Planning Layout 

Use

A Planning Layout determines how the screens where you enter your planning data look, including which fields appear where on the screen. Each field is allocated to a row and a column, depending on its position on the screen. The content of each field, in turn, is determined by the definition of the column and row.

By default, you generate a planning layout during parameter set maintenance. In some cases, however, it is necessary to complete the planning layout or even define it completely using the Customizing activity Define Planning Layout. For more detailed information, see the section Set Up Manual Entry of Planning Data.

Structure

Structure of Planning Layout

All planning layouts are based on the following structure:

 

The header of the planning layout consists of several lines of text that describe the segments that you are going to use in planning. These entries result from the characteristic values that were selected in the planning level and in the planning package. You can display and change the selected characteristic values by choosing Edit ® General data selection. When changing the selection, you should nevertheless keep in mind that the settings in the planning level and in the planning package will always apply. If, for instance, the characteristic Period/year has been selected with the values 01.2000 through 12.2000, this setting will hold even if you enter different values in the layout.

Defining a Lead Column

There are two ways to define a lead column in a planning layout:

●     You can choose a single characteristic to define the entire lead column at once. This option lets you define more than one lead column. It also makes it possible for you to add new profitability segments in planning.

This option becomes available the planning layout is generated from the parameter set.

●     In a type of planning similar to form planning, you can define each row individually using characteristics, a value field or a formula in each row (in the case of complex lead columns).

If you want to use a planning layout involving complex lead columns, you can define it in the Customizing activity Define Planning Layout.

Defining a Value Column

Value columns are defined using value fields, characteristics, attributes, and formulas.

The decision whether you want the value fields to appear in the rows or in the columns is made as soon as you define the first element of the layout. This decision cannot be reversed. When you define a value field in a row or column, you can also specify characteristics to limit the value field.

You can choose from the following attributes:

●     Distribution key for distributing aggregated values to periods

●     Unit for the value field (either a currency or a quantity unit)

●     The “Action” field

●     The long text indicator

●     Any characteristic

The attributes "Distribution key", "Unit", and "Action" are always assigned to a data cell. For example, a distribution key distributes the aggregated values in one cell to individual periods in order to reflect seasonal fluctuations.

The attributes Long text indicator and Characteristic, on the other hand, always apply for a specific profitability segment. The long text indicator lets you display whether a long text exists for a certain profitability segment.

Characteristics are useful as attributes if you want to display a characteristic that is not contained in the planning layout but is to be derived automatically. For example, you could plan individual products and display the derived division for each product in a separate column.

Version, Record Type, Plan/Actual Indicator

The fields Version, Record type (only in costing‑based Profitability Analysis) and Plan/actual indicator are treated as normal characteristics. This makes it possible for you to display a second plan version for comparison or to plan several versions at once, as well as to display actual data for information.

In costing-based Profitability Analysis, you can plan all record types manually.

In account‑based Profitability Analysis, each planning layout is assigned to a specific controlling area. The characteristic Account is a mandatory characteristic.

Calculation Columns and Calculation Rows

In addition to the normal value field columns, you can also define calculation columns or rows. When you do this, the system calculates values for those rows or columns based on the manually entered values. Or you can enter the “calculated” values manually and have the system calculate the values in the value field columns (inverse formula). This makes it possible for you to plan such complex values as contribution margins directly.

The system calculates the formula for the calculation immediately before displaying the data on the screen. Inverse formulas are calculated immediately after you enter your planning data. This may lead to differences due to rounding off.

Ratios represent an additional function with which to calculate corresponding values automatically (see Price Planning Using Ratios). In contrast to calculation columns, ratios apply to more than one layout.

A complex example of how to use formulas is the standard planning layout 0‑SAP05 of operating concern S001. This layout lets you plan a contribution margin directly and calculate the sales quantity on that basis. This is shown in the following graphic: