SAP BPC MS Comments

SAP BPC MS Comments:
Business users are comfortable with flexibility and features available with excel to work on their different business plans. BPC is a tool which provides best features of Excel in an integrated planning tool with enhanced planning features like trends, spread, drilldown, commenting etc.

Business users in general add comments for various needs like, to share their view points on the plan data, to specify any reasons for data fluctuations etc.

The comment functions
Comment Manager Interface makes it easy to search and report on comments Create ad-hoc reports and extract to Excel through Reporting Services.
Can be assigned priority and keywords for setting search criteria Flexible for either partial or fully – qualified metadata Reports contain full history of comment Secured by member access
Define cell-based formulas in Excel to retrieve and send (EvCOM)

Posting any Comment in BPC is possible via three interfaces,
1. Via Action Pane
2. Cells of Excel – EVCOM
3. Excel Pop Up – EVCOM

The procedure for adding comments from Action Pane and via cells of excel sheet using EVCOM function

Steps to add a comment:

1. Within BPC for Excel, open the report or input schedule to which a comment needs to be added.

2. After the report or input schedule has opened, click on the “Add new comment” task from the Report State Action Pane.

3. This will bring the user to the “Enter a New Comment” Action Pane, where the user is required to select the context of the comment from a choice of the three following options:
a. The active report or schedule – This option is only available when a live report or input schedule is open. The comment will get applied to the data region associated cell.
b. The active current view – This option applies the comment to the current view shown in the action pane.
c. Custom current view – Option allows the user to specify specific current view associated with the comment. If this option is selected the “Comment for these CV Values:” area of the action pane becomes available for use. The user selects the Application, as well as each dimension and member id for each dimension selected, to which they need the comment applied to. If a dimension is left unselected, the member ids for that dimension will be ignored for this comment.

4. Click the button which takes the user to Step 2 of “Enter a New Comment”.

5. Select the priority of the comment from the drop down menu, in the “What is the
priority of the comment?” section of the action pane. The priority choices are:
Critical, High, Medium, Low, and No Priority. Note: When reporting on comments, they are shown in priority level order.

6. The next section is “What keyword do you want to associate with this comment?”
This should be a meaningful word (up to 30 characters) that helps the user organize and search the comments as the database grows.

7. The final step is to add the comment’s content which can be up to 256 characters long.

8. Click the button, a dialog box will appear stating the comment has been stored in the database.




How to configure comment by Excel Pop Up Follow the Steps,
1. Create any Input Schedule or Report in BPC Excel Client.

2. Set the value for Workbook Options a Read Option for Comment to “As Excel Popup”.

3. Set EVCOM function for various fields in the report and refresh the sheet.
a. Select the cell where the function is to be written.
b. Fill it with “=evcom()”
c. Select insert function and define the cell value for different parameters of the function.
4. Select the cell for which the comment needs to be added then go to Review Tab and select New comment,

5. Enter the required comment for the cell selected in the pop up screen and move back to Add Ins Tab,

6. Click on the button to save comment to the system,

7. The comment is saved successfully to the system and you have the comment in the Popup Screen as and when you move the mouse over the cell.


Advantages of having comment as Excel Popup are,
• Business have the feel of using the same Excel functionality for adding comments with data saved in system
• Can be used to comment any data cell in a Report or Input Sheet having dynamic expansion.
• No need for allocating any area for commenting in the IS/Reports.
• User Interface looks good having only the required set of data without explicitly displaying the comment entered for it.
Note: The Comments included via Excel Pop Up can also be viewed using EVCOM function in cells of different BPC reports or Input Sheet and can also be reported via standard system reports for Comment.

The Table below clearly states what type of comment can be used in different business scenarios,

Business Need

CASE1:
1.Report or Input sheet dynamic
2.Huge volume of data and commenting across any individual cell of the data.

Best Option : Excel Pop Up

CASE2:

1.Report or Input sheet is static
2.All Relevant comments to be displayed simultaneously.
3.Sheet where comments are entered without any data

Best Option : Within Cell


Business Need

case3:
1.For any business user who maintains only comments and doesn’t need any access to see any plan or consolidation data.


