UPA & Asset Accounting in S/4HANA (Part 3): New Fixed Asset Master

Blog Series:
UPA & Asset Accounting in S/4HANA (Part 1): Introduction
UPA & Asset Accounting in S/4HANA (Part 2): Fixed Asset Overview

As I mentioned in the last blog (UPA & Asset Accounting in S/4HANA (Part 2): Fixed Asset Overview) SAP has worked on a new fixed asset master record. In that blog I said…

You may not know this but the last meaningful change we had on the master record was tab layouts in R/3 release 4.0b. That was definitely nice to see and brought FI-AA in-line with the other prominent FICO master data records that had it, but that wasn’t a change in functionality. Minimal benefit was had from this feature. In my entire consulting carear (which goes back to 1996 on my first SAP implementation), the only new changes to the asset were the Super Number, tab layouts, and maybe a handful of user exits such as AIST0002. Basically, SAP hasn’t touched the asset master in decades.

All of that is true. Not to be critical but SAP hasn’t pushed out any meaningful changes to FICO master data… ever? The profit center got a Segment field, tab layouts were introduced in R/3 in the middle of its lifecycle… but I can’t recall any new change or new items. G/L Accounts, SKF Groups, profit center groups, etc. haven’t changed much in the past 30 years. I guess that shouldn’t surprise any of us because why should something as fundamental as a G/L account change much?

Now with UPA & Asset Accounting, SAP has rolled out an entirely new fixed asset master. 100% new. New interface, new tables, new configuration, and some new fields (and removal of several old ones).

What isn’t new is that a lot of the same concepts that we had before UPA still exist with UPA. After all, it’s a fixed asset record. It needs a description, a cost center, some depreciation terms, maybe a serial number or tag number, etc. So, a lot of what you currently know will immediately transfer over to this new solution. This should make it easy for both customers to migrate to UPA Fixed Assets and the consultant community to support the solution.

Let’s dive in.

New User Interface

The first thing worth mentioning is naturally the biggest change. All fixed asset master data processing is done through Fiori. There are no SAPGUI based screens or transaction codes to maintain the asset. As a reference, when you login to SAP in a non-UPA system, you’ll see the menu below for master data processing. It has the familiar transactions AS01, AS02, AS06, etc.

But once UPA is activated, the menu has changed. They’ve relabeled the highest node from Asset Accounting to just Assets… and to make it more clear, they’ve appended ‘Parallel Financial Reporting’ to the end of it (not a fan of either change unless CO has done something similar on their end). They’ve also moved the Master Data folder to the top which makes sense. But the biggest change is that there is now just a single ‘transaction’ that lauches the Manage Fixed Assets app in Fiori.

All asset master data processing is now in Fiori and the old transactions redirect to Fiori as well. And before you ask, I haven’t found any backdoors to this. Fiori is the future from here on out and it extends to other areas of the solution other than just the master data maintenance. The only reason I’m showing these SAPGUI screenshots is to draw a comparison between the new UPA solution. SAP’s goal is to eventually get all of the end-user activity in Fiori. At that point, only configuration would be done in SAPGUI. They want endusers to launch the app from directly in the Fiori LaunchPad (FLP) rather than first go to SAPGUI and then the menu below. Again, this is just to draw a comparison

Once the app is launched, it starts the Manage Fixed Assets app. Unlike the entry screens in SAPGUI at AS01/AS02, you don’t merely provide the company code and asset and then view the details of that single record. Instead, like a lot of Fiori apps, the initial screen functions as a report. You can enter in some basic filter parameters at the top and it will provide a list of valid records below it. This is a working worklist of asset records that you can interact with before selecting one and going into a separate more detailed page.

In the above image, note how there are different tabs (highlighted in the first red rectangle). SAP has come up with a new Lifecycle Status concept. It’s not a full 100% Status Management integration but instead their own smaller implementation for FI-AA. From this initial screen you can do the following:

[Create] – This button lets you to immediately create a new asset or sub. It can also trigger the function to create multiple records at once for more repetitive requirements.
[Display Valuation] – After selecting the record, you can branch to it’s valuation display. This is the replacement to the Asset Explorer (AW01/AW01N).
[Post] – This button option displays menu items for the most common asset postings (for the asset selected). Acquisition, retirements, transfers, and miscellaneous postings.
[Delete] – This button only works if the asset has not yet been posted to. Same as before.

This app/screen is now the initial way to interact for just about all direct asset processing.

If you click on the displayed asset record you’ll see the asset itself. Below is an example and aligns with the previous solution in SAPGUI. Most of this doesn’t need an explanation.

New to the solution is a tab for the Ledger assignment. As mentioned in the earlier blogs, the degree to which FI-AA is aligned with the ledgers in the GL has been raised. And this screen shows that… we have the ledger assignment directly on the asset. The asset date information is maintained at a ledger level now. Also, note that the quantity is here too at the ledger level. I’ll cover that in more detail in a separate blog.

The next tab shows the asset’s valuation information. We see the depreciation areas and their ledger assignment as well as the relevant depreciation terms.

