Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master

Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

ASSET MASTER RECORD:
Asset master record is the reliable and authoritative data maintained by an organization relating to the various
fixed and intangible assets used by it.
Key features of Asset Master Data are:
Master data does not change frequently
Fixed number of key attributes can be used to capture the relevant details of the asset for analysis
and reporting
STRUCTURE OF ASSET MASTER RECORD:
A typical asset master record contains:
data relating to the asset stored in the asset master record in the form of Fields
fields structured together in the asset master record in the form of Tabs
Hence the configurations which determine the fields and tabs available in an asset master data play an
important role while designing the asset master data maintenance system.
This document is an attempt to analyze:
How exactly are the fields available in the asset master record determined.
How exactly are the various fields available in the asset master record structured into tabs.
For example, the below screen shot shows an asset master record:
With seven Tabs highlighted in the red box and
With fields in the group box highlighted in blue

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 1:
CONFIGURATIONS WHICH CONTROL THE ASSET MASTER DATA:
The configurations steps which control the tabs and fields which should be suppressed or displayed or
requiring an entry or an optional entry are the following:

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Step 1:
SAP Configuration Creation of Screen Layout Rules:
Description

Transaction Code

Create Screen Layout Rules

SPRO

Every asset class created in SAP should have a screen layout rule assigned to it.
Generally, the SAP supplied pre-defined screen layout rules are used.
This configuration is done only if there is a specific requirement which cannot be met by using any of the predefined screen layout rules.
In this configuration step, only the keys and descriptions of the screen layout rule are configured.
For example, the below screen shot displays an example of a screen layout rule having the key 2000 and the
description General machines.

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 2:
Step 2:
SAP Configuration Definition of Asset Classes:
Description

Transaction Code

Define Asset Classes

OAOA

Asset class is one of the main components used to classify assets.

Every asset created in SAP system must be created under only one specific asset class.
Apart from controlling the account determination, assignment of the number range etc., one of the important
asset data maintenace frameworks controlled by the asset class is the screen layout rule.
The screen layout rule assigned to the asset class determines the status of the fields appearing in the asset
master records of all assets created under the asset class.
For example, in the screen shot below, the screen layout rule 1040 is assigned to the asset class 1040.

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 3:
Step 3:
SAP Configuration Definition of Screen Layout for Asset Master Data:
Description

Transaction Code

Define Screen Layout for Asset Master Data

SPRO

In this configuration step, for each of the screen layout rule created, the following are configured:
logical field grouping is defined and
the field status of each of the fields in the logical grouping is defined

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 4:
If any of the screen layout rules is selected and the Logical field group folder icon appearing in the dialogue
box on the left hand side is double clicked, the next screen displayed will contain the list of all the logical field
groupings available under the screen layout rule.
For example, when the screen layout key 1040 is selected and the logical field groups is double clicked, the list
of all the logical field groups available for the layout key 1040 is displayed.
Note:
Out of the above list of all logical field groupings, the ones which will be appearing in the asset master record
is controlled by the another configuration step - Specify Tab Layout for Asset Master Record (which will be
discussed subsequently).
Some of the logical field groups available under the screen layout key 1040 are General data, Posting
information, Time-dependent data etc. as displayed in the below screen shot.

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 5:
If any of logical field groups is selected and the field group rules folder icon, appearing in the left hand side
dialogue box is double clicked, the next screen displayed will contain the list of the status of each of the
field groups available(required, suppress, optional or display). The status of each of the field group can be
configured or modified in this step.
For example, in the below screen shot, the field groups for the logical field group General Data is displayed.
It is observed that the field group Description 1 under the logical field group General data for
the screen layout rule 1040, has the status required entry.

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 6:
Step 4:
TRANSACTIONAL DATA 1 For illustrating how the field status of the asset master
record are controlled by the screen layout rule
Description

Transaction Code

Create Asset

AS01

An asset master record is created for an asset under the asset class 1040.
The asset class 1040 has the screen layout rule 1040 as displayed in the screen shot 3 shown above.
The fields available in the asset master record under the tab General data(Screen shot 7 and 7A)
is compared with the status of each of the fields available under the field group rules under the logical field
group General data for the screen layout rule 1040 (Screen shot 6).
It can be observed that the status of each of the fields in the asset master record matches exactly with the
status as defined in the field group rules.

