It is almost the end of the year, mark your calendars on December 21, 2021, as SAP Profitability and Performance Management 3.0 will be releasing its 4th support package (SP16) for the year 2021.
If you are interested or wanting to learn more about the latest features and enhancements that SP16 has to offer, please keep on reading until the end to discover the new and enhanced exciting functionalities.
Let’s start with the General Feature that the SP16 offer!
Visual Modeler can still be identified into at least four (4) main screens
The new features and enhancements for Visual Modeler were already released for you through notes. So, if you are in a lower version of SAP Profitability and Performance Management and still wish to use the said new features and enhancements you may implement the below notes:
To know more about these Visual Modeler features and enhancements please visit my colleagues blog posts where they detailed and clearly explained the features and enhancements
As the General Features were already introduced. Let’s continue with the exciting new features and enhancements for MODELING specific updates!
Let’s start with the new feature for Calculation Function which will be introduced in this release on SAP Profitability and Performance Management 3.0 SP16.
To give you a glimpse of the new Calculation Type: Work Adapter please refer to the images below:
Most of the function rules that we currently have on the SAP Profitability and Performance Management 3.0, you can directly configure on the Rules tab. For this new Calculation Type, to configure the rules, you must click the “Configure Workbook” button.
Then, it will call the Calculation Workbook API offered by SAP Profitability and Performance Management Cloud.
The Calculation Rules Workbook works similarly with the MS Excel workbook, for more information on what formula can be used on this, you may refer to my colleague’s blog SAP PaPM Cloud: Calculation Workbook Formula
Just like rules in other functions, after activation, these calculations are executed during the system runtime.
For more information on how to configure the new calculation function type, we prepared a step-by-step procedure that you may use as reference that can be found on the SAP Profitability and Performance Management Application Help Function: Calculation > Calculation Type: Workbook Adapter
One of my colleagues has created blogs for Workbook Calculation Adapter. For more detailed information about this new Calculation function type.
The Calculation Function of type Workbook Adapter calls the Calculation Workbook API offered by SAP Profitability and Performance Management Cloud. For it to work, you need to perform the technical setup to establish a connection between SAP Profitability and Performance Management 3.0 and SAP Profitability and Performance Management Cloud.
You may refer to the Administration Guide for SAP Profitability and Performance Management > Installation Information > Implementation Sequence > Calculation Workbook Adapter Setup
In this release, a new button Reset Parameter to Default is added on the Parameters tab of the Model BW and Model View functions.
This new button will get the default values from the original data source (e.g. the Calculation View screen) of the system and applies them to the parameters on the Parameters tab. In case the parameter synchronization is done for the first time and there are no parameters in the grid, you can also use the Synchronize button to derive the default values.
Note
Given that the Variable/Input Parameter PARAM01 for the Model View Source: HANA View is "CN001" and you changed it to “Parameter for PARAM01". When you click Reset Parameter to Default button, it will become “CN001” as the default value is CN001.
The SAP Profitability and Performance Management 3.0 continues to evolve. As many financial experts are using Remote Function Adapter posting capability, we will offer additional enhancements on the existing RFA Types:
Before SP16, the Remote Function Adapter Type Finance Extended is posting two documents after execution, but only one document was displayed in the result window. With this, we enhanced it by posting only one document after the function run which is an Accounts Payable or an Accounts Receivable
The document posting is done depending on which General Ledger Account component is mapped:
The following scenario will discuss further:
It will post one payable document with these input values.
It will post one payable document with these input values.
There are two new fields available which are accountgl[ 1 ]-comp_code and accountgl[ 2 ]-comp_code. You can use either one of these to provide one company code. The company code of the other company is due in the already present field header-comp_code.
As an additional enhancement for Remote Function Adapter of type Finance General Ledger, this can be used on any version of SAP S/4HANA.
As discussed on the previous Remote Function Adapter Type Finance General Ledger, it is also added for Remote Function Adapter Type Finance General Ledger Item. You can also now create a cross-company posting, which implies having two company codes.
