In order to use the automatic creation of an asset under construction, you have to create one or more special asset classes and enter one asset class in each investment profile. These asset classes provide the system with all the master data needed for creating the asset under construction. The asset classes for investment measures have a special indicator. You set this indicator in the asset class, in order to reserve the asset class for investment measures. Assets in these classes

• Cannot be created using the normal asset master data transaction of the FI-AA component
• Cannot be posted with acquisition and production costs directly in Asset Accounting

It can be helpful to use several asset classes for investment measures, rather than just one asset class for all investment measures. The asset class can then pass on specific values to the asset under construction for special depreciation terms or investment support. It is also useful when you have more than one balance sheet account for assets under construction. You can also specify in the investment profile whether it is permitted to manually enter other asset classes (instead of the default class) when creating an investment measure.

The following graphic shows the functions of the asset class when creating an investment measure:

If the asset class has been maintained sufficiently, you do not need to make any other master data entries in the asset under construction. The system copies the description and the organizational assignments (cost center, plant, location, business area, and jurisdiction code) directly from the order or WBS element. If you need it, you can also call the complete master data maintenance transaction for assets (choose Extras from the menu).

The system copies the values from the following fields in the order or WBS element to the accompanying asset under construction:

Sometimes not all the master record information for an asset under construction can be defaulted from the asset class. Sometimes a given user has only a limited asset view (see the section below titled Authorizations). For these two reasons, the automatically created asset under construction has a status:

• The asset is complete (all required fields are completed).
• The asset is incomplete, but can be posted (all account assignment information is entered).
• The asset is incomplete and cannot be posted.

In Asset Accounting, the assignment of the asset number is controlled by the asset class. You specify the number range interval in the asset class. Number assignment must be internal when you plan to use the automatic creation of an asset under construction for an investment measure. Enter number range intervals with internal number assignment in the asset classes for these assets under construction.

In order to be able to assign the asset number externally, you have to create the asset under construction manually before its order or WBS element has Released status. When using this method, keep the following in mind:

• Use number range intervals with external number assignment in your asset classes for investment measures.
• When you create the order or WBS element, use the function Extras to go to the Create asset transaction, before you release the order or WBS element.
• Create the asset under construction, entering your external asset number.

Internal orders and projects are also linked to general SAP status management. This link to status management means you can guarantee that certain business transactions can only be carried out if the order or WBS element has a certain status.

Along with the freely definable user status, the system automatically sets a system status. You can release an order or WBS element using Edit in their master data transaction. This release is a prerequisite for account assignment from the investment measure.

In order to maintain fields in the order or project you need CO authorization. In order to maintain fields in the asset under construction you need FI-AA authorization. You can change the asset under construction using master data maintenance in the Asset Accounting (FI-AA) component. You call the same screens as for normal asset master data maintenance. For more information on the required FI-AA authorizations, see the FI-AA Implementation Guide.

When you make a change to organizational assignments in the master record of an investment measure, the system checks if this change is also permitted for the asset under construction.