Reporting and Analysis Functions

• Deals with reports and analyses run at document

level and those run in the SAP Logistics
Information System (LIS)
• In connection with list displays, the SAP List
Viewer and ALV Grid Control are introduced
together with their basic functions
• Provides information on the LIS
• The LIS is an information system in which data can be
continuously updated on an aggregated basis and
evaluated and analyzed with various reporting tools
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
• Use standard reports and analyses in purchasing
• Search for material documents using the material
document list
• Display a list of manually created invoices
• Name the most important functions of the SAP List
Viewer and SAP Grid Control
• Describe the basic features of the Logistics
Information System
• Perform standard analyses in the Logistics
Information System
• Standard Reports at Document Level
• Logistics Information System (LIS)
• Provide some insight into reports using SAP ERP
Central Component
• Introduces the SAP List Viewer and ALV Grid
Control, and reviews individual reports and
analyses from the areas of purchasing, inventory
management, and invoice verification
After completing this lesson, you’ll be able to:
• Use standard reports and analyses in
purchasing
• Search for material documents using the
material document list
• Display a list of your manually created invoices
• Name the most important functions of the SAP
List Viewer and SAP Grid Control
• Enterprise systems produce and consume massive
amounts of data in the day-to-day execution of business
processes
• In fact, it is not uncommon for companies to have several
terabytes (trillions of bytes) of “live” data passing through their
ERP systems on a weekly basis
• More importantly, after data are no longer needed for process
execution, they then become historical data and must be
archived securely and made available for many types of data
analysis
• This process generates many more terabytes of historical data
that are stored in complex data repositories called data
warehouses
• With such a massive volume of data to deal with, how can a
company extract the meaningful information it needs to make
better decisions and operate more efficiently?
• At the most basic level, every enterprise system contains
transaction and historical data in its main database
• Transaction data relate to processes that are currently in use or
have been completed recently, within days or weeks
• Conversely, historical data are typically comprised of
transaction data for processes that have been
completed within months or years
• Reporting is a general term used to describe the ways that
users can view and analyze both transaction and historical
data to help them make decisions and complete their tasks
• Reporting capabilities range from simple lists of
information for basic users to analytical tools that can
perform powerful statistical analysis and advanced
calculations to produce extremely detailed information for
specialist users
• The data used in the different types of reporting are the
same, but the ways in which they are extracted, filtered,
and presented differ greatly and involve varying levels of
complexity and expertise, depending on how employees
plan to use them
• SAP ERP provides two reporting options—simple lists of data and
documents and analytics
• The transactional environment of SAP ERP is an online transaction
processing (OLTP) system, which, as the name suggests, is designed
to capture and store detailed transaction data
• The primary function of OLTP is to execute process steps quickly and
efficiently; it is optimized for this purpose
• OLTP is not used to generate sophisticated reports because it lacks the
computing power to parse through and analyze the vast stores of data that
most companies accumulate
• Consequently, businesses employ OLTP to generate only simple lists and
reports
• For detailed data analysis, SAP ERP includes an online analytic
processing (OLAP) environment in the form of information systems
• Instead of using detailed transaction data, these systems use information
structures to provide analytic capabilities
• In sum, then, the OLTP environment provides reporting in the form
of lists, and the OLAP environment provides reporting in the form of
analytics via information systems
• Going further, lists fall into two categories—work lists and online lists
• In a production environment, user generates a wide
variety of documents including purchasing documents,
material documents, invoice documents, and
accounting documents
• The documents are posted in the system and stored in database
tables
• Standard reports enable user to evaluate this document
information
• As well as analyzing documents, user can also run
analyses of master data
• For example, user can output a list of all purchasing info
records for a material or vendor, or obtain an overview of the
material master records for a certain material type
• Standard reporting tools in the transactional system are
used to generate both online lists based on selected
master data and documents and work lists to identify
pending work associated with various process steps
• Online lists display lists of master data—such as