There is one new field available which is accountgl-comp_code. On the Input Function used by the Remote Function Adapter of type Finance General Ledger Items, you need to provide the first company code in one line item, respectively the second company code in a new line item. Then, you need to define the Company Code field used on the Input Function on the Rules tab > accountgl-comp_code field.
As an additional enhancement for Remote Function Adapter of type Finance General Ledger Items, this can be used on any version of SAP S/4HANA.
The editable Environment CDS query can now enable you to edit data when the editable Environment CDS query is opened in Analysis for Office. The check box "Planning: Open Data Source Input-Enabled" on the Analysis for Office should be checked for you to edit data.
The new support package does not include new sample contents. Instead, there are enhancements were done on the sample content listed on the table below which can be expected after patching to SP16 and applying the proper piece list mentioned in the administration guide.
The SAP Profitability and Performance Management Help Portal, Installation Information section provides a corresponding piece list for the enhanced versions of the Estimated Cash Flow Preparation and Estimated Cash Flow Preparation Lite (ECP-Lite) for Properties and Casualties (P&C).
Those are the new features, enhancements, and contents included in the upcoming Support Package release.
Are you ready to experience those exciting new features and enhancements? Get ready and plan it ahead. Thank you for reading this blog post and stay tuned for the upcoming Support Packages!
If you are interested or wanting to learn more about the latest features and enhancements that SP16 has to offer, please keep on reading until the end to discover the new and enhanced exciting functionalities.
Let’s start with the General Feature that the SP16 offer!
Performance Improvement
- Flow Modeling is one of the major functions being used in Estimated Cash Flow Preparation. In SP16, an additional performance improvement for Flow Modeling rule type Term Target is to be released that will help the modeled environments in calculating and providing correct results for the “Value” field.
- On the modeling environment, an additional performance improvement will be released for the faster saving of functions on the environments and faster activating the Model View function on the environments.
- Performance improvements in WRITE archiving job for Archiving Object /NXI/ENVH
Visual Modeler
Visual Modeler can still be identified into at least four (4) main screens
- Environment Screen
- Modeling Screen
- Process Management Screen
- Visualize/Report Management Screen
The new features and enhancements for Visual Modeler were already released for you through notes. So, if you are in a lower version of SAP Profitability and Performance Management and still wish to use the said new features and enhancements you may implement the below notes:
To know more about these Visual Modeler features and enhancements please visit my colleagues blog posts where they detailed and clearly explained the features and enhancements
- SAP Profitability and Performance Management: Inside Visual Modeler Screens enhancements and fixes S...
- SAP Profitability and Performance Management What’s inside Visual Modeler SP16 SAP Note 3115700
Modeling History Application
- On the Modeling History application, we enhanced on how the value of the Entries column will be computed. The Entries are based on the number of calculation unit and functions under one environment.
- At Function Level, the Entries value will be computed as 1 as there is only one entry for a specific function.
- At Function Level, the Entries value will be computed as 1 as there is only one entry for a specific function.
- At Calculation Unit Level, the value will be the total number of the functions which are contained under the Calculation Unit and it will be incremented by 1
Ex:
2 (Number of Functions under the Calculation Unit) + 1 (Calculation Unit)
- At Calculation Unit Level, the value will be the total number of the functions which are contained under the Calculation Unit and it will be incremented by 1
- At Environment level, the value will be the total number of the value corresponding to the Calculation Unit's level incremented by 1.
Ex:
2 (Number of Functions under the Calculation Unit) + 1 (Number of Calculation Unit under the Environment) + 1 (Environment)
- At Environment level, the value will be the total number of the value corresponding to the Calculation Unit's level incremented by 1.
- On the Modeling History application, we also enhanced how the value of the History Versions column will be computed.
For this release, it is enhanced by computing based on the sum of all entries which are indicated in the History Versions panel > Functions tab of the specific function.
The History Versions column's value will be incremented every time a change was made. So, what will be the changes that will automatically trigger the increment of the History Versions’ value?
- When a Function or Field was retrieved, it will be logged on the History Version panel with the history type “RETRIEVED”.
Note:
When retrieving an already activated function, you still need to reactivate it manually. - When the Function description was changed, it will be logged with History Type "CHANGE”.
