Product Information
SAP PaPM Cloud: What’s New as of 2022-12-19?
Hello SAP Community members,
Before this year ends, here is the last series of What’s new in SAP Profitability and Performance Management Cloud (PaPM) for the year 2022!
If you wanted to recap all the blog posts released this year, you can check this tag for easier reference: https://blogs.sap.com/tag/PaPMCloudWhatsNew/
So, let’s start! The following latest features and enhancements are now available and you can already experience them in your SAP PaPM Cloud tenant:
Modeling Screen
1. Remote Function Adapter
With SAP PaPM Cloud Remote Function Adapter‘s (RFA) capability to support various business or financial processes and requirements, it is a natural occurrence for business users and customers driven by the demand for enhancements to further optimize its capabilities in adding more depth and detail – hence challenging the status quo. Given SAP PaPM Cloud’s adaptability to this landscape, the solution continues to extend possibilities with the latest additional fields for the following RFA Types. Read on for recent improvements for RFA Function:
- Sales and Distribution
Text fields can be used in certain points of Sales and Distribution such as Sales notes for Customers, Sales texts for materials, Explanations in order confirmations and Shipping instructions in deliveries.
See the table below for the new fields:
| Components | Place Holder |
| item-orderid | Sales Order Item |
| text-doc_number | Sales Order Texts |
| text-itm_number | Sales Order Texts |
| text-text_id | Sales Order Texts |
| text-langu | Sales Order Texts |
| text-langu_iso | Sales Order Texts |
| text-format_col | Sales Order Texts |
| text-text_line | Sales Order Texts |
| text-function | Sales Order Texts |
- Account Payable & Account Receivables
On Account Payables & Account Receivables, we have header-doc_type where posting order can classify the accounting document and differentiate transactions to be posted. With Special G/L Indicator, it determines the type of down payment while Reference key is a data element in SAP used for storing Business Partner reference key data in table fields.
| Components | Place Holder |
| header-doc_type | Header |
| accountr[ 1 ]-sp_gl_ind | Customer Item |
| accountr[ 1 ]-ref_key_1 | Customer Item |
2. Model Table’s Data Editor and Show Screen
Upon uploading files to the Model Table via the Data Editor or Show screen you can now review the File format in the File Format summary before starting the upload. In the File Format summary following information can be seen:
- Thousand separator
- Decimal Separator
- Fields Delimiter
- Skip first rows
File Format Summary is available on the following screens:
- in the Data Editor with the section minimized
- In the Data Editor in fullscreen
- in the Show screen
3. Modeling Checks and Warning Messages
One of the helpful additions in the modeling screen is now enabled where an appropriate toast warning message “The number of business functions and fields is getting large, which can lead to performance issues” is now introduced to check the modeling screen when being loaded or saved. The following message will be triggered if the modeling diagram reaches more than 10.000 nodes.
Should a modeler encounter this message, an inspirational Knowledge Based Article (KBA) SAP Note 2967291 – FS-PER 3.0: Performance-related Modeling Best Practices can be considered as a great reference to optimize the environment. The KBA which was originally created for SAP PaPM On-Premise but is also applicable from a “modeling” perspective in SAP PaPM Cloud.
Analyze Screen
Predefined filters
Based on the configuration of three options for a query element Variable Represents, Variable Is and Default Value, behavior of filters in Analyze Screen will be defined.
Therefore, several cases are possible and will be described below through tables that show the behavior of filters based on different combinations of those three options.
- Variable Represents set to “Default (No Variable)”
Variable Is and Default Value options will be hidden for a query element in case Variable Represents is set to “Default (No Variable)”. - Variable Represents set to “Single Value”
|
Default Value |
|||
| Empty | Not empty | ||
| Variable Is | Mandatory |
|
|
| Optional |
|
|
|
- Variable Represents set to “Selection Option”
| Default Value | |||
| Empty | Not empty | ||
| Variable Is | Mandatory |
|
|
| Optional |
|
|
|
Process Management Screen
Data Slice Locking
The Process Management screen introduced a new feature for users with EXECUTION_MAN_ALL role to have an option to lock and unlock data slices in the underlying Model Tables of an Editable Query function used by the Input/Output Activity in the Process Management screen.
