Definition
The template is a dynamic calculation tool that uses
functions and formulas to calculate numerical values and determine the results of Boolean expressions (true or false). Templates for Easy Cost Planning are created in environments 200, 205-208, and 214-215. The environment is defined automatically by the system depending on the object to be planned (internal order, WBS element, and so on). With the exception of environment 214, you cannot create environments in Customizing. Instead, you can only do so by defining a costing model.Structure
The template contains a table in which you can make the following line entries:
Column |
Possible Entry/Process |
Item category in template The key of this item category is not always the same as that of the costing item. |
Comment row, process, calculation row (process), cost center/activity type, calculation row (cost center/activity type), costing model, external activities, subcontracting, material, service, base planning object, text item, variable item For the item category calculation row, you cannot call the editor or define methods in the object column. When you insert one costing model into another, the costing model you are inserting must be a model that is valid either for all planning objects or for the same planning object as the costing model into which you are inserting it. |
Description |
The description is displayed in the cost estimate as the description for the costing items. The system determines the description for most of the item categories automatically once you have confirmed your entries. (The description is used in the case of the base planning object.) Consequently you only need to make an entry here if the description is cannot be determined by the system or if you need to overwrite it. |
Object |
Enter the object (such as a material), depending on the item category specified. You can either enter the object directly or define methods.For item categories of the template J to R, you can use the input help to make the required entries. Always enter a cost element if the system is unable to determine one. This applies to those item categories for which the cost element was requested in the possible entries help; with base planning objects the cost element can be determined via the master data providing you have entered one there. If the item does not have a cost element, it is not possible to assign the costs to a cost component. This means the costs cannot be rolled up if they are in a cost estimate which is part of a costing structure with higher-level cost estimates. For the categories Process and Cost center/Activity type, you can either predefine an object or determine dynamically one or more processes or cost centers/activity types. For more information, see Object Determination. |
Quantity |
Enter a quantity or characteristic directly. You can enter the appropriate characteristic by defining a formula.For more information, see Activity Quantity Determination. |
Activation |
Specify the condition under which an item is active. For the activation of an item, you can predefine values as active or inactive or define a method that returns active or inactive at the point of evaluation. If you do not enter anything in the column, the item is active. The item (MATERIAL; Gravel; 0001 / GRAVEL01; M3; QUANTITY_ FILLER; METHOD) with method: FILLER = "Gravel" is only active if gravel was selected as the FILLER. For all other characteristic values, the item is not included in the cost estimate. For more information, see Activation. |
Price |
Price for a variable item. This column is not utilized for any other item category. |
Various functions available for defining methods and formulas. What functions are available depends on the item category in the template.
If you want to use a costing characteristic in text items – for example because you want to specify different values (words or sentences) – enter the characteristic in the description column in capital letters followed by an opening parenthesis, a blank space, and a closing parenthesis. This is only possible for characteristics of the type character format.
For more information on the costing item categories, refer to
Master Data for Unit Costing.