- When the Environment and Calculation Unit description was changed, it will be logged with History Type "CHANGE”.
- When a Function or Field was retrieved, it will be logged on the History Version panel with the history type “RETRIEVED”.
- On the Modeling History application > History Versions panel, a new column is available which is “Time Stamp (System Time)” and it is located next to the “Time Stamp (UTC Time)” column. It will indicate the Time Stamp based on the System Time.
Modeling Environment
- Before SP16, you can create environment fields with data lengths larger than the predefined ABAP Dictionary types allow. For this release, there will be additional validations on creating and saving environment fields on the modeling environment.
For example, you defined an environment field of type TIMS with data length 50, and the ABAP type only permits data length of 6. With this, an error message will appear if the data length is wrongly defined.
On the error message, it will also provide you guidance for choosing the correct data type lengths according to ABAP standards.
- Before SP16, when you are defining a new field of type BW InfoObject at Environment level, you are not able to map the correlation to the corresponding compounding InfoObjects as defined in SAP BW. An error message will prompt.
In this release, when you add a BW InfoObject field type to an environment and it has defined compounds, the system will display a message advising to also import it.
Afterward, you will be able to maintain the compounds for the InfoObject in SAP Profitability and Performance Management 3.0.
As the General Features were already introduced. Let’s continue with the exciting new features and enhancements for MODELING specific updates!
Let’s start with the new feature for Calculation Function which will be introduced in this release on SAP Profitability and Performance Management 3.0 SP16.
To give you a glimpse of the new Calculation Type: Work Adapter please refer to the images below:
Most of the function rules that we currently have on the SAP Profitability and Performance Management 3.0, you can directly configure on the Rules tab. For this new Calculation Type, to configure the rules, you must click the “Configure Workbook” button.
Then, it will call the Calculation Workbook API offered by SAP Profitability and Performance Management Cloud.
The Calculation Rules Workbook works similarly with the MS Excel workbook, for more information on what formula can be used on this, you may refer to my colleague’s blog SAP PaPM Cloud: Calculation Workbook Formula
Just like rules in other functions, after activation, these calculations are executed during the system runtime.
For more information on how to configure the new calculation function type, we prepared a step-by-step procedure that you may use as reference that can be found on the SAP Profitability and Performance Management Application Help Function: Calculation > Calculation Type: Workbook Adapter
One of my colleagues has created blogs for Workbook Calculation Adapter. For more detailed information about this new Calculation function type.
The Calculation Function of type Workbook Adapter calls the Calculation Workbook API offered by SAP Profitability and Performance Management Cloud. For it to work, you need to perform the technical setup to establish a connection between SAP Profitability and Performance Management 3.0 and SAP Profitability and Performance Management Cloud.
You may refer to the Administration Guide for SAP Profitability and Performance Management > Installation Information > Implementation Sequence > Calculation Workbook Adapter Setup
In this release, a new button Reset Parameter to Default is added on the Parameters tab of the Model BW and Model View functions.
This new button will get the default values from the original data source (e.g. the Calculation View screen) of the system and applies them to the parameters on the Parameters tab. In case the parameter synchronization is done for the first time and there are no parameters in the grid, you can also use the Synchronize button to derive the default values.
Note
- Default values are only taken over if they are not defined as an expression.
- In case a parameter has multiple default values defined, only the first value will be derived.
Given that the Variable/Input Parameter PARAM01 for the Model View Source: HANA View is "CN001" and you changed it to “Parameter for PARAM01". When you click Reset Parameter to Default button, it will become “CN001” as the default value is CN001.
Remote Function Adapter (RFA)
The SAP Profitability and Performance Management 3.0 continues to evolve. As many financial experts are using Remote Function Adapter posting capability, we will offer additional enhancements on the existing RFA Types:
Before SP16, the Remote Function Adapter Type Finance Extended is posting two documents after execution, but only one document was displayed in the result window. With this, we enhanced it by posting only one document after the function run which is an Accounts Payable or an Accounts Receivable
The document posting is done depending on which General Ledger Account component is mapped:
- Mapping the first General Ledger Account component will result in generating an Accounts Receivable document.
