How to separate Capex & Opex WBSs

[Former Member]

Hi Gurus,

Please can you knidly share how other companies differentiate between Capex & Opex WBSs?

We normally have some Capex & some Opex WBS under one Project Profile. So we need different validations & user input depending on if it is Capex or Opex WBS.

Ideally, we would have user just choosing between Capex or Opex option & all validations & diffrence in required input to follow.

Currently we use Field Keys for this & later refer to them in a validations. This has lots of disadvantages, so I wonder how other companies do it.

Thank you!

[Paulo_Vitoriano · Accepted solution]

The most visible option would be to use it directly as part of the coding rules.  At certain structure level you can have "C" or "O" as a segment in the coding mask for example.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

& is that possible then to use it in a validations as a reference?

also, can we send attach diferent fields required for user input depending on Capex or Opex?

[Paulo_Vitoriano · Accepted solution]

Any position of the WBS code can be validated, so you can have a formal logic based on such condition.

Just wondering, what would be specific field requirements for CAPEX vs OPEX?

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

thank you:)

we are looking to make Investment program & Investment position a mandatory field for top level Capex (but  top only), also a couple of fields mandatory for all Capex WBSs (to be honest don't understand yet what they are )

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

One option you have at WBS element is choosing Project Type selection- as you wanted to have both CAPEX and OPEX in one project structure.

Ideally speaking, i will never suggest to have both types in project structure rather would like to have to two different project structures.

Responsible Cost Center field can be made as a mandatory feild to provide CTR information.

You can validate Project type for setting up validation.

Thanks,

Sudhakar

[virendra_pal · Accepted solution]

Use of both OPEX and CAPEX is supported in standard SAP

Level 1 is to create the single root

Level 2 - first WBS set up for CAPEX

Level 2 - second WBS set up for OPEX

Link the level 2 WBS CAPEX to Investment Management and use investment profile here

This was available from 4.7 onwards and is widely used in various organisations to fulfil the need to have an investment project with some costs that cannot be capitalised

Regards

Virendra

[Paulo_Vitoriano · Accepted solution]

Hi Virenda,

In case you want to generate the project automatically from the Appropriation request, I believe that will pass AR IM program/position to level 1 WBS.  What is your workaround there, - manual or enhancement?

Regards,

Paulo

[virendra_pal · Accepted solution]

I am not aware if the AR converts to project with link only to level 1 as a default - will need to check the system, but if that is the case then yes I would go for enhancement

I always not recommend to use AR conversion to project, but created new projects using templates once AR was approved.

regards

virendra

[Paulo_Vitoriano · Accepted solution]

You can use a template also inside an AR to generate a project structure.  If you have an AR flow with approval I'd rather close any manual option for project creation other than through AR.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Virendra,

please can you advise how do I make this link between Level 2 Capex WBS & Investment profile automatic for user?

I need users to specify somehow that they create Capex WBS now, so that Investment profile then gets attached automatically...

[Paulo_Vitoriano · Accepted solution]

You can use a substitution to populate IM profile based on certain criteria, for example, based on WBS code and/or Level.

[virendra_pal · Accepted solution]

yes I would use project type as this also helps auto generation of settlement rule - but basically one option is to use substitution rule based on level, or alternatively preset these in template

regards

virendra

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Paulo, by WBS code you meant WBS number as per code mask?

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Virendra,

my problem is that Project type is already used in my company for some reporting purposes...

do you know if I can add another field & used that for those reporting purposes?

[Paulo_Vitoriano · Accepted solution]

Yes, I call it WBS code and not the WBS number, as usually it is alphanumeric...

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Sorry, Virendra, what AR stands for in this case?:)

(silly question, I guess, but I'm new to the field)

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

It's Appropriation Request.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

hey, Paulo,

but when you define Coding Mask - there are only 2 types of digits:

0-Numeric

X-alfanumeric

meaning users can forget to put C or O in a coding mask - meaning the whole later validation will fail...

how do you make sure the C or O digits are there then?

[Paulo_Vitoriano · Accepted solution]

It is same validation, where you will check that in certain position you have "C" or "P" for example.  "O" is not very good, as always there are people confusing it with zero.

You can have many steps in the validation routine, so these should come first.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thank you!

we actually already have a process & templates suggesting C or R (for revex)

its just there is no validation - so sometimes users omit R/C ...

[Former Member]

Hi,

Apart from above expert's suggestion, I am thinking of using User Defined Field on WBS, you can use PRPS-USR00 (Ufield 1 WBS element) i.e user defined field. You can input there Capex or Opex and from this field filter, you can separate Capex and Opex WBS.

Also you can make validation on them.

If user field is not displaying in WBS, just execute tranx OPUK and make PRPS-USR00 as input for your Project Profile.

Regards

Shishir

[Paulo_Vitoriano]

Any option that is different from the WBS code will not give any visibility at the time of posting for accounting people, therefore making little sense...

[virendra_pal]

at the time of financial posting there is no visibility anyway

I would also not recommend use of user field as I have already differentiated the WBS by investment profile - maximum I would use project type as this would help me to generate auto settlement rules using BADI

regards

virendra

[Former Member]

Yes, Agree..there is no visibility at time of financial posting. I have suggested an option only a option of differentiating here for reporting purpose.

Anyways normally, we use project type as Our friend Sudhakar suggest, is a good option.

Regards

Shishir

[Paulo_Vitoriano]

Project type is not visible either at the moment of financial postings, and it can be used for other types of classification and reporting purposes.  Unless you have it clearly within WBS code it will always be some guessing and wrong postings by accounting.