EBS: configuration of search string, part 2

Hello SAPers!

Here is the second document on configuration of search string functionality. The first document can be found under this link EBS: configuration of search string, part 1. In this document, I’ll try to explain how we can use the search string functionality to override the default account assignment of cost elements.

When you post bank commission or other similar expenses via automatic bank statement, you might want to change the automatic account assignment for these expenses depending on some conditions. For instance, if you’re configuring the EBS for several house banks you might want to post bank expenses using one cost element but different cost centers for different house banks. This requirement might be useful for the tracking of bank expenses of different house banks. Search string for EBS provides a nice functionality that enables you to meet this requirement.

Let’s first discuss the possibilities of default account assignment for bank related expenses. The first option is to specify the default assignment directly in master record of cost element in transaction KA01. As you can see on the picture below, cost center 500 is specified as default cost center for cost element 479000 (“Bank charge costs”).

Another option to configure the default account assignment is to use the transaction OKB9 e.g. as you can see from the picture below cost center 200 is assigned to the same cost element. The settings in the transaction OKB9 override those in the master record of cost elements.

If you configure the settings for several company codes, you can assign different cost centers to the same cost element depending on the company code. You cannot assign several cost centers for the same cost element in this transaction. However, you can configure the functionality of search string for EBS that will override both settings.

Suppose you would like to specify cost center 400 for one of your company codes as default cost centers for bank expenses. Suppose also that there is a fixed text “COMMISSION” (or some other text) in the text of note to payee that can be used for configuration of search string. In order to meet the requirement stated above you have to do the following configuration of search string.

Afterwards, you have to configure the use of search string on the respective tab.

The combination of company code, house bank and account ID for which this search string will be applicable was specified. Afterwards 004 was specified as external transaction code and + as transaction sign. There was no interpretation algorithm assigned to posting rule associated with bank charges, therefore the respective column was left blank. Afterwards search string name was specified in the respective column and “Cost Center” was chosen in the Target field column. Check box “Active” was activated. The columns Mapping prefix and Partner ID were left blank.

Thus, the logic behind this search string functionality is as follows: when search string finds the fixed text “COMMISSION” in the text of note to payee, it triggers the posting rule assigned to the business transaction code 004 and uses cost center 400 instead of cost centers defined as default in the master record of cost element or in the transaction OKB9 (screenshot of the financial document that was posted using this configuration can be found below).

You can find an example of bank statement that was used for the configuration of this functionality below.

The same logic can be configured for overriding the default assignment of business areas and profit centers.

     I hope this post will be useful for some of you. All suggestions are welcome.

Best regards,

The Wirtschaftsmann