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Provide an overview of the app (e.g Domain, key processes, purpose of the app, etc) | ||||||||
Within Solvay, Corporate Business Services- Function cost application is a part of the Finance domain and uses data from various systems such as SAP systems, data from Cost Centers, Orders and WBS (SAP PS). The Corporate Business Services are activities which combine or consolidate certain enterprise-wide needed support services, provided based on specialised knowledge, best practices, and technology to serve internal (and sometimes external) customers and business partners. This Function is split in 4 parts:
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For this Application the access is provided based on the BW menu "CBS - Function Costs" and it's done via Service one. Fill the form In SAP system select the "WBP - BW Business Warehouse" In WBP - BW Business Warehouse : Select the Business Role select the "CBS - Function Costs" Describe the key User profiles that exist for the application. General role/Viewer role: Approver role: |
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Target Users:As examples: Controllers / Accountants Users of this application include Corporate Controlling Controllers, Function Controllers, Plant Controller, Accountants and GBU controller |
VERSION | DATE | MODIFIED BY | DESCRIPTION |
0.01 | dd15.mm09.yyyy2023 | Inês Vilares<Insert name> | Initial draft |
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2.0 Business Process
To understand the business process it's important to know the basic concept for the SAP CO module and how it's applicable in Solvay organization.
The SAP CO module in the SAP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system focus on financial controlling and management accounting functions within an organization. SAP CO is designed to provide tools and capabilities to effectively manage and control costs, perform internal and external accounting, and support decision-making processes related to financial aspects of the business. SAP CO is tightly integrated with other SAP modules, such as SAP FI (Financial Accounting) and SAP MM (Materials Management), providing a cohesive and comprehensive solution for managing financial data, controlling costs, and supporting financial decision-making throughout the organization.
CO Structure in Solvay:
PF1 Structure
| Code | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating concern | FO01 | Slv ERP Operating concer |
| Controlling area | CHEF | ERP SOLVAY |
WP1 Structure
| Code | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating concern | Z001 | Solvay Engin.Plasti.Polan |
| Z006 | Rhodia Europe | |
| Z013 | Rhodia Europe | |
| Z025 | Rhodia Latin America | |
| Z026 | Rhodia Asia Pacific | |
| Z028 | Solvay North America | |
| Controlling area | = Operating concern | |
Overview of the business process for CBS functions costs
For the CBS function costs we use the SAP information from the controlling part. For this it's important to understand the structure behind and how the business see the costs and be able to analyze the information to perform their activities during and end of month.
Model behind for PF1 and WP1:
Curently we have the WBS, cost centers and orders objects with values coming from the purchase orders and accounting entries. Each object is linked to a cost center which we call it "Responsible Cost Center" and this cost center is linked to a GBU.
We have the primary postings and during the closing process we have the settlements cycles (which will allocate the costs to a final cost center) and the final cost centers has the correspondent cost element for COPA line items to be present in the P&L report for PF1 and WP1 using the respective value field.
Reporting fixed costs challenges : reconciliation SAP/BFC:
In the controlling side we have primary posting in the CO objects for the fixed costs and during the closing we have the settlement cycles to transfer/allocate the costs to a final CO object and to be in the respective lines in P&L.Capture the business process that the application supports . This can be describe through a process diagram or a business capability model
3.0 Application Feature Overview
For this scope we are using queries instead of workbooks. See below all the queries available:
1 - Solvay Group Fixed CostsInformation about the existent Workbooks and the respective BW queries.
| Reports | Definition | Prompts | BW Workbook Query | Query Technical Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CBS - Functions - during month (Core query) | In the report we can analyze the costs posted on function cost centers and CO objects with function CC as responsible CC for a specific period.
Default filters: 1 Organization
| Mandatory:
Optional:
|
| N.A | BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0003 | ||
CBS - Functions - end of month (Core query) | In the report we can analyze the costs posted on function cost centers only for a certain period or periods after the settlements for the analysis on a end of month perspective.
