Flexible Functions (SAP Library - Activity-Based Costing (CO-OM-ABC))

Flexible Functions

Use

Flexible Functions broaden the methods for quantity calculations by making it possible to run evaluations using internal tables. For example, internal tables can contain business transactions for routings, components of a BOM or costing items. As the data accessed becomes more detailed, it is possible to evaluate several BOM components of production orders or material components of a network activities.

Flexible functions also allow you to further process the results after checking specific, user-defined requirements.

Flexible functions consist of the following components:

table that is evaluated (set in flexible function)

Conditions: for each routing activity or bill of materials item, the R/3 System checks whether the activity or item fulfills a condition defined by the user.

Formula: if the condition is fulfilled, the R/3 System evaluates a formula defined by you (per entry in the internal table). The formula uses the data just located for the entry in question. The formula result is a numerical value.

Calculation: all formula results of an evaluation run are then used in calculations. For example, the function can add the results, or it can calculate an average based on the results (set in the flexible function). The function name reflects the type of calculation involved: TOTAL_ - addition, MULTI_ - multiplication, AVERAGE_ - average.

If you do not define a condition, the formula evaluates all entries on the internal table.

Activities

You define the flexible functions in the quantity editor of the template. Choose a function with table assignment from the function tree, and enter the conditions and formulas.

For more information, see Defining Flexible Functions.

Example

A flexible function (TOTAL_OF_BOM_ITEMS) evaluates a BOM. The system checks whether each BOM component fills the condition "item category = stock material (condition is entered by the user). If the condition is filled, the values are calculated per component through a formula entered by the user. The indivídual values are then added (set in the flexible function).