SmartSAP Newsletter - June 2003 Edition

Ask the FI/CO expert: SAP Purchase Account assignment Tips 

1) How to default a General Ledger account on a Purchase Order account assignment for an inventory item?

When you create a standard Purchase Order using ‘K’ account assignment to expense an inventory item with GL account and cost center, the system expects you to key in GL account number and the cost center. In case you don’t want to use the account modification ‘VBR’ assigned GL account number, it is possible to default a separate GL account with standard configuration steps.

a) Transaction: OME9 (Maintain account assignment categories)

Create a new account assignment category ‘Z’ by making a copy of account assignment category ‘K’.  Change account modification to ‘ZBR’.

b) Transaction: OMGO (Define combination of item categories/account assignment categories)

Assign account assignment category created in previous step to an item category blank or space.

Note:

This is an optional step, if you don’t want to touch the standard ‘K’ cost center account assignment.

c) Transaction: OBYC (Automatic account assignment configuration)

Choose account transaction key ‘GBB’ by double clicking the existing entry and choose the appropriate chart of account for your company. Assign the GL account that needs to be defaulted for general modification ‘ZBR’ and valuation class ‘RAW’ (use appropriate valuation class set-up in your company).

 d) Transaction: ME21N to create a purchase order to test the configuration.

When you create a PO with account assignment ‘Z’ for an inventory item, the system should default the above-configured GL account.

2) How to default a GL account for a material group when a purchase order is created without a material master?

If you want to create a purchase order without a material master (service/expense items), the standard SAP R/3 4.x and higher releases, offer functionality to assign a valuation class to a material group. This way automatic MM account assignment can be set-up to drive the appropriate GL account for a material group/valuation class in your company.

a) Transaction: OMSK (Define valuation class):

b) Transaction: OMQM (Entry aids for items without a material master):

Assign the appropriate valuation class for a material group.

c) Transaction: OME9 (Maintain account assignment categories)

Create a new account assignment category ‘Z’ by making a copy of account assignment category ‘K’.  Change account modification to ‘ZBR’.

d) Transaction: OMGO (Define the combination of item categories/account assignment categories)

Assign the account assignment category created in previous step to an item category blank or space.

Note:

This is an optional step if you don’t want to touch the standard ‘K’ cost center account assignment.

e) Transaction: OBYC:  (Automatic account assignment configuration)

Choose account transaction key ‘GBB’ by double clicking the existing entry and choose appropriate chart of account for your company. Assign the GL account that needs to be defaulted for general modification ‘ZBR’ and valuation class ‘TRF’ (use the appropriate valuation class set-up in your company).

f) Transaction: ME21N to create a purchase order to test the configuration.

Standard order type, Account assignment category ‘Z’ and Material Group ‘TRAFFIC’.

Account assignment screen:

Note:

Before configuring account assignment, please discuss this with your SAP FI/CO functional contact and Accounting department key user for mapping valuation class to General ledger account numbers etc.

Some of my colleagues in MM Purchasing liked this configuration and I thought your company might also benefit from this in case you want to default the GL account in purchasing to avoid wrong account coding.  

Author Profile

Krishna Bhat is a senior consultant with Blue Marlin systems, a global provider of IT solution and Services Company based in Dover, New Jersey. Krishna has been working with SAP since 1993, focusing on FI/CO modules with emphasis on Purchase to pay, cross-module integration to FI/CO and Product costing. He also has experience with MM and WM modules of SAP R/3. He is an Associate member of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India (AICWA) and APICS Certified in Production and inventory management (CPIM). He can be reached at krishna_b@bmsmail.com. 

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