Best Option :

Action Pane(Provide Access only to Commenting in Task Profile of that business user).


Thus comments can be added using Excel Popup function and the business users can be provided with the feel of their excel functionality for indenting Business.

The Comments for the Selected Data Region table has 5 different options in its table Header. They are:


Option Description

1.Comment Displays the entire comment. If you are the originator of
the comment, or have administrator rights, you have ability
to modify the comment directly in the cell. Note: Be sure to
select “Update Comments” in the action pane when completed.

2.Priority Displays priority of the comment. If you are the originator of
the comment, or have administrator rights, you have the
ability to change priority from the drop down list. Note: Be
sure to select “Update Comments” in the action pane when completed.

3.Keyword Displays keyword associated with the comment. If you are
the originator of the comment, or have administrator rights,
you can modify the key word by typing directly into this cell.
Note: Be sure to select “Update comments” in the action pane when
completed.

4.Originator Displays the comments originator.

5.Date Displays the date the comment was saved to the database.
If comment has been updated, then updated date appears.

Other Options on the Comments Summary Page
• View Comment Options action pane
• Add a new comment
• Report on comments
• Delete selected comments
• Update comments
• Changing the Display criteria(Severity , Priority )

/Development /Production Support Issues SAP BPC

SAP BPC Production Support issues:
1. How to transfer the data SAP BPC 5.1 TO SAP BPC 7.5 ?
Ans) Use Data manager package to expoert data in ASCII format (flatfiles) and then apply conversion/transformation then import flatfile into bpc 7.5 using data manager package to using flat file.


Data Manager Package
SAP BPC provides standard out of the box functionality to execute common tasks
Required for planning and consolidation such as currency translation, intercompany
Elimination and so on. These tasks are executed via a data manager package.

Transformation File Definition
• HEADER: Indicates if the data file has a header (Required)
• AMOUNTDECIMALPOINT: Allows to enter non-period decimal point
• SKIP: No. of lines to skip at the top (Required)
• SKIPIF: Skips a line in the data file if it begins with a given text string required)
• VALIDATERECORDS: Validates mapping and maps data (Required)
• CREDITPOSITIVE: Reverses sign in case of LEQ and INC accounts (Required)
• MAXREJECTCOUNT: If validating records, the no. of rejected records at which
Stop processing (empty string means 500, some postive number, 0r -1) (Required)
• ROUNDAMOUNT: Indicates amount of decimal values to round


2) When I use BPF , I want insert a PACKAGE LINK using a Task but when I select it I can't modify APPLICATION anc CURRENT VIEW and I can't choose a specific PACKAGE LINK.?
Ans) When you add a step for executing a package link, this package link will be executed for the controlling application. So, you are not able to change the application. Moreover, a package link doesnt work for a particular Current View. It works based on the members prompted during the execution. So, you are not able to change the Current View.

How I can choose a specific PACKAGE LINK like a PACKAGE?
Ans) When assign the action of run a package link, running this step will open the window with the list of all the package links. In the BPF, you cannot specify the name of the link.

The system offers to save the file to:
HTTP://////App/DataManager/DATAFILES


3) BPC for NW 7.5 SP4 system. When trying to import data from .txt files via the data manager process Steps.
Ans) 1) Login to BPC for Netweaver website
2) Go into the excel portion
3) log into the applicationset
4) click on edata at the top of the screen
5) select upload data file
6) enter source and target locations. the file is a .txt file (40KB in
size)
7) click OK to start the upload



4) Account dimension, which member list contains just "Price”. When I built an input schedule, enter prices in some currency, the total year value list the sum of the values of months. But I need an average value. How can I organise it?

SAP BPC Product does have different types of application in reporting by mean is it reporting application built or non reporting type.
Next, think is it to build planning wise or consolidation (Legal/Consolidation).

To store the supporting data required for planning and the rate type application. “Write dimension formula in the time dimension for the account price."
Syntax of formula.
IIF (ACCOUNT.Currentmember = "PRICE", ((2010.JAN + 2010.FEB + 2010.MAR) / 3), (2010.JAN + 2010.FEB + 2010.MAR))
The above is for 2010.Q1. Similarly, to maintain formulas for the other parent members also.

