Creating Form Reports

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to create a form report

Form Reports

Image showing a table titled Report Painter / CDS-based Report with columns for key figure scheme, plan, actual, and variance. Sections include revenue, net revenue, contribution margins 1, 2, and 3 with various cost breakdowns.

A form determines the content and formal structure of a report list. You can complete a form with a semi-finished report structure, with the definition of additional characteristics and key figures to define the final report.

The content of a form is regarded as fixed and is only changed under exceptional circumstances. This is because, changing a form also changes all the reports that use this form.

It is important to understand the distinction between forms with one axis and forms with two axes. Forms with one axis contain only one dimension, which is either a row or a column. Forms with two axes contain both rows and columns. You can define the forms with one axis and use them as templates to create the forms with two axes. You can use these forms as often as you need them. The type of form you use depends on the type of layout and content you want to display in your reports.

Different Types of Forms

Image showing three types of report configurations: One axis without key figure, One axis with key figure, and Two axes (matrix) displayed with corresponding report layouts containing plan, actual, and variance data.

The different types of forms are as follows:

One axis without a key figure:
You can define either the rows or the columns using characteristics. Choose Basic List to display a blank list with columns.
One axis with a key figure:
You can define either the rows or the columns using characteristics and key figures. Choose Basic List to display a blank list with rows.
Two axes with a key figure:
Define both the rows and the columns using characteristics and key figures. Choose Basic list to display a blank list with both rows and columns. You can decide whether the key figures must appear in the rows or the columns, depending on what you want to report. Characteristics can be displayed in both the rows and the columns.

Note

Forms with two axes and with key figures are the most used forms to define the standard layout of the reports used in the organization.

To create a form, enter a name and the required type of form.

One Axis Without Key figure

Image showing a hierarchical data report flow, starting with a form combining key figures and quarters. It drills down to show detailed lists for divisions like Street Bike and Mountain Bike across multiple quarters.

In a form with one axis and without the key figure, define the columns only. For this purpose, you can indicate the characteristics and characteristic values. You can also define additional columns using a formula, such as Plan - Actual = Variance. The characteristics and values you indicate determine the content of the columns.

You can decide which key figures you want to see, such as revenue and contribution margins. You can also decide which drill-down characteristics you want to analyze when you define the report.

When you execute a report, you obtain a drill-down list with two headers, with each key figure above a group of columns that contains the characteristics that you specified in the form. The individual values of the first drill-down characteristics, Retail and Media industries, are displayed in the rows.

The detail list shows the defined columns by using characteristics in the form definition. The key figures are displayed in the rows. The detail list displays the results of a selected characteristic value.

One Axis With Key Figure

Image depicting a hierarchical data flow chart showing 'Form' with key figures including Revenue, COGS VAR, and COGS FIXED, leading to a 'Report: Drilldown List' for different industries, and a 'Report: Detail List' for Street Bike.

In a form with one axis and with key figures, set the key figures that you want to analyze, such as planned revenue and actual revenue, in the rows of the form. You can also limit the key figures if you specify the characteristics and their values.

When you define the report, only select the drill-down characteristics, such as Industry or Customer. The drill-down list shows the key figures and characteristics from the form in the columns, and the values of the first drill-down characteristics, Retail and Media industries, in the rows.

The detail list contains only one column that shows the selected characteristic value. The key figures are shown in the rows.

It is important to remember that in a form with one axis and with key figures, you can define either the rows or the columns of the form. When you choose Basic List, the system displays a blank list with rows only. It is important to notice that you can tip this form by moving the rows to the columns using the Column Display function.

When you define a form, you define the layout of the detail list. This means that the position of the elements in the form determines their position in the detail list. This is the reason why key figures are shown in the rows by default, in forms with one axis.

Two Axes Matrix

Image showing a report drilldown list with columns for material group, revenue (plan, actual, variance), and CM1 (plan, actual, variance). Finished Goods is highlighted and drilled down into a detailed list below.

In a form with two axes, such as a matrix form, you can define both the rows and columns using characteristics and key figures. The key figures appear in either the rows or the columns of the form. Conversely, you can use characteristics to define both the rows and the columns.

When you define the report, only select the drill-down characteristics, such as Industry and Customer.

You execute the report to obtain a drill-down list with two headers. Each header with key figure, revenue and contribution margin 1 (CM 1) stands above a group of columns. These columns contain the specified characteristics in the form, such as plan, actual, and variance. The individual values of the first drill-down characteristic, the Retail and Media industries, are displayed in the rows.

The detail list shows the columns defined using the characteristics in the form definition. The key figures are displayed in the rows. The detail list displays the results of a selected characteristic value, such as Retail Industry.

It is important to remember that all the different types of forms offer you a number of functions to determine the final layout of your reports, such as colors, number format, line spacing, and text lines.

Form Settings

Image showing a table detailing corporate divisions, sales revenue, and portion in percentage. Divisions include Chemicals, Steel, Automotive, Media, Publishing, and Telecommunications. Total media and overall total highlighted.

The following functions are available when you define a form:

Colors:
The colors function highlights specific elements of the form.
Number format:
The number format function specifies a display factor and the number of decimal points displayed. This function is always applied to a specific column or row when you execute the report to make additional settings for each row or column.
Plus / minus sign reversal:
The plus / minus sign reversal function reverses the signs of a specific column. Using this function, negative values are displayed as positive, and positive values as negative. In the form definition, '-' indicates this function.
Zero suppression:
The zero suppression function hides all the rows with the value 0. In the form definition, 'xxx.xxx.xxx' indicates this function.
Text type:
The text type function allows you to specify whether you want to see the short, medium, or long text of each element in lines or columns.
Column width:
The column width function allows you to change the width of a column.

To use any of these functions, first select the required column and then choose the function.

Create Form Reports

DemoStart Demo

Business Example

Your sales manager wants to use the Sales Control key figure scheme to in a quarterly trend report. The report is to contain data related to the customer and the product. Another sales manager requires a similar report but wants to focus on the divisions and distribution channels. Another department head also requires quarterly information sorted by product and quantities sold.

Create a basic form report in costing-based CO-PA, execute it, and navigate through it. Then, create a more complex form report in costing-based CO-PA, execute it, and navigate through it.

Task 1: Create a Form and Define a Report Using the Form

Most companies draw up quarterly reports. The most efficient way of drawing up these reports is to use form reporting in CO-PA.

Hint

A form is a formal structure of rows and columns that you can use in any number of reports in the same operating concern. A form represents the content and the formal structure of a report. It is a type of template. When you create a report, you must decide if you want to use a form. You do not need a form to define simple reports. It is important to note that if you want to run more complex reports or format the display for official reports, it is a good idea to define a form beforehand.

Task 2: Create a Form for Plan and Actual Reports

Most companies draw up some type of Plan / Actual reports in addition to quarterly reporting.

Create a two-axis form for a to-be-specified time interval. Create this form for company code 1010 for billing documents. Use the key figure scheme Sales Controlling. Define a column for Actual Values and a column for Plan Values with Version 5##. In addition, define two formula columns for the absolute and percentage variance between the actual and plan figures. The form must appear as shown in the following table:

Actual	Plan	Variance	Variance %
...	...	...	...

Result

Also, the key figures you formatted are shaded in yellow. You have completed this exercise.

Summary

Forms determine report content and structure; changes affect all reports using the form.
Define forms with characteristics and key figures for report layout.
Form settings include colors, number format, and zero suppression.
One-axis forms with key figures set key figures in rows.
Two-axis matrix forms define both rows and columns with characteristics.

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