1 New General Ledger in SAP ERP — An Overview

19

1.1 The Path to New G/L in SAP ERP

19

1.1.1 Background

19

1.1.2 SAP R/3-Based Solutions for Financial Accounting

23

1.1.3 The Fragmentation Problem

29

1.2 Enhancement Package Technology

29

1.3 New General Ledger

32

1.3.1 Additional Functionality in General Ledger

33

1.3.2 Parallel Accounting

34

1.3.3 Default Field Extension

37

1.3.4 Segment Reporting

39

1.3.5 Document Online Split

41

1.3.6 Real-Time Integration of CO into FI

41

1.4 Conclusion

43

2 Design and Features of the Ledgers

45

2.1 Features of the Ledgers

45

2.1.1 Basis of the Ledgers

46

2.1.2 Leading Ledger

47

2.1.3 Non-Leading Ledgers

54

2.1.4 Data Concept

57

2.1.5 Changes to the Definition and Assignment of the Ledgers

64

2.1.6 Defining Ledger Groups

64

2.2 Scenarios

66

2.2.1 Defining and Assigning Scenarios for Ledgers

67

2.2.2 Scenario Views: Data Entry View and General Ledger View

69

2.2.3 “Business Area” Scenario

73

2.2.4 “Profit Center Update” Scenario

76

2.2.5 “Segmentation” Scenario

77

2.2.6 “Preparations for Consolidation” Scenario

88

2.2.7 “Cost-of-Sales Accounting” Scenario

93

2.2.8 “Cost Center Update” Scenario

97

2.3 Customer Fields

98

2.3.1 Extending the Coding Block

98

2.3.2 Adding Fields to the Totals Table

100

2.3.3 Defining Customer Totals Tables

104

2.3.4 Adding Customer Tables in Enjoy Transactions

105

2.4 Conclusion

107

3 Integration in Financial Accounting

109

3.1 Profit Center Accounting in New General Ledger

109

3.1.1 Financial Statement for Each Profit Center

110

3.1.2 Allocations in the General Ledger

111

3.1.3 Planning in the General Ledger

112

3.1.4 Enhancements for Planning with Enhancement Package 3

116

3.1.5 Authorization Check for Profit Center

133

3.1.6 Evaluations

143

3.1.7 Assignment Monitor for Profit Centers

145

3.2 Reposting in Controlling

179

3.3 Online Posting of Follow-Up Costs

184

3.3.1 Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable Accounting

184

3.3.2 Asset Accounting

186

3.4 Integration with Materials Management

189

3.4.1 Create Purchase Order

190

3.4.2 Post Goods Receipt

191

3.4.3 Check Incoming Invoice with Purchase Order Reference

191

3.4.4 Reduce and Post Vendor Invoice

193

3.4.5 Display Accounting Documents

194

3.5 Period-End Closing

197

3.5.1 Representative Ledger

198

3.5.2 Period Control with Three Periods

202

3.5.3 Periods for each General Ledger Account Assignment Object

203

3.6 Conclusion

204

4 Parallel Accounting — IFRS on the Advance

205

4.1 Approaching Uniform Accounting Standards

205

4.2 Leading Valuation Approach

207

4.3 Basic Principles

208

4.4 Data Storage Location

209

4.4.1 Mapping via Parallel Accounts

209

4.4.2 Mapping via Parallel Company Codes

211

4.4.3 Mapping via Special Ledgers

212

4.4.4 Mapping via New General Ledger

213

4.4.5 Storage Location—Conclusion

214

4.5 Fixed Assets

215

4.5.1 Valuation Variances Scenario

215

4.5.2 Asset Acquisition

215

4.5.3 Depreciation Posting Run

218

4.5.4 Asset Retirement with Revenue

219

4.5.5 Configuring Asset Accounting

221

4.6 Current Assets

225

4.6.1 Inventory Valuation

226

4.6.2 Receivables Valuation

234

4.6.3 Securities Valuation

243

4.7 Provisions

250

4.8 Posting and Clearing Specific to Ledger Groups (Enhancement Package 3)

257

4.8.1 Business Context

257

4.8.2 Indicators in the Master Record

258

4.8.3 Required Customizing Settings

259

4.8.4 “Ledger Group-Specific Clearing for G/L Accounts” Indicator — Restrictions of Use