After that need displaying average at parent members, either you can write dimension formula in the time dimension for the account price. Otherwise, you can create a custom price.


5) SAP BPC 7.5. MS cannot open databse "apShell"(" OLE DB error: OLE DB or ODBC error)
ANS)
• Open up SQL Management Studio
• Go to Security > Logins > NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE
• Right click > Properties
• In the User Mapping section tick ApShell
• In the bottom section of the screen, tick db_datareader.

The difference between Dummy Profit Center and Default Profit Center?

They basically do the same thing, which is automatically assigning a profit center to an item when none currently exists. However, the dummy profit center is populated automatically by the system, while the default profit center is manually assigned to a configuration table for the relevant GL accounts.
Note that the dummy profit center no longer needed for the new GL, while the default profit center is still used, and can be assigned using transaction FAGL3KEH.
Upload mass journal entries,
According my knowledge I know that there are two options:
1. Third-party solutions which cost extra
2. Custom programs which could have bugs.
Is there any other option/s you are aware of to meet this requirement?
Two standard tools that you can use are as follows:
(1) LSMW
(2) CATT
Both involve setting up the fields that you want to upload and entering them into a predefined template. Personally, I prefer using LSMW because I find it more user-friendly and flexible. CATTs are also good, but I believe they are no longer accessible with the newer versions of SAP (from ECC 6.0). Instead, you need to use eCATT.

Can you share any data preparation and/or management techniques to ensure a smooth conversion to the material ledger?
To consider upon conversion to material ledger are
- Ensure that all plants in the company code are activated for material ledger;
- Activate material ledger at the start of the period (to ensure that all inventory movements for the period are captured);
- Ensure that no inventory transactions are made during production startup
- All FI currencies should be enabled in material ledger.

SAP Business Objects Planning and Consolidation

SAP Business Objects Business Planning and Consolidation (SAP BPC) SAP offers a state-of-the-art Planning and Consolidation software that meets all your needs in budgeting, planning, consolidation and reporting.

SAP BPC features a standardized administration tool for Planning and Consolidation. A homogeneous Excel-based user interface is utilized for creating planning data, uploading or reporting of financial data, and reporting for internal and external purposes.
SAP BPC is available either as a SAP BW based or Microsoft SQL based solution, thus enabling the additional utilization of SAP BW reporting and other BW tools (e.g., unified Master data collection and financial reporting data), promoting the integration of your IT systems.
Using the Microsoft SQL based solution enables non-SAP companies to capitalize on the solid and easy to learn SAP consolidation tool.

Comprehensive solution for planning and budgeting with SAP BO Business Planning and Consolidation

SAP BPC fully supports top-down and bottom-up planning for financial and operational tasks, to further a smooth and on-time financial closing. BPC enables you to conduct strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, planning consolidation and intuitive and easy reporting.
The implementation cycle can be kept short, because your department is able to customize the tool according to your changing needs, without the hassle of calling in an external consultant. A highly flexible data model and the possibility of directly accessing legacy systems makes for a clearly laid-out planning. You are even able to add or receive comments for reported or planned data. Using the well-known Microsoft frontend tools eases the introduction of this innovative software.

Internal and external reporting with SAP BO BPC

SAP BPC supports all your processes, leading towards an integrated internal and external group reporting. Repetitive processes like reporting data and validations are managed through Business Process Flows (BPF), so no task is forgotten and users will have performed all necessary steps.
A rule-based consolidation enables you to adapt your consolidation processes to your changing needs. All consolidation tasks like currency translation, intercompany elimination, legal consolidation, validations and the like are handled using these rules. The flexibility offered is unique and certainly one of the most interesting features of this solution. SAP offers a Starter kit with predefined rules, making it easier to develop you own rules and to keep the implementation cycle short.
Internal and external reporting uses BPC for Excel, Word and PowerPoint. Depending on the version (Microsoft or BW based) enhanced reporting possibilities through the use of BW or BO reporting is available. The system allows you to run a reconciliation of intercompany accounts before actually consolidating the data, based on group accounts.

