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SAP New GL #8: Use Constants for Non-assigned Processes in SAP new GL Use Constants for Non-assigned Processes

Overview
In this document, I will demonstrate the use of constants for processes that have not derived a profit centre or documents that have not split the line item by profit centre. You can use document splitting rules to split line items on a financial document by profit centre. However, there are accounts (like Bank and Loan accounts) that you would not like to split across multiple profit centres. In such cases, it is a good idea to configure Document Splitting rules to define a constant profit centre where such line items should post against.

The configuration for document splitting characteristics for General Ledger for this document is as below. Financial Accounting (New) > General Ledger Accounting (New) > Business Transactions > Document Splitting > Define Document Splitting Characteristics for General Ledger

Constant During activation of Document Splitting, you can assign standard account assignments (or constant) where it is not possible to derive the correct account assignments for the document splitting characteristics of General Ledger Accounting. I will use the example of an expense using Petty Cash. I posted this document using SAP pre-configured Document Splitting rules I have not customized the splitting rules to split the Petty Cash account. As you can see below, the financial document has not split; the Profit Centre against Petty Cash is blank. (The document could generate an error message instead of posting to blank Profit Centre depending on SAP pre-configured rules).

After a constant Profit Centre 1000 was configured, I re-entered and posted a similar transaction. The Profit Centre now assigned to Petty Cash reflects 1000. There are consequential self-balancing line items on this financial document.

You can compare the financial document in the two scenarios: 1. After customizing the Document Splitting rules as shown in my previous document; and 2. After configuring a constant as shown in this document

Customizing Constants for Document Splitting We will now see how the system is configured to derive a constant. There are two tables that should be customized:

Edit Constants for Non-assigned Processes Assign Standard Account Assignment to Activation of Document Splitting Edit Constants for Non-assigned Processes We create a constant BALSH and assign Profit Centre 1000 to Controlling Area V000 within this constant. Configuration can be done in IMG Path Financial Accounting (New) > General Ledger Accounting (New) > Business Transactions > Document Splitting > Edit Constants for Non-assigned Processes

Activate Document Splitting

Assign this newly created constant to the activation of Document Splitting. You can assign only one Constant to Document Splitting activation. Configuration can be done in IMG Path Financial Accounting (New) > General Ledger Accounting (New) > Business Transactions > Document Splitting > Activate Document Splitting

After you customize these two tables, you will be able to derive a same constant on all processes that did not derive a profit centre. SAP standard design for constant allows you to assign only one constant per client and configure one constant profit centre for the Controlling Area. You can override this constant for specific processes, by another constant. You have to customize some additional tables to override the client-generic constant. Configure restriction on use of Constants

Once you configure a constant for the client, you can restrict the application of that constant to individual item category in individual business transaction. For individual item category, we can 1. Assign a constant for specific item categories; or 2. Override the standard account assignment and let the document populate a blank profit centre
*** Assign a specific custom constant for specific item category

We can assign a specific constant for specific item categories. In our scenario of expense posting from Petty Cash, for example, we want to assign Profit Centre 1500 (Treasury) and not the default clientgeneric Profit Centre 1000 to all Petty Cash accounts. To achieve this, we configure the following steps:
* Edit Constants for Non-assigned Processes

We create constant CSHBA (Cash and Bank balances) and assign Profit Centre 1500 to Controlling Area V000. Configuration can be done in IMG Path Financial Accounting (New) > General Ledger Accounting (New) > Business Transactions > Document Splitting > Edit Constants for Non-assigned Processes

* Define Document Splitting Rule

In the Document Splitting rule combination of Document Splitting Method Z000000012 Business Transaction 0000 and Business Transaction Variant 0001 > Base Item Category, change the Processing Category to 0 (Transfer a fixed value (no splitting)). Once this option is selected, the screen changes to allow defining of the constant. Enter CSHBA as the constant. Configuration can be performed in IMG menu path Financial Accounting (New) > General Ledger Accounting (New) > Business Transactions > Document Splitting > Extended Document Splitting > Define Document Splitting Rule

We will now post an expense through Petty Cash account. As you can see below, the profit centre derived against Petty Cash is 1500.

*** Override the standard account assignment

We can decide to override the customized constant and let specific business transaction variant derive blank profit centre. This can be done by selecting the No Default A/c Assignment indicator against the combination of Business Transaction and Business Transaction Variant.

Conclusion There are several ways to customize derivation of a constant profit centre against a business transaction. It is a good practice to:

Allow split of business specific GL Accounts like Vendors, Customers, Assets, Inventory Define a default constant for all other Balance Sheet Accounts and Define exceptions to this default for specific GL accounts if required by your business

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