Differences Between Account Group, Reference, and Sample Account
The FI system offers several procedures to assist you when creating and maintaining G/L account master records. These include the account group , the reference procedure and the sample account with data transfer rules. You should note the following differences:
Account groups are used to set the status of fields for creating, changing and displaying master records. You can suppress fields or define them as required or optional fields. Account groups are defined when installing the system, that is, before creating the master records. Each G/L account master record has to be assigned to an account group in the chart of accounts. The use of an account group is thus mandatory. An account group always applies to one or more company codes which use a particular chart of accounts.
When you create a master record, you can use an existing master record as a reference . When you create a master record, the system transfers the field contents from the reference master record to the master record you are creating. You can change the field contents. Every user can use the reference procedure.
With the sample account , you transfer data to the company code area of a master record. Using the data transfer rules, you specify whether the data must be transferred or can be overwritten. Sample accounts only take effect when you create a master record. The data transfer rules also have an effect when you change a master record. Sample accounts are created when installing the system and assigned to the required G/L account master records in the chart of accounts. The use of sample accounts is optional.
Note
If you use sample accounts, you must reconcile the account group with the sample account. If you attempt to transfer data to a field using the sample account that is suppressed by the account group, the system indicates this as an error.