Execution of an Allocation

You perform an allocation to assess or distribute values (quantities or monetary amounts) from one sender object to one or more receiver objects.

Process

First you define a document type with posting level 01 (adjustment entries) or 10 (standardizing entries) as well as a task for the allocation.

Then you can define a step hierarchy in the method layout.

The simplest allocation has one step and no sub-steps.

A method layout determines the following:

The number of levels the allocation has
Which characteristics will appear in fast entry when a method is defined (fast entry is discussed later on)
The first level in which you will see the sender, receiver, trigger, and distribution key (when defining a method)
The level of the method layout Allocation at which you must specify which characteristics (when defining a method)

When defining the method, you define how the allocation is to modify the key figure values. Fast entry features an overview of the allocation steps. Fast entry enables you to create steps and to navigate among these steps. In the detail screens for sender/receiver, trigger, and distribution, you can define the details for the entire allocation as well as for a single step (for example, you can enter characteristic values such as consolidation units and FS items along with the type of trigger and distribution data). The system executes the steps in the desired sequence. Consequently, the results of a step are taken into consideration when the next step is executed.

Finally, you assign the document type and the method to the allocation task. You use the task to execute the allocation.

Customizing

Define Document Type and Task

Define a document type with posting level 01 or 10.
- Use a document type with posting level 01 if the data you are allocating has a posting level less than or equal to 01.
- Use a document type with posting level 10 if the data you are allocating has a posting level less than or equal to 10.
Define a task for the allocation.

Define Method Layout

Create a new method layout with the type Allocation.
On the screen for defining the allocation, define the number of levels the method layout has.

In order to define a method later on, also specify:
- Which characteristics will appear in fast entry when a method is defined
- From which level you will begin to see the sender, receiver, trigger, and distribution key. You change the visibility by dragging the arrows over to the desired row;
- At which level of the method layout, which characteristics must be specified. In order to use a characteristic, you assign it by selecting the target column and dragging the characteristic from the list of characteristics onto a cell of the table.
  Note
  If you only want a single step for the allocation, there is no need to designate characteristics for fast entry.
  You can remove characteristics from the table by dragging them onto the trash folder.
  
  You can delete a step by dragging it to the trash folder.
  End of the note.
Save the method layout definition.

Define Method

Create a method for the method layout.
At the top level, first specify the values for the characteristics that you defined in the method layout.

Note
You can add further characteristics on the tab pages Sender/Receiver, Trigger, and Fast Entry.

End of the note.
- Sender/Receiver: On this tab page, you enter the characteristic values for the sender and the receiver. You can select one of the following:
  - A single value (for example, consolidation unit C1000)
  - A range of values (for example, consolidation units C1000 to C2500)
  - Inheritance from the sender (only selectable for the receiver)
  If you choose to enter a range or to inherit the sender values, choose the corresponding option within the context menu in the icon column for the sender or the receiver.
  
  If you specify a range for the sender, you can select an individual distribution key per sender item by selecting the option Per Sender. (The Per Sender option cannot be selected if you choose transaction data for the type of distribution key and you define the receiver as a range.)
  
  If you enter a single value for the sender and/or receiver subassignments, you can select the Default indicator and/or specify a characteristic value for the subassignment.
- Trigger: The characteristics of the sender are listed by default. However, you can overwrite these if you did not specify a range for the sender. The available types of trigger data you can select at this level are Transaction Data and Explicit Data.
  
  Note
  The type Explicit Data can only be entered at the lowest step level.
  
  End of the note.
- Distribution: The following types of distribution data are available:
  - Explicit Data with key figure types Percentage Rate (with any sum of percentage rates), Percentage Rate (with a required sum of 100%), and Weighting Factor
  - Transaction Data (for example, distribution analogous to the values at the Marketing Expense item for all subsidiaries)
  Note
  The type Explicit Data can only be entered at the lowest step level.
  
  End of the note.
- Fast Entry: If you designated characteristics in the method layout for fast entry, the system creates the first step for the method. You can then create additional steps in fast entry. You use the arrow symbol to navigate among these steps. The detail screens of the steps show the respective data of all higher levels. (This data cannot be modified.)
You proceed at step level or sub-step level as you do at the top level (see the previous item). Special considerations:
- You can add further characteristics on the tab pages Sender/Receiver, Trigger, and Distribution.
- You can maintain explicit trigger and distribution data when you are on the lowest level of steps.
  If you selected the Per Sender option and the type Explicit Data for the trigger, in a table you can map to each other the sender items, percentage rates (or factors), and receiver objects. To do this, you drag the sender and receiver objects from a list onto the table (using drag and drop).
Save your data.

Assign Document Type and Method

Assign the document type and the method to the allocation task.

When you activate the Financials, Group Close, Allocation business function (FIN_ACC_GC_ALLOC) and then activate the Method Assignment of Reclassification Tasks function in the settings for the consolidation area, you can specify in an allocation task that you want to assign the method based on the consolidation unit. If the task posts with a document type at posting level 01 or 10 (that is, per consolidation unit), you can hereby assign different allocation methods.

Execute the Allocation

Execute the allocation function by running the corresponding task in the consolidation monitor.

Result

A confirmation message is displayed after successful execution of an allocation. The assessed or distributed data is now available in the corresponding InfoCube.