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 Copying Master Data Groups

Use

You can copy the following groups within a controlling area or within a chart of accounts :

  • Cost center groups

  • Cost element groups

  • Activity type groups

  • Statistical key figure groups

  • Order groups

  • Business process groups

  • WBS element groups

Copying groups is especially useful for fixing characteristic values at a given time for a group with time-dependent objects: This lets you make changes that will affect the next fiscal year.

Note Note

Copying within a chart of accounts or into a different chart of accounts always refers to cost element groups.

End of the note.

Features

Copying the entire group structure in the same controlling area or chart of accounts

  1. In the relevant application component, choose Start of the navigation path Master data Next navigation step <object>group Next navigation step Create End of the navigation path or Change or Display.

  2. On the initial screen for group maintenance, choose Start of the navigation path Group Next navigation step Copy. End of the navigation path

  3. Enter the group to be copied and enter a suffix.

  4. The suffix can be any given string of alphanumeric or special characters. For example, you can use a numerical fiscal year that characterizes the group.

  5. Choose Copy <object>group .

  6. The system copies the group. If a subgroup (node) in the target controlling area has the same name, the system asks whether you want the existing group to be overwritten by the new group.

  7. Save the copy.

The system creates a copy of the existing group in the same controlling area or chart of accounts. The system creates a new name for the copy by adding the suffix to the original name of the node. If a suffix already existed in the previous name, this is replaced by the new suffix.

The copy and the original are two separate, independent structures.

Note Note

The number of groups doubles with each copy transaction. For very large hierarchies, you should therefore regularly delete any copies you no longer require. Alternatively, you can keep the number of groups low if you copy only the parts in which changes have taken place and manually create the security copy.

Within controlling area 0001, you want to copy the current HIER group. Enter the suffix 1998.

The system generates the HIER 1998 group in controlling area 0001.

You copy order groups and WBS element groups independent of controlling area and chart of accounts.

End of the note.

Copying the entire group structure in a different controlling area or chart of accounts

  1. In the relevant application component, choose Start of the navigation path Master data Next navigation step <object>group Next navigation step Create. End of the navigation path

  2. Choose a group from a different controlling area or chart of accounts (see: Creating or Changing Master Data Groups )

  3. Enter a name for the new group and choose Hierarchy .

  4. You can adopt the name of the group used as the reference. The entire structure is then copied into the current controlling area or chart of accounts. It retains the same name.

  5. Save the copy.

The copy and the original are two separate, independent structures.

Caution Caution

This option does not exist for order groups, because they are not assigned to either a controlling area or a chart of accounts.

In controlling area 9999, you want to create a copy of the HIER group of controlling area 0001. To do this, create the HIER group in controlling area 9999 with reference to the HIER group of controlling area 0001.

End of the caution.

Copying the top group node in the same controlling area or chart of accounts and appending the existing structure.

1. In the relevant application component, choose Start of the navigation path Master data Next navigation step <object>group Next navigation step Create. End of the navigation path

2. Choose a group from the same controlling area or chart of accounts as a reference (see: Creating or Changing Master Data Groups )

3. Enter a new name for the new group and choose Hierarchy .

The highest node contains the group names entered. The existing structure is appended to the highest node. This means that every change to the original automatically affects the copy.

4. Save the copy.

Example Example

In controlling area 0001, you want to create the HIER_NEW group as a copy of the HIER group. To do this, create the HIER_NEW with reference to the HIER group. The system creates the HIER_NEW node. The remaining nodes are appended to this node.

When you copy groups, the system checks whether nodes of the same name as the copy already exist in the system. If the system finds at least one node with an existing name, a message asks you whether the system should overwrite the existing nodes or if the copying should not be executed. It is not possible to overwrite existing nodes in the standard hierarchy.

End of the example.