SAP BusinessObjects Financial Consolidation (BOFC)

Financial Consolidation is a rule-based tool for statutory and management consolidation. The rule-based approach offers a higher degree of flexibility compared to previous SAP consolidation tools. The consolidation process runs completely autonomously and can be annotated.

The tool offers the complete functionality of a consolidation system: financial reporting data, validations, currency conversion, statutory consolidation and reporting of consolidated financial data. The Packagemanager and an associated report allow easy tracking of the delivery process. A separation into distinctive data pools allows for an easy consolidation by different accounting standards or planning requirements. Minimal time and effort has to be expended to calculate various consolidation scenarios wholly. A complete audit trail is ensured through Audit-IDs, so you can easily track data delivery and calculation.

Reconciliation of intercompany transactions is an inherent feature. A more detailed reconciliation on the invoice level is available through SAP BusinessObjects Intercompany, a web based, interactive software.

SAP offers a Starter kit which encompasses predefined rules, making it easier to develop your own rules and keeping the implementation cycle short. The tool can be used without the need to install further SAP software and can be maintained by specialists within your department without calling in external consultants.

Reporting with BOFC
The introduction of quick and comprehensive reporting is simplified by pre-configured reports readily available in your system, considerably shortening your implementation cycle. Available right from the start, are reports for statement of financial position, statement of comprehensive income, equities and movement schedules. They allow for a quick though detailed insight in your consolidated data. Their intuitive handling makes for an easy maintenance by your department.

Enhanced dynamic reporting capabilities, e.g., utilizing drag and drop functionality, are offered by SAP BusinessObjects Cube Designer (prior releases: Extended Analytics). You can extract data from both BOFC for Microsoft SSAS Cubes and SAP NetWeaver BW InfoCubes.

The drawing shows Crystal Reports and Dashboard Designer (Xcelsius) as an example for frontend reporting. However, the use of BEx-Tools and the special Extended Analytics Tool (EPM Add-in for Microsoft Excel, the former EA Analyzer, MS-Excel based) are available.

Further, a UBmatrix interface offers reporting of consolidated data in XBRL-Format.

SAP SEM-BCS - Strategic Enterprise Management – Business Consolidation

Optimal preparation of your consolidated financial data
SEM-BCS enables you to close your statement of financial position according to various financial reporting standards (IFRS, US-GAAP, SWISS GAAP FER, etc.) in parallel while still letting you use common settings for all standards. The use of parallel hierarchies makes it easy to achieve sub-group and consolidated group views, as well as segment analyses and restatements.
Additionally, matrix consolidation enables internally defined organizational units (such as profit centers) to be consolidated and presented in management reports, either individually or together with their legal units. The functionality of the matrix consolidation is unique and exists in this rendition only in SEM-BCS.

High level of data quality/audit functionality coupled with simultaneous streamlining of closing processes (fast close)
Thanks to individually defined validation rules and procedures, with optional local responsibility for coordination of inter-company transactions, data quality can be enhanced while simultaneously reducing the close time - especially due to the high degree of automation of the consolidation measures.

The consolidation processes are all controlled via a monitor designed according to the traffic-light principle and featuring wide-ranging status administration functions. In conjunction with the consistent implementation of the document principle, this leads to a high level of transparency and traceability in your consolidation process and all associated postings.

Future-oriented technology
Thanks to the multidimensional data storage in the SAP Business Information Warehouse (SAP BW), data is available for OLAP-compatible reporting (Online Analytical Processing). This not only lets you realize latest-generation reporting solutions, it also lets you compare data with other SEM components. Thus it is possible, for example, to consolidate data from SEM-BPS (Business Planning and Simulation) in SEM-BCS and to compare it with actual data.
SEM-BCS further provides an external interface to the taxonomies of XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Lan-guage), an emerging XML-based standard to define and exchange information on financial performance.

Extensive analyses
The CubeServ Group employs a team of outstanding specialists for realizing professional reporting solutions based on SAP Business Explorer, which in turn is based on SEM-BCS. The adjacent graphic gives you an overview of the SEM-BCS reporting options that exist in addition to the Excel frontend.

