Procedure for defining layouts
In this activity you define your entry screens for manual planning in
Profit Center Accounting. These screens are called "planning layouts"
and contain a set of rows and columns in which you can enter your plan data.
Characteristics and key figures
Each field on the layout is assigned to a row and a column according to
its position on the screen. The content of this field is specified by
the characteristics (profit center, account, statistical key figure,
and so on) and key figure (quantity, value in profit center currency,
and so on) that make up the definition of the corresponding row and column of the layout.
"Plan/actual indicator" is one of the characteristics you can assign to
columns or rows. This makes it possible to display actual data in the
planning layout. If you choose the plan/actual indicator for a column
in your layout, note that you then need to specify it in all the
columns. If you set this indicator to "Actual", you must enter version 000.
You can use groups from CO for the characteristics "Profit center",
"Partner profit center", "Account", and "Statistical key figure". For
the characteristic "Functional area", you can use FI-SL sets for the field RFAREA.
For each characteristic you choose, you can specify individual characteristic values to limit the data selection.
Characteristic values
You have the following options for defining characteristic values:
- Fixed characteristic values
For each element (row, column, or cell), you can enter fixed values for the characteristics you chose.
Instead of a fixed value, you can also enter a local variable for
individual characteristics. This makes the layout more flexible,
because you can decide in planning which characteristic value you want to plan.
To enter a variable for a characteristic value, choose the
button "Variable on/off" instead of entering a value in the field. The
system automatically changes the size of the field and places an icon in front of it to show that the field contains a variable.
Local variables exist only in the planning layout where you
defined them. You can enter any name you like for a local variable, as long as it begins with a dollar sign ($). The
variable name is unique for each different characteristic and therefore can be used for
different characteristics in the same layout. (for example, variable $1
for the version is different from variable $1 for the profit center).
You can also use the same variable more than once in the layout (for
example, variable $1 for the version in the first and second columns).
Text variables let you display the text in planning that
corresponds to the characteristic values you enter there for variables.
Text variables are local variables and must begin with an ampersand and a dollar sign (&$).
The function "Extras -> Variables -> Text -> Maintain variable..." lets
you assign a characteristic to a text variable. When you enter a value for this characteristic in planning, the system
automatically replace the text variable with the corresponding text. (You cannot
replace text variables with manual entries.)
If you use variables for characteristic values in the planning layout,
you need to replace these variables in planning. If you define these
variables in the header of the layout, however, you can label them as
"optional", in which case it is not mandatory to enter a value in planning.
Note
If you use variables for characteristic values that are numerical, you
can also add and subtract these. You do this by extending the variable name with a sign (+ or -) and a 1- or 2-digit number.
Example
With the following layout, you can plan the current fiscal year and the
following year. In the header you specify an interval for the period: 001 - 012
Column 1: $A (Fiscal year)
Column 2: $A+1 (Fiscal year)
If you enter 1997 in planning for the current fiscal year, the system displays 1997 in column 1 and 1998 in column 2.
Activities
Define elements
A planning layout consists of the following components:
You define the header by choosing "Edit -> General data selection" or
by double-clicking on the word "Planning layout". In the general data
selection, you specify characteristics and characteristic values that are to apply to the entire planning layout.
Here you specify the characteristics, characteristic values, and key figures that you want to plan.
Define header
In the header, or general data selection, choose the characterstics and
characteristic values that should apply to all the rows and columns of
the planning layout. For example, if you only want to plan one version,
you can choose "Version" here. The general data selection simplifies
the process of defining planning layouts and helps avoid errors. You can choose as many characteristics as you wish.
The characteristics you choose for the general data selection are no longer available for defining the columns and rows.
The function "Edit -> General data selection -> Header layout" lets you
specify the order in which the characteristics should appear in the
header. Note that only 9 of the characteristics you choose in the layout can actually be displayed in planning.
Define lead columns
There are two ways you can define lead columns:
1. Define one or more lead columns by double-clicking on the column header
When you double-click on the lead column header, you can define the
first lead column. If you define the column in this way, you can then
define additional lead columns by choosing "Edit -> Columns ->
Additional lead columns". Note that each new lead column is placed in front of
the existing ones. You can sort the lead columns later by choosing "Edit -> Columns -> Sort lead columns. When you
define lead columns like this, you can only specify one characteristic for each lead column.
When you choose the lead column, the system displays a list of all the
characteristics that have not yet been used elsewhere in the layout.
Example: You choose the characteristic "Profit center" in the first
lead column and "Account" in the second one. In planning, the system
displays all the combinations of profit center and account for which plan data exists.
