Characteristic Combinations 

Use

Normally in manual planning those exact combinations of characteristic values are presented for which transaction data is already available. Alternatively to this transaction data-dependent view of the planning layout, you can also determine that all valid combinations of characteristic values (taking account of the selections in the planning level or package) are displayed and are offered for data entry. The layout is then dependent on master data. For combinations where no data has yet been entered, the value 0 is displayed for every key figure.

When you choose that the layout is presented depending on the master data in a planning layout, you should make sure that the selection in the planning level or package (and if required the characteristic relationships) provides for a sufficient restriction of the possible characteristic combinations. Otherwise multiplying all the characteristic values with each other can result in overdimensional data sets that are no longer easy to manage.

Integration

As an alternative to the presentation dependent on master data based on the current selection, you can formulate differentiated rules for valid combinations of characteristic values. You achieve this with the help of characteristic relationships that you define in the context of the planning area. Here the system can only propose those characteristic values that fall within the selection.

Features

In determining basic settings for the planning area you can choose between a master data-dependent presentation and a transaction data-dependent presentation.

Activities

On the screen where you determine the basic settings for the planning layout, choose which characteristic values are to be displayed by selecting Additional Settings ® Characteristic Combinations.

·        Choose From Transaction Data to only display those characteristic values for which data has already been posted. In this case you can enter new lines for additional characteristic combinations in the executed layout.

·        Choose All Possible Characteristic Combinations in order that the system generates all characteristic combinations according to selection. In this case you cannot enter any new lines in the executed layout.

Note that this setting affects all characteristics in the planning layout because the characteristic relationships can, for example, also restrict the possible combinations for header characteristics.