The IM Information System and its standard reports for investment programs are based on drilldown functions in the R/3 System (exception: master data list for appropriation requests). Drilldown functions make it possible for you to easily define your own reports in order to meet your enterprise’s individual requirements. Knowledge of ABAP programming is not required in order to define your own drilldown reports.

The basis of all drilldown reports for investment programs and appropriation requests is an ABAP dictionary structure which defines characteristics (such as program position or measure) and key figures (such as overall distributable value) that can be used. On the basis of these dictionary structures, you can define individual drilldown reports for investment programs or appropriation requests.

SAP supplies a wide range of drilldown reports for investment programs and appropriation requests. You may still want to define your own drilldown report. It is recommended that you refer to a supplied standard report which is similar to the report you want to define. Or you should at least copy the form from a standard drilldown report, and use it to construct your own drilldown definition.

The functions of standard R/3 drilldown reporting allow you to define both basic drilldown reports and drilldown reports based on forms. However, for Investment Management (IM), you can only define form reports.

The standard drilldown reports in the IM component always display a drilldown list initially. You can jump from the drilldown list to a detail display.

Otherwise, all the functions of standard R/3 drilldown reporting are available for drilldown reports for investment programs:

• For each drilldown report you can select the characteristics for the drilldown. In IM drilldowns, the most useful characteristics are ‘program position,’ ‘measure,’ ‘appropriation request’ and ‘object.’ When you use the characteristic ‘object’, the drilldown list displays the entire investment program hierarchy, including the assigned measures.

• Using forms, you can easily define the detail screen of a drilldown report. For the lines and columns of a form, you can define what you want the drilldown to output:

• A key figure, with specific characteristic values
• Additional characteristic values
• A value based on a mathematical formula
• An element already defined in another form

• You can define global and local variables. The global variables can then be used in all drilldowns as selection criteria. All necessary global variables for investment programs are pre-defined in the standard system (for example, fiscal year and plan version). A particular advantage of using these variables is that you can define drilldown reports which show annual values, without having to modify the form definition each year.

• Use of profit center and cost center hierarchies (see below)

The first step when defining a drilldown report is defining (or copying) a form. The form defines the layout of the report as it will appear later. The detail screen in particular is an exact copy of the form screen. In the form, specify the key figures you want the report to output (either for each row or for each column). You can then make further specifications for each key figure using additional characteristics. In most cases, this characteristic is the value type, which defines the significance of the key figure (for example, actual value, plan value, and so on). For key figures that are dependent on the year, you also have to specify the characteristic "fiscal year."

You can also make more detailed specifications for these defined key figures by choosing additional characteristics. For example, a key figure that is specified by row can also display a different budget category per column in the form. You could also specify the value type by column.

The characteristics that will be displayed in the drilldown list in the report are not defined in the form. They are defined in the definition of the drilldown report itself. The characteristics "program position," "object" and "measure" are particularly important in this regard. Organizational units could also be used at this level as further characteristics. The graphic shows examples for how characteristics and key figures can be used in defining a drilldown report.

• Profit center

• Cost center

• Internal order

• You want to always use a given hierarchy (profit center or cost center hierarchy, order groups) in the report.

• You want the hierarchy to be entered each time the report is run (making it possible to change the hierarchy when you call the report).

• You are not permitted to use a hierarchy.

You can only use profit center or cost center hierarchies, however, if the controlling area has already been specified in the system at the time you make the selections for the report. That is, the controlling area must be entered in the definition of the form or report, or a variable has to be used for the controlling area. If a variable is used, an entry has to be made for the controlling area parameter in the selection screen of the drilldown report. Otherwise the system cannot create a hierarchy representation of the profit centers or cost centers.

When you define drilldown reports for investment programs, you can use a scale as a selection criteria. Selecting by scale, you can, for example, start drilldown reports which show only investment measures or appropriation requests for investment programs having an overall budget that exceeds a certain amount (scale).

You can define scales in IM Customizing for Investment Programs. You enter the scale in the master record of the investment measure or appropriation request.

The standard drilldowns for investment programs do not use scales.