Budget Availability Control from CATS

[fortian]

Hi,

I would like to know is Budget Availability Control works (or it's possible to make it work) while confirming activities from CATS environment (CATS2, CATS5...)?

Thanks

PS: Sorry but I posted already on an open thread but, I don't know why, it doesn't appear in the main page of Project System posts.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Budget check for time posting through CAT2 was not working in earlier versions till the time costs due to the same are posted to network. I am not quite sure if you are getting warning message. Try changing the warning message to error message or it should be possible by using user exits available in CAT2 transaction.

Edited by: Girish Tophakhane on Jan 28, 2011 10:43 AM

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Hi,

sam Lesha, you are right I didn't explained myself properly, but I was already checking against the budget.

ravi kumhar, I had already selected ++ All activity groups in my tolerance limit customisation.

Girish Tophakhane, I've change the warning message to error message and now its working (even with more than one activity under the WBS). I don't know why the warning message doesn't work.

What I can't understand and seems a bit nonsense is that when the budget is exceed I get the message and the actual cost is not posted but the actuals work hours are increase. I expected I was not going to be able to notify neither the work nor the cost.

It seems normal behaviour to you?

Thank you all

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I did not understand. Did the issue get resolved? Could you change warning message to error message? Are you able to stop posting of time, before cost posting, if budget is exceeded?

Warning message is normal. That is how the system is designed. We can not help it. But you can raise OSS message to get this corrected. Atleast you can ask them to provide configuration so that, people can choose whether it should be error message of warning.

Regards,

Girish

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Hi Girish,

I changed the warning message to error message.

The error message appears when I post the work time with a cost exceeding the budget. But despite the fact that the message is appearing the time is being posted (not the cost of it).

In the report I'm using (CN41N) the actual work is increased and the actual cost is not, what it seems strange to me, I thought neither the time nor the cost would be increased.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

OK. I understood. If youhave a good developer, please find out if you can implement user exit available in CAT2 transactin which will even prevent posting of time. I have seen being done in one of the customer location. If you are unable to to compare with the budget value, you can then try and compare with cost plan values.

Regards,

Girish

[fortian · Accepted solution]

OK thanks, but the message appears while transferring the data to the project using CAT5, not in CAT2.

And still seems a strange standard behaviour.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I have understood that. But you know system should also stop posting while there is no budget. That can happen only in case time posting is stopped in CAT2. Otherwise, there will be inconsistency. People posting time will think that they have complete their job but in actual sense, it is not complete. Hence posting should be stopped at the time of CAT2 txn.

Regards,

Girish

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Or maybe in CATS_APPR_LITE tcode... Nevertheless I think on CAT5 would be a good point to block the confirmation of the work and the cost of it.

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Girish Tophakhane I really appreciate your help.

Could anybody else confirm that there is no other why of blocking the work notification (and the cost posting) than doing it through a user-exit?

Thanks

Edited by: mforman on Feb 2, 2011 12:20 PM

[former_member203108 · Accepted solution]

mforman,

but the message appears while transferring the data to the project using CAT5, not in CAT2.
And still seems a strange standard behaviour.

first understand that CAT2 is only a time entry, and budget check happens only during posting of cost not "entering of time". So, obviously budget gets checked during CAT5, because this is when the time entries are passed to project and the corresponding activity gets confirmed and actual costs are posted. If you want a check should happen at CAT2 then you have to do it using some exits are BADI.

The error message appears when I post the work time with a cost exceeding the budget. But despite the fact that the message is appearing the time is being posted (not the cost of it).

Try this, in OPST, activate "actuals costs" and "termination for incorrect act costs" check boxes and then try with new project and do some test.

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Hi Mohamed Rafi,

Thanks for your explanation.

I've ticked "termination for incorrect act costs", but stills confirming the actual work despite there is an error on the actual cost. It really seemed this was the answer to my question.

The same happens when I confirm activities from CJ20N, so maybe the problem is not in using CATS.

Maybe there is some more customization I'm missing?

Thanks again

Edited by: mforman on Feb 4, 2011 11:08 AM

[former_member203108 · Accepted solution]

I tested it and the activity is not getting confirmed during CAT5 if the cost exceeds the budgets, It throws budget error during transfer. I dont understand why it doesnt work for you. Did you try creating new project after changing IMG settings?

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Thanks Mohamed Rafi for testing it. In your system the work you introduced in CAT2 is not appearing as Actual Work? That has sense.

I've created many new projects after changing IMG settings, and still doesn't work. I really believed that the "Termination for Incorrect Act.Cost" check box would solved my issue but I must be some other customization missing.

In the help information on the "Termination for Incorrect Act.Cost" check box:

 "The indicator is only evaluated if there is either no process control key or if a process control key has been saved that enables the actual costs to be posted in dialog AND for which the "display actual costs calculation log" indicator is active. In the event of correct actual costs, the system behaves as follows:
A log is issued that informs you of the incorrect actual costs
The confirmation is then terminated"

To what control key is making reference? How can I check if this is correct, thanks.

