Tool to compare SAP financial statement versions, Configuration and Table

Recently I needed to compare Financial Statement Versions, Configurations and Table data between two SAP systems or clients in order to ensure synchronization across multiple landscape 

While SAP offers great tools to compare ABAP programs and many configurations within the system and across multiple systems, comparing financial statement versions, table data could be tricky. Comparison in Excel may work well for comparing table data, but it becomes a time consuming activity if you need to compare each and every cell 

I stumbled upon a beautiful tool to compare two text files. SAP allows any Financial Statement Version (FSV), Configuration or Table to be downloaded to a ASCII text (.txt) file using menu option System > List > Save > Local File > Unconverted in case of FSVs or Configuration screens 

On screens where the Save Local option is not available a Print option may also be used to download data to an unconverted .txt file. Only precaution required is, files from both the SAP systems or clients you need to compare should be downloaded with exact same procedure.

After downloading the data into two files to be compared, just enter the location of the two data files in the  Exam Diff  tool and it would provide you with usual analysis of entries which are common in both the files, records which exist in one file but do not exist in other file or records which exist in both the files but are different in some way 

ExamDiff is a freeware visual file comparison tool which can be downloaded from PrestoSoft's website at the following location: ExamDiff Download Page  It's also available for download on CNET. 

Grouping of Payment Items in Automatic Payment Program (F110)

When executing an Automatic Payment program (F110), Various open items can be grouped together to be paid with a single payment document.
The grouping of open items for payment is carried out based on the fields in structure ZHLG1. Items are grouped only if all the fields in this structure are identical

for more details on open item grouping, refer to the following SAP Note
Note 164835 - F110: Clearing credit memos and invoices

RFTBFF00: Import Market Data

RFTBFF00 allows to transfer external market data into the SAP system in file form

It can be used to import the following

• Category 01:  Exchange rates

• Category 02:  Security price information (stocks quotes, bonds)

• Category 03:  Reference interest rates (e.g. LIBOR, FIBOR)

• Category 04:  Indexes

More information on how to use this program and transfer structures is available at the following SAP help link:
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_45b/helpdata/en/35/a7b5629af50d14e10000009b38f9b9/content.htm

With program RFIMPNBS it is possible to automatically import new exchange rates from European Central Bank into the system using an XML file. The following configurations need to be completed before RFIMPNBS can be use: 
Standard quotation for exchange rates,
Exchange rate type,
Translation ratios for currency translation

More details for using this program are available in SAP Note:
Note 1286897 - Import of Exchange Rates from ECB

Information: RFBIBL00 - Batch document processing program

RFBIBL00 is a program which can be used to post documents or clear open items based on an input UNIX file. The programs supports the following transactions

• FB01 Post document

• FBB1 Foreign currency valuation

• FBS1 Enter accrual/deferral document

• FBV1 Park document

• FB05 Posting with clearing

One of the basic advantages of using this program over a posting with BAPI is that it can also process profitability segment characteristic selection, which is not supported with BAPI for document posting.It also supports fields for one-time data and the data for the coding block fields.   

The Unix file structure details and more information required to implement this program can be found at the following link from SAP help portal:
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_45b/helpdata/en/35/a47e63763e0392e10000009b38f9b7/content.htm

Information: Difference between Business Area and Profit Centers

With the onset of New General Ledger, which provides seamless integration between general ledger and profit center accounting, Business Area seems to have lost the importance it enjoyed with the classical general ledger.

Often we encounter a dilemma on whether to use a Business Area or Profit Center (or Segment) to obtain financial information on an important logical business division or geographical business location.

The following note from SAP clearly classifies the distinction between the functionality available with Business Area and Profit Center to help make the appropriate choice. 

Note 321190 - Difference between business area and profit center

Information:Tables for CO-PA Transaction Data

The following link explains the concept of CO-PA data tables, which the system creates when an Operating Concern is generated.

Database Tables for CO-PA Transaction Data (SAP Library - Profitability Analysis (COPA))

Costing Based COPA

CE4XXXX - Profiability Segment Definition Table
(Assigns segment number to each characteristic combination)
CE3XXXX - Segment Level Totals table
(Provides Period Based Segment level Totals)
CE2XXXX - Plan Line Items
CE1XXXX - Actual Line Items

Account Based COPA

CE4XXXX - Profiability Segment Definition Table
(Assigns segment number to each characteristic combination)
COSS/COSP - Segment level Totals
COEP - Plan Line Items
COEJ - Actual Line Items

Information: Report to compare GL transactions and totals

The report program transaction FAGLF03 (Program:TFC_COMPARE_VZ) can be used to compare and reconcile the transaction amounts in documents to the GL totals.

