Extensibility for Group Reporting

Purpose:

Purpose of this document is to explain the process of custom Field creation in group reporting and universal journal entry table. This document explains the various options that are available for creation of custom fields, how to enable them in various business transactions, what are the options in which we can use these custom fields and what are the limitations .

This document is intended for Consultants, Business users, Super users and Group Accountants

Overview:

In typical S/4 HANA Group Reporting implementations, there is always an ask from business users if there is any option to create custom fields and enable them to maintain during various business process such as posting, reporting etc. So far it was challenging task to create custom fields and making it available for manual maintenance. With introduction of 1909 FPS01 Group Reporting, SAP came up with an approach for creation of custom fields. Over a period of reading the document, we will understand the following.

• Custom fields and logic App
• Creation of custom fields in ACDOCA and ACODCU
• Creation of validation rules with custom fields
• Business transactions with custom fields
• Reporting
• Limitations

Custom fields and Logic App

Custom fields can be created either using fiori app – Custom fields and Logic app  or through  using a transaction code OXK3. In this blog, I will try to explain the process of creating a custom field using custom fields and logic app.

Setting up  of custom fields and logic app

If the app is not available, we can follow the steps to configure it as per the link below

https://help.sap.com/saphelp_snc700_ehp04/helpdata/en/17/749ad749e24701b990e4f38a16eaa8/content.htm?no_cache=true

The main things we need to do are resumed here

Front-End Server: Activate OData Services

Front-End Server: Activate ICF nodes in SICF

Back-End Server:

Delivered Authorization Role (PFCG Role) – Copy them to your own roles

In addition, you also need to assign to users the PFCG role SAP_UI_FLEX_KEY_USER for UI adaptation at runtime.

Once you have done the set up, we can see the custom filed and logic app.

Once you access the fiori app, you will be able to create new custom fields. For creating custom fields in ACDOCU table we will have to select the following

Business Context – Group Reporting – Journal entry item

Label – Enter the Field name you want to create

Identifier – this Identifier can be changed- Please check with your technical consultant

Type – select one from the possible options such as text, numeric, numerical text , check box etc.

Length- Specify the field length you would require

Sample is as below

Click on create and it will take you inside to the Field creation. Usage of the Field for various processes is controlled by UI and Report section. Based on the business need, enable the necessary functions for the custom fields. In this example , I have enabled the following Fields

• Group data Analysis
• Group data Analysis with reporting rules
• Journal Entry item
• Post Group Journal entry item
• Post Group Journal entry services

In the business scenarios, ensure that Accounting coding block to Consolidation journal entry is enabled.

Once the above process is completed, please save and publish the fields. Until fields are published, we will not be able to use the fields.

Once the publish is completed, we will be able to see the fields in both ACDOCA and ACDOCU.

ACDOCA table

ACDOCU table

Custom creation in ACDOCU

If you want your custom Field available only for ACDOCU table and don’t want it to be part of ACDOCA table, then while creating the Field in custom field and logic app, please do not activate the business scenarios Accounting coding block to Consolidation journal entry

Once you access the fiori app, you will be able to create new custom fields. For creating custom fields in ACDOCU table we will have to select the following

Business Context – Group Reporting – Journal entry item

Label – Enter the Field name you want to create

Identifier – this Identifier can be changed- Please check with your technical consultant

Type – select one from the possible options such as text, numeric, numerical text , check box etc.

Length- Specify the field length you would require

Sample is as below

Click on create and it will take you inside to the Field creation. Usage of the Field for various processes is controlled by UI and Report section. Based on the business need, enable the necessary functions for the custom fields. In this example , I have enabled the following Fields

• Group data Analysis
• Group data Analysis with reporting rules
• Journal Entry item
• Post Group Journal entry item
• Post Group Journal entry service

Once you publish the field, you can see that it is created in ACDOCU table

Creation of Validation with Custom fields

As a part of Data Monitor task in group reporting, we can validate the data that is extracted and loaded in Group reporting. This validation is done with certain validation rules and validation methods assigned to consolidation Unit. With 1909 FPS01, SAP has given an option to create validation rules for custom fields.

Now let us try to create validation rules. First step in creation of validation rule is to define selection

Open App – Define selection go to create selection .

Enter the general information – Selection id and description of the selection id

In the select expression, select the custom fields that you have created and specify the values that you want to validate.

Once the selection is created, we will then create new validation rules using Define Validation rule app

In the general information, specify the validation rule id, short and long description , group by (If applicable), Tolerance and control level (Error or warning).

In the Rule expression, specify the extended fields on the left formula – in the operand expression editor specify the selection created earlier and on the right formula, specify Amount – in the operand expression editor specify operand as amount.

Once the validation rule is created, assign the validation rule to validation method. Once it is done, assign the validation method to Consolidation unit.

Business transactions with Custom fields

In ACDOCU

After creating the custom fields, next important step is identify how can we use these fields in business transactions such as postings, reporting’s etc.

As discussed in earlier section creation of custom fields, once the Field is created , we will enable the usage of the Field in UI and Report section.

Since we have enabled the process of post group journal entry and other process, we will be able to use the custom fields for posting the business transactions.

In Group Reporting, data can be either loaded from ACDOCA to ACDOCU table or loaded directly to ACDOCU table using flexible upload mechanism.

We are using flexible upload process to load the data into Group Reporting. We will need to add the fields in flexible upload file as below

Upload the file prepared using the app “ flexible upload of reported financial data “ or with app data monitor task “data collection”

Once the data is upload successfully, we can see the uploaded data with custom fields in ACDOCU table

Apart from upload of data,  we can also be able to enter the data manually in to this newly created custom fields in the post group Journal entry app.

Post Group Journal Entry app

In ACDOCA

When customer wants to upload data to ACDOCA containing custom fields, then we will create the custom fields in ACDOCA as explained above.

Once the custom fields are created , we will be able to use them as a part of upload file for upload the data using the app” Upload General Journal entries” .

We can download the template from the app and fill in our data.

Ensure that the custom field name is ending with “_COB” to enable system to recognize this Field.

Once the data is uploaded, you will be able to see the value Field against the custom fields in ACDOCA table.

When ever business releases data to group reporting, data in the custom fields are released to group reporting.

Reporting

Once data is loaded into the system with custom fields, next interesting thing would be to check if this fields can be available for reporting.

After we enabled the custom fields for group data analysis in the Ui and Reports section of custom fields and logic, we can find these custom fields as a dimension  for reporting.

Once the Group data analysis is enabled and Field is published, we can find the custom fields in group data analysis app.

Limitations

Having understood the process of creation of custom fields, business transactions and reporting, let us understand the limitations.

• Standard ACCDOCA fields cannot be extended as a custom fields to Group Reporting
• Custom Fields are not available as a Characteristic in Group Reporting

The above given are the high-level limitations.

Final Note:

SAP has given more flexibility to business by providing the custom Field creation simpler. Using this functionality business would be able to understand and analyze the data if it is coming from different systems or interfaces or any other specific requirement. Once we load the data in Group Reporting with custom fields, when we run the balance carry forward in Group Reporting, data in custom fields will also be carry forwarded.

I hope with this blog, you are able to understand the process of custom Field creation and usage.