Edited by: mforman on Feb 9, 2011 11:09 AM

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Hi Mohamed Rafi,

I'm still stuck with this issue but I still have faith as you tested it on you system and worked.

Could you tell how is your Budget profile configured? I don't know what else could be wrong.

Thanks

[former_member203108 · Accepted solution]

Let's forget about using CATS for time being. Make sure that your budget tolerences are set for error message and also you have selected all actiivty groups in tolerance limit. Also, make sure that you done the confirmation parameter setting as mentioned in my previous message. Now, create new project and activitiy. confirm the activity so that it exceeds budget and observe whether budget error is shown. Use CN25 transaction to confirm the activity.

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Hi Mohamed Rafi,

The budget error is shown while using CN25 transaction to confirm the activity (BP603: Item 001 Ntwk actvty 4000467 0010 budget exceeded).

I get the same message (BP603) when using CAT5 to transfer the confirmations to the project. But I don't get the message: "Confirmation terminated due to incorrect actual cost". So when I use CAT5 no cost is transferred to the project but the actual work is being confirmed to the activity.

[former_member203108 · Accepted solution]

Ok, do one more thing. Now this time dont assign budget and also in KP26 remove the cost for your activity type & cost center for the current period. Now do the same thing, first confirm the activtiy now it will not post actual costs and because it will not allow to save the confirmation and it should not update the actual data's in the activity. Repeat the same thing with CATS also and see whether you get the confirmation termination message or not, this should help us to understand where the problem is.

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Hi Mohamed Rafi,

Thanks for your help, I've done what you told me:

When confirming through CN25 I get: "No price could be determined for internal activity XX XXXX" and Confirmation terminated due to incorrect actual costs".

When confirming through CJ20N I get "Errors arose during actual cost calculation. Do you want the error log confirmation(s)?" If I select NO the system will save the confirmation with an actual cost equal to zero.

And I'm not able to test all the CATS process as in CAT2 transaction I get the message "No price could be determined for internal activity XX XXXX" which do not allow me to save the data.

Any idea?

[former_member203108 · Accepted solution]

And I'm not able to test all the CATS process as in CAT2 transaction I get the message "No price could be determined for internal activity XX XXXX" which do not allow me to save the data.

Ok, then just enter some dummy cost in KP26 and then do CAT2 but after CAT2 remove the KP26 entries. Now you run CAT5 and see whether it stops the transaction with error message like when you do confirmation in Cn25 or allows to save the transfers with 0 cost and actual work in activity.

[fortian · Accepted solution]

I've done it.

I get message "No price could be determined for internal activity XX XXXX" but it still allows me to save the transfers with 0 cost and actual work in activity.

[former_member203108 · Accepted solution]

Ok, I believe that we have filtered the issue and found where the problem is. Your budget settings and confirmations paramaters are working fine and the problem only happens when you do CAT5.

Right now I am not able to guess anything about this. Let me work it out from my side and if there is anything I will let you know.

[fortian · Accepted solution]

It seems this is the way SAP works, I do not think it's a proper way.

[fortian · Accepted solution]

While trying to post the work (and it cost) using CAT5 I got another kind of error (related with the G/L Account determination) and the behaviour has been the same. The work has been posted as actual work but not the cost.

The error has already been solved but I'm still uncomfortable with the idea that despite an error has arisen the systems posts the actual work with no cost.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

worth checking the CATS Data entry profiles?

Edited by: ankushkap on Mar 25, 2011 9:39 AM

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Thanks,

I've already checked and I do not see no relevant parameter concerning this issue.

[fortian · Accepted solution]

Thanks all for your answers.

I'm going to close this thread despite it seems there is not way of stop the work posting if there is an error in the costs of it. The only way of doing it is with a development.

Thanks again

[Former Member]

Hi mforman,

If actuals are getting posted upon activity confirming, system should check budget availability before posting that actual amonts.

I han't work on CATS,You can check it by confirming activity attached to a project that AVAC active.

Reg,

Sam L.

[Former Member]

I believe AVAC doesn't work with secondary cost elements.

Let us wait for expert's comments.

[former_member203108]

Budget check will happen when you do activity confirmation, unless you dont exempt the cost element.

[fortian]

Hi,

The process I'm following is:

CAT2 - Confirmation of an activity.

CATS_APPR_LITE - Approbation of the confirmation

CATA - Transfer to Project System

The WBS to which the activity is assigned has the statuc AVAC as I have activated the availability control for the project.

I haven't defined any exempt cost element.

The tolerance limit of my budget profile is 100%.

And despite the fact that I'm notifying more hours than the planned hours (more cost) I'm not getting the warning message.

Any idea?

Thanks

[Former Member]

Hi,

Check whether the actual amount posted for activity confirmation is exceeding the budget amount on WBS.

system always check budget availabilty against available budget on that same WBS, not anything regarding planning values.

Reg,

Sam L.

[Former Member]

How many activities do you have under that WBS element?

Try with a single activity under a WBS element.

Also confirm whther you have selected ++ All activity groups in your tolerance limit customisation.