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 7:

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 7A:

Similar comparison is done for the fields available in the asset master record under the group
Time dependant data(Screen shot 8) with the status of each of the fields available under the
field group rules under the logical field group Time dependant data for the screen layout rule
1040(Screen shot 9).
The status of each of the fields in the asset master record matches exactly with the status in the field group
rules.

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 8:

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 9:
Step 5:
SAP Configuration Specification of Tab Layout for Asset Master Record:
Description

Transaction Code

Specify Tab Layout for Asset Master Record

AOLA

In this configuration step, the tab layout rules can be configured.

For each of the tab layout rules created, the following are configured:
Tab page keys and descriptions and the order in which they will be available during the asset master
data maintenance
Group box descriptions and the order in which they will be available in the respective tabs during the
asset master data maintenance

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Generally the standard tab layout rules provided by SAP are used. But if there is any requirement which cannot
be met using the standard tab layout rules then customized tab layout rules are configured.

Screen shot 10:

If any of the tab layout rules is selected and the Tab page titles folder icon appearing in the dialogue box on
the left hand side is double clicked, the next screen displayed will contain the list of all the individual tab pages
available under the tab layout rule.
Tab pages are used to specify the structure of the screens available during maintenance of asset master
record.
For example, when the tab layout key SAP is selected and the Tab page titles folder icon is double clicked, the
list of all the individual tab pages available for the layout key SAP is displayed.
Some of the tab pages available under the tab layout key SAP as displayed below are General, Timedependent, Allocations etc.
A maximum of eight tabs can be maintained for any tab layout rule.

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 11:

If any of the tab pages is selected and the Position of groups on the tab pages folder icon appearing in the
dialogue box on the left hand side is double clicked, the next screen displayed will contain the list of all the
group box available under the tab page.
Group box is a collection of fields which will be available in a sub screen during asset master data
maintenance.
For example, when the tab page General is selected and the Position of groups on the tab pages folder icon is
double clicked, the list of all the group boxes available for the tab page General is displayed.
The group boxes available under the tab page General as displayed below are General, Inventory and Posting
Information.
A maximum of seven group boxes can be maintained for any tab page.

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 12:

Step 6:
SAP Configuration Assignment of Tab Layouts to Asset Classes:
Description

Transaction Code

Assign Tab Layouts to Asset Classes

AOLK

In this configuration step, the tab layout rule is assigned to the asset class.

Screen shot 13:

Step 7:
TRANSACTIONAL DATA For illustrating how the tab statuses of the asset master
record are controlled by the tab layout rule:

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Description

Transaction Code

Create Asset

AS01

An asset master record is created for an asset under the asset class 1040.
The asset class 1040 is assigned the tab layout rule - SAP as displayed in the screen shot 13 shown above.
The tabs available in the asset master record (Screen shot 14 Red boxes) is compared with the status of
each of the tabs available under the tab layout rule SAP (Screen shot 11).
It can be observed that the status of each of the tabs in the asset master record matches exactly with the
status as defined in the tab layout rule - SAP.
Further, the Group boxes available in the asset master record General Tab(Screen shot 14 Blue
boxes) is compared with the groups available under the tab page General in the tab layout rule
SAP(Screen shot 12).
It can be observed that the tab General in the asset master record has exactly the same group
boxes as configured in the tab layout rule SAP.

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 14:

Similarly, the Group boxes available in the asset master record Tab - Origin(Screen shot 15 Blue
boxes) is compared with the groups available under the tab page Origin in the tab layout rule
SAP(Screen shot 16).
It can be observed that the tab Origin in the asset master record has exactly the same group
boxes as configured in the tab layout rule SAP.

Screen shot 15:

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Asset Accounting - How are the Asset Master Record Fields and Tabs Controlled

Screen shot 16:

Based on the above analysis, it can be concluded that the tabs and fields available in the asset master record
are controlled by:
Screen Layout Rule assigned to the asset class
Tab Layout Rule assigned to the asset class

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