Default filters: 1 Organization
| Mandatory:
Optional:
| N.A | BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CBS - Functions by Companies - during month (Core query) | In the report we can analyze the costs posted on function cost centers and CO objects with function CC as responsible CC for a specific period. Used more as a local reporting.
Default filters: 1 Organization
| Mandatory:
Optional:
| N.A | BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0004 |
CBS - Functions by Companies - end of month (Core query) | In the report we can analyze the costs posted on function cost centers only for a certain period or periods. Used more as a local reporting.
Default filters: 1 Organization
| Mandatory:
Optional:
| N.A | BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0002 |
CBS - Synthesis of the Functions (Core query) | In the report we can analyze the costs posted on function cost centers only for a certain period or periods.
Default filters: 1 Organization
| Mandatory:
Optional:
| N.A | BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0005 |
2 - Solvay Group detailed Fixed Costs
| Reports | Definition | Prompts | BW Workbook Query | Query Technical Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BW - Detail costs by Orders - Rhodia (Core query) | The report is for Rhodia companies scope and show the costs for the selected order and all the details as partner cost center, partner activity, partner WBS element, partner order, CO document number and CO document line item for different periods in Amount (EUR) and Amount in Company Currency. | Mandatory:
Optional:
| N.A | BW_QRY_MPR_FC002_0001 |
BW - Detail costs by Orders - Solvay (Core query) | The report is the same as "BW - Detail costs by Orders - Rhodia (Core query)" but the scope is for Solvay companies. | Mandatory:
Optional:
| N.A | BW_QRY_MPR_FC002_0002 |
BW - Detail costs by WBS Elements - Rhodia (Core query) | The report is for Rhodia companies scope and show the costs for the selected WBS Element and all the details as compay code, partner cost center, partner WBS element, partner order, CO document number and CO document line item for last closing period in Amount (EUR) and Amount in Company Currency. | Mandatory:
Optional:
| N.A | BW_QRY_MPR_FC002_0003 |
BW - Detail costs by WBS Elements - Solvay (Core query) | The report is the same as "BW - Detail costs by WBS Elements - Rhodia (Core query)" but the scope is for Solvay companies. | Mandatory:
Optional:
| N.A | BW_QRY_MPR_FC002_0004 |
4.0 Functional Specification
4.1 General Data/Calculations
| Cost Center | A cost center is a specific organizational unit within a company that is responsible for incurring costs. It represents a location, department, or function where expenses are generated. Cost centers are used for tracking and controlling costs, allocating expenses, and monitoring budget compliance. |
|---|---|
| Responsible Cost Center | A responsible cost center is a subcategory of a cost center that is responsible for specific cost incurrences within the main cost center. It allows for more detailed tracking and allocation of costs within a broader cost center. Responsible cost centers help organizations drill down into expenses for greater accuracy in cost analysis and control. Responsible Cost center is : |
| Cost element | It's a categorization used to track and classify expenses incurred by an organization. It represents a specific type of cost, such as wages, materials, rent, or utilities, and serves as a fundamental building block for cost accounting and reporting. Cost elements are essential for allocating and analyzing costs within the SAP CO module. It's the P&L account used to post the amounts in SAP CO document. |
| Plant | Refers to a specific physical location or facility within a company's organizational structure. |
| Cost Center Hierarchy | Refers to a structured arrangement or organization of cost centers within a company. It establishes a hierarchical relationship among cost centers, typically based on their functions, responsibilities, or reporting structures. This hierarchy helps in organizing and managing cost centers efficiently for accounting, budgeting, and reporting purposes, allowing for better control and analysis of costs across the organization. |
