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In times of growing complexity in finance, the precise management of commitments is becoming a decisive competitive factor. SAP S/4HANA provides modern tools to address this challenge. A key topic in the SAP environment is commitments. In this article, we explain how the management of commitments is evolving with SAP S/4HANA and why this development is crucial for strategic financial planning. 

In this Part - 2, we'll dive into using the Custom Analytical Queries APP with our newly created Custom CDS View to build an AR Aging Analysis Report.

Please refer Part - 1 to Understand the Custom CDS View created for the AR Aging Analysis Report:

https://community.sap.com/t5/financial-management-q-a/developing-a-customized-ar-aging-analysis-report-in-sap-s-4hana-public/qaq-p/14163727

Custom Analytical Queries APP:

The Custom Analytical Queries APP is like a smart tool that helps you create your own reports and analyze your business data, even if you're not a tech expert.

Imagine you're trying to build your Customer Aging Analysis Report. Instead of writing complex computer code, this app takes all the raw numbers and information (like invoices, payments, and dates) and turns them into an easy-to-understand table or grid. It hides all the difficult technical stuff, so you just focus on what you want to see.

Here's how it helps you design your report:

Pick and choose your data: The app provides all the available fields from the business transactions. For your aging report, you'd select fields like Customer Name, Invoice Number, Posting Date, Due Date, Amount Due, and Clearing Date.

Filter what you see: You can set filters to narrow down your report. For example, you might filter to see only particular customers, or invoices past their due date by more than 365 days.

Create custom calculations: You can add restricted measures (like "Total Overdue Amount for 30-60 Days").

See results instantly: You can preview your report as you build it, so you know exactly what the final output will look like.

Step – 1: Open the APP – Custom Analytical Queries

Click on “Create” button.

Enter the “Query Name”, Choose the “Data Source” – which we have created as a CDS View.

Click on “OK”.

Step – 2: Name the Analytical Query

In the General Tab,

Enter the “Label” for the AR Aging Analysis Analytical Query and Click on Next Tab “Field Selection”.

Step – 3: Field Selection for the Analytical Query

In the Field Selection Tab,

Choose the required fields from the Available Fields by selecting the “Check box” to display in the AR Aging Report.

Step – 4: Arrange the Selected Fields in the Analytical Query

In the Display Tab,

Select relevant Field and Choose the “Axis” - Row / Column. Once selected the Axis, the field will be automatically moved to Row / Column Tab same as Company Code, Customer etc.

Note: Arrange the fields according to the business format and also Amounts / Numerical / Calculation related fields are arranged under the Measure Structure of Column Axis.

Step – 5: Choose the Input Parameter Fields for the Report

For the AR Aging Analysis Report, users need to provide input parameters such as Open Items at Key Date, Customer, Company Code, GL Account, and Posting Date to generate the report based on their selections.

In the Filter Tab,

Choose the respective Field and then Select the radio button “Uset Input Values”.

Select the “Default Value” if required.

Note: Our AR Aging Analysis report runs based on the Open Items at Key Date, showing all items not cleared by that date. If you need to pre-fill any input fields, you can use the Default Value functionality in the filter section.

For Example: Below are the selected Input Parameters for our report and the “Open Items at Key Date” and “Company Code” will be defaulted at the time of report execution based on the settings in Analytical Queries.

Step – 6: Create Calculated Measure Fields (Aging Buckets) for the Report

Creating Aging Buckets is the most challenging aspect of developing the AR Aging Analysis Report. This is primarily due to the complexity of applying the necessary formulas. To build custom aging buckets, you'll need a foundational understanding of IF & Else conditions, similar to those used in Excel, to grasp the CASE WHEN Expression formulas utilized in SAP Analytical Queries.

1. Not Yet Due (Aging Bucket - 1)

In the Display Tab,

Click on “Add” button and Choose “Add Calculated Measure” to create the Aging Bucket.

Then Enter the “Label” and Click on “OK”.

We've now added a "Not Yet Due" field to the query. This field displays the Amount in Company Code Currency for any customer open items with Overdue Days less than or equal to zero.

The above logic has been applied in the analytical query using the CASE WHEN formula.

In the Expression Section,

Choose the “Edit” button to apply the formula.

Select the “Function” button then Choose the “Case Expression” and Click on “OK” button.

