Activity Type Categories

Definition

The activity type categorylets you determine whether, and how, an activity type is allocated.

Use

The following table gives you an overview of the possible activity type categories and their use in Cost Center Accounting (CO-OM-CCA).

Activity Type Categories for Plan and Actual Allocation

Activity Type Categories	Description	Use
1	Actual activity is entered and allocated directly	Allocation of measurable activities; actual quantity plan price
2	Actual quantities result from the total of the activity inputs, calculated using tracing factors on the individual receivers	Indirect calculation of activity quantities using receiver tracing factors
3	Actual activities are allocated using indirect activity allocation	Automatic allocation of activity quantities using receiver tracing factors
4	Activity types are not allocated	This activity type can be used only to record quantities (no values) on the sender cost centers

Activity Type Category for Actual Allocations

Activity Type Categories	Description	Use
5	Target=actual activity allocation	Actual allocation of the activities using target=actual activity allocation This activity type category can only be used for actual allocations Planning can be executed using activity type categories 1, 2, or 3. Category 1 is most commonly used.

Activity type category 1: Manual entry, manual allocation

You plan activity quantities manually for activity types in this category.

You enter actual activity quantities in internal activity allocation, based on business transactions.

Plan activities are allocated using activity input planning on the receivers. It may be necessary to reconcile the plan sender quantities and the plan scheduled activities.
Activity type category 2: Indirect calculation, indirect allocation

For activity types of this category, you plan activity types on the sender cost center.

You can calculate the plan and actual activity quantities for activity types of this category as follows:

Automatically, using receiver tracing factors, which you can value with weighting factors and are defined for each sender, or

Using a fixed quantity, which you define in the segment definition of the indirect activity allocation (see: Indirect Activity Allocation ).

The system automatically reconciles the plan and scheduled activity quantities.
Activity type category 3: Manual entry, indirect allocation

You plan activity quantities manually for activity types in this category.

To enter the actual activity quantities by business transaction, access the Cost Center Accounting menu, and choose Actual postings Sender activities (see: Entering Sender Activities ). You cannot enter receiver objects here.

Plan and actual activity quantities are allocated automatically using defined sender/receiver relationships. The system calculates the activity quantity to be allocated to each receiver, based on the relationship of the tracing factors to all receivers. Manually planned or posted activity quantities are further allocated in full to the receivers. This means that the activity types in the plan are always reconciled following the activity allocation.
Activity type category 4: Manual entry, no allocation

You plan activity quantities manually for activity types in this category.

To enter the actual activity quantities by business transaction, access the Cost Center Accounting menu, and choose Actual postings Sender activities (see: Entering Sender Activities ). You cannot enter receiver objects here.

You cannot allocate to other objects.
Activity type category 5: Calculation and allocation through target=actual activity allocation

You require activities of this activity type category when you carry out target=actual activity allocation. Target=actual activity allocation is a special from of indirect activity allocation, where the planned input of an activity is transferred as an actual value, in accordance with the operating rate (see: Target=Actual Activity Allocation ).

Target=actual activity allocation is used only to allocate actual values. Therefore, activities participating in target=actual allocation must be assigned different activity type categories for planning and actual allocation.

Actual allocation requires activity type category 5. Planning requires activity type categories 1, 2, or 3. Category 1 is most commonly used.

Note
In activity type maintenance, you have the option of entering separate plan and actual activity type categories. An actual activity type category is required only if actual allocation varies from plan allocation. Otherwise, the SAP System automatically adopts the plan activity type category in the actual.

End of the note.

You may use the following combinations of plan and actual activity type categories:

You can generally combine all categories allowing allocation (1, 2, 3, and 5). However, you must apply the same allocation method (manual or indirect) in both plan and actual.

You can combine the plan activity type categories 1, 2, and 3 (with manual and indirect allocation), together with the actual activity type category 5 (with target=actual activity allocation).

You can not combine activity type category 4 (manual entry, no allocation) with categories allowing allocation. Moreover, you can only select activity type category 4 if you have activated the No allocation indicator.