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Thursday, February 19, 2009

Overview of SAP Controlling Module

The Controlling (CO) component of SAP R/3 system contains all accounting functions necessary for effective controlling for businesses. Every organization normally have an external and internal accounting viewpoints. The external viewpoints is represented by Financial Accounting (FI) component and Controlling (CO) represents the internal accounting viewpoint. CO component of SAP system offers a broad selection of functional tools that can be used to provide management accounting information that are useful for management decision making. Do remember that Financial Accounting and Controlling are independent components of the SAP system. The data flow from the CO component to FI component takes on a regular basis.

Components of Controlling (CO)

A. Overhead Cost Controlling (CO-OM)

Cost and Revenue Element Accounting (CO-OM-CEL)

This provides the structure for assignment of CO data through the classification of transaction items in accordance with the nature of the cost or revenue posted to a CO object such as cost center, internal order, and etc.

This component is resposible for the structure of accounts where costs and revenues of an organization are automatically updated the CO objects.

Cost Center Accounting (CO-OM-CCA)

Cost Center Accounting provides information where costs occur in an organization. It tracks the sources of costs from the different organization of the company.

The design of cost center for each organization varies. However, the typical approach is to define a cost center for each low-level group or organizational unit that is responsible for managing costs.

Internal Orders (CO-OM-OPA)

Internal Orders in SAP system is normally a tool for planning, collecting, and settling the costs of internal jobs and tasks. This is a highly flexible CO tool that can be used for a wide variety of purposes to track costs and sometimes revenues within a specific controlling area.

Activity-Based Costing (CO-OM-ABC)

Activity-Based Costing application component of SAP system is helpful in allocating overhead costs to products and to other cost objects using the resource drivers. ABC allocation is more relevant and reliable compared with the traditional overhead allocation. In ABC approach, the resources consumed by the different business processes are assigned to the respective origin of costs.

B. Product Cost Controlling (CO-PC)

Product Cost Planning (CO-PC-PCP)

This area of Product Cost Controlling can use by companies to plan costs of materials without reference to any orders. It can be used also to set material prices and other cost object prices. Further more this can be used to plan and analyze the product costs e.g. material cost, service cost, and other add-on intagible costs.

PCP can be used to calculate the Cost of Goods Manufactured (COGM) and Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). COGM composes all the costs incurred to produce a product which includes material costs, direct labor and overhead costs. COGS is the sum of COGM and any direct costs incurred in selling the product to a customer.

It is very important to monitor efficiently and effectively the costs incurred to your producs. With SAP Product Cost Planning, the above goal can be achieved.

Cost Object Controlling

This area of Product Cost Controlling can be used to determine efficiently and effectively what are the costs incurred for each object.

This area is subdivided into; Product Cost by Order, Product Cost by Period, Product Cost by Sales Order, Cost for Intangible Goods and Services.

One of the basic common decision management normally dealt with is "Should we buy the materials or should we produce?". Normally, if everything is equal management will choose the decision that entails lesser costs.

Actual Costing/Material Ledger (CO-PC-ACT)

This component application accomplishes these basic objectives; Carry material prices in multiple currencies/valuations, and actual costing.

Normally, the values of material inventory (raw materials, semi-finished goods, finished goods) are reflected in the system in one currency which is the company code currency. With the material ledger there can be additional two currencies to manage the values of the materials in the system.

Product Cost Controlling Information System (CO-PC-IS)
This application component renders useful and extensive range of reports for Product Cost Planning, Cost Object Controlling, and Actual Costing/Material Ledger.

C. Profitablity Management

Profit Center Accounting (EC-PCA)

A profit center is a management-oriented organizational unit used for internal controlling.
For instance, you may treat each of your product group as profit center in the system. This enables you to monitor the revenues and costs attributable to each product group. You can do an evaluation on each profit center; profit and loss and balance sheet.

Profitability Analysis (CO-PA)

The profits and contribution margins for market segment of a company can be analyed using Profitability Analysis application component of SAP.

The objective of COPA is to support sales, product management, and corporate wide planning and decision making, using an external view from a market oriented perspective.

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Overview of SAP Financial Accounting Module

The Financial Accounting application component of SAP satisfies the requirement of the accounting department of your organization. Each Company is required to provide and submit financial statements to the government who has jurisdiction over the company's operation. The financial statements is a result of all financial transactions recorded by the company. The Financial Accounting component of SAP greatly helps the accounting department of your company to generate reliable, relevant and accurate financial information.

Components of SAP Financial Accounting Module

General Ledger

  • This serves as complete records of all business transactions;
  • This gives users free choice of level of financial reporting;
  • Reconciliation G/L account with subsidiary accounts are simultaneously and updated;
  • General ledger and cost accounting areas are simultaneously updated; and
  • There is a real-time evaluation of and reporting on current accounting data.
Accounts Receivable

  • This submodule records and manages all accounting data and transactions for customers;
  • Postings to customers (subsidiary account) are simultaneously posted to Accounts Receivable g/l accounts. No month-end reconciliation is needed;
  • There is an online open item (outstanding balance) processing;
    Individual customer accounts can be monitored online;
  • Dunning procedures is available;
  • Seamless integration with the Treasury; and
  • It supports credit management for customers and liquidity planning for cash management.
Accounts Payable

  • This records and manages accounting data for all vendors;
  • Postings to vendors (subsidiary account) are simultaneously posted to Accounts Payable g/l accounts. No month-end reconciliation is needed;
  • There is a seamless integration of Accounting with Purchasing (MM) through Invoice Verification (could be the 2 way or the 3 way match);
  • There is a management of One-time accounts (one-time vendors);
    There is an online processing of payment proposals;
  • It supports liquidity planning for Cash Management; and
  • There is a downpayment processing (via FI direct postings or with reference to PO).

Bank Accounting

  • This submodule manages accounting transactions processed with banks;
  • Posting to bank subsidiary accounts are posted directly and simultaneously;
  • Supports posting of cash flows such as incoming and outgoing payments;
  • There is the functionality of Bill of exchange (Post-dated checks); and
  • There is a cash journal (Petty cash fund).

Asset Accounting

  • This module records and handles fixed assets (Property, plant and equipment);
  • Postings to fixed asset subsidiary are simultaneously posted to Asset g/l accounts;
    There is an integration with the Purchasing (MM);
  • There is an online calculation and posting of depreciation. Depreciation postings are transferred automatically to Controlling component; and
  • Leased assets and asset under construction (AUC) are handled.

Travel Management

  • This handles the request, the planning and the booking of trips, also the settlement of travel expenses and the transfer of settlement results ot other business functions ares; and
  • IT has 3 sub-components: Travel request, Travel planning, and Travel expenses.

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