In Event-Based Production Cost Posting, variance settlement updates unified journal table ACDOCA with split variances. Below is an example order with variance split dimensions:

As you can see from the above example, the key dimension SLA Line Item Type (ACDOCA-SLALITTYPE) used to represent variance categories explains the variance root causes, e.g., due to deviating input quantity, input price, resource usage, and lot size. In addition, the following dimensions are also available to break down variance line items:

• Origin G/L Account of Variance (ACDOCA-VARC_UACCT): The incurred variance source account to which actual cost is debited.
• Origin Material (ACDOCA-UMATNR): The component contributed to the variance.
• Origin Activity Type (ACDOCA-ULSTAR): The activity type contributed to the variance, e.g., production setup, machine hours, or personnel hours.
• Origin Cost Center (ACDOCA- UKOSTL): The cost center to which the variance belongs.

The above dimensions can be captured in the following analytical reports, some are available out of the box, while the others need custom extensions:

• Production Cost Analytics
• G/L Journal Entry Analytics
• P&L Profitability Analytics

This blog will guide you through the procedures of in-depth production variance analysis in various analytical apps.

Production Cost Analytics

For role Production Accountant, the following production cost analytical apps can display variance details:

• Order Cost Details/Product Cost Collector Details – Event-Based
• Analyze Production Costs – Event-Based

Order Cost Details/Product Cost Collector Details – Event-Based

This app also shows all variance-related dimensions from production cost perspective. Note the following:

• G/L Account represents the origin G/L account of variance.
• Origin column combines origin cost center, origin activity type, and origin material.

Analyze Production Costs – Event-Based

This app shows order production costs on an aggregation level with variances displayed by category. Details by G/L account are not available.

G/L Journal Entry Analytics

For role G/L Accountant, the following journal entry analytical apps can be used to display variance details:

Apps with the dimensions available in columns by default

The variance dimension fields are available in the following G/L Accounting apps:

• Manage Journal Entries (F0717)
• Manage Journal Entries – New version (F0717A)
• Display Journal Entries – In T-Account View (F3664)

If the fields are hidden columns, you can display them by using Settings.

Below is a screenshot of example journal entry in Manage Journal Entries – New version (F0717A):

Apps to be extended with Custom Fields

For some other commonly used analytical apps such as the following, not all the variance dimension fields are available out of the box:

Below, taking app Journal Entry Analyzer as an example, we are going to show you how to extend the app so that the missing variance dimension fields, SLA Line-Item Type, Origin Material, and Origin Variance Account, can be displayed in the app.

Journal Entry Analyzer has a CDS view-type data source C_GLLINEITEMSQ0001. To extend the app, you extend the underlying data source as follows:

1. Open the Custom Fields app with a user that is assigned with the business catalog SAP_CORE_BC_EXT_FLD (Extensibility – Custom Fields).
2. Under Data Source Extension tab, choose Create (+ icon).
3. In the window that appears, select C_GLLINEITEMSQ0001 as the data source and specify a description for the extension, then choose Create.
   
4. On the Field Selection tab, search for the 3 fields SLA Line Item Type, Origin Product, and Origin G/L Account of Variance one by one, then choose Selected and Apply.
5. Now all 3 fields are shown under Selected Fields. Choose Save.
   
6. Choose Publish.

After a while, the data source extension turns to status Published, meaning the changes have been applied to the app with this data source.

Now business users with role G/L accountant can see the 3 variance extension fields and their values as follows:

The procedure is also applicable to the other 3 apps (Display Line Items in General Ledger, Trial Balance, and Year-to-Date Balances), except that extension should be made to different data sources and fields as listed in the table above.

P&L Profitability Analytics

In ECC world, there was a costing-based COPA solution to split variance categories by G/L account and transfer the corresponding field values to profitability reports. With the deprecation of costing-based COPA, this would not be enabled on public cloud.

Instead, the above-mentioned dimensions for event-based variances will be enabled in the P&L relevant reports to achieve similar feature parity.

Currently, the app Product Profitability with Production Variances (W0182) is enabled with key dimension SLA Line-Item Type to differentiate variance categories. Below is an example order displayed in the app:

The dimension enablement in other apps is yet to come.

I hope the above will help you extend the relevant analytical apps with your desired variance dimensions.

Related Info

• Production Accounting Help: https://help.sap.com/s4_ce_prd_acc
• SAP Note 2910083: Event-Based Variance Posting for Product Cost by Order in SAP S/4HANA Cloud