Comprehensive functionality
SEM-BCS is characterized by a high degree of automation, whereby even complex consolidation processes (such as those associated with consolidation of investment) can be displayed according to levels and posted and updated automatically. If the consolidation postings trigger any deferred tax effects, these can also be generated by the system. Finely adjustable authorization scenarios and multilingualism are given as well. Further functionality is regularly provided in Enhancement Packages, which expand on existing functionality.

High level of integration
As an alternative to the manual input of financial statements in local or group GAAP (HBI or HBII), you can extract data from local accounting systems. This is possible not only with SAP R/3 (and/or ECC systems), but also with applications from other providers. Plus, data can be migrated from SAP planning applications.

Open for individual demands
The data model can largely be defined by the customer, including various data categories (e.g., budget, plan, forecast). Also individually configurable are the reporting period and the chart of accounts, including attendant sub-posting assignments such as transactions types for breakdown/flow presentations.

Terminology and Objects in SAP BPC

Application Set

An application set is the starting point for creating any application in SAP BPC. It can be described as a functional area designed to include the applications associated with a segment of the business.

Dimensions

Dimensions represent the entities of a business (e.g., accounts, company codes, and categories); they represent the master, text, and hierarchy data for each of the business entities. Dimensions belong to the application set in which they are configured. It is very important to note that dimensions cannot be used or shared across application sets.

Secured Dimension

A dimension can be marked as secure for an application. When a dimension is marked as secure, specific read and write access has to be granted to users who use the application so they can access the data.

Properties

A dimension is designed to include properties, which provide additional meaning to the dimension. For example, an account dimension can include an account type property to indicate the type of account (whether it is an income account or an

expense account). You can use property values can be used as a selection criterion for reporting.

Dimension Members

The data points associated with a dimension are referred to as dimension members.

Each dimension member record represents master, text, and hierarchy data associated

with the key of a dimension. A dimension member can store hierarchical

relationships with another dimension member in the same dimension, which is very

useful for reporting hierarchical relationships between data. There is no restriction

on the number of hierarchies you can create.

Application

An application is a repository that consists of several dimensions and is used to

meet your planning, consolidation, and reporting needs. The application is configured

based on the specific needs of the business. It is where you interface to plan,

consolidate, and report data.

Data Manager Package

SAP BPC provides standard out of the box functionality to execute common tasks

required for planning and consolidation such as currency translation, intercompany

elimination, and so on. These tasks are executed via a data manager package.

User

A user is an individual who can use the applications in an application set.

Team

A team is a group of users and is created based on the users’ roles. For example, all

of the developers can be grouped together and identified as a team.

Tasks

A number of activities that you can perform in SAP BPC are known as tasks.

Examples of tasks are creating an application set, running a report, configuring

security, and so on. Users are granted access to specific tasks based on their role

in the organization.

Task Profile

Several tasks can be grouped together and included in a task profile. Task profiles

can be assigned to a user or to a group of users in a team.

Member Access Profile

The member access profile identifies data-level access to an application and is relevant

only for dimensions that were identified as secured dimensions in the application.

For each application that includes dimensions marked as secured dimensions, the

member access profile is configured to identify the read and write access available

to users for each of the secured dimensions.

Object Created in SAP Sap BPC Business object Planning and consolidation   Be Planning and Co Planning and Consolidation	SAP BI(Business Intelligence)
Application set	InfoArea An application set in SAP BPC is equivalent to an InfoArea in SAP NetWeaver BW. When a request for an application set is initiated in the SAP BPC frontend, an InfoArea is created in SAP NetWeaver BW with InfoObjects and InfoCubes under it. In SAP BPC, objects added under an application set are not shared across other application sets. In SAP NetWeaver BW, objects created under an InfoArea can be shared by objects in other InfoAreas.
Application	InfoCube An application in SAP BPC is created with respect to an application set and is used for storing transaction data. When a request for creating an application is initiated in SAP BPC, an InfoCube is created in SAP NetWeaver BW
Dimension	InfoObject A dimension in SAP BPC is equivalent to an InfoObject in SAP NetWeaver BW. It is created under an application set and is used for storing master data. Examples include account, product, and customer Dimensions.
Property	Attribute A property is equivalent to an attribute included in an InfoObject and is dependent on the dimension under which it is created. Example: A customer dimension may include a property called “customer group.”
Dimension member	Master data record The dimension member is equivalent to master, text, and hierarchy data in SAP NetWeaver BW.
Master data to store text and hierarchy data	In SAP NetWeaver BW, an InfoObject should be enabled to store text and hierarchy data for an InfoObject. In SAP BPC, a property with the technical name DESCRIPTION is automatically created as a property when creating a dimension to store text data. In SAP BPC, you can create a hierarchy when entering data for a dimension in the Excel worksheet by including the column PARENT(Hn), where n is the number of hierarchies for the dimension.
Unsigned data	Key figure Only one type of object is used for recording quantitative values for transaction data in SAP BPC: unsigned data. This object is equivalent to a key figure in SAP NetWeaver BW.