The formula applied in this “Not Yet Due” field is, if the Overdue days field is less than or equal to “0” then “Amount in Company Code Currency” should be displayed in the report or Else the value should be displayed as “0”. You can Choose the Measure fields by click on measures button or else you can type relevant measure field in the Expression editor. Once formula applied the Click on “OK”.

1. 1 to 30 Days (Aging Bucket – 2)

Apply the same steps involved in Not Yet Due field, only the formula will be changed for this 1 to 30 Days Aging Bucket.

For the "1 to 30 Days" field, we've applied a specific formula:

If a Customer Open item's Overdue Days are greater than or equal to "1" AND less than or equal to "30," the Amount in Company Code Currency will be displayed. Otherwise, the value will show as "0." This formula uses an AND condition to accurately identify customer open items that are between 1 and 30 days overdue.

After applying the formula, simply click "OK."

 You can apply this formula and change the conditions according to the Aging Buckets (31 to 60 Days, 61 to 90 Days…etc).

The Sum of all the Aging Buckets from “1 to 30 Days till Above 365 Days” will be the “Total Overdue Amount”.

Once the respective fields created in the Custom Analytical Queries APP.

Click on “Save Draft” the changes will be saved. Then click on “Preview” option to validate the report values.

Step – 7: Preview and Validate the Created Custom Analytical Query

In the Input Parameters, The Open Items at Key Date and Company Code will automatically default the value according to the settings in Custom Analytical Queries APP and also it can be changeable at the time of report executing.

Once maintained the Input Parameters, Click on “GO”.

You can validate the output of the report in the Preview. So, the issues will be identified and resolved before publishing the Custom Analytical Query for the APP creation.

Step – 8: Publish the Created Custom Analytical Query for AR Aging Analysis Report

Click on “Publish” to publish the created Custom Analytical Query for the AR Aging Analysis Report APP creation.

View Browser APP:

For SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition key users, the View Browser app is essential for finding CDS views. This includes both SAP-released and custom CDS views.

The app provides a comprehensive list of available CDS views. You can see details like Category, View Types, Dimensions and Measures, Annotations, supported capabilities, and modelling patterns. It also offers robust search options. You can search by descriptions, application components, or even the tables used to build the CDS views.

Beyond searching, you can use the View Browser to analyze a CDS view's data fields. The application displays all CDS views and their underlying artifacts in tables. By default, views are organized by name, but you can also filter column values using a dropdown.

While you can't change SAP-created CDS views in the View Browser, the Custom Analytical Query app allows you to create, save, modify, and publish your own CDS views to catalogs.

Step – 1: Create the Application for Created Custom Analytical Query

Open the “View Browser” APP.

Search the Created AR Aging Analysis Analytical Query in the Search Bar and then Click on the respective Analytical Query to Create the Application.

You can check the Fields, and CDS View involved in this Analytical Query.

Click on “Create Application”.

Choose the “Language”

Enter the “Title” and “Subtitle” for the Report and this will be the Application Name.

Click on “OK”.

Finally, the Application is created for the developed AR Aging Analysis Report.

Custom Catalog Extensions APP:

This app lets you assign your apps to specific business catalogs. After creating a new app, you must link it to the necessary catalogs. To use your new app, you'll need to assign a business role that includes that Catalog.

Step – 1: Open the APP – Custom Catalog Extensions

Select the Created Application to assign it to the respective Business Catalog.

Step – 2: Assign Business Catalog to the Application

Click on “ADD”.

Choose the respective “Business Catalog” and then Click on “OK”.

Select the Business Catalog and then Click on “Publish” button.

Confirm by choosing the “OK” to publish.

Finally, the Created Application is assigned with the Business Catalog and published for the business usage.

Step – 3: Display the APP - AR Aging Analysis – Report

Once the APP is assigned with the Business Catalog, you can search the created APP in the search bar to display it for the reporting purpose.

References / Acknowledgements:

I'd like to extend my sincere thanks to the various SAP documentation, community blogs, and helpful tutorials that guided me through the intricacies of Key User Extensibility in SAP S/4HANA Cloud.

