Realignments make it possible to apply changes in customer or material master records, in the SD customer hierarchy, or in CO-PA derivation rules to the data that has already been posted to Profitability Analysis. Following a realignment, only the new assignment is known in the information system and in planning. The characteristic values valid at the time of the original posting can only be analyzed in line item reports. Because the existing profitability segments are changed to adhere to the new assignment, all objects assigned to those profitability segments - such as sales orders or projects - and all existing SAP documents - such as billing documents or FI documents - reflect the new assignment as well. A realignment changes the characteristic values of profitability segments and thereby activate master data changes for all existing data in CO-PA.
Selection Criteria. The selection criteria are a set of characteristics for which characteristic values are specified.
A conversion rule tells the system to do one of the following for each characteristic that can be changed by the realignment program:
Derive characteristic again (default).
Do not change (predefined and unchangeable for the controlling area, company code, business area, sales order, sales order item, and quantity units).
Replace with fixed value (value must also be specified).
Realignment Request: A realignment request consists of a set of selection criteria, a conversion rule, and a description. Realignment requests are based on the concept of change documents. That is, you should have one realignment request per change document for smaller master data changes. Realignment requests cannot be carried out directly.
Realignment Run: A realignment run consists of one or more realignment requests. The realignment run is the executable unit for realignments. Once you have executed a realignment run successfully, you cannot change or repeat it. It is possible to restore the data to the state it had prior to the realignment run. The system stores status information (who executed the run when, final status) as well as a log.
Business Requirements:
Reflect organizational changes in your product, customer or sales organization.
Correct inconsistencies. Example: In the customer master data, a wrong customer group was entered for customer 0815. During posting of a billing document the wrong customer group is derived from the customer master and written to profitability analysis.
Enrich profitability data by information not yet available at the time of the original posting.