materials, vendors, and purchasing info records—and
documents—such as transaction documents, FI, CO, and
material documents—that are generated during the
execution of a process
• The content and appearance of these lists are defined using
selection parameters and scope-of-list parameters
• Selection parameters determine which documents will be
included in the list, while the scope-of-list parameters define
which data will be included for the selected documents
• In addition, numerous other parameters such as dates, master
data (e.g., vendors), and organizational data (e.g., plant) can
be used to narrow the data in the report
• The reports are displayed in one of two available
formats—a standard list format using the SAP list
viewer or a grid format using the ABAP list viewer (ALV)
grid control
• Work lists identify tasks that are scheduled to
be completed in a process
• An example of a work list in purchasing is a list of
purchase requisitions that are open
• The task to be completed is to assign a source of
supply, that is, a vendor who will supply the needed
materials
• The SAP List Viewer and ALV Grid Control standardize and simplify the
handling of lists in SAP systems
• There is a uniform user interface and list format for lists
• In this way, redundant functions can be avoided
• ALV Grid Control is used not only in list displays (such as the list of material
documents), but also in other transactions (for example, purchase requisition)
• Note that not all lists use the full range of SAP List Viewer functions
• Some lists, on the other hand, offer special functions over and above the scope of the
SAP List Viewer
• User can change the appearance and content of the lists using the layout (display
variant)
• The key elements of the SAP List Viewer and ALV Grid Control can be
summarized as follows:
• Uniform design of all lists and tables
• Cross-application, standardized function with uniform icons
• Simple creation and changing of layouts (display variants)
• For more information about the SAP List Viewer and the ALV Grid Control, see
the SAP Library under Getting Started → Working with the SAP GUI → Lists
• The functions provided by the SAP List Viewer and ALV Grid Control
include the following:
• Choose detail: This gives user further information on a selected line, including
information that is not shown in the list
• Set filter: With the filter function, user can only display those lines that satisfy
certain criteria in one or more columns
• To set a filter, selects one or more columns by clicking on the column header, and selects Set
filter
• In the dialog box, enters the desired restrictions for the chosen columns
• Sort: Lists can be sorted in ascending or descending order
• Selects the column with the desired sort criterion and choose one of the sort functions
• Add values: Within a list, user can create totals from the data in one or more selected
columns
• User can total both value and quantity columns
• Create subtotals: If user has created a total for at least one column within a list, user
can create additional subtotals
• Subtotals can be generated for one or more selected columns without value or quantity
columns
• Layout: User can change the appearance of his list with layouts or display variants
• The individual list determines whether user can work with a layout or
display variant in the list
• User can use layouts or changes variants to change
the appearance of many lists
• User can then display additional fields from the column
set or hide unwanted fields from the column selection
• User can also arrange the fields in the order of his choice
and generate totals
• In addition, user can adjust the size of the columns
• User has the option of saving these changes as his
own layout
• User can usually create his own variants on a multi-user
or user-specific basis
• SAP supplies standard layouts for some lists
• The figure “Layout (Display Variant)” shows the
Change Layout dialog box for the detailed version of
the list of material documents
• If user has to run reports or analyses with the same
selection values at regular intervals, it is advisable to
use variants
• This saves input time and enables user to avoid input errors
• User can define his own variants and also makes use of existing
ones
• To create a variant for a report, first enters the desired
selection values on the initial screen for the report
• Then chooses Goto → Variants → Save as Variant... or button Save
• On the following screen, user enters a Variant Name and a
Description for the variant and reselects button Save
• If, during the execution of a variant user wants to access a
variant, chooses Goto → Variants → Get... or button Get
Variants...
• As the employee responsible in purchasing, user wishes to
obtain an overview of his vendors and purchasing
organizations from time to time
• User wants to know the following, for example:
• Which purchase orders were created for a particular vendor over a certain
period?
• For how many purchase orders have goods already been received? For which
purchase orders are the relevant goods receipts still open?
• Do the goods and invoices received agree with the purchase order data?
• What is the average PO value achieved by a certain purchasing group?