Example for cost planning
1st lead column 2nd lead column Value column
Profit center Account Plan costs
4711-4719 400000-403000
420000-429000
2. Define one lead column by specifying individual rows
When you define the lead column in this fashion, you must define each
row individually. You can specify characteristics and a key figure or a
formula for each row. Your procedure for defining the rows is the same as that for defining the value columns.
Example for quarterly planning
Lead column Value column 1
Version/Quarter Plan costs
Version 1/Quarter 1
Version 2/Quarter 1
Version 1/Quarter 2
Version 2/Quarter 2
(Quarter 1 is defined as periods 1 through 2.)
Note
When you define the first row or column in the layout, you immediately
decide whether you want the key figures to be in the rows or the columns of the layout. You cannot change this decision later. The
system displays a dialog box where you must choose either "Characteristics" or "Key figure with characteristics".
Define value columns
You have three options for defining value columns:
1. Define a normal value column with characteristics or key figures
You define the first value column by double-clicking on the header of
that column. To define additional columns, double-click on the space to
the right of the previously defined columns. After you have chosen the
column, choose which characteristics and characteristic values you want to use for that column.
Intervals of characteristic values (such as "profit centers 1 through
9") are not allowed in rows or columns. If you choose a characteristic
that is not mandatory, you can enter the number sign (#) to plan the characteristic value "not assigned".
It is important that you choose the same characteristics for all the value columns.
2. Define an attribute column
The following attributes are available:
This lets you distribute the cumulative values you enter to individual
periods. Distribution keys let you reflect such things as seasonal trends over the periods of a fiscal year.
If you do not choose the attribute "Distribution key", the system
automatically distributes the values you enter in proportion to the
plan data that already exists for those objects. If no plan data exists, the system distributes evenly to all periods.
This lets you assign a currency or quantity unit to a value field.
This flag indicates whether or not a long text has been created for the characteristic value.
This field makes it possible for you to enter "additional" values
instead of the desired absolute total. For example, suppose you want to
add 150 USD to the existing value of 400 USD. To do so, you would enter
"150" in the value field and a plus sign (+) in the "Action" field.
Again it is important that you choose the same characteristics for all
the columns. The only exception if the characteristics of time. The
attributes "Distribution key", "Action", and "Unit" cannot be used together with characteristics of time.
These three attributes always directly reference a single data cell. There are two ways to define them:
If you define them by choosing "Edit -> Columns -> Additional fields"
from the menu, you can directly reference the desired value column.
This has the advantage that the system adapts the attribute accordingly whenever you change the definition of that value column.
If you define an attribute by double-click on the space next to
an existing value column, there is no direct link between the two
columns. This means that you have to choose the same characteristics
and characteristic values again for the attribute column. If you choose
the attribute "Unit", this field will contain either the quantity unit
or the currency of the corresponding field. For more information about
units and currencies in planning, see the online documentation for Profit Center Accounting.
3. Formulas in planning layouts
You can define formulas in planning layouts to have the system
calculate certain values in planning. There are two types of formula:
- Define a formula column or row
To define a formula column -- a value column that is calculated on the
basis of other value columns -- proceed as follows:
Double-click on the free space behind
a value column and then choose the element type "Formula". In the next dialog box, you can
define a formula using the other value columns in the layout. The
system automatically locks the formula column so that you cannot make manual entries there.
- Define an inverse formula
An inverse formula lets you enter values directly in formula columns
and have the system calculate the corresponding values in another
column. For example, you can plan a pay raise of a certain percentage
for the coming year and have the system calculate the absolute value that that percentage yields.
Example
Value column 1: (locked against input) Plan current year
Value column 2: (ready for input) Plan previous year
Formula column: (ready for input) % increase
To define an inverse formula, proceed as follows:
- Create a column "Plan current year" and a column "Plan previous year".
- Define a formula column "% increase" as described above:
((Plan current year - Plan previous year) / Plan previous year) * 100
- Choose "Formatting -> Ready for input yes/no" to open the column "% increase" for manual entry.
- Select the column "Plan current year" and choose "Inverse formula".
- Enter the inverse formula:
(Plan previous year * (Increase / 100 )) + Plan previous year
- Choose "Formatting -> Ready for input yes/no" to lock the column against manual entry.
Settings for number format
When you define the layout, you can specify both the number of decimal
places and a display factor (such as "1000s") for each column. These settings can be changed again in planning.
When you define a formula or an inverse formula, note that you need to set the number format of each column or row separately.