When New General Ledger is not activated, the report compares data in table BSEG with totals in table GLT0
While, when New GL is activated, the report compares data between New GL Totals table FAGLFLEXT with transactions table FAGLFLEXA

Program: TFC_ADJUST_VZ can be used to rectify some of the error identified with the above report.

Information: Workflow settings to release Parked documents

The following document provides details on various standard workflows which can be used for release of Parked documents.

The document also provides details on standard sub-workflow models which can be used for amount based release or account assignment based approval and release process

http://help.sap.com/printdocu/core/print46b/en/data/en/pdf/FIBP/FI-AP-AP-PRK.pdf

Here are some key excerpts from the document...

Workflow Model for Completing Documents

"There is a workflow model in the system (WS00400004) for completing parked documents. In
order to use this in your active clients, you must copy it there using the tools in the workflow
workbench."

Standard Task for Completing a Document

"Users who want to complete parked documents must be allocated the task “Complete parked
document” (TS00407848). To do this, create the organizational object in Personnel Planning and
Development using the workflow workbench. You then allocate the relevant users and the abovementioned standard task to this object."

Workflow Models for Document Parking and Release

"Several Workflow models are provided in the system for document parking; a Workflow
framework (WS10000051) and five sub-workflows. In the Financial Accounting Configuration
menu, you can set which sub-workflow model should be used by the workflow framework at the
time of the program run. You can also define your own sub-workflows while in this menu,
providing that they send and receive the same data from the workflow framework as the subworkflow
models do.
If you want to use the standard sub-workflow models for multi-level amount release
(WS10000052, WS10000053, WS10000054), you can define between one and three levels for
amount release in your system. Should you want more than three release levels, copy the
workflow models for amount release and then expand them. If are not working with amount
release, you can use a dummy sub-workflow model (WS20000006). The fourth standard subworkflow (WS10000055) can be used for account assignment approval."

(c) SAP AG

Database Tables for CO-PA Transaction Data (SAP Library - Profitability Analysis (COPA))

The following link provides a detailed relationship between COPA tables created for each operating concern.

Database Tables for CO-PA Transaction Data (SAP Library - Profitability Analysis (COPA))

ASAP Methodology

A small and precise presentation on ASAP Methodology.

ASAP Methodology

View more presentations from arun_bala1.

Information: How to implement a BTE (Business Transaction Event) ?

Here's a quick guide on how to implement a Business Transaction Event (BTE)

http://sapient.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/business-transaction-events-bte/

And here is another step by step guide to implement a BTE

Click Here for the SDN link.

Information: Document Splitting in Expert Mode

During FI document posting in any transaction the menu option "simulate general ledger" allows user to view the document splitting line item in details using the expert mode. where the business transaction,transaction variant and splitting method are displayed along with splitting details of each item

T Code: FAGL_MIG_SIM_SPL (Program: FAGL_SHOW_SPLIT) can be used to display document spltting details of document which have already been posted.
However, the transaction shows splitting details with regards to the existing customization for document splitting,
Hence if the document splitting configuration has been changes after the document was posted, some inconsistencies may be observed.

Thanks to Bernard for this information.

Information: How to find tables for a customizing object?

Information: How to find tables for a Customizing object/Configuration Node

1. Select the configuration node in SPRO
2. Go to menu option edit >display IMG activity
3. Select tab Maint. Object
4. In the assigned objects table you would find a view or cluster name
5. If it's a view (type V)
- Use SE11 to open the view and check the "table/join conditions" tab
to find the tables
7. If it's a cluster (type C)
8. Go to se54 - click "Edit Cluster", Enter the cluster name and display
9. Go to "object structure" node to find the related views
10. Open the views in SE11 to find the tables.

Information:Foreign Currency Valuation with Multiple Ledgers

Information: Foreign Currency Valuation with Multiple Ledger

The new Foreign currency valuation program. FAGL_FC_VALUATION uses the ledger group assigned to the valuation area to determine the ledger(s) from which balance is to be read for valuation. If the ledger group assigned to the valuation area contains only a single ledger, this ledger is used for the selection of the balances. If more than one ledger is contained in the ledger group assigned to the valuation area, each ledger is valuated individually

However, The postings for the valuation of balances are made using the ledger group that has the same name as the ledger being valuated. For example, if ledger group Z1 is assigned to the valuation area, which contains ledgers 0L and ledger L1, the balances of ledger 0L are valuated and the valuation program makes the postings using ledger group 0L and balances of ledger L1 are also valuated and the program makes postings with ledger group L1

In the above scenario, if ledger group L1 contain ledgers L1 and Z1, foreign currency valuation postings would be made to both the ledgers L1 and Z1 based on the balances in ledger L1

More details availble in the following SAP Note
983847 - Foreign Currency Valuation: Balances in NEW G/L

Information: Convert tcode FSE2 (Financial Statement Maintenance) to Current Settings

Requirement: Transaction Code FSE2- Maintain Financial Statements Versions is a configuration item by default and you need to convert it to current settings or a user transaction.