• User runs reports and analyses by choosing the submenu for
the purchasing document in respect of which user wishes to
evaluate data from the Purchasing menu
• In this way, user chooses, for example, the valuations of purchase
orders, in the menu Purchasing Purchase Order → List Displays and
user receives valuations for selection (for example, for vendors, material,
or material group)
• The selection options are adjusted to suit the relevant purchasing
document, which means that the lists can vary from document to
document
• When user runs a report or analysis, first considers which
information user really needs
• Uses the selection criteria to narrow down user’s report to make the result
as clear and informative as possible
• In Purchasing, user can influence the appearance of his list by using
the scope-of-list and selection parameters
• The selection parameter determines which purchasing documents
are analyzed by the report
• User can generate reports that selects only open purchase orders, POs for
which no invoice has yet been received, or expired scheduling agreements,
for example
• The scope-of-list parameter determines which data is displayed
for a selected document (which lines appear in user’s report)
• User can decide whether he wants a list in short form or whether the list
should contain more information (lines for the open PO quantity and
value, or the validity period of outline agreements, for example)
• Furthermore, user can have the PO history displayed in additional lines
in the list
• As of SAP R/3 Enterprise, user can use the scope-of-list parameter to
determine whether or not the list is outputted with ALV Grid Control
• User can create his own selection parameters and
scope of list parameters in the Customizing of
Purchasing under Reporting → Maintain Purchasing
Lists → Selection Parameters → De ine Selection
Parameters or Reporting → Maintain Purchasing Lists
→ Scope of List → De ine Scope of List
• For the scope-of-list parameter, user also specifies in
Customizing whether ALV Grid Control is to be used to
output the list
• Depending on the selection parameter, user can decide
whether documents on hold are also to be selected
• In addition to the list displays for documents and
master data, the purchasing menu also contains
general analyses, the purchase order value analysis,
and goods receipt forecast
Reporting and Analysis Functions
in Inventory Management
• The reports and analyses in inventory
management can be divided roughly into three
groups.
• Analyses of stock situation
• Analyses of goods movements
• Analyses that serve to identify inconsistencies in
stock data
• If user wants more information about the stock situation, or about
goods movements that have occurred, in the menu, chooses
Inventory Management Environment → List Displays
• There user will find analyses of material and accounting documents relating
to goods movements
• In contrast, choose Environment → Stock to access the valuations of the
stocks
• Here is a list of some of the reports and analyses from both areas:
• Document lists:
• Material documents
• Accounting documents for material
• Cancelled material documents
• Reason for movement
• Stock lists:
• Stock overview
• Stock/requirements list
• Plant stock availability
• Warehouse stock
• Stock for posting date
• User will find the analyses for determining inconsistencies in the
Inventory Management menu under Periodic Processing
• In Logistics Invoice Verification, there is a general analysis of
invoice documents, the Invoice Overview
• User uses this function to generate a list of invoices
• User might need to do this to check which documents have been entered manually
by a certain user or for a certain invoicing party over a specific period, for example
• Aside from manually posted invoices, user can also select invoices
generated by a BAPI or by the process of evaluated receipt
settlement (ERS)
• The report also serves to select parked, held, or cancelled documents
• From the list, user can branch to the documents and, if possible, process
them further
• The information provided by the list of invoice documents includes
the following:
• Person who entered the invoice
• Document date
• Posting date
• Number of invoice document
• Number of associated accounting document
• Status of invoice (for example, posted, parked, on hold)
• Since SAP ERP Central Component there is
another report which user can use to display a
list of invoice documents, Display Invoice
Document List
• In addition to the Invoice Overview, user has
extended selection criteria and display options here
• User cannot perform changes to invoice documents
in the list however
• A third analysis in invoice verification facilitates
the selection and release of invoices that have
been blocked for payment
• Takes a look at the concept of the SAP Logistics
Information System (LIS)
• It introduces the basic structure of the LIS, explains
the information structures involved in the data
updating process, and gives user an overview of the
analysis tools
After completing this lesson, you’ll be able to:
• Describe the basic features of the Logistics
Information System
• Perform standard analyses in the Logistics
Information System
• Numerous information systems are available within SAP ERP to
support most of the processes
• Information systems (IS) can be divided into three broad categories:
logistics information systems (LIS), financial information systems (FIS),
and human resources information systems (HRIS)
• Logistics information systems support all of the logistics processes, concerned
with acquiring, storing, creating, and distributing materials
• The components of LIS include purchasing IS, sales IS, inventory control IS
(IWM processes), quality management IS, plant maintenance IS, and shop floor
IS (production processes)
• The financial information system supports reporting related to the general
ledger (e.g., balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash flows),
accounts receivable, and accounts payable
• The HRIS is used to retrieve information about different HR components
such as personnel, positions, and jobs
• Information systems are part of the OLAP component of SAP ERP,
and they utilize information structures to provide analytic capabilities
• There are two types of information structures—standard and user-defined
• Standard information structures are predefined in the SAP ERP system, and
they collect the data needed to generate the most commonly used reports
• SAP ERP also enables users to define their own structures, known as user-
