Configuring Properties of Key Figures

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to Configure key figure properties.

Key Figure Properties Configuration

For each key figure there are many settings that affect how it functions and also how it is displayed. These settings are called properties. You set the properties in the Query Designer.

Properties are organized across three tabs: General, Conversion, and Calculations.

You can also double-click the key figure in the query, or right-click it and choose Edit from its context menu, to open the Edit Selection screen or the Edit Formula screen.

Note

Many properties are already set by SAP but you can overwrite the standard settings. To do this, you must activate manual input or selection for the settings by using the Pencil icon.

If you want to return to the SAP default value, choose the Pencil icon. The system displays the default settings as non-input-ready fields.

To maintain the properties of multiple key figures simultaneously, select all the key figures that you want to include using CTRL + click. The Properties pane will display the properties.

If there are any conflicts between the properties of different key figures - for example, one key figure has a long description whereas another key figure has a short description, you will see the message <multiple values>. In this case, select the individual key figures to view their respective properties.

General Properties

On the General tab, you can display the properties of the key figure and make changes to the values.

General

This area displays the technical name and the description.

The description originates from the global key figure definition, but you can overwrite it for your query to use a more meaningful name. The description found here is always used in the query result.

Display

Under Display As, you can specify whether and how the key figure values of the selection are displayed. You can choose from the options created for the key figure in InfoObject maintenance. The following table provides an overview of the possible display options:

Display Types

Display Type

Description

Hide

If you choose Always Show, the key figure is always visible.

If you choose Always Hide, the key figure is always hidden in the executed report.

If you choose Hide (Can be Shown), the key figure is initially hidden in the executed report but can be displayed again from within the report. You can use this setting to ensure that only information that is necessary is displayed in the start view for the report. If required, you can also show additional details.

Highlight

You can choose whether to show the key figure using Normal Display or Highlighted Display.

Number of Decimal Places

You can specify the number of decimal places. Numbers can have any number of decimal places from zero up to nine decimal places (0, 0.0, 0.00 ... to 0.000000000).

Scaling Factor

You can specify a scaling factor between one and one billion.

If you set 1,000, for example, the value 3000 is displayed in the report as 3.

Change Sign

Specify whether you want to keep the signs (Keep +/- Sign) or reverse the signs (Reverse Sign).

If you choose Reverse Sign, a positive number is given a minus sign (85 becomes -85, for example) and a negative number is given a plus sign (-38 becomes +38, for example).

Note that reserve sign is purely a display function. If the key figure is added to a formula, for example, it is calculated with its correct values.

Node Status

If you have arranged the structure elements in hierarchical way, you can specify how the node is displayed in the structure: (expanded) or (collapsed). This property applies to the executed query and is unaffected by the status of the node in query definition.

Conversions

On the Conversion tab, you can configure various settings for converting currencies and units.

Currency Translation

Here, you can select a currency translation type and a target currency for a structural component.

You can choose from the currency translation types that you created in your BW system. Choose SAP Menu → Modeling → Object Maintenance → Currency Translation Types (transaction RSCUR).

Unit Conversion

Here, you can select a unit conversion type and a target unit for a structural component.

You can choose from the unit conversion types that you created in your BW system. Choose SAP Menu → Modeling → Object Maintenance → Unit Conversion Types (transaction RSUOM).

Calculations

On the Calculations tab, you can configure local calculation settings for a formula or a key figure. Local calculations are performed (on the client) on the result set provided by your BW system. This allows you to recalculate results or single values from a report based on specific criteria. On the Calculations screen, you can specify for a structure component which rules are used to recalculate result rows and/or single values, and in which direction the calculations are performed. For example, you can create ranking lists or calculate the total of a top ten product list.

Note the following features:

  • Local calculations only work on the displayed data. This means that local calculations only change how the values are displayed. For any subsequent calculations (such as formulas), the system uses the original values calculated by the BW system and not the display values changed by the local calculations.

  • Local calculations cannot be applied to hierarchies.

  • If you are processing large result sets, local calculations can take significantly more time to perform.

Note

For performance reasons, we recommend that you work with exception aggregation and calculated key figures. This is because all the operations executed on the server can be processed significantly faster (especially when using the SAP HANA database).

Local Calculations

Calculate Result As

Choose a method by which the results are calculated, such as average, count, minimum, or maximum. Summation to ensure that the results are recalculated at query level when a condition has been applied. Otherwise, the result will not be the sum of the result rows displayed, but will include rows that have been excluded by the condition.

Calculate Single Values As

Set the calculation behavior of single values.

Also Apply to Results

Set the results to follow the calculation behavior of single values.

Cumulated

Set the results to calculate over a series of values.

Calculation Direction

Choose whether the calculation is performed in the rows or columns, depending on your layout and the calculation methods you have chosen.

How to Define Properties of Key Figures

In the following video, you can explore key figure properties in a BW Query.

How to Define Business Scenario using Key Figure Properties

The following video presents a small business scenario realized with key figure properties.

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