Example: Creating a Form (CO-PA) 

 

  1. You are processing a form with two axes and would like to define the first column. To do so, position the cursor on the column you want to define and double-click with the left mouse button.
  2. Next, decide whether you want to define the element from nothing (choose Characteristics, Value fields, or Element of a line structure) or copy an element from a form with one axis (choose Predefined element). In this case we will choose Characteristics.

    3. If you choose Characteristics, the system displays a dialog box in which you choose the characteristics you require. Select as many as you wish from this list. As you continue defining your form, the system will ask you to specify a characteristic, an predefined element or a formula for each column you define. The value fields and the elements of the line structure will go in the rows.

    If you choose Value fields, the system displays a dialog box. Here, you choose a field and then define this using characteristic values. As you continue defining your form, you will need to specify a value field, a predefined element or a formula for each column you define.

    If you are working in costing-based CO-PA and you choose Element of a line structure, the system displays a list of all the line structures. Choose one from this list. In a different dialog box, now choose an element from this structure, which you can further define using characteristic values. As you continue processing your form the system will require you to choose a value field, a predefined element or a formula for each column.

    In this example, we will choose Value fields.

     

  3. While defining the characteristic values, you can define variables as an alternative to fixed values. To do this, position the cursor on the desired field and choose Variable on/off. The system will automatically place a selected checkbox before that field, and the field length will change. If you want to use a local variable, you also need to begin the variable name with $. Otherwise the system will treat the variable as a global variable and check to make sure that it exists. If you want to specify fixed characteristic values, enter either an individual value or an interval. You can also enter several individual values or intervals by choosing the pushbutton.

    4. In account-based analysis, you must specify a single value for a characteristic which determines the currency of a selected value field. You are not allowed to enter an interval.

    If you change a characteristic value which you already entered, you can update the text display using Refresh.

  4. Click on the symbol to enter texts of three different lengths which will be used as column headers for the element. If you are defining a new element, the system proposes the text of the from-value of the first characteristic as a default. You can later define which text should be displayed using the menu option Text length. If you want to define a two-line column header, be sure to indicate the line break with a ";" (semicolon).
  5. When you define the second element and later ones in the same axis, the first dialog box lets you decide whether you want to define the element using value fields (or characteristics), predefined elements or a formula. If you choose Formula, the system takes you to the formula editor, where you can define the formula using the other elements of that axis and specially defined cells.

In account-based analysis, if you define more than one element with a value field whose currency is determined by the value of a characteristic, you can enter a different value of that characteristic in each element. That way you can display different currencies next to each other in the same report.

 

You can take over a complete key figure scheme into a report in one single editing stage. Proceed as follows: Choose Edit ® Lines ® Replace all lines and then All characteristic values of a characteristic. Now choose "Element of a key figure scheme" from the characteristic list. Once you have selected one of the available key figure schemes, the system inserts all key figures which belong to this scheme into the form.