defined information structures, to meet specific reporting requirements
• Finally, information structures enable users to conduct two types of
analysis— standard and flexible
• Standard analysis provides predefined analytics for data in standard information
structures
• This type of analysis is sufficient for most analytic requirements
• When standard analysis is insufficient, users can conduct flexible analysis to
customize the reporting
• In contrast to standard analysis, flexible analysis allows users to define the content
and format of the analysis
• Specifically, it enables users to combine available characteristics and key figures
as needed and to create new key figures using user-specified formulas
• It also provides users with several layout options
• To summarize, the OLTP component of SAP ERP offers reporting in the
form of work lists and online lists that are based on detailed transaction
data
• In contrast, the OLAP component offers reporting via information systems,
based on aggregated data in information structures
• These capabilities are limited to data within the SAP ERP system
• Today, however, companies need even more powerful reporting capabilities
that combine data from multiple sources
• This is the domain of business intelligence
• SAP Logistics offers a range of application-related (modular) information
systems
• All have a standard interface and similar basic functionality
• At the same time, the modular structure also caters for special aspects in each
information system
• The type of data retention is identical in all information systems within
logistics
• A number of special tools and working methods underscore the typical character
of a data warehouse in the LIS
• In Logistics, user can distinguish between the following information
systems:
• Sales Information System (SIS)
• Purchasing Information System (PURCHIS)
• Inventory Controlling (INVCO)
• Warehouse Management Information System (WMIS)
• Shop Floor Information System (SFIS)
• Quality Management Information System (QMIS)
• Plant Maintenance Information System (PMIS)
• Retail Information System (RIS)
• The information systems of the LIS are continuously supplied with
data from the operative applications (Sales and Distribution,
Purchasing, Production, Plant Maintenance, and so on)
• This level is also known as Online Transaction Processing (OLTP)
• The data is derived from documents from SAP R/2, SAP R/3, or
external/non-SAP systems
• Above the OLTP level is the Logistics Data Warehouse
• For each business transaction within the operative application, important
information is stored in aggregated form in separate databases of the
Logistics Data Warehouse parallel to the OLTP level
• In the process, first a quantitative reduction in the data volume takes place
as a result of the period-wise updating, and second the information is
qualitatively reduced to the statistically relevant portions
• The databases of the Logistics Data Warehouse are known as
information structures
• They constitute the data basis of the LIS
• The evaluation of the data is carried out at Online Analytical
Processing (OLAP) level
• A variety of reporting and analysis tools are available at this level
• The individual physical tables of the Logistics Data Warehouse are termed
information structures
• Information structures capture and store specified transaction data in an
aggregated and summarized form that enables users to analyze the data as needed
• Information structures (or info structures for short) in the OLAP environment have
a typical form containing three types of information:
• Characteristics
• Periodicity (time base)
• Key figures
• Under characteristics, user understands information that is suitable for
aggregation
• Characteristics are the objects for which data are collected
• Thus, the analysis objects of the real business world are included in info structures
as classification keys in the form of characteristics
• Statistical information on characteristics, such as vendor, customer, or material is
updated in aggregated form
• These objects are typically organizational data such as plant and sales organization
and master data such as materials, vendors, and customers
• Organizational elements such as purchasing group, material group, valuation
area, plant, or storage location are also used as characteristics in info structures
• An information structure can include up to nine characteristics
• Key figures are updated for each characteristic combination and periodicity
• Key figures are quantitative magnitudes providing information on measurable facts
• Key figures can be derived for each classification key by cumulation (examples:
purchase or production order quantity)
• However, key figures can also be simple counters, such as the “number of deliveries” or
“number of purchase orders”
• Key figures are performance measures, such as quantities and counts that are
associated with the characteristics
• Examples are number of orders, quantities ordered, order value, and invoice amounts
• Thus, instead of recording the details of orders and invoices, key figures maintain only
statistical summaries, such as the total number of orders placed by a customer
• This is one level of aggregation of transaction data, and it is qualitative in nature
because the selection of key figures is subjective
• Finally, data are collected or aggregated for specified time periods, such as daily,
weekly, and monthly, which are specified in the period definition
• In contrast to key figures, period definition represents a quantitative aggregation of
data
• Thus, information structures can be defined as aggregated and summarized forms of
transaction data that are periodically updated
• The time base affords another option for aggregation
• The data is cumulated not only per characteristic, but also per period
• Possible periods are day, week, month, and posting period
• The standard SAP R/3 system contains various
info structures for different application areas
• With the aid of easy-to-use tools, user can group
characteristics and key figures into individual info
structures to meet his own specific requirements
• Separate update programs can be used to supply
these info structures with data
• When a document is posted, the key figures of the info
structures are updated for the relevant characteristic
combinations
• The following explanations are based on the example shown in
the graphic “Info Structures: Data Updating”
• The focus here is on the order placed with vendor 1000 for two
materials M-01 and M-02 in May 2006.
