New features in Customizing for
Profitability Analysis (CO-PA)
Description
Release 4.0A contains a number of new features and changes in
Customizing. The structure of the Customizing activities was
modified to comply with the new component hierarchy. In addition,
some functions were rearranged to make it easier to find your way
when implementing CO-PA.
The top level of the Customizing structure contains the
following terminology changes:
The node "Basic Settings" is now called
Structures.
The node "Actual Postings" is not called Flow of Actual
Values.
Structures
The following changes have been made under "Structures":
The section "Operating Concern" contains the following
changes:
The number of non-fixed characteristics that you can define in
an operating concern has been increased from 30 to 50.
You can now easily change the texts for characteristics and
value fields.
The step "Set controlling area" is now found only in the
application menu for CO-PA (menu "Environment").
The step "Maintain versions" is now found in Customizing under
"Planning -> Initial Steps".
Master Data
The following changes have been made under "Master Data":
The functions for defining derivation of characteristic values
have been completely redesigned.
The step "Maintain characteristic groups" is now found in
Customizing under "Flow of Actual Values -> Initial steps", as
is the step "Assign characteristic groups".
The step "Define segment level characteristics" is now found
under "Structures".
In the section "Master Data -> Valuation -> Product
Costing", the new function Assign costing keys to other
characteristics has been added. This function lets you
define valuation using product cost estimates for any combination
of characteristics, instead of only for products or material
types.
The step "Define record types" is now found under "Tools ->
Data Transfers Between CO-PA and other systems".
Planning
The following changes have been made under "Planning":
The step Automatic Planning was added to help
you structure implementation of planning.
Under "Integrated Planning", you can find the following new
functions:
The function Define structure of process cost
assessment lets you allocate costs stored on processes to
Profitability Analysis using the assessment technique. You can use
this function for both actual and plan data.
The step Define LIS interface lets you
transfer data between LIS info structures and CO-PA operating
concerns.
"Planning Aids" contains the following new functions:
Using ratios (quotients between two value fields) and ratio
schemes, you can simulate price and quantity changes in
planning.
Using ratios as reference values for top-down distribution of
plan data, you can use calculated values (such as net revenue =
revenue - rebates) to distribute the data. The option "All value
fields" lets you use each value field in the reference data as the
reference for that same value field in the data you are
distributing. (Previously you could only use one value field.)
The customer enhancements for planning functions let you create
your own planning functions for either costing-based or
account-based Profitability Analysis.
Examples of what you can realize using these enhancements:
Distribution of annual values to periods using a
characteristic-dependent distribution key
Revaluation using a characteristic-dependent or time-dependent
revaluation factor
Event planning: valuation using percentage or additive events
Distribution of annual values to periods based on reference
data
"Roll-forward" planning: ongoing update of period plans by
projecting plan/actual variances of past periods to future periods
so that the annual values remain the same
The step "Define authorization obects for planning" is now
found under "Tools -> Authorization Management ->
CO-PA-Specific Authorization Objects".
Flows of Actual Values
The section "Flows of Actual Values" contains the following
changes:
All actual value flows into Profitability Analysis are now
represented as separate steps. This makes it easier for you to
follow the steps necessary for implementing actual value
flows.
The function Define structure of process cost
assessment lets you set up the transfer of overhead costs
from processes to CO-PA using the assessment technique. This
function is available for both actual and plan data.
The function "Set up transfer of sales agreements" is also new.
This transfer lets you post budget assignments created in Sales and
Distribution (SD) to CO-PA.