Allocation process in SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) Planning using New Measure based Model

Context:

Having experience of 30 years in Accounting, Finance & Controlling, includes 22 year in SAP FI & CO, working in SAP Analytics Cloud planning since 2020. While designing the Indirect Activity Allocation process using the New SAC Key figure (Measure) based model, I frequency face the issue that the Allocation process is not working. There is no error or information from the system on the reason for this error.

On further Analysis, I found that this is due to the GL Account Dimension created as Dimension   type “Account”.

Please note that GL account can be created as Dimension type “Account” or “Generic” in the New Key Figure based model. SAP recommends to create GL Account as Dimension type “Generic”.

But, some cases, we need to create GL account as Dimension type “Account”.

This issue can be solved with some pre-requisites, which I would like to explain in this Blog post.

I hope this will help any one working in this scenario and facing this issue!

What is Indirect Activity Allocation?

Total activity output of a sender cost center is allocated to the receiving cost centers according to the activity allocation factors maintained in the Admin story

1. This scenario is applicable when you create the “New Model based on Key Figures”

Fig 1 – New model

1. GL Account is defined as type “Account” Dimension and not “Generic” dimension

Scenario:

We want to derive the Plan Activity Quantity of the Service cost center for each Activity type based on the Allocation process using the Driver “Indirect Activity Allocation Factor”.

Fig 2 – Standard content

This is based on the Standard Content as shown in( Fig 2 above)

In this example, I have maintained the values for the Indirect Allocation factor as below

Fig 3 – Indirect Activity allocation factor maintained for testing this scenario. Plan Activity Quantity of 1200 hours is maintained for the service cost center Y41022502

Scenario 1 : Selected “Measures” as the Drivers in the Allocation step ( Failure)

Fig 4 – Allocation step with Measures as the driver.

Sender: Service Cost center, Activity type, Credit

Measure : Quantity

Driver : Indirect Activity factor

Receivers : Partner Cost centers, Partner Cost center activity types

Fig 5 – Allocation rule with only Indirect activity allocation factor as the driver

In this Allocation, Plan activity quantity of 1200 hours in the service cost center Y41022502 should be allocated to 2 production cost centers Y41022000 and Y41022001 having 3 Activity types each as shown above.

This step is not working. Activity quantity is not allocated to Production cost centers

Fig 6 – Allocation was not success.

Scenario 2 : Account and Measures are selected as Drivers in the Allocation step (Success)

Fig7 – Allocation process with drivers “Account and Measure”

Same sender and receiver combination. In addition, we have to defined “#” as the GL account since we have defined Accounts also as Drivers, but we are not using GL account while entering the Indirect Allocation factor for the Receiver cost centers and Activity types.

Fig8 – Allocation rule with GL account “#” and Measure “Indirect Allocation factor”

Executed the Allocation step again with a new step and rule ( Rule once created cannot be edited)

Fig9 – Allocation data action run successfully.

CONCLUSION:

If we are using :

1. New Key Figure based Model,
2. Creating GL Account as Dimension of Type “Account”

Then, you have to select Drivers as “Account & Measure” in the Allocation step, even though you are using only Driver as the basis of Allocation and GL account Value is “#” in the indirect Allocation plan line item.

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