Solution:
The procedure to convert FSE2 from an IMG activity to a user transaction/current setting is outlined in SAP Note#200674- Fin.Statement Vrsn: Maintenance in production clients. This note cannot be applied using transaction SNOTE and the following manual activities need to be performed.

1. Change the SPRO settings for view V_T011 using SOBJ as outlined in SAP Note#135028 - Transfer IMG activity to Current Settings.
2. Further, Message FE-146, also needs to converted to an Information or Warning message, using OBA5 as outlined in SAP Note#109577 - Changing FS version although client not changeable.
The above activities may differ depending upon the SAP release.

Issue/Solution: COPA Performance Improvement using Summarization Levels

Issue:
Very long processing time or frequent TIME_OUT errors while execution of COPA reports (KE30) or assessment cycles.

Solution:

1. Activate CO-PA log (T-Code KEDZ, Program: RKE_PROT_EVALUATE)

Purpose:
Any COPA report/cycle execution or data access from COPA tables would be recorded in the log after this activation. This allows SAP to analyze the CO-PA usage pattern /access information based on which automated summarization levels could be created to improve COPA performance.

Execution Steps:
Execute t-code KEDZ

• Enter the Operating Concern (PI02) and click “Activate” (Ctrl+F1)

2. Collect CO-PA log data for a few weeks or months. (T-Code KE30, KEU2, etc)
This will be done automatically by the system when COPA reports or assessment cycles are executed.
For quick resolution in reports with poor performance, you may choose to execute all COPA reports /cycles, for which performance improvement is required to update the log data.

3. Create Summarization levels proposal (T-Code: KEDVP, Program: RKETRERU)

Purpose:
In this step, the system would read the access log information as recorded in step 2 and present a proposal to create summarization levels according to the database access patterns identified in the COPA log.

Execution steps:
Execute t-code KEDVP

• Enter Operating Concern
• Select COPA Type (Costing Based /Account Based)
• Select the type of proposal to be created
  -Enhancement: Existing summarization levels are taken into account during optimization, and only additional summarization levels are proposed
  - Replacement: With this type of proposal, all existing summarization levels are ignored. The proposed summarization levels replace the existing levels. Even replacement proposal does not delete any existing summarization levels. However existing levels can be manually deleted using T-Code KEDV
• Select the period (select maximum period for which log data is available) for which logged COPA transaction data should be considered to create the proposal.
• Click “Create Levels” button to accept the summarization level proposal displayed

Note: The analysis can take quite a long time. If the program aborts during dialog processing, due to run time being exceeded, restart the program in background processing. To display the result when the program has completed, choose Display last proposal.

4. Build Summarization levels (T-Code: KEDU)

Purpose: Large volume of data available in COPA tables is organized into various summarization levels using this transaction, which allows for quick data access at the summary levels for various reports and cycle executions instead of the high time and system consuming process of direct data retrieval from COPA tables.

Execution Steps
Execute t-code KEDU

• Enter Operating Concern
• Choose type of Profitability analysis (Costing/Account)
• Select “Build new Levels”
• Execute in background mode only using menu option Program > Execute in Background (F9)
• Click “Immediate”
• Click “Save”

5. Wait for the summarization level build process to complete (T-Code: SM37)

Status of the background job scheduled in step 4 can be using t-code SM37 with job name “RKETRER


6. Schedule a Daily Background Job to refresh summarization level data (T-Code: KEDU/SM36)

Purpose: The summarization levels created above would hold only the data available in COPA tables as on 30 minutes before the build process. To update the summary tables with the latest transaction data, summarization level refresh process needs to be executed daily.

Execution Steps:
Execute t-code KEDU

• Enter Operating Concern
• Choose type of Profitability analysis (Costing/Account)
• Select “Refresh”
• Save as a variant “COPA Summarization Refresh”

Execute t-code SM36

• Click “Job Wizard” button
• Click Continue
• Enter a descriptive job name (example: COPA summarization refresh) and priority, leave the target server blank and click “continue”
• Select “ABAP Program Step” and click “Continue”
• Enter ABAP program name as “RKETRERU” and choose variant “COPA Summarization Refresh” and click “Continue”
• Do not select add additional steps and click “Continue”
• Select option “Date/Time” and click “Continue”
• Enter a scheduled start date and time (non- business hour) , Check “Periodic” and click “Continue”
• Select “Daily” and click “Continue”
• Click “Complete”

Notes:

- Report for which performance improvement is sought must be configured to use the summarization levels in the report option field for presummarized data
- Population of initial summarization level , could be a very time consuming job and hence it may require to be executed into multiple parts with different executions for different summarization levels.
- Do not execute t-code KEDV while trying to execute a background job for summarization level population using KEDU.

