Key Concept |
The platform for BPC has changed at a rapid rate. Many are not growing with the toolset and remain locked in old style currency conversion scripts. Too, many have not used the business rules effectively to produce the kinds of results they want. Certainly entering data in a currency other than Local Currency (LC) and desiring that currency be translated into LC from some input is not within the scope of this guide, but we will address that in a later post.
What clients need to know is how something really works in plain English. This tip guide gives you some insight into the script form for currency conversion, and this guide explains how FX_TYPE is used for limited currency conversion and its true requirements. While not purely a how to guide it is more informative as a "you need to do it to know" demonstration than just a pure how to.
See the Currency Guide Here.
I offer 3 tips for getting you started using business rules and currency conversion in a couple of the basic standard ways.
Tip 1. Understand The Basics
The application documentation and the dimensions provided by SAP in APSHELL produce an accurate view of the properties required in the ENTITY, ACCOUNT, CATEGORY and DATASRC dimensions as well as the core structure of the RATE application. Except that one must focus on changing the category dimension in the delivered RATE application to the C_CATEGORY as delivered, the guide from SAP for this information is appropriate and the information there is complete. In SP06 of NW 7.5 you also need to review the spelling of STORED_CALC in the Inputcurrency dimension. It is delivered mis-spelled.
Tip 2. Understand the Logic
The Logic for running currency conversion has long since been in a stored procedure in the Microsoft Platform. Many do not know how to use that. Many remain on the advanced script logic delivered by Outlooksoft in version 5.1 and prior for currency conversion.
There are a few different forms of currency conversion logic in Net Weaver.
The first form seems to produce the most forum posts where people are always wondering why “LC” Member Not Exists (the error from SAP as it appears) error is produced. The documentation shows the following:
*RUN_PROGRAM CURR_CONVERSION
CATEGORY = %VERSION_SET%
CURRENY =%RPTCURRENCY_SET%
TID_RA = %TIME_SET%
RATEENTITY = GLOBAL
OTHER = [ENTITY=%ENTITY_SET%]
*ENDRUN_PROGRAM
In plain spoken English, the ABAP or stored procedure version of rate logic takes the LC entry provided, examines the account to which data is to be posted for the RATETYPE, looks to the business rules for that RATETYPE and converts by default to the currencies marked as reporting currencies in the RPTCURRENCY dimension.
Most people copy and paste this into the logic for FX and wonder why it does not work in default logic calls. It does not work first because unless your ENTITY dimension is named ENTITY you need to supply the correct name. Secondly, in order to get conversion to ALL the report currencies in the RPTCURRENCY dimension, you do not pass the parameter CURRENCY. Attempting to pass the currency parameter in default logic is what leads to the error above. The proper form of the call to the program therefore is:
*RUN_PROGRAM CURR_CONVERSION
CATEGORY = %VERSION_SET%
TID_RA = %TIME_SET%
RATEENTITY = GLOBAL
OTHER = [MYENTITYNAME=%MYENTITYNAME_SET%]
*ENDRUN_PROGRAM
The above can be in FXTRANS.LGF and can be referenced from DEFAULT Logic and it will execute properly.
Tip 3. Limited Currency Conversion Equivalent
Many organizations continue to desire to enter plan data in a direct single reporting currency member like USD or EUR. In this case, there is no need to translate to other currencies because the entered currency is the reporting currency.
For organizations that have one single reporting currency who engage in this process but also have a few subsidiaries that enter data in LC, there are a few other features that need to be set in order to limit the currency conversion to just those entities required.
The logic above still holds, but we must us the dimension property in ENTITY called FX_TYPE to control this process.
The standard behavior of currency conversion expects LC to be entered. If one does nothing but installs the program call in FXTRANS and Default logic, an entry in NON LC currency members will result in an immediate offsetting negative amount negating the entry.
Why? Because SAP has built in the assumption that YOU have made a mistake. They have assumed you have left open the dimension RPTCURRENCY in the current view and that a user was able to change from LC to some other currency.
What SAP would like you to do is OVERTLY allow for this concept. Here is how.
1. Enter into the Entity Dimension property FX_TYPE a value such as C_FX for those entities that require the standard LC to Reporting Currency conversion
2. Enter into the Entity Dimension property FX_TYPE a value such as C_NOFX for those entities that DO NOT require conversion but are entered in the ENTITY CURRENCY
3. Establish the business rules for AVG as follows
4. Note the line for Formula [AVG] will apply to those requiring conversion with property FX_TYPE in ENTITY equal to C_FX
5. Note the line for Formula [AS_IS] which will apply to only those Entities with FX_TYPE equal to C_NOFX. Those not marked but entered in the ENTITY CURRENCY will FAIL by producing an equal but opposite signed entry immediately on conversion. The client should be aware of this basic behavior. We do not expect this to change even though it is not adequately documented. It is better to continue to cause clients to fully understand the decisions they are making with regards to currency conversion.
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