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How to Understand the Key Figure Setting Options in SAP APO

ByShaun Snapp

Executive Summary

  • Covering the Planning Book configuration, which means understanding Key Figure options and the available settings.
  • Key Figures used in DP and their configuration are covered in this article.

Introduction to Proportional Factors

When reviewing a Planning Book, it is important to consider that each Key Figure has many ways to configure. For instance, if we look at just one area, calculation, there are multiple ways that a Key Figure can be calculated based upon another input. In this article, you will learn all about the configuration options regarding the proportional factors.

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What Are Key Figures?

Key Figures are the rows that populate Planning Books in APO. The Planning Book is the most used user interface in DP and SNP (actually the only real interface for DP). Key Figures have a default configuration, but that configuration can be altered. Of course, when a new Key Figure is added to a Planning Book (which frequently occurs on DP projects), it means that the configuration must be performed to match the business requirements.

The Planning Book Configuration

The Planning Book is made up of key figures (contained in the rows) that intersect with time buckets (the columns). These key figures can be composed of the following items:

  1. Single Categories: For instance, to show a single category of stock in a single Key Figure.
  2. Multiple Categories: For instance, to show multiple categories of stock in a single Key Figure.
  3. Calculations of other Key Figures: These are calculations and functions that include configuration settings in APO. This is called a macro.

Many of the rows that planners see in the Planning Book are actually calculated values. Through normal use of the Planning Book, there is no way to know which key figures are combinations of categories or calculations (macros) that include other key figures. A number of the macros are standard calculations that ship with APO. For instance, the reorder point key figure is a macro. Any macro can be adjusted, whether it is a custom macro written for a company or a standard macro.

Key Figures Options

Inside of the Planning Area, the Key Figures can be adjusted with the following categories of options:

  • Accuracy Fixing & Calculation Type
  • Disaggregation
  • Neg, Zero, His.N. Changeable
  • SNP Mode and KF Semantics

Accuracy Fixing & Calculation Type

  1. Accuracy: This is how many decimal points the Key Figure will calculate to. The options are the following:
    1. No Decimal Places
    2. Two Decimal Places
    3. Three Decimal Places
    4. Maximum Accuracy
  2. Fixing: Fixing is the ability to lock the cells in a Key Figure. This prevents changes from occurring, for instance, when a manual adjustment is made higher in the hierarchy. The options are the following:
    1. Simple Key Figure: (That is no fixing)
    2. Fixable Key Figure
  3. Calculation Type: This is the “primary” method of aggregation and disaggregation for a Key Figure. This determines how values are split as one traverses down a hierarchy and how the values at lower levels in the hierarchy combine upwards. The options are the following:
    1. S: Pro Rata
    2. P: Based Upon a Different Key Figure
    3. A: Average
    4. N: No Calculation
    5. I: Pro Rata; If Initial: Based on Different Key Figure
    6. D: Average at the Lowest Level of Detail
    7. E: Average of All Details Not Equal to Zero
    8. F: Average of Lowest Level Non-Zero; Disaggregation Pro Rata

Disaggregation

  1. Disaggregation Key Figure: This is the Key Figure upon which disaggregation is performed. A Key Figure can be disaggregated on another Key Figure but does not have to do this. Some disaggregation types, such as the I: Pro Rata, will disaggregate on another Key Figure if the period’s value is blank. However, if the value in a period is adjusted or not blank, it will not disaggregate on another key figure.
  2. Time Disaggregation: This is the second type or dimension of disaggregation available for a Key Figure. This is how the periodicity in the Planning Book is related to the periodicity of the Storage Bucket. The options are the following:
    1. I: Proportional Allocation
    2. P: Proportional distribution, but other Key Figure in initial.
    3. E: Equal Distribution
    4. N: No time based distribution
    5. R: Read Value from last period; Write: No allocation
    6. K: Based on Another Key Figure
  3. Key Figure Time Disaggregation: This is the Key Figure on which the disaggregation is performed.

Neg, Zero, His.N. Changeable

  1. Neg.N.All: This determines if a cell can be negative. (Interestingly, in setting this to not allowed, I could still enter a negative figure into a cell in the Key Figure.)
  2. Zero All:
  3. Zero Fixable: If one wants to enable “fixable” in bullet point 2, this must also be selected.
  4. Hist.N.Changeable:
  5. InfoCube: Here, any of the InfoProviders that are available in the system can be selected.

SNP Mode and KF Semantics

  1. SNP Mode: The options are the following:
    1. A: Automatic flow key figure
    2. D: DP key figure
    3. F: Flow key figure
    4. W: Soft constraint key figure
    5. H: Hard constraint key figure
    6. P: Parameter key figure
    7. X: Key figure for fixed receipts.
  2. KF Sem: This stands for Key Figure Semantics. This will apply a three digit code to each Key Figure.

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Conclusion

As you can see, there is quite a lot that can be configured to change a key figure’s behavior. When reviewing an existing implementation, a good place to review is the settings of the Key Figures. Any change can be made to Key Figures within the Planning Book by selecting Key Figure Settings from the Planning Area’s Extras menu.