Reporting Rules : Group Reporting 3

How to Create Reporting Rules in SAP Financial Reporting

Creating effective reporting rules is essential for accurate financial reporting in SAP. The Reporting Rules app (App ID = FINCS_RRULE) allows users to define reporting rule variants that facilitate flexible data selection and aggregation in reports. This guide will walk you through the steps to create and manage reporting rules effectively.

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Create a Reporting Rule Variant

Procedure:

• Open the Define Reporting Rules app.
• Enter the desired Reporting Rule Variant name.
• Specify the Consolidation Chart of Accounts (COA) and select the Reporting Item Hierarchy to establish the context for your rules.

Note: You can define reporting rules for reporting items not included in the selected hierarchy. These items will appear under a node labeled Not Assigned Reporting Item(s) in reports.

Actions:

• Select Create for a new variant or Copy to replicate an existing one (e.g., SAP-delivered variant Y10). When copying, enter the new variant name in the Copy Reporting Rule ID window.

2. Enter Description and Select FS Item Criteria

• Provide a description for your variant in the Description field.
• Add reporting items individually, assigning one of the following FS item selection criteria to each:
  • Range of FS Items using FS Item From and FS Item To.
  • FS Item Attribute Name and FS Item Attribute Value (these are time- and version-dependent).
  • FS Item Hierarchy and Hierarchy Node.

Note: FS item selection criteria are mandatory, while criteria for subitems, document types, and consolidation units are optional.

3. Add Additional Selection Criteria and Adjust Settings

• Optionally, add other selection criteria (e.g., subitems, document types).
• Adjust sign reversal settings in the Rev. Sign column if necessary (mark with an X to reverse the sign of displayed amounts).
• Make any other necessary adjustments, including deleting rows if needed.

Alternative Method: You can also create reporting rules using an offline CSV file. Ensure the CSV follows the specified format and contains the mandatory fields: FS Item From, FS Item To, and FS Item Hierarchy.

4. Save and Replicate Reporting Rules

• Save your changes.
• Select Replicate Reporting Rules to activate your new variant for use in the system. If not replicated, your changes will remain inactive.

5. Maintaining Reporting Rules After Saving

Once reporting rules are saved and replicated, they won't automatically update if changes are made to the underlying FS items or attributes. To register these changes, return to the reporting rule variant and make a minor change (even a dummy one), then save and replicate again.

Example Scenario

Suppose you define rules for a new reporting item, AAA111, with the following settings:

Reporting Item	FS Item From	FS Item To	Consolidation Unit From	Consolidation Unit To	Reverse Sign Indicator
AAA111	111100	111111	U00001	U00001	X

After replicating these rules, the system will aggregate postings from FS items 111100 to 111111, filter for the specified consolidation unit, and reverse the sign of the total amount.

6. Use Reporting Rules in a Statement of Cash Flow

To utilize your reporting rules, access the Group Data Analysis - With Reporting Rules app:

• Select X2 (Statement of Cash Flow) for the Reporting Item Hierarchy.
• Choose your newly created Reporting Rule Variant.
• Set any additional filters needed and click Go.

If the results don't display reporting items, adjust the row dimension by right-clicking the top-left cell, selecting Drilldown, and then Exchange with to choose Reporting Item.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively create and manage reporting rules within SAP, ensuring that your financial reports reflect accurate and comprehensive data. With the flexibility of reporting rules, organizations can meet diverse analytical needs and enhance their decision-making processes.