I highly recommend them for anyone looking to dive deeper into SAP S/4HANA Cloud extensibility:

1. https://community.sap.com/t5/enterprise-resource-planning-blog-posts-by-members/customer-aging-and-supplier-aging-reports-at-the-line-item-level-using/ba-p/13563839
2. https://community.sap.com/t5/enterprise-resource-planning-blog-posts-by-sap/creating-custom-cds-views-and-analytical-query-a-step-by-step-guide/ba-p/13508914
3. https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_CLOUD/0f69f8fb28ac4bf48d2b57b9637e81fa/e30de6eae4d24d70b65996ac8ff88848.html?locale=en-US&version=2502.500

Conclusion:

Developing a customized Customer AR Aging Analysis Report in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, as demonstrated, truly highlights the power and flexibility of "Key User Extensibility." While standard solutions offer a solid foundation, the ability to adapt and build tailored reports is crucial for meeting unique business requirements and ensuring user satisfaction.

By leveraging apps like Custom CDS Views, Custom Analytical Queries, the View Browser, and Custom Catalog Extensions, key users can effectively design and deploy robust financial reports without extensive technical coding. This empowers organizations to gain deeper insights into their financial data, streamline processes, and make more informed decisions regarding accounts receivable management.

This project was a testament to how SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition enables businesses to go beyond standard functionalities, proving that with the right tools and a clear understanding of business needs, powerful custom solutions are well within reach.

Thank You!

Introduction:

Hello everyone, Myself Sriram Balaji, I am currently working as an SAP FICO Consultant. Last year, I got an opportunity to work in SAP Public Cloud Greenfield Implementation Project. During the “FIT to Standard” and “UAT” sessions, we have demonstrated the SAP standard Customer / Supplier Aging Analysis Report to the client but they are not satisfied with the standard aging report. They required a tailored Aging Analysis Report for Customer and Supplier, one that aligned perfectly with their unique operational requirements. This experience highlighted the importance of understanding client expectations beyond standard functionalities and fueled my journey into customizing SAP solutions in the Public Cloud.

In this blog, we are going to explore how we can develop Customized Customer (AR) Aging Analysis Report using the “Key User Extensibility” in the SAP Public Cloud.

Purpose of Preparing Customer Aging Analysis Report:

Customer Aging Analysis Report, is a basic financial report which provides the information of outstanding payment from the customer’s and how long they are due for the payment by categorizing into the Aging Buckets (0 – 30 Days, 31 – 60 Days, ……. Above 365 Days).

The aging report provides vital information to management to evaluate how effective the business is at converting sales to cash. The aging report is also used as a tool for estimating potential bad debts, which are then used to revise what is known as the allowance for doubtful accounts.

Key-User Extensibility in SAP S/4 HANA Public Cloud:

Extensibility covers a broad spectrum of topics that enable customers and partners to adapt standard business software to their business needs.

SAP S/4HANA Cloud key user extensibility allows adapting standard functionalities to user requirements without the need for any external tools. Key User Extensibility is done in the customizing tenant of the development system through SAP Fiori apps designed to facilitate someone making small changes to apps, reports, and email and form templates without any coding experience.

Here's an overview of the things you can do using key user extensibility tools:

• Change and adapt the UIs for SAP Fiori Apps
• Create Custom Fields
• Create your own custom templates or extend the standard forms and email templates
• Create customer-specific CDS Views
• Enhance the current business process by creating custom business logic
• Create a new custom user interface
• Create custom business objects

SAP S/4HANA embodies key user extensibility tools, which are completely web-based. They are targeted at key users who have a deep knowledge of the product itself, but not necessarily a very deep technical knowledge.

For more details about Extensibility in SAP S/4 HANA Public Cloud, please refer the link https://extensibilityexplorer.cfapps.eu10.hana.ondemand.com/ExtensibilityExplorer/#/ReadMore

To develop the Customized Customer Aging Analysis Report, we are going to use the below Key-User Extensibility Apps and other provided Apps by SAP in the Public Cloud:

• Custom CDS View APP
• Custom Analytical Queries APP
• View Browser APP
• Custom Catalog Extensions APP

My prior experience in developing Aging Analysis Reports in SAP ECC and S/4HANA GUI with my technical team allowed me to apply the same logic to Custom CDS Views and Custom Analytical Queries, even without knowing any deep technical knowledge.

Let me summarize the business requirement for Customer Aging Analysis before jumping into the technical steps involved for the development:

• The report should display: Customer Account, Customer Name, Document Number, Line Item, Document Type, GL Account, Payment Terms (with descriptions), and other required fields.
• The report should calculate and present: Overdue Days, Not Yet Due, Aging Buckets (0-30 days, 31-60 days, …... and Above 365 days), and Total Overdue Amount.
• The report balances must be matched with the 'Manage Customer Line Items' App (Accounts Receivable Ledger).

