You must assign each account to an account group. The account group ensures that only the relevant screens and fields are displayed and ready for input for each of the customer’s different partner functions. For example, the address, communication, and bank data fields are omitted for the account group for one-time accounts.

You maintain the account groups in Customizing (IMG), or copy the defaulted account groups.

The account group controls:

• The type of number assignment used for the account number

• A number interval from which the account number is chosen. The system uses the account number to identify the customer.

• Which fields are displayed when you enter or change customer master data and whether or not an entry must be made in these fields (field status)

• Whether the account is a one-time account

To create a master record, you have to specify an account group. The account group cannot be changed once you have created the master record. Your system administrator, however, can change the above account group specifications.

For more information about account group specifications, see the Define Account Groups with Screen Layout activity in the Implementation Guide (IMG) for Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable.

For instance, if you implement Sales and Distribution (SD) after implementing Financial Accounting (FI), changes to an account group may be necessary if you wish to add fields that were previously hidden in the master record.