260

4.8.5 Process of Posting and Clearing Specific to Ledger Groups

261

4.8.6 Restriction — Sample Accounts for Posting and Clearing Specific to Ledger Groups

284

4.9 Switching from G/L Accounts to Open Item Management

285

4.9.1 Customizing Settings

285

4.9.2 Sample Posting for the Switch to Open Item Management for G/L Accounts

290

4.10 Conclusion

291

5 Document Splitting

293

5.1 Reasons for Document Splitting

293

5.2 Concept

295

5.2.1 Active Split

296

5.2.2 Passive Split

297

5.2.3 Clearing Line Items

298

5.2.4 Data Concept

298

5.3 Examples of Applying Active and Passive Splits

299

5.3.1 Example of an Active Split

299

5.3.2 Simulating the General Ledger View

300

5.3.3 Document Simulation in Expert Mode

300

5.3.4 Example of a Passive Split

302

5.4 Configuration

304

5.4.1 Item Category

304

5.4.2 Business Transaction

306

5.4.3 Splitting Method

308

5.4.4 Definition of Document Splitting Characteristics

310

5.4.5 Default Account Assignment

311

5.4.6 Inheritance

315

5.4.7 Activation

319

5.4.8 Splitting Rules

321

5.5 Special G/L Transactions

332

5.6 Wizards for Customizing the Document Splitting

336

5.7 Periodic Processing

351

5.8 Conclusion

353

6 Migration

355

6.1 Activating New General Ledger

355

6.2 Migration Projects

360

6.2.1 Migration as a Discrete (Sub)Project

360

6.2.2 Other Independent Projects

363

6.3 The Phase Model of Migration

364

6.4 SAP Service for Migration

366

6.4.1 Content of the SAP General Ledger Migration Service

366

6.4.2 Migration Cockpit

367

6.4.3 SAP System Landscape

369

6.4.4 Remote Service Session for Scenario Validation

370

6.4.5 Remote Service Session for Test Validation

370

6.4.6 Delivery of Service Sessions

370

6.4.7 Booking the Service

372

6.5 Migration Scenarios

372

6.5.1 Overview of the Scenarios

373

6.5.2 Scenario 1

374

6.5.3 Scenario 2

375

6.5.4 Scenario 3

376

6.5.5 Scenarios 4 and 5

376

6.5.6 Scenario 6

377

6.5.7 Scenario 7

377

6.5.8 Looking Ahead

377

6.6 Migration Cockpit

378

6.6.1 Overview

379

6.6.2 Setup Phase

388

6.6.3 Checkup Phase

400

6.6.4 Preparation Phase

411

6.6.5 Migration Phase

413

6.6.6 Validation Phase

427

6.6.7 Activation Phase

430

6.7 Conclusion

431

7 Practical Reports

433

7.1 SAP Consulting

433

7.1.1 Parallel Accounting

433

7.1.2 Balance Sheets for Subaccount Assignments

434

7.1.3 Selected Aspects of Implementation

435

7.1.4 Additional Fields in New General Ledger

435

7.1.5 Using Document Splitting

436

7.1.6 Limits and Constraints on the Profit-Center Balance Sheet

437

7.1.7 Reporting vs. Operational Management

438

7.1.8 Further SAP Developments

438

7.1.9 Legacy Data Transfer

439

7.1.10 Lessons Learned

439

7.2 Accenture GmbH

440

7.2.1 Customer Description and Initial Situation

441

7.2.2 Challenges of the Project

441

7.2.3 Constitutional Project Decisions

441

7.2.4 Conclusion

449

7.3 Siemens IT Solutions and Services

450

7.3.1 Initial Situation

451

7.3.2 The “New G/L” Project

453

7.3.3 Success Factors and Lessons Learned from the Project

457

7.4 ConVista Consulting AG

459

7.4.1 Motivation and Implementation of Technical Requirements

460

7.4.2 Experiences Gained from the Projects

463

7.4.3 Experiences from Live Operation and Functional Aspects

464

7.4.4 Conclusion

466

7.5 J&M Management Consulting

466

7.5.1 Initial Situation

467

7.5.2 Updating Master Data

471

7.5.3 Configuring New General Ledger

471

7.5.4 Reporting

474

7.5.5 Migration Project

474

7.5.6 Conclusion

476

7.6 Conclusion

477

Appendices

479

A Frequently Asked Questions

479

A.1 Technology

479

A.2 Document Online Split

481

A.3 Comparing Special Ledger with New General Ledger

483

A.4 Parallel Financial Accounting and Ledgers

484

A.5 Segment/Profit Center/Business Area/Customer Fields

485

A.6 Integration

488

A.7 Reporting

491

A.8 Miscellaneous

493

B The Authors

497