Detection Method: Suspicious Trend in Trip Expenses

You can use this method to identify suspicious trends in employees’ trip expenses.

Logic

An alert is generated if there is an increase in an employee’s travel expenses by N-percent over a given time period. Each trip’s duration is taken into account when determining the actual cost.

A linear regression is used to determine the regression line slope. If the angle of the regression line is greater than a configured threshold, it indicates a suspicious trend in the employee’s travel expenses and an alert is created.

The linear regression is implemented with the “least squares” method.

Investigation and Detection Object Types

Investigation object type: FRA_EMPL (Employee)
Detection object type: FRA_TREND (Employee Travel Expense Trend)

ERP Tables Used

PTRV_HEAD: General Trip Data
PTRV_SHDR: Trip Statistics
PA0001: HR Master Record (Org. Assignment)

SAP HANA Procedures for Detection Methods

Procedure Category	Procedure Name	Procedure Type	Package
Selection	PR_TRIP_COST_TREND_SELE	SQLScript Procedure	sap.hana-app.fra.suite.hr.dt.employee.traveltrend.se
Execution	PR_TRIP_COST_TREND_EXEC	SQLScript Procedure	sap.hana-app.fra.suite.hr.dt.employee.traveltrend.ex
Additional Information	PR_TRIP_COST_TREND_ADDINF	SQLScript Procedure	sap.hana-app.fra.suite.hr.dt.employee.traveltrend.ai

Detection Method Parameters

Minimum Number of Trips – at least two (on different dates) required.
Trend Period – evaluation period in months based on latest trip begin date.
Minimum Trend Increase Percent – defines the % of the expense rate increase (value of regression line slope) that is considered suspicious. This value can be used to filter out small deviations, such as inflation rate.

Alert Messages

Message ID FRA_INTERNAL_AUDIT, message number 138, Suspicious trend in trip expenses for employee &4 (ID &3) from &1 to &2
Where &4 is the employee name, &3 is the employee ID, &1 period of evaluation start (from) &2 period of evaluation end (to).