MB5L report issue after implementation of substitution rule

[prabhu_sundararaman2]

Hi MM folks

We are having issues with MB5L report after implementing an FI substitution rule.

The substitution rule looks at the G/L accounts mapped in OBYC for specified plants & valuation classes for BSX key and replaces them with a different set of G/L accounts. As a result, stock postings for goods receipts for purchase order happen to the new set of G/L accounts maintained in the substitution rule.

However, when we run MB5L to check inventory balances, it picks up the G/L accounts maintained in OBYC and shows the inventory values as per actual postings under the MM stocks column and zero values under the FI stocks column. The expectation is that MB5L should only report the stocks as per actual stocks posted under the new G/L accounts.

Is there an SAP Note available to fix the issue with MB5L report ? If not, is there an alternate report to MB5L that will display the MM & FI balances as per actual postings ?

Please advise

Regards

Prabhu

[DominikTylczyn]

Hi prabhu.sundararaman2

It seams uncommon to use P/L account to post inventories. However I'm not a FI guy and there might be a business rationale which I don't understand.

If you have a note for S/4 1610 that resolves the issue, you could've used it to solve the issue after the upgrade. If the note can't be applied to S/4 1909, why don't you rise the issue with SAP support?

BTW, what is the note number?

Cheers

Dominik Tylczynski

[DominikTylczyn]

Hello prabhu.sundararaman2

MB5L works perfectly well - it compares stock values MM vs FI. The stock account (operation BSX) are derived according to OBYC logic. MB5L has no way of knowing that you've tricked the system and changed stock posting accounts with FI substitution.

You should have never ever tempered BSX stock accounts with FI substitution in the first place!!! Data consistency between MM and FI is absolutely vital from any point of view: be it end-user perspective, management view or legal requirements. Now you have no way of proving that your FI data is correct as it doesn't reflect stock values posted in MM. MB5L clearly shows that FI doesn't agree with MM. I wonder what your auditor is going to say?

I'd suggest to get back things to standard ASAP. It's remove BSX stock account substitution, derive BSX accounts determination with OBYC logic only and align FI stock account balances with MM stock values so MB5L shows them in sync.

Trust me, I was working for a company as ingenious. They used to change valuation classes directly in MBEW table - you know: when a user put a wrong valuation class and the system didn't allow to change it in MM02 after stock posting, they just forced the change directly in DB. They played with the system in a similar way as your BSX stock account substitution. It took us some time to get FI and MM consistent again but it's doable.

Best regards

Dominik Tylczynski

[prabhu_sundararaman2]

Hi Dominic

Thank you very much for your response.

The reason for implementing substitution rule is business requirement to use a P&L account for purchase of spare parts stock, which is specific to certain valuation classes. But when we mapped P&L account in OBYC for BSX key, we got error message "G/L account XXXX not a balance sheet a/c". We had resolved the error in our older system (S/4HANA 1610) by implementing an SAP note. However, after we upgraded our system to S/4HANA 1909, SAP does not allow to implement the note. Therefore, we had to go for subsitution rule, as we could find any other option.

Is there any other option available ? Our requirement is use P&L accounts for stock for specific valuation classes and company codes, during GR & GI. To be specific, we are looking at specified set of materials belonging to identified valuation classes for which we need to use P&L account instead of balance sheet a/c during GR & GI.

[sanilbhandari]

Hello prabhu.sundararaman2

The architecture of logistics posting specifically inventory and the GL posting from financial accounting is completely different. One should not change the GL Determination using substitution rules for inventory related postings. If you have to implement any business requirement, it should also be triggered in the starting application in this case inventory management (MM) and not Financial Posting (FI). There are specific tools like split valuation or new material types etc to allow multiple GL Accounts. I do not know why you need an alternative GL Account from the one assigned against BSX.

I can only tell you that it is not easy to correct this changes. You will have to debug and see at which point the system is reading the GL Account assigned to BSX and than see if there is an enhancement possibility to check if the GL has been substituted and bring that GL Account. This is going to be one hell of a nasty design.

You should stop the substitution through FI and look at other alternatives that the changes for alternative GL Account are triggered from MM and not through substitution in FI

Thanks & Regards

Sanil Bhandari

[prabhu_sundararaman2]

Hi Sanil,

Thank you very much for your response.

The reason for implementing substitution rule is business requirement to use a P&L account for purchase of spare parts stock, which is specific to certain valuation classes.But when we mapped P&L account in OBYC for BSX key, we got error message "G/L account XXXX not a balance sheet a/c". We had resolved the error in our existing S/4HANA 1610 system by implementing an SAP note. However, after we upgraded our system to S/4HANA 1909, SAP does not allow to implement the note. Therefore, we had to go for subsitution rule, as we could find any other option.

Is there any other option available ? Our requirement is replace the stock accounts under BSX key for specific valuation classes and company codes, during GR & GI. To be specific, we are looking at specific list of materials for which we need to use P&L account instead of balance sheet a/c during GR & GI.

Regards

Prabhu

[sanilbhandari]

Hello prabhu.sundararaman2

If you would want to charge a P&L during GR or GI, than you need to define the process correctly. Eg, you are consuming a service, which should be charged to an expense P&L Account, you would do an SRS rather than a goods receipt on the same. Why would you assign a P&L Account to BSX. If it is an expense, it would be a service related posting and not exactly Good Receipt.

Thanks & Regards

Sanil