Cost accounting

Cost dimensions and reports

Select Finance > Controlling > Cost accounting.

In the Cost accounting overview, you will see the dimensions you have set up and can edit them. You can use the dimensions to assign additional characteristics from the cost accounting area to the postings and determine key figures by grouping them according to these dimensions.

 

Standard dimensions

The following dimensions are set up by default:

  • Cost centers

  • Cost units

  • projects

  • Cost elements

Create your own dimensions

You can create additional, individual dimensions such as location, sales area or similar. A total of 10 dimensions are possible, after which the Add new dimension item is no longer displayed.

When setting up, you can specify how the dimensions are to be handled.

Setting up the dimension always involves the following steps:

  1. Setting the parameters of the dimension (or duplicating)

  2. Defining the dimension accounts (import if necessary)

  3. Creating a structure (import if necessary)

  4. Assigning the dimension accounts to the structure

Setting up a dimension

Use the following steps to set up a dimension and define how it is handled.
Select Finance > Controlling > Cost accounting and click on the Add new dimension button.

  1. Enter a unique name for the dimension.

  2. Optionally, enter a description for the dimension. This is displayed in the overview.

  3. If necessary, select a different icon for the dimension by clicking on the icon and selecting a different icon for your report from the list displayed.

  4. Select,
    whether the dimension is a mandatory entry when posting.
    whether the dimension should be restricted to profit and loss accounts.
    whether you want to create unknown dimension accounts automatically during data import or web service.
    Important: If the checkbox is deactivated, unknown dimension accounts are not imported. Postings that contain unknown dimension accounts are rejected with an error message.

  5. Check the settings regarding the dimension account assignment for cash discount postings.

With the setting "Dimension accounts according to cash discount master data", 1. the dimension account preset in the G/L account master is used, alternatively 2. a unique permissible dimension account.

Finally, save your entries. This creates the dimension and assigns it a dimension number.

Duplicate dimension

It is even easier if you use an already created dimension as a template for a new dimension. Select Finance > Controlling > Cost accounting.

Move the mouse over the dimension to be duplicated and click on the blue double arrow to open the dimension's function menu. There, select Duplicate dimension.

Select a new name and choose whether you only want to copy the report breakdown (structure) or also the assignment of accounts.

Click Duplicate at the bottom right. The new dimension is now displayed in the overview. Check individual settings if necessary.

Set parameters

Move the mouse over the dimension and click on the blue double arrow to open the dimension's function menu. There, select Set parameters.

A new window opens in which dimension-specific values can be changed (see Setting up the dimension).

Edit dimension accounts

You map the individual elements of a dimension in the dimension accounts. In the posting screen, select the dimension accounts using the selection help if you are also posting to a dimension.

You can create any number of dimension accounts for each dimension.

To do this, call up the function menu of the dimension as in the previous step and select Edit dimension accounts or click directly on Accounts. Then click on Add.

In the dimension accounts overview, you can create a new account by clicking Add.
Enter the number and name of the dimension account and save your entries.

You can prevent postings to individual dimension accounts by clicking in the Posting block field. If you only want the block to take effect from a certain posting date, you can set the start of the block. A blocked dimension account is hidden in the selection lists.

When blocking a dimension account, you are informed whether this account is used in fixed assets, G/L account presettings of G/L accounts or in the set of rules.

Importing dimension accounts

Select Finance > Controlling > Cost accounting. Then move the mouse over the dimension and click on the blue double arrow to call up the dimension's function menu. There, select Edit dimension accounts.

Open the table menu via the small printer symbol on the left in the table header and select Import CSV. Then select the file to be imported in the file browser and confirm with Open. The csv file can contain five columns:

  • Column 1, (dimension account) number, digits only (no duplicates to existing accounts)

  • Column 2, Name, alphanumeric

  • Column 3, Posting block, true/false

  • Column 4, start of block, DD.MM.YYYY

  • Column 5, pre-system ID, alphanumeric

Existing dimension accounts are not overwritten by the import. The number of the dimension account is decisive for this.

Allocation key

Define allocation keys for the automatic distribution of amounts to dimension accounts.

Before you can set up an allocation key, the allocation calculation must be activated. To do this, select System menu > Manage accounting > Company and check the box to activate the allocation calculation.

To set up an allocation key, first create a dimension account intended for this purpose. Define the distribution to the other dimension accounts for this account via the Edit allocation key item in the context menu of the report (1).
The Distribute evenly and Distribute remainder (2) buttons help you to do this.

If you select the newly created allocation account when posting, the amount is automatically distributed to the target accounts by means of a posting split in the specified ratio.

Remove dimension

Delete the dimension including the associated dimension accounts. If you delete a dimension, the planned reports for the dimension are also deleted.

To do this, call up the function menu for the dimension as in the previous step and select Remove dimension. Confirm your command.

Dimension breakdown

Select Finance > Controlling > Cost accounting.

Move the mouse over the and click on the blue double arrow to open the dimension's function menu. There, select Edit outline.