Relationship between Objects Created in SAP BPC and SAP NetWeaver BW

SAP BPC INTERVIEW SKILL

1How Plan Functions in the SAP BPC,is it any Std Function available at NW . if THERE WHAT those?
2How many types of Consolidations(Legal/Management)
3.Wht is the type of Dimensions is used statutory consolidation?
4.How you do Budgeting and wht the Road map?
5.sales,revenue Planning Process(PCM)?
6.How define the IFRS strategy in Financial Business?
What is the BPF ,When to be Use?
6.how is more effective the Work Status?
7.where execute the process of sales planning?
8.why do u need inter company elim ? what kind of parameter to used?
9 when inter company elimination how investment to be raise different Vendors(Companies,Pub,Prt,Inc)
10.what is Reconciliation Account Tran formation?
11. when to be use BADI And how it is Best to run the R/3?
12.What kind of GAAP Analysis will Work ,when Barrier moving across the Regions?
13.if error is : Config Sql ,what is the error when it is invoke?
14.What is Sarbanes-Oxley product help teh BPC?
15. what is CAPEx ?,
16.What kind of Optimization is More Effective the generating report from SAP BPC?
17.why do u need properties does have BPC,where will define ,why need?
18.how Direct versus Indirect Subsidiaries and the impact on the method of consolidation BPC?
19. Can you Explain the different types of Consolidated Reports
A) Trail Balance vs Balance Sheet $ Income Statement
B)Important Sections of a Balance Sheet
C)Important Sections of a Income Statement
20. Difference between Balance Sheet and Income Statement Eliminations?
21.When a dividend should be eliminated &How a dividend is booked?
22.What parts of a finance organization utilizes financial consolidations?
23.Relationships/Ownership/Groups/Consolidation Methodology ?
24.Why do u need Process chains and how do break when we need adhoc report in sales/revenue planning?
25.) Doing a full process, system goes through 16 steps. The first 15 run fine. Step 16 called Result shows done in 00:00:00 and fails. Only shows a red bullet with a white X and the word fail. There is no error message to tell me what is failing so I have no idea why the step is failing. Suggestions?

26) On the Print and Option sheet of dimension members, how are these populated? When I process the dimension, no changes are made to these sheets.

27). SAP BPC Issue MS version problem.
In BPC, In App Set( App Shel) i have 3 applications.
1) Finance 2)Rate which are in built samples in BPC.
3rd is "My Application" created by me.

Now my problem is: From BPC-Excel in Session Information:
i clicked on C.V :"Application not Set" link. and a window appeared asking to select application from drop down. But is not displaying only "Finance" and "rate" sample applications but not "My Application" which is created by me.

How to resolve the issue?

28) All my non-prod systems (ECC6, BI, SolMan) are running on a VMWare host without any problems. Windows 2003 Server, MS SQL2005 Enterprise have issue not connecting the DB? How to solve?

29) how can config the SAP BPC report Adobe Format ?

30)What is the configuration of th physical server on which VMs run In BPC ?
31)How many VMs with which configuration ?
32)Where is the Data stored. Is it in local disk or SAN ?
33)How many NIC cards are there and how they are configured for the VMs?
34)How are the database servers configured for this VMs IN sap bpc ms version ?
35))What is the Manufacturer Consolidation,How to maintain the Profit in the Organisation ?
36)What is difference Between the BPC 7.0 TO 7.5?