Topic overview

Optional dimensions constitute central parts of the controlling. Within controlling, no transaction data are possible without at least one optional dimension. Such dimensions include, for example, cost centers, cost units, projects, customers and 16 other dimensions that you can define yourself in accordance with your expectations and requirements.

You can specify which optional dimensions are used and for which parts of the application they are relevant, individually for your organizational structure, your analysis and controlling objectives. For example, many cost centers and cost units can be defined for different transfer prices, reference quantities, etc., but only maximum 20 optional dimensions in total. You are free to assign names to the optional dimensions that will be used in all other functions as defined here.

For every optional dimension, multiple transfer prices and reference values can be defined that have been saved in the Definition prices and Reference Definition business entities.

For the definition of 20 optional dimensions, the dimension types are needed with which the behavior of the optional dimensions is controlled.

Integrated Financials and ERP system:

When the integrated Financials is used, the cost centers and cost units of the Financials are foremost. This means that cost centers and cost units can be maintained only via the optional dimensions. The dimension declared as cost center or cost unit is specified by the content of the dimension type. The elements created in such a dimension and visible in the inventory management are created automatically with the same code and description in the inventory management. Both elements are linked via the origin object.

Definition of terms

Optional dimension

The optional dimension term is used as a comprehensive, general, generic term for a range of controlling-relevant terms, such as cost centers, cost units, projects, customers and up to 16 other terms that you can define and create yourself. With optional dimensions, you can divide your data set according to your analysis requirements into desired partial areas. You can specify which organizational units are used and for which parts of the application they are relevant. Up to 20 freely definable dimensions can be created in Comarch Financials Enterprise and can be defined per organizational unit.

Application description

This application is the starting point for creating and processing optional dimensions. For every optional dimension, the postability and plannability must be specified; the specifications can be additionally refined by a time limitation. Furthermore, for every dimension element, you can specify the legacy systems or functions from which postings can be accepted or are not acceptable.

It is possible to define any number of transfer prices and reference quantities for every dimension element. The defined transfer prices can be used, for example, in the case of internal activity allocation for analysis of the hours worked. The reference quantities can be used as distribution key for the allocation invoice.

The application consists of a query pane and a work pane.

Identification pane

Query fields are shown in the identification pane (query pane). Detailed description of fields:

• Dimension type – here you define the dimension to which master and transaction data are transferred. For master data, the dimension defines the specific BO (OptionalDimension01, OptionalDimension02, etc.) to which the data are transferred.
• Optional dimension 01 –
  • Meaning in master data programs: here you define whether the dimension type (number 1 to 20) is initialized with the optional dimension entered here.
  • Meaning in search functions: if only data with a specific dimension should be analyzed, enter the dimension here (applies to dimensions 1 to 20). No indication means that the evaluation is independent of the corresponding dimension.
• Meaning in transaction data: posted with this optional dimension.
• Description – the designation serves as an additional identifier. It may consist of user-defined text. Enter a meaningful and possibly unique name to facilitate easier searches later.

Work pane

The work pane has tables in which the transfer prices, the defined reference quantities and the acceptable origin are displayed. The General, Controlling and Texts tabs contain information on the origin, classification and usability of the optional dimension, or on the postability, plannability and finally, the assigned texts/text groups.

General tab

Here, it is defined, among other things whether the dimension is available for the controlling, the Financial Accounting, the Asset Accounting and/or the ERP. All important fields of this view are described below.

• Usable in controlling – determining whether this dimension is usable in controlling.
• Usable in financial accounting – determining whether this dimension is usable in financial accounting.
• Usable in asset accounting – determining whether this dimension is usable in asset accounting.
• Usable in ERP – determining whether this dimension is usable in ERP.
• Origin – for optional dimensions that were automatically generated (within a generation run) from the information provided by another business object (e.g., customer, supplier, or articles), this indicates the original object.
• Original item – for optional dimensions that were automatically generated (within a generation run) from the information provided by another business object (e.g., customer, supplier, or item), this specifies the original item.
• Classification 1 – here, you can assign the optional dimension to a node of classification 1, provided this classification is used for the dimension type.
  Similarly applies to classifications 2 to 5.

Controlling tab

Here, you can specify the use of dimension types within controlling. All important fields of this view are described below.

• Postable – here you can specify the options Allowed posting. The following settings are available:
  • Postable with restriction (check for valid source areas e.g. financial accounting, from asset accounting, from wage accounting etc.)
• Not postable
  • Only informational cost types (informational cost types are quantities or reference)
  • Without restriction
• Plannable – determining whether the optional dimension is plannable.
  The following settings are available:
  • Plannable
  • Not plannable
• Postable from – from this date, the optional dimension is postable, according to the entry in the field postable.
• Postable until – up to this date, the optional dimension is postable, according to the entry in the field postable.
• Plannable from – from this date, the optional dimension is plannable, according to the information in the field plannable.
• Plannable until – up to this date, the optional dimension is plannable, according to the entry in the field plannable.
• Responsible person – the specified responsible person can be selected in reports.
• Sort criteria – an additional option to control sorting and selection.
  You can enter an individual concept here, which can be used in various places (e.g., in the cockpit) as an additional sorting and selection criterion.
• Type percentage – indicates whether the information in the field percentage relates to fixed costs or variable costs.
  If without splitting is selected, the percentage must be zero.
  The following settings are available:
  • Fix
  • Without splitting
  • Variable
• Percentage – enter a percentage indicating how large the fixed or variable part should be when posting a cost class.

Info texts tab

In this tab, you can specify remarks on this optional dimension in the form of texts that you create yourself. The texts can be also displayed automatically and categorized as Warning or Information. All important table columns of this view are described below.

Transfer prices tab

Here, the prices defined from the Definition prices application are listed for the selected dimension. You can also specify the period of their validity here. All important table columns of this view are described below.

• Price definition – specification of the type of price involved, e.g., tariff per hour, price per square meter, etc. Prices for optional dimensions are created with a price type in each case to make them comparable.
• Price – in this field, specify a price that can be used, for example, for secondary costs.
• Valid from – the price is valid from this date.
• Valid until – the price is valid until this date.

Reference values tab

Here, the reference quantities defined from the Reference definition application are listed for the selected dimension. You can also specify the period of their validity here. All important table columns of this view are described below.

 Valid origin tab

In this tab, the dimension origins are displayed that can be activated and deactivated. All important table columns of this view are described below.

Checks and calculations

In addition to standard checks for correctness of input, the following checks are performed, among other things.

• A dimension without dimension type cannot be
• If the Type percentage field shows the Without splitting value, the percentage must amount to 0.
• With cost centers and cost units, the optional dimension must be usable for ERP and controlling.
• With transfer prices, there can be no two entries with the same optional dimension, price definition, currency and the same Valid from date.

Customizing

The Optional dimensions application does not need any specific settings in Customizing.

Business entities

The following business entity is relevant for the Optional dimensions application.

com.sem.ext.app.fin.controlling.ui.OptionalDimensionMaintenance

Authorizations

Authorizations can be assigned by means of authorization roles as well as through a content-based authorization (by assignment to organizations). The authorization concept is described in the Authorizations technical article.

Special capabilities

The Optional dimensions application has no special capabilities.

Organizational assignments

An organization assignment is not required for the Optional dimensions application.

Special features

The Optional dimensions application has no special features.

Authorizations for business partners

The Optional dimensions application is not released for business partners.

Multi-site

Optional dimensions, transfer prices and reference quantities must be defined for every organizational unit.

The classifications can be saved in different firms / organizational units.