The report of a dimension consists of the structure and the dimension accounts that are assigned to the structure. Structure and assignment are created in different forms.

Outline

The outline represents the structure of the report. Use the Add and Remove buttons to add rows to or remove rows from the structure and use the arrow buttons to adjust the hierarchical arrangement of the elements (sequence and indentation).

Structuring a dimension / report in XML

If you want to import a report structure or a dimension structure in XML format, you also have the option of creating a structure directly in XML in addition to re-importing.

Note: To understand the following sections, basic knowledge of XML, in particular of elements and attributes, is required.

The XML file

The structure to be imported consists of the elements <reportStructure> and <node> in XML.

The <reportStructure> element acts as the root element and also contains an attribute for specifying the version.

The actual structure is identified via the <node> element. The element also contains the id and label attributes. The id attribute is used to uniquely identify the element. The label attribute contains the label of the structure's bullet point.

Example

The following example first shows the structure and then its markup in XML.

Structure:

1 1.1 1.2 1.2.1 1.2.2 1.3 2 3 3.1 3.2

Markup:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <reportStructure version="1.0"> <node id="" label=""> <node id="1" label="1"> <node id="2" label="1.1"/> <node id="3" label="1.2"> <node id="4" label="1.2.1"/> <node id="5" label="1.2.2"/> </node> <node id="6" label="1.3"/> </node> <node id="7" label="2"/> <node id="8" label="3"> <node id="9" label="3.1"/> <node id="10" label="3.2"/> </node> </node> </reportStructure>

Importing the structure of a dimension in XML format

Easily import an outline in XML format.

The import in XML is primarily designed as a re-import of previously exported dimension structures. Information on the structure of the XML file can be found in the following section.

To do this, open the function menu of the dimension as in the previous step and select Edit outline.

  1. Use the down arrow on the left in the table header to open the export menu for the table.

  2. Select Import XML file.

  3. Select the file you want to import from your local data carrier.

The structure is imported and displayed. Assign accounts to the structure.

Save the new structure.

Exporting the outline of the dimension

Conveniently export the structure of the dimension in various formats.

To do this, open the function menu of the dimension as in the previous step and select Edit outline.

  1. Use the down arrow on the left in the table header to open the export menu for the table.

  2. Select the export format.

  3. If you select the PDF format, you can also specify the layout. The structure is opened in the application set up for the format.

  4. In the case of an XML export, you will be asked for the storage location.

Account assignment

If you have not assigned all accounts to your reports, this is indicated in the overview by a red exclamation mark and the number of unassigned accounts.

You can assign the accounts to the structure using drag & drop.
Select Finance > Controlling > Cost accounting.

Move the mouse over the dimension to be edited and click on the blue double arrow to open the dimension's function menu. There, select the item Assign accounts.

In the Edit assignment form, you will see the structure of your report on one side and the accounts that you can assign on the other.

You can open or close branches in the structure tree on the left-hand side using +/- signs.

Assign the accounts using drag & drop.

Note: The last assigned account remains highlighted in orange until you assign the next account.

Settings for account assignment

Two factors affect the selection of accounts that you can assign to the report.

  • The setting when creating a report in the Account selection group.

  • The account type assigned in the chart of accounts.

Export/import of dimensions

If you export or import dimensions, the created dimensions are exported/imported with their name. Dimensions that have not been created have the Dimension indicator with the consecutive number up to 10.

Dimension journal

Display all postings on a dimension in the dimension journal.
Select Finance > Controlling > Cost accounting.

Move the mouse over the dimension and click on the blue double arrow to call up the dimension's function menu. There, select Show dimension journal.

Display

  1. The dimension journal contains a tabular list of the bookings for the set period.

  2. The bookings are also displayed in a graph.

  3. Both the total bookings and the bookings on the dimension are displayed.

You can use the dimension journal to change the dimension accounts of one or more bookings.

To do this, open the dimension journal as described in the previous section and adjust the display of the journal (period etc.). Click on Show.

At the bottom of the form, expand the Change dimension accounts section and specify whether the change should apply to all filtered elements or only to the selected element (the table below shows your options).

In the New dimension account field, enter or select the dimension account to which the postings are to be assigned from the selection field.

Click on Change.

Dimension report

In the report view, your selected dimension is displayed as a report. You have the option of displaying the report for different periods or points in time in order to display the results as a simple distance calculation.
Select Finance > Controlling > Cost accounting.

Move the mouse over the dimension and click on the blue double arrow to call up the dimension's function menu. There, select the top item Open.

Comparison of different periods/time points

Select the number of periods for which you want to compare the figures in the report. You can also compare the report for different points in time.

Use the right mouse button to display additional table columns in which the percentage changes or the change as a difference are shown.

The links in the totals column take you to the totals and balances list.

Export

You can easily export the report in various formats using the table function. You can choose between two layouts for PDF export.

Report planning

You can also use the table function to schedule the regular creation of the report. The report is then stored in your report folder.