• If no data record yet exists in the information structure for the
characteristic combination in the document, a new data record
is generated and the characteristics and key figures are
entered
• In the example, this is the case for the purchase order item for
material M-01
• The system creates a new data record in the information structure with
the following information:
• Characteristic combination: vendor 1000, material M-01
• Period: month 05.06
• Key figure: order value 11000
• If the characteristic combination already exists
in the info structure, the system increases or
reduces the key figures in the data line by the
relevant values
• In the example, this applies to the PO item for
material M-02
• The system thus updates the relevant data record
with the following information:
• Characteristic combination: vendor 1000, material M-02
• Period: month 05.06
• Key figure: 20000 (old order value) + 10000 (document
order value) = 30000 (new order value)
• In the various analyses, lists can be created for all
possible characteristic combinations on the basis
of data in the info structure
• The reporting tools available to user at the OLTP level of the
LIS include the following:
• Standard analyses
• Flexible analyses
• Early warning system
• The standard analyses in the LIS provide comprehensive
data evaluation options based on the data in the standard
information structures
• Standard analyses provide a multitude of functions to facilitate a
detailed and targeted evaluation of the data
• In each standard analysis, user can use various selection options to
define the scope of the data to be evaluated
• The selection of key figures to be evaluated can be either preset or
made interactively during the analysis
• User can use the early warning system (EWS) to search for
unusual patterns
• This enables user to react in time to previously defined exception
situations and corrects them
• With the aid of flexible analyses, user can compile and
aggregate key figures on an individual basis
• In this connection, the possibility of structuring the layout of
user’s report to meet his own specific requirements is
particularly useful
• For reports, user can also define key figures whose content is
derived from existing key figures through the application of
calculation formulas
• User can multiply key figures or calculates the quotient of two
key figures, for example
• The data in the list can be shown in the form of a graphic
• The Logistics Data Warehouse is open and therefore
allows user to run analyses using external programs, such
as MS-EXCEL
• In standard analysis, the characteristics are
organizational levels and master data relevant to the
procurement process
• Key figures include quantities, such as the amount of a material
ordered or delivered; value, such as the value of material ordered
or delivered; and counts, such as the number of purchase orders
• Companies combine the characteristics and key figures over a
specific time period to generate meaningful information that
they can use to evaluate the performance of the process
• Examples of this type of information are:
• The quantity of a particular material ordered in the last 30 days
• The quantity of a material delivered by a particular vendor last week
• The number of purchase orders send to a particular vendor last month
• The average time between sending a purchase order and receiving the
materials in the last year, for each vendor
• The average value of purchase orders sent to a particular vendor in the
last quarter
• The data basis for a standard analysis is established by
specification of the object to be analyzed (for example,
purchasing group, vendor, or material group) and by
selection
• User can then display this dataset structured in different ways
• User can also store the selected data of a standard analysis for
later analyses
• Various functions are available when performing standard
analyses
• Some of these are included in the following list:
• Drilldown function
• Choose key figures and change their order
• Sort list
• Create ranking sequence
• ABC analysis
• In standard analyses, a fundamental distinction is made
between the basic list and a drilldown list
• The basic list gives user an overview of the characteristic values for
the key figures in accordance with the previously chosen selection
criteria
• With the aid of the drilldown function, user can vary the depth
of information
• That is, user can display the data that appears in a list in greater detail
with regard to certain criteria
• User can either determine the order in which the information is broken
down himself, or follows a predefined analysis path, the standard
drilldown
• For all list levels, user can perform a number of further
functions, such as cumulative frequency curve, correlation,
ABC analysis, classification, segmentation, and ranking lists
• All results can be presented in the form of graphics
• Moreover, user can display the complete master record and documents
information using the standard transactions of the application from
within the various breakdown levels
• In contrast to standard analysis, flexible analysis
enables the user to define the content and format
of the analysis
• In flexible analysis, characteristics and key figures
can be combined as needed
• Figure in the next slide is an example of flexible
analysis using the purchasing information system
• The report in the figure is based on combining the
characteristics of vendor, material, and month with the key
figures order value and number of items in the order
• Vendor and material are displayed in the rows, while the
month, order value, and number of order items are shown in
the columns
Any Question?