Conceptional Information for Indirect Activity Allocation

Indirect activity allocation consists of two subfunctions which you can enter as required in a cycle. However, one segment can cover only one subfunction in each case:

1. Sender activity quantities are known and can be entered as totals. Using indirect activity allocation, the posted activity quantities are distributed from senders to receivers according to the tracing factors defined in the segment.

A segment uses this method if Posted quantities (rule 1) is the sender rule and Fixed quantities (rule 2) is NOT a receiver rule.

In a segment to distribute posted sender amounts, you can use activity types of category 3 manual entry, indirect allocation only.

2. Sender activity quantities are not known because measurement is either impossible or not feasible (for example, a joint office working for several cost centers). However, the R/3 System can derive sender activity quantities indirectly, based on receiver tracing factors adjusted with a sender-specific weighting factor.

A segment uses this method if Indirectly determined quantities (rule 3) is the sender rule, or if Fixed quantities (rule 2) is a sender or receiver rule. Using the Sender values function, you can determine sender-specific weighting factors for the sender rule Indirectly determined quantities . The default value is "1".

In segments for indirect calculation of sender activity quantities you can only use activity types of category 2 indirect entry, indirect allocation.

Senders and receivers in indirect activity allocation

In indirect activity allocation for actual and plan data, senders can be objects of the category cost center/activity type or business processes.

In a given segment, you can use category 2 or category 3 activity types only.

In indirect activity allocation for plan data, all usual CO objects are possible (cost center, cost center/activity type, orders, projects, etc.) as receivers

All of these receiver categories can appear in a cycle. However, cost objects of the category cost center/activity type may not be combined with other receiver categories.

In indirect activity allocation for actual data, you can use the same cost objects as receivers as in manual activity allocation, meaning no cost centers/activity types.

Fixed and variable activity references; evaluating activity quantities

In indirect activity allocation for actual data, all quantities are posted as total quantities. The division into fixed and variable quantity parts is carried out through actual cost splitting.

In indirect activity allocation for plan data, the determination of fixed and variable quantity quotas depends on the receiver category:

Receivers of the category cost center/activity type post all activity quantities as variable quantities, with tracing factors dividing actual and plan activity into fixed and variable quantity parts.

For all other receivers the receiver quantities are posted as fixed.

If an activity price is available for a sender object, the activity quantities of the sender and the corresponding receivers are valuated using this activity price.

Updating the databases

The activity quantity updated on the senders is determined either from read/posted sender quantities (subfunction 1) or from indirectly calculated activity quantities based on receiver tracing factors or predefined sender quantities/receiver quantities (subfunction 2). The activity quantity thus determined is posted to the respective sender as activity output (quantity credit) and to the respective receiver as activity-dependent or activity-independent activity input in relation to their tracing factors (quantity debit). The indefinite credit rate is updated for plan data as well (with activity type category 2).

Additionally, the following activity postings are based on the sender activity quantities:

If available quantities are distributed (subfunction 1), the scheduled quantity are updated.

If the sender activity quantities are indirectly determined or fixed, the activity quantity is also updated in addition to the scheduled quantity.

In actual indirect activity allocation, all quantities are treated as fixed quantities.

You use indirect activity allocation in activity price calculation.