This post will mainly describe how activity based overhead calculation is done in SAP from PP point of view very briefly. This is a very broad area in SAP.
To produce some product you need resources such as Labor, Electricity and Machine etc. Each of this has a cost which should be taken into product cost calculation. This is called Activity Based Costing (ABC).
Let’s take a simple example of knitting a fabric. For this we are using a knitting machine. Let’s assume the only cost relevant here is machine cost other than RM cost. Therefore machine overhead should be absorbed into the product cost.
Firstly knitting machine should be created in SAP as a work center. In the work center we have to maintain some important data relevant to activity based costing.
Knowledge in some concepts used in SAP would be important when creating work center master data.
Defining formulas and Standard Value Key
You will find below three configuration under SPRO –>Production ->Shop Floor Control -> Operations-> Scheduling
Define Formula Parameters
Formula parameters are needed to define formula. SAP has a standard list of parameters.
- I.e.: SAP_08 – This parameter refers to the base quantity of routing.
You may note the field name BMSCH which refers to the base quantity. Similarly SAP_09 has the reference to operation quantity.
Note the origin of the parameter ‘General Operation Value’.
Formula
In this menu option, you can set up formula definitions which can be used in the following areas:
- Capacity planning
- Scheduling
- Costing
In this post we are considering costing formulas.
Here you can create a formula using parameters defined above. We can then link the formula parameters mathematically by using, for example, the following operators:
SAP has a standard set of formulas. We can create new formulas also.
IE:
Standard formula for Production Set Up is SAP002. It has below calculation.
This means,
SAP_02- Machine Time
SAP_09- Operation Quantity
SAP_08- Base Quantity
SAP_11- Number of Splits (this applies when an operation is carried out in different machines at the same time) Read More.
Standard Value Key
What is the use of Standard Value Key?
We can say below resources are needed to produce 1000M of a fabric F.
Labor – 2Hours
Machine- 10 hours
We have to maintaining above standard values in routings. 1000M is the base quantity of routing. Only after you set the relevant SVK in work center you will be able to maintain standard values for those activities in routing.
Standard values for the activities are maintained in routing as below.
Standard Value key consists the cost parameters (i.e.: labor, machine etc.) relevant to the work center.
IE:
SAP1 is a standard value key defined in standard SAP. Below parameters are assigned to this standard value key (SVK).
SAP_01 -Setup
SAP_02 – Machine
SAP_03 – production time
SVK is assigned to work center in Basic Data tab. Then we can maintain standard values for above parameters (i.e.: Set up Time) in routing.
Work Center Formula:
In costing tab we can maintain a work center formula for each activity. For example if we are maintaining formula SAP002 for the activity Machine Time and routing information as below.
Activities Overview in Costing Tab
Example:
Activity types are created from FICO side. Cost for each activity is maintained in KP26 transaction.
Routing Data
Base Quantity -1000M
Machine Time – 2H
Let’s assume for MACHINE activity USD30 /H is the standard cost.
How Target Cost calculation done for a production order of 5000M
SAP02 * SAP09 / SAP08 / SAP11
Parameter Values
SAP_02 | Machine Time | 2H |
SAP_09 | Operation Quantity | 5000M |
SAP_08 | Base Quantity | 1000M |
SAP_11 | Number of Splits | 1 |
2H* 5000M/1000M/1= 10H
10 hours needed for do the production of 10000M.
Cost:
10H*30USD/H = USD300
This is how target cost is calculated for a production order. This may not be the actual cost. Actual cost is calculated using same formula using actual values submitted by user in production order confirmation.
One can analyze the target cost vs. actual cost in the production order cost analysis. Actual cost is based on the values entered by the user during production order confirmation.
Production Order Display > Go to > Cost Analysis
Variance analysis generally done by the management accountant of the company.
See below example.
