Before you can execute some of the functions for Profitability Analysis (CO-PA), you first need to specify the operating concern for which the function is to be performed and the type of Profitability Analysis (costing-based or account-based) you wish to use.

You set the operating concern by defining its settings and specifying the desired type of Profitability Analysis in a dialog box. The settings in this dialog box are then valid until you log out of the system or reset the operating concern.

There are two ways of accessing the dialog box:

• By choosing Environment ® Set Operating Concern in the CO-PA menu
• By choosing Structures ® Set Operating Concern in CO-PA Customizing

When you first call up a function that requires an operating concern, the dialog box appears automatically if the operating concern has not yet been set.

If you only have one operating concern or generally only work with one operating concern, it makes sense to enter this operating concern and the required type of Profitability Analysis in your user master data. By doing so, the dialog box will no longer appear, even when you logon again to the system. The system then uses the operating concern and the type of Profitability Analysis stored in the user master record. Moreover, you can call up the dialog box at any time to switch to a different operating concern or to the other type of Profitability Analysis. The entries stored in the user master record then apply all the while you are still logged on to the system.

You store an operating concern and the type of Profitability Analysis from the dialog box for setting the operating concern. Enter the desired data and choose .