4.2 Process Detail
4.2.1. Report/Process Definition
| Domain | Finance |
|---|---|
| Application | BW reports under CBS - Function Costs folder (queries option) |
| Provider | MPR_FC001 and MPR_FC002. |
| Info | ||
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In this section we will approach: |
| Info | ||
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For the CBS function costs application we have the PF1 and WP1 systems and we are using the main CO objects cost centers, WBS and orders and with this information extracted we the data is splitted in two BW tools one side the GBU fixed costs and the other solution is CBS for the functions (For the GBU fixed costs scope the explanation it is in the "GBU Fixed Costs application"). For both applications we use the same data base and the same cubes but the multiproviders are different also because of the authorization part. |
SAP BW High Level View Anchor SAP BW High Level View SAP BW High Level View
| SAP BW High Level View | |
| SAP BW High Level View |
To see the data from the source systems see below how the information is organized in the BW perspective:
Hierarchy Anchor Hierarchy Hierarchy
| Hierarchy | |
| Hierarchy |
The below costs are included in the Corporate Business:
- Actual costs only: Statistical costs are not taken into account
- IFRS rules only: Costs posted using local gaap accounts are excluded (Brazilian entities)
- Costs posted on CBS (Corporate Business Services) cost centers (directly or through orders or WBS). It corresponds to the cost centers included in the following groups of the cost centers hierarchy ZCBS:
- ZCBS-CORPO = Corporate
- ZCBS-FUNCT = Function services
- ZCBS-PROJ =Projects
- ZCBS-ICO = Interco
- Costs are organized with the cost elements group ZRCS-FC
- Inter-company re-invoiced function service costs should be posted on cost centers of the group ZCBS-ICO
In SAP using the transaction KSH3 - Display cost center hierarchy
| Note |
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In the Cost Element Hierarchy from 01 Jan 2022 the Cost Element Group ZRCS-FC it was replaced by the Cost Element Group ZSOLV. In the reports we have information for the ZSOLV group but the reports are still working for the filters and key figures with the old group. Discussions are on going to see the best solution to have the reports adapted with the new group ZSOLV. |
Restrictions Anchor Restrictions Restrictions
| Restrictions | |
| Restrictions |
To determine CBS Fixed Costs perimeters, there is restrictions on:
- Cost center
- Cost element
- Miscellaneous filters
In CBS application the CBS hierarchy for PF1 and WP1 systems in BW was denormalized (levels of the hierarchy are translated as attributes of cost center and responsible cost center):
Cost centers hierarchy/restriction for this scope:
- All cost centers included in the groups ZCBS-CORPO Corporate Function & ZCBS-FUNCT FUNCTION SERVICES are assigned to the Activity 1 CBSS in WP1 (=IECRA00569) or 50 in PF1.
- Cost centers included in the group ZCBS-ICO INTERCOMPANIES are assigned to the Activity 1 CBSS in WP1 (=IECRA01148) or 50 in PF1.
- All cost centers included in the group ZCBS-PROJ SERVICES PROJECTS (OUT OF GUARANTEE) are assigned to the Activity 1 NBDD (=IECRA00554) in WP1 or 89 in PF1.
- All cost centers included in the group ZCBS-OTH CBS NON FUNCTION COSTS are assigned to the Activity 1 CBNR (=IECRA00450) in WP1 or 59 in PF1
The sub-group:
- ZCBS-OTH5 CBS NON FUNCTION COSTS - Scope F2G is used in the frame of the project F2G to manage the Co$ta - Anaplan & F2G Scope
- ZCBS-OTHPO CBS NON FUNCTION COSTS - Scope PO2 was created in the frame of the project Power of 2 to follow-up the costs of the project
Restriction on cost element:
In the cost element BW object the cost element hierarchy was denormalized (levels of the hierarchy are translated as attributes of cost element).
By default we must excluded some “Fixed cost group “ attributes values in the reports. The users can delete these default filters.