Information: Performance Analysis for COPA reports

The following notes provide helpful information for analyzing and improving performance of CO-PA reports and interfaces (KE30)
1. Note 532252 - INFO: performance analysis for CO-PA read interface - Provides basic information on how to conduct performance analysis for COPA reports, using t-code KZDP
2. Note 363890 - Long runtimes with update and selection - List some common reasons for low performance or frequent time out errors on execution of CO-PA reports.
3. Note 35288 - Profitability Analysis: Technical Documentation

Information: Impact of GL master indicator "only balance in local currency" on Foreign Currency Valuation

Only Balance in Local Currency

Setting this indicator in GL master account affects the way account balances are stored in GL summary/totals tables. If this indicator is set, the GL balances are updated only in local currency to the GL totals tables. It does not affect the way data is stored in line items table BSEG or open & cleared items tables BSIS and BSAS respectively.

Impact on Foreign Currency Valuation
Foreign Currency valuation of GL accounts where the indicator "only balance in local crcy" is set is affected in the following manner depending upon the type of account

- Open Item managed accounts
If the account for which only balance in local currency is set, is an open item managed account, i.e: the indicator "Open Item Management" is also set in the GL account master. The foreign currency revaluation program would read the account details from tables BSEG and BSIS and hence the indicator "only balances in local crcy" has no impact on foreign currency valuation.

- Non Open-Item managed accounts (including accounts with line item display without open item management)
If the account for which only balance in local currency is set, is a non-open item managed account, i.e: the indicator "Open Item Management" is also not set in the GL account master. The foreign currency revaluation program would read the account details from GL summary tables FAGLFLEXT and hence no foreign currency valuation is possible on such accounts as balances in the GL totals tables are maintained only in local currencies for such GL accounts.

The above concept also applies to GL accounts which are line item manages but not open-item managed. i.e: the indicator "Line Item Display" is set but the indicator "Open Item Management" is not set.

Add document header text (BKPF-BKTXT) to dynamic selection in FB03,FBL3N,FAGLL03

Requirement
Doc. Header Text to be added in the dynamic selection in FB03, FAGLL03 etc.

Solution
Refer to the reply from Jeccas_DJ on the following SDN thread
https://forums.sdn.sap.com/thread.jspa?threadID=357594&tstart=0

Information: Document splitting with Dummy Profit Center

Observation:
When an accounting document is posted with a dummy profit center, the dummy profit center is replaced with the profit center derived from the document splitting rules in the general ledger view of the document, while the profit center accounting (PCA) document is posted to the dummy profit center only. The entry view of the financial accounting document also displays the dummy profit center, however the general ledger view displays the derived profit center.

In the above scenario if the zero balance setting is maintained for the field profit center, No zero balance offsetting posting is made with respect to the amount posted to the dummy profit center.
For example:
Entry view for a Posting with Dummy profit center

Entry view for a Posting with Dummy profit center
Co Code	Item	PK	Account	Account Description			Amount	Currency	Profit Center
XX01	1	40	6700000	GL account			50	INR	XXPRFCNTR01
XX01	2	50	6700000	GL account			-50.00	INR	XXDUMMY
General Ledger (GL) View / Dummy profit center is replaced with the derived profit center
Co Code	Item	PK	Account	Account Description			Amount	Currency	Profit Center
XX01	1	40	6700000	GL account			50.00	INR	XXPRFCNTR01
XX01	2	50	6700000	GL account			-50.00	INR	XXPRFCNTR01
Entry view for a Posting with a non-dummy profit center
Co Code	Item	PK	Account	Account Description			Amount	Currency	Profit Center
XX01	1	50	6700000	GL account			-40	INR	XXPRFCNTR01
XX01	2	40	6700000	GL account			40	INR	XXPRFCNTR02
General Ledger (GL) View / Zero balance clearing postings are made
Co Code	Item	PK	Account	Account Description			Amount	Currency	Profit Center
XX01	1	50	6700000	GL account			-40	INR	XXPRFCNTR01
XX01	2	40	6700000	GL account			40	INR	XXPRFCNTR02
XX01		50	2050000	Zero Balance Clearing account			40	INR	XXPRFCNTR02
XX01		40	2050000	Zero Balance Clearing account			-40	INR	XXPRFCNTR01

The above scenario occurs if the following preconditions are satisfied
1. New GL is active
2. Classic profit center accounting is active
3. Profit center update scenario is assigned to the concerned ledger
4. Profit center is a maintained as a characteristic for document splitting
5. Zero balance setting is maintained for Profit Center characteristic in document splitting

More information on this behavior is available in the following SAP Notes
0000826357 - Profit Center Accounting and New General Ledger in SAP ERP
0000871277 - IMG documentation, G/L acctg (FI-GL new), document splitting
0000891144 - New GL/Document splitting: Risks w/ subsequent changes