization (see Enter Settings for the Enterprise Organization) you cannot edit the standard hierarchy directly; it is shown in display mode only. You should therefore change the enterprise organization and then generate the current standard hierarchy from here (see Enterprise Organization, Generating a Standard or Alternative Hierarchy from the Enterprise Organization).

The only exception here is master data for cost center groups that are needed for reporting. If you process the standard hierarchy using the maintenance interface for the enterprise organization, you can change the data shown in the detail area on the Report information tab strip.

If you process the standard hierarchy from the enterprise organization, you can also generate alternative hierarchies in addition to the standard hierarchy. You may need these alternative hierarchies for reporting processes for example (see Time-Dependency of Enterprise Organizations).

The alternative hierarchies display the status of the standard hierarchy at a given moment.