Maintaining Asset Master Data

The 3D printer was now put into action. Before Kevin can process the asset in accounting, he must create the master record - but it seems that he made a mistake.

Decide on one of the options below, before joining Kevin's conversation with Lisette to learn the correct answer.

1. Overwrite the selected asset class to continue with the transaction.
2. Delete the saved asset and restart the transaction by selecting the correct asset class.
3. Leave selection as is and restart the transaction by selecting the correct asset class.

In case you opted for the second option, you were on the right track. Well done!

Lisette shows Kevin the fields that need to be maintained when creating an asset master record.

An asterisk* indicates the mandatory fields that must be filled out when entering master data.

Some fields are optional. For example, you can propose the capitalization date. This is considered when the asset is capitalized.

Time-dependent data in the asset master record allows the system to do the following:

• Display the correct account assignments for a given time frame.
• Use the correct account assignments for posting and reporting purposes.
• Store the changes to the account assignments, maintaining detail history.

You can conduct a written dialog with Joule in natural language to create a single asset master record for an asset main number.

In this scenario, only basic data can be populated, and then subsequently, using the Manage Fixed Assets app, you can enter in the additional necessary information.

To begin, open the Joule cockpit. Enter the task you would like Joule to perform, such as "Create a fixed asset".

Joule will respond with the required data needed to complete this task. At a minimum, you must provide the 3 mandatory criteria needed to create an asset. They are:

• Company Code
• Asset Class
• Cost Center

Optionally, you can also list the Asset Description.

If the information you provided is ambiguous or incomplete, Joule asks you to complete or refine the information.

Where possible, Joule returns a proposal list from which you can select a value. For example, you specify you have purchased a computer, and Joule then outputs a value help with the appropriate asset classes.

After you have entered all the required data (that is, company code, asset class, cost center, and asset description), Joule summarizes the input data on a card. You can either confirm the data and have the asset master record created, make adjustments to the data, or discard the data.

Once you have confirmed the input data, Joule creates the asset master record and issues a success message. Joule also provides a navigation link to the newly created asset master record in the Manage Fixed Assets app.

This will give quick access to add the necessary additional information quickly.

Kevin is already facing the next challenge. Let's see what this one is about, by starting the video below.

Below you can see an example of how the maintenance of multiple similar assets would look like in practice.

Kevin can either create a single asset, or several similar assets at the same time. This is possible for main asset numbers as well as for asset sub-numbers. This function is used, for example, if the assets needed only differ in their description.

The bike company buys equipment such as mobile phones, office furniture or office computers in large quantities.

All these assets must be registered by an office accountant in the SAP S/4HANA system before they are distributed to the employees. To track these items, each asset is assigned a specific ID, such as a serial or inventory number, during processing. This task is quite time-consuming. For each asset, an employee must manually assign such an identifier and update the master data manually.

Kevin asks Lisette: Is there another way?

You can replace this manual effort by using automation and having a bot do the work. Once the automation is set up, multiple assets can be entered into the input Excel file. With just one click, the bot automatically updates the asset master data in the SAP S for HANA Cloud system.

Let's see what that looks like in action.

In the Bike Company, often times very large multi-part assets are purchased. This is also the case for the newly acquired 3D printer with a protective enclosure. Kevin wonders how he can best manage complex assets like these.

Would you know how? Take a moment to decide between the two answer options below, before you continue with listening to Lisette's answer.

1. I guess I would need to create a main asset and then manage the components by using different sub-numbers.
2. I guess I would need to create and maintain several assets in the system.

Did you take your time to think about what option makes more sense to you? Let's see what Lisette tells Kevin.

If a fixed asset is made up of many component assets, you can manage these component assets as separate sub-numbers. Doing so may be useful for technical and accounting reasons. You may divide assets by sub-numbers for the following reasons:

• You want to separately manage the values for subsequent acquisitions (buildings, for example) in the following years.
• You want to separately manage the values for individual parts of assets.
• You want to split the asset according to various technical aspects.

Let's take a closer look at multi-part assets like the 3D printer.

-0 always indicates the main asset. The 3D printer can only reference the main number. This means that the invoices for complementary components of the welding machine are posted to this main number. The system then displays the acquisition costs of the entire asset in total.

Additional components are managed separately. However, the assets are linked using the same asset number (20000001). If the asset is to be completely removed from the asset portfolio, for example, by retirement, you can select the asset and its sub-numbers.