Starting the Posting Run

To call the depreciation posting report, on the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Periodic Processing → Depreciation Run → Execute

Run the report periodically (annually, semi-annually, quarterly or monthly). This report posts depreciation amounts directly to Financial Accounting (FI). You can only start an update run of this report in the form of background processing. You can also schedule the report using the Schedule Manager (for example, as part of periodic closing operations). Regardless of whether or not you use the Schedule Manager to schedule the depreciation posting run, the Schedule Manager is used to store the error log, the output lists and the job log, and you can use the monitor to access these later.

For more information on:

The output list: see the documentation for the Log for Posting Run report.

Correcting errors: see Handling of Depreciation Posting Errors

Purpose of the Posting Run

On the selection screen of the report, specify the specific activity you want to perform in the posting run:

Planned posting run:You post to the next period that is specified according to the posting cycle. During a regular posting run of this kind, the system does not allow for limiting the run to particular assets. As long as the last normal period was already posted, it is possible to post to special periods in Financial Accounting. This is generally required, when certain measures for the year-end closing (regarding accounting policy) should be kept from distorting the results for the last normal period. Start a planned posting run by entering any special period (for example, 13). When you have a non-calendar fiscal year, you still have to enter the FI period to be posted, rather than the calendar period. For more information, see System Settings for Posting Depreciation .

Repeat posting run: You can request a repeat posting run for the last period posted. A repeat run might be necessary, for example, if the depreciation terms were changed for individual assets in connection with the year-end closing. During a repeat posting run, the system only posts the differences that resulted between the first posting run and the repeat posting run (no double posting). You can limit the run to particular assets.

There are special considerations related to the use of catch-up or smoothing when you make a repeat run (see System Settings for Posting Depreciation ).

Catch-up method

When you use the catch-up method, the system calculates depreciation over again from the start of the year (or depreciation start) up to and including the depreciation period you are now posting. The difference between this amount and the total depreciation already posted is the new depreciation amount that is posted in the case of a repeat run. As a result of this recalculation of depreciation, new postings and changed depreciation parameters are included in the repeat run.

Smoothing

When you use the smoothing method, the annual depreciation that is still to be posted is distributed evenly over the periods that have not yet been posted. There is no recalculation of depreciation, as there is when the catch-up method is used. Once a period is posted, there can be no new posting to the same period. Any changes to depreciation terms, and/or any new acquisition postings, become effective only in the following period. The only exception is when a new asset is created. Depreciation is then posted for this asset in the repeat run, since no depreciation was posted for it up to that point.

Restart: If the posting run terminates for technical reasons or because user errors are found, you have to start the report over again in restart mode. Using the restart mode ensures that all system activities are repeated that were not completed in the run containing the errors. In a restart run, only those assets are processed and displayed in the log that were not processed successfully in the prior run.

Unplanned posting run: If you want to skip over one or more posting periods, specify an unplanned posting run. The system then posts for all periods that were skipped, as well as for the period entered. The posting period that you specify, however, has to fit into the posting cycle. If you specify period 7, for example, for a quarterly posting cycle, no posting will occur.

Other Options

You also have the following options:

You can specify if you want the report to list all assets separately, or if you want them to be shown in summarized form. Keep in mind that the output list can become very large if you have a high number of assets. It is also possible to create a list by individual asset later using the log report.

You can specify if you want entries to be shown only for assets for which there are values to be posted in the current period. If you select Display all values , then the report generates entries for assets even if they only have planned or posted values in the current year.

You can specify that you want a separate list showing manual depreciation.

You can enter an ALV layout that specifies how you want the output list to be formatted. You can create this kind of layout interactively in the output list itself, and save it for later use.

You can execute the depreciation posting run in parallel on different servers by entering a server group. This distributes the calculation burden to several application servers. We recommend this procedure when you have large datasets and long runtimes. For more information, see the online help documentation for the Server Group field.

Test Run

You can start the posting run first as a test run. We recommend this, particularly if you are starting the posting run for the first time, or if significant changes have been made to your data or to your system configuration. The functions of the test run are explained below:

During a test run, the system performs all of the same checks as for an update run. The system checks in particular the validity of all existing account assignments (for example, to cost centers or internal orders).

The system simulates all accounting documents that would be created. You can go to the simulated document by double clicking on the document number. If you start the test run in the background, a spool list is created for each simulated document.

You can limit the test run to particular assets.

You can execute a test run at any time, even after a terminated posting run. This is especially useful for analyzing errors that occurred in an update run.