The new feature will allow the authorized user to lock chosen data slice based on the specified combinations of Process Selection characteristic field values by the user in the underlying Model Tables so that it can’t be changed. The authorized user is also allowed to unlock the locked data slices.
In the Process Management screen, a lock and unlock button will be visible in the Actions header section to users with EXECUTION_MAN_ALL role.
The lock and unlock buttons will be enabled if:
- The Main Process Instance Node is selected and has at least one Input/Output Activity that is based on an Editable Query
- The Input/Output Activity is selected and based on an Editable Query
The data slice locking is always maintained in model table level and uses process instance selection values to define the relevant data slices.
Here are 2 simple scenarios where the data slices locking can be performed and cannot be performed:
Scenario 1: Data slice locking will be applied when a process instance contains process selection fields that are used in the Model Table
The image below is the Model Table used as the Input Function of an editable Query (Input/Output Activity Function). It has the following fields and data:
The Process Instance has the following defined selection characteristic fields and values:
As the process instance contains process selection fields that are used in the Model Table, data slice locking can be performed.
Procedure:
- Choose the Input/Output Activity
- Choose Lock button
After the data slice locking was applied and the user tries to change/edit the data row of the locked data slice via Show and/or Analyze screen of the Input/Output Activity in Processing and/or Input/Output Activity template, Query Function and Model Table function in Modeling,
an error message will prompt stating that the data is locked.
Note:
If one data slice was locked, it will also lock the entire data row.
Scenario 2: Data slice locking will not be applied when the model table only contains a subset of required locking selection fields
The image below is the Model Table used as the Input Function of an editable Query (Input/Output Activity Function). It has the following fields and data:
The Process Instance has the following defined selection fields and values:
As the process instance contains process selection fields “Char” and “NumericChar” and the model table does not contain a “NumericChar” field, data slice locking will not be applied.
Procedure:
- Choose the Input/Output Activity
- Choose Lock button
As mentioned previously, the data slice locking/unlocking feature is only available to users with EXECUTION_MAN_ALL role. Meaning locking and unlocking is the responsibility of the Execution Manager, but it will be applied to all users that have access to the Show and Analyze screen in the Processing and Modeling screen.
Before this year ends, I’m hoping that this blog post will wrap up your year with SAP PaPM Cloud’s new enhancements, features and experiences.
Wishing you all an advance happy new year! Cheers to 2022!
Hi,
Thank you for this blog and these promising new features!
I have a question about the Data Slice locking: in the example above it prevents to use an editable query to input data of a scope defined by the slice. Does it work in the same way for the Writers, meaning does it prevent Writers to write data on locked slices?
Best regards,
Romuald
Hi Romuald,
Thank you for reaching out.
Unfortunately, data slice locking does not work the same way for Writers. The data slice locking is only supported in the Show and Analyze screen as currently, SAP PaPM Cloud only supports writing to the model table, which ignores data slice locking.
Best Regards,
Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for your quick reply. If we consider that the written data are coming from the data input from the query, then the data won't be affected even if you launch the Writer.
I just have another question: does the data slice block the upload of the file and not only the manual input of the data?
Best regards,
Romuald
Hi Romuald,
As mentioned, the data slice locking is only supported in the Show and Analyze screen. So if the data slice is locked and a Writer tries to delete and insert data to the locked data slice, the data will be changed successfully and no error message will be prompted.
Same with the Model Table Data Editor. If the data slice is locked and the user tries to upload or edit it directly in the Model Table Data Editor table (modeling screen), it will allow editing and saving of the changes. PAPM Cloud only supports writing to model tables, which ignores data slice locking.
For your other question, the data slice locking should block the file uploading in Show or Analyze screen if there are locked data and the user tries to overwrite it. Currently, there is a bug about it and for fixing.
I hope this helps you.
Thanks and Best Regards,
Samantha
Hi Samantha,
Really nice blog updates.
I have a question regarding the message when you reach 10.000 nodes.
A customer doesn't have performance issues but the model is actually huge in terms of nodes, so the warning message is being shown. What is the best practice related to this? Still perform a best practice analysis in the actual modeling? or on the other hand, is there a way to deactivate this message?