Unit 9: Analyses

Lesson 1 · Applying Stock Lists and Document Lists

Key concepts

First decide whether you are interested in movements (Environment › List Displays: material and accounting documents) or in stock situations (Environment › Stock). Some analyses exist only as Fiori apps; most exist both as GUI transaction and as app. Nearly all lists use the SAP List Viewer (ALV): you can save layouts (Settings › Layout / Display variants) and, for some lists such as material documents, stock in transit or stock with subcontractor, switch to a flat detail list (Goto › Detail Lists) that allows exact subtotals per column and totals across units. Each report has program documentation on its selection screen.

Document lists

Stock lists

Customizing for lists (Reporting node)

• Define Stock List Display (OMBG) for MMBE: (1) display version, (2) rules for which stocks appear on which screen/column of the basic list per version, (3) detail screen – which stocks and in what sequence per org. level and special stock.
• Define Field Selection for Material Document List: selection screen indicator adds fields to the MB51 selection screen (e.g. material document number/year); output field indicator controls whether a field is in the field catalog – fewer fields can improve performance.
• Set Up Print Functions for Reporting: extra information printed with the lists; detail list in ALV Grid Control instead of the list viewer.
• Group Movement Types for Stock Lists: movement type groups that can be used as filter in MB5B (e.g. all purchasing-relevant movement types).

System steps

1. Run MB51 for a material and movement type 101; save a layout with the columns you need.
2. Switch to the detail list (Goto › Detail Lists) to produce subtotals.
3. Compare MMBE (one material, all levels) with MB52 (many materials with values).
4. Use MB5B to reconstruct the stock at a past period end.

Configuration (IMG)

Lesson 2 · Applying Periodic Processing

Key concepts

The Periodic Processing menu contains reports used at regular intervals to keep stock data clean: analysis of conversion differences, list of stock values, stock consistency check and management of held data.

Analysis of conversion differences (MB5U)

All movements are stored in the base unit of measure; entries in alternative units are converted with the factor in the material master. Rounding can leave small residual quantities, especially when metric base units are combined with imperial entry units (or vice versa) or when the base unit is not the smallest unit. The report (selection by posting date, material, plant, special stock, threshold value) totals receipts and issues in entry and base unit and shows the conversion difference; the balance can then be corrected manually.

List of stock values (MB5L)

Shows total stock quantity and value per material at company code and valuation area level together with the stock account used. It can also display balances per company code and G/L account, comparing the G/L balance with the sum of material stock values. Selection: material, company code, valuation area, valuation type, valuation class, G/L account; period current/previous/previous year; scope such as totals only or negative stocks only. From a G/L account line, Environment › Stocks lists all materials in that account.

Without restrictions, each stock account balance should equal the total stock value of its materials. Causes of differences:

• Manual postings to the stock account.
• Other postings than stock postings hit the account – stock accounts should be used only under transaction key BSX; check OBYC.
• The BSX account was changed in live operation without moving the stock out of the old account (562) and into the new one (561).

Because materials cannot be locked while the report runs, concurrent postings may cause temporary differences – run it several times and compare.

Stock consistency check (MB5K)

Checks stock data at valuation area or material level for own stock, valuated sales order stock and project stock:

• Valuation data coherence: price = value / quantity? positive quantity with negative price? negative value although negative stock is not allowed? value ≠ 0 with zero stock?
• Whether the total valuated stock equals the sum of its sub-segments, e.g. split-valuated material header = sum of all valuation types.

Process flow

Lesson 3 · Using Analytical Apps for Inventory Management

Key concepts

Overview pages bundle the most important information for a role on actionable cards. Users can hide cards (user icon › Manage Cards) and rearrange them by drag and drop. The page filter applies to all cards; plant is mandatory and single-value, storage location and material are optional. On list cards the header opens the underlying app and an item opens its detail; on chart cards a click opens the analytical detail.

Further analytical apps

System steps

1. Open Overview Inventory Management, set the mandatory plant filter.
2. Hide a card via Manage Cards and drag another card to the top.
3. Click the Stock Value by Special Stock Type chart to jump into Stock – Multiple Materials.
4. Open Stock – Single Material for one material and drill down from the history micro chart to the material document items.

Unit summary & exam focus

T-codes in this unit

Self-check questions

1. Which list shows reversal documents together with their original documents?
   Answer

   MBSM (cancelled material documents) – only for reversals posted with the Cancel function.
2. Which report gives stock quantity and value at the start and end of a date range?
   Answer

   MB5B Stock for posting date.
3. What is required to use CO09?
   Answer

   A checking group for the availability check in the material master.
4. Name two legitimate reasons for MM/FI differences in MB5L.
   Answer

   Manual postings to stock accounts; non-stock postings to stock accounts (wrong account determination); changed BSX account without 562/561 transfer.
5. Which reports belong to Periodic Processing?
   Answer

   Analysis of conversion differences (MB5U), list of stock values (MB5L), stock consistency check (MB5K) and manage held data.
6. Which filter is mandatory on the inventory overview pages?
   Answer

   Plant – single value.
7. Which analysis identifies materials that could harm cash flow and profitability?
   Answer

   Dead stock analysis.