I appreciate that ALG developed Profitability and Cost Management, and they apparently were unaware of
or did not consider that SAP ERP uses more than a single controlling object of a cost center; specifically
internal order, WBS element, real estate object, etc.
My question is how are these other controlling objects best treated in PCM?
For example,
I have a planned trade show internal order to showcase my companies products
in Berlin to European retailers. I have planned travel costs, display costs,
space rental costs on this internal order.
Normally, I would settle this internal order to CO-PA to determine the planned
profitability of my Europen retail customers. Unless I make this order a faux cost center,
I don't see how to model it in PCM.
If I exclude this order, then the profitability resulting in PCM is suspect --
leaving out a major chunk of customer specific marketing expense.
Or is the process to settle the planned internal order cost to CO-PA, but
transfer the planned costs from PCM back into CO-PA, which would have the
benefit of being mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive.
Jeff Holdeman hinted at the restrictions imposed by planning in ECC. Yet
without a more comprehensive approach, I am concerned that PCM still
does not represent a complete profitability planning solution.
Bob McGaffic