Cost element hierarchy ZRCS-FC : restrictions:
Miscellaneous filters:
Order Type : we exluded (investment) :
- ZPM4
- ZPM6
Project Type we exluded (investment) :
- II
- FD
Value type
- 10- Real
- 20-plan
Currency type
- 10 company code currency
Function cost tracking reports Anchor Function cost tracking reports Function cost tracking reports
| Function cost tracking reports | |
| Function cost tracking reports |
Design
5 queries available, corresponding to 2 approaches
- Point of entry : function(s) or company(ies)
- End of month (final settlement on function CC) or During the month (link to function CC before settlement)
| End of Month | During the Month | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| to be used for reporting after the closing when all costs posted in orders are settled on CBS cost centers | to be used during the month when orders are not yet settled | ||
| By Function | function controlling | BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_001 BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_005 | BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_003 |
| corporate controlling | |||
| By company | local controlling | BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_002  | BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_004 |
BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_001 CBS Functions - end of month => for reporting to corporate controlling
BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_002 CBS Functions by companies => for reconciliation FC vs BW
Possibility to analyze a “one-level-up” cost cascade
Data
- CO documents: actual costs in local currency + report in other currency with BFC exchange rate
- Entries on Cost Centers, Orders and WBS elements
- Postings to COPA & Local Gaap cost elements are excluded
“Synthesis” & “Function – end of month” reports Anchor “Synthesis” & “Function – end of month” reports “Synthesis” & “Function – end of month” reports
| “Synthesis” & “Function – end of month” reports | |
| “Synthesis” & “Function – end of month” reports |
Additional axis : Structure with 6 categories
Category | Definition | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
(1) | Gross | All costs excluding depreciation before any deduction (sales, capitalization, etc…) | all labour costs + travel + services + … |
(2) | Depreciation | Postings with depreciation cost elements | depreciation costs |
(3) | Sales | postings with sales cost elements (excluding capitalization) + postings with all other cost elements linked to Invoicing WBS element (partners with object class “Profitability Analysis”) | activity (man Hr) posted on invoicing WBS |
(4) | Costs going to be capitalized | postings linked to Investment WBS or Orders (partners with object class “Investment”) | activity (man Hr) posted on investment WBS |
(5) | Cost transferred | Credits from overheads CC WBS IO (partners with class object “Overheads” - excluding sales cost elements) | activity (man Hr) posted on overhead WBS |
Net Function | Balance of the cost center | (1) + (2) - (3) - (4) - (5) | |
| |||
Characteristics available in CBS reports Anchor Characteristics available in CBS reports Characteristics available in CBS reports
| Characteristics available in CBS reports | |
| Characteristics available in CBS reports |
Characteristics | Synthesis | Functions - End of month | Functions by Companies - End of Month | Reports - During Month | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 – Hierarchy | Level 0 of ZCBS hierarchy | X | X | X | X |
1 – Organization | Level 1 of ZCBS hierarchy | X | X | X | X |
2 – Function | Level 2 of ZCBS hierarchy | X | X | X | X |
3 – Sub-Funct Group | Level 3 of ZCBS hierarchy | X | X | X | X |
4 – Sub-Function | Level 4 of ZCBS hierarchy | X | X | X | X |
Controlling area | Controlling area of the function CC | X | X | X | X |
Company | Company of the function CC | X | X | X | X |
Country | Country of the company | X | X | X | X |
Geographical zone | Zone to which the country is attached | X | X | X | X |
Cost center | Function cost center | X | X | X | X |
Fixed Cost Group 1 | Level 2 of ZRCS-FC hierarchy | X | X | X | X |
Fixed Cost Group 2 | Level 3 of ZRCS-FC hierarchy | X | X | X | X |
Fixed Cost Group 3 | Level 4 of ZRCS-FC hierarchy | X | X | X | X |
Cost Element | Cost element used to post function costs | X | X | X | X |
Partner Cost Center | Cost center with which the function CC exchanges costs (credit or debit) | X | X | X | |
Partner Activity Type | Type of activity used to transfer costs to the function CC from a partner CC | X | X | X | |
Partner WBS element | WBS with which the function CC exchanges costs (credit or debit/Posting or settlement ) | X | X | X | |
Partner Order | order with which the function CC exchanges costs (credit or debit/Posting or settlement ) | X | X | X | |
Partner Vendor | Vendor in purchase flows | X | X | ||
Sender / Receiver | indicator that identifies the direction of the posting | X | X | X | |
Responsible Cost Center | Function CC responsible of an order or a WBS element | X | |||
WBS element | WBS element with a function CC as a responsible CC | X | |||
Order | Order with a function CC as a responsible CC | X | |||
Cost Structure | slide ““Synthesis” & “Function – end of month” reports | X | X |
Cytect case for Non-ERP Anchor Cytect case for Non-ERP Cytect case for Non-ERP
| Cytect case for Non-ERP | |
| Cytect case for Non-ERP |
Cytec transaction in CBS was developped for cytec and after used to load non erp data (no new data was loaded from 2020).