- Mapping the second General Ledger Account component will result in generating an Accounts Payable document.
The following scenario will discuss further:
- If the field accountgl[1]-gl_account is left empty and the field accountgl[2]-gl_account is provided with a value, the system takes into consideration the following structures:
- header
- accountgl[2]
- accountp[1]
- accountt[2]
- amount[4]
- amount[5]
- amount[6]
It will post one payable document with these input values.
- If the field accountgl[1]-gl_account is provided with a value, the system only takes into consideration the following structures:
- header
- accountgl[1]
- accountr[1]
- accountt[1]
- amount[1]
- amount[2]
- amount[3]
It will post one payable document with these input values.
- If both fields accountgl[1]-gl_account and accountgl[2]-gl_account is left empty, the system displays an error message during the function run. Note: It is mandatory to fill one General Ledger account field. If this condition is not met, the system will display an error message.
There are two new fields available which are accountgl[ 1 ]-comp_code and accountgl[ 2 ]-comp_code. You can use either one of these to provide one company code. The company code of the other company is due in the already present field header-comp_code.
As an additional enhancement for Remote Function Adapter of type Finance General Ledger, this can be used on any version of SAP S/4HANA.
As discussed on the previous Remote Function Adapter Type Finance General Ledger, it is also added for Remote Function Adapter Type Finance General Ledger Item. You can also now create a cross-company posting, which implies having two company codes.
There is one new field available which is accountgl-comp_code. On the Input Function used by the Remote Function Adapter of type Finance General Ledger Items, you need to provide the first company code in one line item, respectively the second company code in a new line item. Then, you need to define the Company Code field used on the Input Function on the Rules tab > accountgl-comp_code field.
As an additional enhancement for Remote Function Adapter of type Finance General Ledger Items, this can be used on any version of SAP S/4HANA.
The editable Environment CDS query can now enable you to edit data when the editable Environment CDS query is opened in Analysis for Office. The check box "Planning: Open Data Source Input-Enabled" on the Analysis for Office should be checked for you to edit data.
Sample and Fixed Contents
Sample Content
The new support package does not include new sample contents. Instead, there are enhancements were done on the sample content listed on the table below which can be expected after patching to SP16 and applying the proper piece list mentioned in the administration guide.
| Sample Content | ID | Version |
| Sample Content IT Cost Management | SXI | 13 |
| Sample Content Profitability and Cost Management | SXP | 13 |
| Sample Content Financing and Investment Sustainability Management | SXV | 6 |
| Sample Content Banking Profitability and Cost Management | SFB | 8 |
| Sample Content Funds and Liquidity Transfer Pricing | SFF | 11 |
Fixed Content
The SAP Profitability and Performance Management Help Portal, Installation Information section provides a corresponding piece list for the enhanced versions of the Estimated Cash Flow Preparation and Estimated Cash Flow Preparation Lite (ECP-Lite) for Properties and Casualties (P&C).
| Fixed Content | ID | Version |
Estimated Cash Flow Preparation The fixed content helps insurance companies fulfill the new requirements by bridging the gap between the actuarial department and the technical accounting subledger, bringing these two worlds closer together. It also reduces the complexity in the subledger by unifying the input from the life and health (L&H) and the property and casualty (P&C) lines of business into one best estimate cash flow format, which can be used as a basis for multi-GAAP accounting as well as cash flow reporting. | SFP | C007 |
Estimated Cashflow Preparation Lite (ECP-Lite) for P&C This fixed content helps you to produce best estimate cash flows and patterns based on assumptions and data provided by actuaries. This content is designed to remain GAAP-neutral as far as possible during this processing step, and to provide a GAAP-neutral cash flow projection as well as a GAAP-neutral exposure-based pattern that is ready to be processed through the subledger accounting processing steps. | SFS | C003 |
Those are the new features, enhancements, and contents included in the upcoming Support Package release.
Are you ready to experience those exciting new features and enhancements? Get ready and plan it ahead. Thank you for reading this blog post and stay tuned for the upcoming Support Packages!
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