Enough FI/CO configuration to get going...
FI the Financials module can be thought as the 'core' of any integrated SAP System
because everything that has a monetary impact in the other modules (where the 'real'
business operates) flows through to FI - usually in real time and automatically through
the configuration. Usually there is pressure to get going with the prototyping
asap. When the other modules start prototyping their transactions, the SAP system is
going to want to post the financial impact to FI. Thus the sooner that you (the
FI/CO configurer) can get some core FI/CO configuration going the better for all.
Remember all SAP configuration is essentially maintaining entries in a variety of
linked tables. Usually you need to maintain each little link or entry step by step.
Some new SAP configurers expect the transactions to be as 'complete' as a user transaction
- configuration is different. In R/2 days we had to just know what tables to
maintain - count yourself lucky that you have the IMG now!
Following are some guidelines (in increasing levels of functionality) to the FI minimum
configuration or master data setup for a new company code. Follow the logical path
in the IMG.
- Minimum configuration to post a journal in
FI
- Minimum configuration to see expenses
by cost centre / post through to the CO Module
- Minimum configuration to post to
subledgers (AR, AP)
- Minimum configuration to
post from logistics modules to FI/CO (similar concept for other modules)
(The assumption is that you do not want to copy either the standard SAP company or an
existing company code because it will copy across too much that is not similar or not
required and therefore too much cleanup will be required).
Initial Business Decisions Required:
| Item to be decided |
Comment |
| Code of company code (4 Digit Alphanumeric) |
You could setup new one later, copying the
configuration |
| Code of Chart of Accounts |
Not very visible, but the maintainers of the
chart may want to decide this name |
| Length of the GL A/c number and the account
number range guidelines, possibly also the numbers of some key accounts required for
automatic postings (see below) |
SAP allows 10 digits, however 5-7 appears to be
the normal range. Typically the number of accounts should be in the low hundreds.
Decide on the ranges of numbers for each type of account as much as you can so that
the team can start getting used to them. EG: standard SAP usually has 4xxxxx as expense
accounts, 11xxxx as Bank Related accounts etc. |
Configuration steps:
| Step |
Comment |
| Define the company code |
IMG |
| Define the name for a chart of accounts |
IMG |
| Maintain the global parameters |
IMG - Use standard SAP variants for the parameters to start
with & update later |
| Define the default amount tolerances |
IMG - Define for a blank group - so any new test user can
post during prototyping |
| Define document number ranges |
IMG - Copy from the standard ranges |
| Create some of the minimum accounts needed to
start off with. |
GL Master data:
A/R and A/P control a/cs, a petty cash or suspense a/c to hold sundry offset postings
while debugging, a revenue account, some expense accounts. This list will expand as
you go - see the section on account determination.Suggest you create with reference
from the standard chart and company code and use those specifications (account groups,
fields status groups etc) for now, so that these accounts will be reasonably
appropriately setup. |
Now you should at least be able to post a GL journal. To test I suggest you use balance
sheet accounts only, since you will not have setup the cost elements for the expense
accounts. All projects would at least be using the Cost centre and Cost Element
functionality of CO as a minimum. So - on to the next step.
2. Minimum configuration to see expenses by cost
centre / post through to the CO Module
Initial Business Decisions Required:
| Item to be decided |
Comment |
| Structure of standard cost centre hierarchy |
The structure should follow the organisations intended
responsibility reporting hierarchy (the budgetary responsibility). Allow the
appropriate number of levels. |
| Hierarchy node name coding |
The coding of the nodes is quite important because they can
be used to report on the levels in the standard reports, and so will be very visible to
the users |
| Cost Centre Naming Standards |
Useful to begin following the intended standards ASAP so that
test data looks as real as possible. |
Configuration steps:
| Step |
Comment |
| Define the controlling area |
IMG, not very visible to users, if you are only going to have
one, you could default it later |
| Assign the company code to the controlling area |
IMG |
| Create the beginnings of the standard cost centre hierarchy |
CO - Cost Centre Master data |
| Create a representative set of cost centres, assigning them
to the appropriate node in the cost centre hierarchy |
CO - Cost Centre Master data |
| Create all the expense accounts as primary cost elements |
Either in the IMG - for all GL accounts in a specific range,
or individually in the CO - Cost Centre Master data |
Now you should be able to post a GL document (journal) to an expense account and code
it to the cost centre. The posting should then be viewable via Cost Centre reporting
and GL Account line Item Display.
Initial Business Decisions Required:
| Item to be decided |
Comment |
| GL Account Number of Control accounts |
see account number range comments above |
Configuration steps:
| Step |
Comment |
| Create the AP and AR Control accounts in the GL |
see account creation comments above |
| Create a couple of customer and vendor accounts |
If using SD and MM too, inform the SD and MM analysts so that
they can complete the account creation on the SD/MM side for the customer and vendor
respectively. |
Now you should be able to post a FI-AR customer invoice and an FI-AP vendor invoice.
So far it was relatively easy going, now it starts getting a little more
difficult. Following are the very broad steps - for more detail see the sections on Organisation structure and Integration.
Initial Business Decisions Required:
| Item to be decided |
Comment |
| SD and MM organisation structure and relationship to the
FI/CO elements |
Not a trivial decision, and may require rework, so at this
stage, decide on a simple best guess with the SD/MM team to get you going |
Configuration steps:
| Step |
Comment |
| Assign the SD and MM organisation
elements to the FI/CO elements |
IMG; to get prototyping going you need at least 1 set of
working relationships that the whole team can work with (EG: 1 Sales Area, 1 Purchasing
Organisation, 1 Plant etc) |
| Maintain the basic automatic account
determination for each module |
IMG; For example : Revenue Account Determination for
SD. As the modules test or prototype expanded functionality, the SAP will look for
the accounts to which it should post. You could maintain on an as needed basis. The
SAP documentation and configuration does not always explain clearly which piece of account
determination is used for which type of functionality, so it is sometimes difficult to be
pro-active. being reactive has the benefit that hopefully each side (eg: MM and FI)
can develop an understanding of what the business transaction is and therefore where it
should be posting. Otherwise the MM person may not even be aware that he has generated a
certain type of posting ! (You'd be amazed at some of the lack of ownership from a
logistics consultant for the financial postings that they generate). |
Now the other modules will be able to process a thin 'path' using agreed organisation
elements and base functionality, all the way through to FI.
Congratulations - you now have enough absolutely mandatory FI configured for the start
of prototyping !