CBS - Function costs - Troubleshooting
| Warning |
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On , some users of the application CBS - Function costs were not able to refresh their personnal workbook created with the query BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0001 CBS - Functions - end of month (Core query) You can find below how this issue can be solved. |
Step 1 - Add the authorization scope in the prompt Anchor Step 1 - Add the authorization scope in the prompt Step 1 - Add the authorization scope in the prompt
| Step 1 - Add the authorization scope in the prompt | |
| Step 1 - Add the authorization scope in the prompt |
| Note |
|---|
Reminder => After you must fill the authorization scope with SOLVAY, # or any others (ACETOW, BUTACHIMIE etc.) |
Problem
When the workbook is refreshed, there is no more data
Solution
Open the prompt 
- You can delete the long list of Company codes by clicking
- The field "Auth Scope on Company Code" can not remain blank
- Once the list of company codes is deleted, you have to enter the list of company codes, you want to display or enter
# to display all company codes you have access - Enter the Auth Scope = SOLVAY and click
to enter #
Obviously when you work for a Non-Solvay company or a company with restricted accesses (ex: Butachimie), you must fill the scope accordingly (ex: ACETOW, INDUPA etc.)
Step 2 - Specific update for personnal workbooks using the query BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0001 CBS - Functions - end of month (Core query) Anchor Step 2 - Specific update for personnal workbooks using the query BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0001 CBS - Functions - end of month (Core query) Step 2 - Specific update for personnal workbooks using the query BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0001 CBS - Functions - end of month (Core query)
| Step 2 - Specific update for personnal workbooks using the query BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0001 CBS - Functions - end of month (Core query) | |
| Step 2 - Specific update for personnal workbooks using the query BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0001 CBS - Functions - end of month (Core query) |
Once the issue coming from the authorization scope is solved, you can face a second issue described below:
Problem
When the workbook is refreshed, there is only the column headings.
Solution
- Go to the tab "Analysis"
- Click "Display" to open the design panel
- Drag and drop the structure from Data source pane to the "Raws" or "Columns" pane depending on how it used to be.
| Tip |
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Everything should be back to normal. If you have followed the procedure and there is still no data in your workbook, you may contact the Contact SBS Support.. |
Frequently Asked Questions Anchor Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions
| Frequently Asked Questions | |
| Frequently Asked Questions |
How do I know my workbook is based on the query BW_QRY_MPR_FC001_0001 ?
Go to the design panel and open the tab "information". In the pane "Information", you will see the name of the query used.
Is it a one time event or can these issues happen again ?
These issues should not happen again:
- Once the authorization scope is filled, there is no need to update it anymore
- The disappearance of the "structure" is also a one time event and only happened in the query BW_QRY_MRP_FC001_0001. It is an error that was not detected when a developpment was transported from the developpment environnement to the production environnement impacting the query BW_QRY_MRP_FC001_0001 only.
What can I do if after having followed the procedure, my workbook is not fixed ?
If you have followed the procedure and there is still no data in your workbook, you may contact the Contact SBS Support..
5.0 Non-functional Descriptions
5.1 Usability
5.2 Regulatory Compliance
5.3 Security
5.4 Performance
5.5 Reliability
5.6 Scalability
5.7 Compatibility
5.8 Availability
5.9 Refresh of the Data
The loading it's the same logic as for GBU fixed costs since the use the same data base:
Closing Time:
Outside of Closing: it's one time on a daily basis.
