2 Options for Opening and Closing

Posting Periods More Flexibly

by Manish Dharnidharka, Director, SAP, PwC
April 20, 2011
A company periodically reports profit and loss (P&L)
statements and balance sheets, which are prepared only after
the reporting period is closed so that reported numbers align
with the numbers in the transaction system. The new period is
opened at the right time for the users to record the
transactions in the new period.

One of the many challenges I’ve seen users face is having the
ability to open and close periods by an organizational unit
other than company code — for instance, if there are multiple
divisions within a company code and each division would like
to have control over the open and close periods. I’ll
demonstrate new functionality in SAP ERP Central Component
(SAP ECC) 6.0 that allows you to do this. Additionally, with
the introduction of real-time FI/CO integration, when a CO
document is posted, the corresponding FI document is posted
in real time based on configuration. However, it could be
possible that transaction OB52 is closed for a period and the
CO transaction fails to post. I will explain the new functionality
in enhancement package 4 that can provide improved control
around this issue. 

New Functionality 1: Additional

Flexibility for Real-Time FI/CO
Integration Postings
In standard transaction OB52, there are two intervals (Interval
1 and Interval 2) of from periods and to periods and one
column for the authorization group (Figure 1). Posting periods
in Interval 1 provides the ability to allow posting to only a
limited group of individuals assigned to an authorization group.
Posting periods in Interval 2 is open for all users.

Figure 1

Open and close FI periods in transaction

OB52
With enhancement package 4, SAP has introduced a third
interval of from and to period columns. This provides additional
flexibility for the postings coming from CO as a part of real-
time FI/CO reconciliation.

The standard screen for transaction code OB52 is shown in

Figure 1 and has not changed. For the new functionality, use
transaction code FAGL_EHP4_T001B_COFI or follow menu
path SPRO > Financial Accounting (New) > Financial
Accounting Global Settings (New) > Ledgers > Fiscal Year and
Posting Periods > Posting Periods > Open and Close Posting
Periods.

This brings up the new screen with three intervals (Figure 2).
For the first interval, any user assigned to authorization group
Z001 can post in period 1 and 2 of fiscal year 2011. For the
second interval, all users can only post in period 2. For
Interval 3, real-time FI/CO integration postings are allowed for
periods 1 and 2 of fiscal year 2011. Even though period 1 is
locked for any FI postings, postings generated as a result of
real-time FI/CO reconciliation in period 1 of fiscal year 2011
are allowed based on the settings of Interval 3.

Figure 2

Open and close posting periods with Interval

3

Note
Settings for Interval 3 are valid only for the row with account
type +.

Note
Using this process results in no impact on transaction
OKP1. You can continue to use this transaction as you
already do. For example, transaction OKP1 has a period
that is open and the corresponding FI document is triggered
when making a CO posting. If the FI period is already
closed, the CO document errors out. With the configuration
of real-time FI/CO integration and the new functionality
 shown in this section, you can avoid unnecessary errors.

New Functionality 2: Posting

Control by Additional Account
Assignment Objects
On multiple occasions, I’ve been asked if the SAP system has
functionality to control open and closed periods by dimensions
other than company code and my answer was always no.
Now with the activation of SAP General Ledger, this
functionality exists. Use transaction code
FMGL_PERIOD_CONTROL or follow menu path SPRO >
Financial Accounting (New) > Financial Accounting Global
Settings (New) > Ledgers > Fiscal Year Posting Periods >
Posting Periods > Open and Close Posting Periods According
to G/L Account Assignment Objects.

This feature provides more granular control of postings. As

you can see in Figure 3, additional fields such as profit center,
segment, business area, functional area, and cost center are
available to set posting control on these assignment objects.
Create posting variant 1000 and assign the field Profit Center
(PRCTR) to it. Then save. This produces the screen shown in
Figure 4.

Figure 3

New fields available for posting period

control
 Figure 4

Assign field to the posting period variant

The posting period variant is assigned to the company code.

In addition, in my example I configure additional control at the
profit center level. Select the variant 1000 and double-click
the Permitted Period folder (Figure 4). This produces the
screen in Figure 5, where you can set period control by profit
center.

Figure 5

Assign the interval of the affected account

assignments and periods that are allowed for
the posting

Profit center P3000 is set to post in periods 2 and 3 of fiscal

year 2011, and for profit center P3001 period 2 is closed. Both
of these profit centers are assigned to company code 3900
with posting period variant 1000. Even if the posting period for
company code 3900 is open for period 2, when trying to post
to profit center P3001, the system displays the error message
“Period 02/2011 is not open for Profit Center P3001” (Figure
6). The authorization group works in the same way as that of
standard transaction OB52.
 Figure 6

Error message based on the profit center

period control configured

In the past, I had requirements for having posting period

control by plants. You can design the system so plants and
profit centers have a one-to-one relationship and, based on
the design, posting period control by profit center result in
control by plant. Similar to profit center, based on your
requirement any other dimension from the list in Figure 3 can
be used to for posting period control.