You must ensure that the Customizing settings in both systems are identical. In particular, the names of the characteristics must be the same.

From the CO-PA view, no further settings are then required. Characteristic values are automatically copied from a front-end system when you switch to a subsequent system. The characteristic information contained in the profitability segment is decoded before you switch systems. It is then transported into the subsequent system where it causes a new profitability segment to be constructed. From the point of view of the characteristic values, this is then identical to the original profitability segment in the front-end system.