4.1 General Data/Calculations
This section will approach the concepts/definitions that will be used in all the reports and required to understand the data from the reports.
Could be specific fields, closing activities, additional information to work and understand the reports.
4.2 Process Detail
4.2.1. Report/Process Definition
<insert link>
This section represents the process with detail information for the application. Can include specific or special cases, complex logics , calculations, flows, among others.
5.0 Non-functional Descriptions
Please populate the relevant section and delete those that are not applicable.5.1 Usability
Usability is about the ease with which a User can learn to start using the solution and the ease with which they can use the system. In addition to ease of learning and ease of use, usability also includes areas such as ease of recall, error avoidance and handling, accessibility among others e.g., 99% of metadata entry Users who have use the Maintenance Dashboard should be able to change filters, extract etc., when required. Maintenance data will be centrally stored in the Google Cloud platform, which will be available to other applications e.g., and Dashboards if needed.
5.2 Regulatory Compliance
Software systems must comply with legal and regulatory e.g., GDPR requirements, this can change depending on country, organisation industry and / or region. The software systems must be secure from unauthorized access. The Maintenance Dashboard will comply with Solvay’s regulations and compliance e.g., access only granted to authorized Users.
5.3 Security
Security refers to essential aspects that assure a solution and its components will be protected against unauthorized access or malware attacks. Important considerations related to security aspects of a system are User authentication, User authorization or User access privileges, data theft, malware attacks, data encryption, and maintaining audit trails, e.g., only Users with administrator access shall be able to create new accounts and assign data access privileges to the new accounts e.g.,
- All data will be encrypted in the dashboard
- Only authorised Users / Administrative Users will be able to access data.
- Maintenance data will be split between either SCO or ECO, and Users will only have authority to one Entity data.
5.4 Performance
Performance defines how fast a software system or a particular section of it responds to certain User actions under a certain workload. In most cases, this metric explains how long a User must wait before the target operation happens e.g., the page renders, a transaction is processed, etc., given the overall number of Users now. Performance requirements may describe background processes invisible to Users, e.g., backup and speed of data transfers.
5.5 Reliability
Reliability is the ability of a solution or its component to perform its required functions without failure under predefined conditions for a specified time / period. Reliability can possibly be specified in terms of average time system runs before failure occurs, percentage of operations completed successfully within a time / period, maximum acceptable failure probability, or number of failures within a period. Reliability aspects are in reference to (but not limited to) evaluation of the system to be considered as reliable, classification of reliability defining failures vs. regular failures, and the impact of failure on business operations. The Maintenance Dashboard will display data from the previous refresh of data.
5.6 Scalability
Scalability refers to the degree to which a solution can evolve to handle increased amounts of work. The increased amount of work could be in terms of the user base, transactions, data, network traffic, or other factors e.g., the system should be able to handle an additional load of a maximum of 5,000 Users every month for the next 6 months without any noticeable performance impacts.
5.7 Compatibility
Interoperability is the degree to which the solution is compatible with other components. It is a measure of how effectively the system interoperates with other software systems and how easily it integrates with external hardware devices.
Interoperability aspects to be discussed during elicitation are in reference to (but not limited to) software systems to be interfaced with along with data / messages to be exchanged and any standard data formats, hardware components to be integrated with, and any standard communication protocols to be followed e.g., Order Management system will push the order file into a secured file transfer protocol server from where it will be loaded into the system through a daily job. To guarantee between Google Cloud platform and SAP BW Queries e.g., BW_QRY_MVPMOR01_0002, Solvay has introduced a new tool called Xtract (Xtract).
5.8 Availability
Availability is the degree to which the solution is operable and accessible when required. It is a measure of time during which the system is fully operational e.g., available for use and sometimes included as a Service Level Agreement (SLA) considering its criticality to the business, e.g., the system shall be at least 99% available on weekdays between 09:00 to 18:30 Central European Time (CET).
5.9 Refresh of the Data
Frequency, data, and time of the data refresh in the data product.