In this Part - 1, We will explore how we can utilize the Custom CDS View APP for the AR Aging Analysis Report development.

Custom CDS View:

Custom CDS views can serve different purposes: They can be consumed in analytics or serve as external APIs to be consumed in external systems, for instance the SAP BTP. Especially Cube or Dimension views can be used in analytical scenarios and also you can create or modify a custom CDS view by,

• Adding fields from multiple data sources.
• Creating your own calculated fields.
• Refining the properties of the selected fields.
• Creating and maintaining parameters for the usage within your view.

We have combined the multiple data sources such as I_JournalEntryOperationalView, _I_GLAccountText, and _I_PaymentTermsText to create a Custom CDS View by using the Join Condition.

Step – 1: Open the APP – Custom CDS View

Click on “Create”.

Enter the “Label”, Choose the “Scenario” – “Analytical Cube” and Click on “Create” Button.

Note: By choosing the Scenario as “Analytical Cube”, We can use this CDS View to create an Analytical Queries for the Customer Aging Analysis report.

Step – 2: Choose the Primary Data Source 

Click on “Add” Button

Choose the “Primary Data Source”

Note: Data Source is an object containing the key figures and characteristics from the database and it provides a multidimensional analytical view of business data.

Select the respective “I_JournalEntryOperationalView” Data Source from the list.

This I_JournalEntryOperationalView CDS view provides access to all details of a journal entry item (database table ACDOCA) joined to the details of the corresponding operational accounting document item (database table BSEG) and to the details of the corresponding journal entry header (database table BKPF) including the most important business entity, such as G/L account, Cost Center or Profit Center.

So, this I_JournalEntryOperationalView is similar to the ACDOCA Table which contains the values of all the relevant fields related to the Accounting Document.

Step – 3: Choose the Associated Data Sources

Click on “Associated Data Sources”

Note: Associated Data Sources will help us to combine the two different data sources into one CDS View by using a join condition set between two or more equal characteristics present in the Primary Data Source – A and Associated Date Sources – B that contains the same data type.

For Example:

The primary data source "I_JournalEntryOperationalView" does not include the "Payment Terms Description" field. Therefore, we must join it with the associated data source "I_PaymentTermsText" using a join condition to retrieve this field.

Select the “Join Condition” Icon.

Click on “Add”

Choose the common field that available in the both Primary & Associated Data Source to join.

Select the Value Type as “Field”

Click on F4 in the Value Field.

Find the corresponding "Payment Terms" mapping field in the Primary Data Source to link it with the field in the Associated Data Source.

Select the Value Type as “Session Variable”

Choose the Value as “System Language” and Click on “Close” button.

Step – 4: Choose the Elements (Fields) to be added in the CDS View

In the Elements Section, Click on “Add” button and Choose “Elements”.

In the Elements selection pop up screen,

Choose the “Elements (Fields)” from “I_JournalEntryOperationalView” you want to display in the CDS view and then Click on “OK”.

Total 142 Elements (Fields) have been selected for the CDS view.

Step – 5: Create User Defined Parameters

User-Defined Parameters:

Parameters usually require data input when your custom CDS view is executed. This data can then be used like a variable e.g. in filters, calculated fields or even in a join condition to another view. You can then refine them or just create your own parameters if you need them.

The Customer Aging Analysis Report will operate based on "Open Items at Key Date," mirroring the functionality found in reports like "Manage Customer Line Item" or "FBL5N."

The "Open Items at Key Date" logic ensures that when the report is run for a specific date (which can be in the past, present, or future), it will only display items that meet following criteria mentioned below:

• The open items (Invoices, Payments, & Advances) were not yet cleared as of the specified key date will be included in the report.
• The open items (Invoices, Payments, & Advances) were cleared after the specified key date will be included in the report.
• The open items (Invoices, Payments, & Advances) were cleared before the specified key date will be excluded from the report.

This "Key Date" will serve as a crucial input on the report's selection screen, driving the logic for determining which open items are included in the Customer Aging Report.

In the Parameters Section, Click on “Add” button,

Enter the following information:

• Name: Technical Name
• Label: Name to be displayed in the output of the parameter
• Data Type: “DATS” – Date (YYYYMMDD Format) Data type of the parameter.
• Default Type and Value: “Manual” - Enter a manual parameter value in accordance with the data type syntax, e.g. for the data type DATS enter a manual value in the format YYYYMMDD.

