Creating an Example Actual/Plan Comparison Report Using the Repo (SAP Library

Creating an Example Actual/Plan Comparison Report Using the Report Painter

This section shows how a Report Painter report is created, using the example of an actual/plan comparison report.

Reporting Requirements

You want the actual/plan comparison report to contain the following information:

Actual and plan values from different business areas

The absolute and percentage variances between the actual and plan values

All periods in the fiscal year

Before you define the report, you must decide the following:

Which characteristics should be used in the report?

Where should the characteristics be entered in the report definition (in the rows, columns, or as data selection criteria)?

Which characteristics should be entered as variables, individual values, value intervals, or groups?

A given characteristic can only be used once in a report: in the report rows, report columns, or as data selection criteria.

The following characteristics are used in the example actual/plan comparison report:

Characteristics in general data selection:

Ledger
Company code
Fiscal year
Period

Characteristics in the report rows:

Account
Business area

Characteristics in the report columns:

Basic key figures
Record type
Version

Before you define your report, you must define the variables that you want to use in the report definition.

Define the following variables for the actual/plan comparison report (the names for the variables are example names only):

Variables Used in the Example Actual/Plan Comparison Report

Variables	Variable type	Default value	Used in the report
YEAR	Formula	Current year (for example, 2001)	As data selection criteria for the characteristic Fiscal Year
FPER	Value	01	As data selection criteria for the characteristic Period
TPER	Value	12	As data selection criteria for the characteristic Period
PLANVER	Value	001	In the report columns for the characteristic Version

To create variables on the Report Painter screen, choose Report Writer ® Variable ® Create. For more information, see Creating Variables.

Defining Report Rows

You define the report rows by choosing Edit ® Elements ® Insert element or by double-clicking on the relevant cell.

Accounts and business areas should be listed in the report rows. To enter this information, you can define one report row that contains the characteristics Account and Business Area. You select the characteristics from the list in the dialog box. This list contains all the characteristics selected for the report’s library.

To define values for the characteristics Account and Business Area, enter specific values, value intervals, or groups. The report will always be created for the values you enter here.

To be able to vary the input values for the characteristics when you run the report, you should enter variables using . The system prompts you to enter values for these variables on the selection screen during report execution.

In this example report, we have not entered variables for the characteristics Account and Business Area.

Exploding Report Rows

If you entered a group for the characteristics Account and/or Business Area, you should display the values in the report for the individual accounts/business areas and create subtotals for the different hierarchy levels of the group.

Choose Edit ® Rows ® Explode. The default setting Do not expand means that only a row total is displayed for the account/business area group. The SingleVals indicator displays individual values, but no subtotals or totals. Select PartSets to display the individual values, subtotals, and a total for the characteristic Account and/or Business Area. Exploded subtotals and totals are displayed in the report definition with summation levels (asterisk).

For more information, see Exploding Report Rows.

Defining Report Columns

In the report columns, you want to display the actual and plan values for the selected periods. In addition, you want the columns to display the variance between actual and plan in absolute numbers and as percentages.

You define report columns using the same procedure as that used for defining the report rows.

You can also enter basic key figures in your report columns. These are the basic key figures selected for the library that your report uses.

Column 1: Actual Values in Local Currency

You should enter the following characteristics and characteristic values for the Actual column:

Basic key figure	"Local currency" (HSL)
Characteristic 1: record type	0 (actual)
Characteristic 2: version	001

Column 2: Plan Values in Local Currency

You should enter the following characteristics and characteristic values for the Plan column:

Basic key figure	"Local currency" (HSL)
Characteristic 1: record type	1 (plan)
Characteristic 2: version	&PLANVER

The Plan column uses a variable for the characteristic Version.

To simplify defining the report, you can create the Plan column by copying the Actual column. You use the Select and Copy functions to copy the column element. You can then modify the copied column as required.

Column 3 and 4: Absolute Variance/Percentage Variance

You define the absolute and percentage variance columns by entering formulas in the formula builder. The formulas are calculated using the column elements that you have just defined. Before leaving the formula builder, you should check that the formula is correct using the Check function.

Enter text for the report columns. Enter the column text the same way you enter row text.

Defining General Data Selection Criteria

The characteristics entered as data selection criteria determine which data is selected for the entire report.

You define general data selection criteria under Edit ® General data selection.

Enter the following characteristics and characteristic values for the example actual/plan comparison report:

Company code: As required

Ledger: As required

Fiscal year: &YEAR

From period: &FPER

To period: &TPER

The characteristics Fiscal Year and Period are variables. This allows you to run the report for any periods within a given fiscal year. When you execute the report’s report group, the system prompts you to enter values for these variables on the selection screen. You can either use the default value of the variable or overtype the default with a different value.

Defining Report Texts

You can define texts for the title page, headers, footers, end page (last page), and for the text for export under Extras ® Report texts.

You can define normal text, as well as text variables in your report text. You can use the following types of text variable:

Standard text variables

Special text variables

Text variables for selection parameters

Text variables for characteristics

For more information about these text variables and entering report texts, see Using Variables in Report Text Definition.

Changing the Standard Layout

The standard layout determines the layout of your report. For example, the standard layout defines the page format (such as the margins) and the numerical format of the data in the report. The standard layout SAP is assigned to your report automatically. To assign a different standard layout to your report, choose Formatting ® Report layout.

If you assign a new standard layout to your report, the layout formats of the new standard layout replace any layout changes you made that are specific to the report you are editing. (The system displays a dialog box, asking you if you want to change the current format settings.)

You can also make certain layout changes within the report definition under Formatting.

Checking the Report, Assigning a Report Group, Report Execution

After you have saved your report definition, make sure it does not contain any errors by choosing Report ® Check. If there are any errors, the system lists them in an error log. You should correct the errors shown in the error log before assigning the report to a report group.

Once the report definition is free of errors, you can assign your report to a report group by choosing Environment ® Assign report group. If the report group you enter does not exist, a dialog box asks if you want to create the report group. To create the report group and add the report to it, choose Yes.

To execute the report, choose Report ® Execute. If you have not yet assigned the report to a report group, you can do so at this point. Once the system has generated the report group, you can enter the criteria for selecting the data records on the selection screen.

For more information on executing report groups, see Report Group Execution.