Define Account Groups with Screen Layout (Customers) (SAP Library - Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable)

Define Account Groups with Screen Layout (Customers)

In this step, you determine the account groups for customers.

You can also define reference account groups for one-time accounts. You can use these to control the fields of the one-time account screen so that, for example, certain fields are displayed as required fields or are hidden.

When creating a customer account, you must specify an account group. You can specify a reference account group under "Control" in the "General data" part of a one-time account's master data. If you do not specify a reference account group, then, as previously, all fields of the one-time account screen are ready for input during document entry.

You use the account group to determine:

the interval for the account numbers

whether the number is assigned internally by the system or externally by the user (type of number assignment)

whether it is a one-time account

which fields are ready for input or must be filled when creating and changing master records (field status)

Example:

You want to hide the address, communication and bank data fields for the one-time accounts. You determine the field status in the general data area for these fields since the fields are contained in this area. The reconciliation account field is defined as a required field since a reconciliation account must also be specified for the one-time accounts. This field is company code-dependent. You define the status of this field in the company code-dependent data area.

With the account groups, you group accounts together according to the criteria mentioned above, for example, one-time accounts. You determine the account number interval and the type of number assignment using the number ranges.

Note

If you create new account groups, do not forget to maintain the field status. Otherwise all corresponding fields are shown. It is recommended that you control the field status via the account groups. In exceptional cases, it can make sense to control the field status either dependent on company code or dependent on transaction.

Note on changing the account group

You may only delete an account group from the system if there are no master records referencing this account group. Otherwise you can no longer display or change the master record.

Changing the field status definition

If you hide a field at a later stage in which you had already made an entry, the field contents are still valid.

Changing number ranges

You can increase the upper limit of the number interval as long as there is no other interval containing the required numbers. You can allocate a new number range to the account group. The numbers of the new master records must then be contained in the new area.

Standard settings

Sample account groups have been defined.

Recommendation

Do not use the account groups to group the customer accounts according to content. Therefore do not attempt to allocate the accounts to accounting clerks via the account groups or to group customers together according to countries. You can do this via special master record fields.

Activities

1. Check and change the standard account groups if necessary.

2. Make sure that the number ranges specified for the account groups have been created.