Now the “Open Items at Key Date” Parameter is created. 

Step – 6: Add User Defined Parameters in the Elements (Fields)

In the Elements Section, Click on “Add” Button and Choose the “Parameters”.

Select the created “Open Items at Key Date” Parameter and Click on “OK” button.

Now the “Open Items at Key Date” Parameter has been added in the Elements.

Step – 7: Using “Filter” Applying the Logic for the Customer Aging Analysis Report

You can filter the information shown in your custom CDS view by setting up a condition, just like using the WHERE clause in SQL. This condition provides the view exactly what data to show.

Think of it like this:

The CDS view (I_JournalEntryOperationalView) which we are using that shows all the Accounting Document transactions in line item wise.

• If you want to display only Customer related Accounting Transactions, you'd set a condition like "Account Type is equal to “D".
• Or, if you only want to see Normal Transactions (Invoices, Payments) & Special GL Transactions (Advances), your condition would be "Special GL Code equal to “BLANK”, & “A”.

Once you set this condition (using either a simple editor or a form-based one), your CDS view will automatically filter its results, showing only the open items that match what you asked for. It's a way to fine-tune the data you see without having to look through everything.

We can use the form-based version to define simple filter conditions. In case you want to define more complex conditions, we can use expression-based version. Here, we have used expression-based version.

As per business requirement, to ensure the Customer Aging Analysis Report balances match with the "Manage Customer Line Items" balances, we've set up specific conditions for these fields: Account Type, Special GL Code, Posting Date, and Clearing Date in the Filter section using expression-based version.

Step – 8: Create Calculation Elements (Fields) – Overdue Days & Payment Terms Days

In the Elements section, click on “Add” button and Choose “Calculation” to create Overdue Days & Payment Terms Days fields for the report.

1. Overdue Days

Enter the following information:

• Name: Technical Name
• Label: Name to be displayed in the output of the parameter
• Choose as “Function” and Choose “Function Type – Date and Time”
• Choose the respective “Function - DATS_DAYS_BETWEEN” and apply the below mentioned formula.
• Then click on “Create”.

Note: The function DATS_DAYS_BETWEEN calculates the difference between two specified dates, date1 and date2, in days. The actual parameters must have the predefined data type DATS and should contain a valid date in the format YYYYMMDD.

The Formula we have applied to calculate the Overdue Days is Open Items Key Date (which was created as parameter for report execution) MINUS Net Due Date. 

1. Payment Terms Days

Enter the following information:

• Name: Technical Name
• Label: Name to be displayed in the output of the parameter
• Choose as “Function” and Choose “Function Type – Date and Time”
• Choose the respective “Function - DATS_DAYS_BETWEEN” and apply the below mentioned formula.
• Then click on “Create”.

The Formula we have applied to calculate the Payment Terms Days is Net Due Date MINUS Baseline Date.

Created Calculation Elements (Fields) for the report.

In the Element Properties Section, Maintain the Aggregation method as “No Operation” for the created Payment Term Days & Overdue Days Fields to convert the field into calculated measure for creating the Aging Buckets in the Custom Analytical Query APP.

Step – 9: Preview and Publish the created CDS view

In the Log section, check any error need to rectified before preview the CDS view.

Click on “Preview Data” button to display the values are coming as per the logic or not.

Created CDS View no of line items are matching with the Manage Customer Line Items.

Calculated Fields (Overdue Days, Payment Terms Days) are displaying with values in the CDS View according formula we have applied in the calculation function.

Once Check is successful, Go to “Next Steps” section.

Click on “Publish” button to publish the Created CDS View for Creating Analytical Queries.

In Part - 2, we'll dive into using the Custom Analytical Queries APP with our newly created Custom CDS View to build an AR Aging Analysis Report.

 SAP Document Splitting allows you to break down financial transactions into detailed line items based on predefined characteristics like profit center or segment, enabling accurate financial reporting at various levels. Configuration involves classifying G/L accounts and document types, defining zero-balance clearing accounts, and specifying splitting characteristics, followed by activation at the client level. Real-time scenarios include passive splitting during payment postings based on prior invoice splits and active splitting based on predefined rules.

Hello Everyone,
I'm excited to share a short blog on Scope Items in SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud - a key concept that drives successful implementations. In this post, I’ve summarized what scope items are, their role in fit-to-standard workshops, and how they support faster, standardized deployments using SAP Activate.
Check it out and feel free to share your thoughts!