You can maintain realignment runs and realignment requests in an easy-to-use hierarchical display. First the system displays the existing realignment runs. You can then open any of these realignment runs to display the realignment requests that belong to them.

You also see the status of each realignment run.

The following functions are available from this hierarchical display:

• Save Settings
• Create Realignment Run
• Create Realignment Request
• Display Detail
• Copy realignment run/request
• Move realignment request (within a realignment run or between realignment runs)
• Test Monitor
• Schedule a realignment run for background processing
• Refresh Status Information

New or changed realignment runs or realignment requests first appear in the hierarchy graphic only. To change these in the database, you need to save the settings. A number of functions (scheduling, test, and so on) require you to save the settings before you can execute the function.

When you create a realignment run, you must enter a description. This description is displayed in the hierarchy graphic. Try to enter a text that clearly describes the content of the realignment run (for example, "Change to cust. hier. 7/1/98". Since the realignment run is merely the executable unit and stores only the text and the status information, you do not need to make any other entries. When you press Confirm, the realignment run is inserted in the hierarchy.

A realignment is only carried out on those profitability segments which meet the selection criteria for that request. You can specify a characteristic value for each characteristic in the selection criteria. All the selection criteria must be true for a profitability segment before it is changed by the realignment.

You can use the arrow buttons to move the selected characteristics back and forth between the two tables. For each characteristics in the lower table, you can enter a fixed value in the Characteristic value column. If you do not make any entries there or in the More column (arrow), the system selects profitability segments that do not contain a value for that characteristic.

You can enter a complex selection criterion by choosing (in the Selection column). When a multiple selection has been entered for a characteristic, the arrow in that row becomes green.

The characteristic values you enter here are not checked for validity in the check table. That means that you can use the realignment function to remove characteristic values that no longer exist. In this case, the text "invalid characteristic value" appears.

If you enter multiple values, you should only enter positive values or intervals. All other selection criteria (such as "not", "greater or equal to", "less than", and so on) are not written to the database and therefore hurt performance.

For each characteristic, you need to specify how the realignment should change the characteristic value. You can specify the following:

• Derive characteristic value again This is the default setting for all characteristics that can be changed in realignments.
• Do not change This is the default setting for all quantity units and all characteristics that represent organizational units. In order to ensure that the CO-PA data basis remains consistent with other applications (FI, CO-OM, and so on), the system does not allow you to change these characteristics. These unchangeable characteristics are highlighted for your information.
• Replace with fixed value For these profitability segments, the existing characteristic value is replaced with the specified value. If you do not enter a fixed value, the existing characteristic value is simply removed. Use this option with extreme caution.

You can use the arrow buttons to move the selected characteristics back and forth between the two tables.

It is also possible to change characteristics that are not among the segment-level characteristics. This can be necessary, for example, if you want to remove the characteristic subsequently. In this case, it is recommended that you clear that characteristic in all existing profitability segments, so that new profitability segments do not always need to be created for all later postings.

To access the selection criteria and the conversion rule from the hierarchy screen, double-click the desired realignment request.

If you double-click a realignment run, the system displays a dialog box containing the short text of the run and other details. This information includes details about scheduled jobs and each status change. By clicking the Detail button for a status change, you can display further information about that step, such as the number of profitability segments changed.

If you have not yet scheduled or executed a realignment run, you can sort the realignment requests contained there. To do so, select the request you would like to move and then position the cursor on the request below which you want to insert the request. Then choose the Move function. Note that this technique does not let you move a request to the first position within that run. If you want to do this, move the request to the second position and then drop the first request down one.

It is also possible to move a request to another run, provided that that run has not been scheduled or executed.

A test monitor is available so that you can test complex realignments on individual profitability segments. To do this, position the cursor on a realignment run and choose the Test monitor function. There are two ways to specify which profitability segments you want to test:

• Profitability segments belonging to a reference document (sales document or accounting document) If you choose this option, you should always enter the record type for performance reasons. You are not required to enter an item number. If you do not enter one, the run is executed for all the profitability segments in all items of the reference document.
• Entering the profitability segment number directly

The changes that the realignment would make on the selected profitability segments is displayed as an interactive list. By clicking on the Detail button, you can navigate from the profitability segment to the realignment request and then down to the individual step. By clicking on the Expand button, you can display a "before and after" view of all the characteristic values in one profitability segment. At the first level, only the changed characteristic values are displayed. The second level contains all the characteristic values, with the changed ones highlighted.

The current status of a realignment run may differ from the status displayed in the hierarchy if a scheduled job has started in the meantime. To see the current status, choose Refresh.