Finally, if I select one of the depreciation areas above, the Asset Valuation screen appears. As with the old Asset Explorer, this app shows all of the asset’s aggregate values (balances), postings, depreciation terms, and some other information. It’s the go-to starting point for any asset issue that I’m researching. As highlighted below, note that the currency can be specified to change the key figures displayed in this app. Since we don’t have to track separate depreciation areas for each currency (not sure if I’ve mentioned that or not), any currency defined in the ledger at [FINSC_LEDGER] is available for any area that is assigned to it.

Asset Record Types

One of the biggest changes with UPA Fixed Assets is that we no longer have group assets (either main or sub). There are other ways to link multiple assets together and the math to ensure that a large number of assets depreciated in an identical fashion can be done with other solutions. Group assets had depreciation calculation issues (i.e., complexities) for partial retirements that were very difficult to troubleshoot. As much as I work with them I’m not sad to see them go.

New Table Architecture

Consistent with an entirely new user interface, SAP had to capture all of this asset master information on an entirely new set of tables. As a reference, below is an ER diagram of the old table architecture (fields listed are the primary key of each table).

The tables in green are, in my opinion, the most frequently accessed and useful. The ones in orange are the opposite; they are rarely populated or not used productively. The purple table ANLBZA was delivered with the NewDCP and EA-FIN though it is now in the core S/4HANA solution (regardless of if you are using UPA or not). Lastly, the blue table is new in S/4HANA and stores some values that were previously being tracked on the main asset value table ANLC (not pictured).

ANLA – This is the main asset table that stores every characteristic that isn’t being tracked on another table.
ANLZ – This stores the asset’s assignments to several integrated fields, the most prominent being the cost center, responsible cost center, profit center, segment, plant, and location. This table is also time dependent so that you can store different relationships (ex. asset to plant, asset to cost center) at different points in time. The asset reports will properly pick up on this so that you can run an asset balance report to see the historically accurate relationship.
ANLB – This table is the starting point for all the asset’s assigned depreciation terms such as the depreciation key, useful life, and depreciation start dates. This table is keyed by depreciation area. I marked BDATU in italics because while it is technically in the key of the table, that was for a really old requirement/solution that was never fully built. It’s not possible to specify the ANLB fields in a time-dependent manner in the UI.

The tables that branch out from ANLB are…

ANLBZA – One of the biggest improvements from the NewDCP was the ability to specify depreciation terms on a time-dependent basis. The only issue was that it is limited to the depreciation key, useful life, scramp value amount and scrap value percentage. You can’t change start dates or group asset assignment using this table.
ANLBZW – SAP has the ability to specify a specific base value at the asset level. The base value is one of the 3 key variables in the depreciation calculation so this would seem like a pretty big deal. But I’ve only had to use this once before for a customer that was trying to back-in to a pre-determined depreciation figure based on an external depreciation study. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t use it even in that one case (I’d use FAA_DC_CUSTOMER and a z-table). I don’t think I’ve seen this used at any other customer but reach out to me if you have a story to share.
FAAT_YDDA – SAP used to store some year-specific values related ot the asset master on the main reporting table ANLC. The most prominent was the Expired Useful Life as this value changed year-by-year so it couldn’t be incorporated directly into ANLB on its own. Once SAP released S/4HANA and moved away from ANLC (ANEK, ANEP, etc.) and moved to reporting directly off of the Universal Journal, they had to find a new place for these important fields.

Lastly, the below tables have limited use.

ANLH – Ever wonder where the ‘Asset Main Number Text’ description is stored? It’s not on ANLA, it’s on ANLH. This is only of value in more sophisticated subasset cases. ANLH also tracks the number of subassets created as well as the total number of line items posted to that asset (ANLH-LNRAN). This last field has caused several headaches to customers over the years, particularly in very large group asset scenarios.
ANLU – This table exists in all systems but isn’t populated unless you use the AIST0002 user exit. This lets you add any number of custom fields per your specifications. Single character checkboxes, additional 50 character text labels, or whatever else you need. I use this quite frequently and am a big fan of it.
ANLT – It’s possible to store language-dependent texts on the asset master in a separate table (the main asset description is directly on ANLA since we don’t have a separate text table for the fixed asset). Also, if you use one of the many long text templates on the asset, it will be marked here as well.
ANLV – This stores insurance related information but this has been deprecated in S/4HANA sinc the insurance fields on the master record were already removed. You have to track insurance values in a depreciation area which was the preferred approach anyways.

Now with UPA Fixed Assets, below is an ER diagram of the new table architecture. If you’re familar with how the values were stored previously or are a quick study of what you just read above, you should see a consistent design between the two. There are some additional tables for localization requirements (SAP marks these as ‘global’ GLO tables/fields). I have intentionally left them out of this diagram. Also, you may have to click on the image to see its full size.

FAAT_MD_ROOT

Title: Fixed Asset Master: Root Segment
Purpose: This is the starting point to the asset master though it doesn’t store much information that the user sees. It’s more of an internal table that tracks the asset’s status, completeness level, and AuC indicator.
Replaces: ANLA or n/a

FAAT_MD

Title: Fixed Asset Master: Time Independent Data
Purpose: As with ANLA, this is the main table that stores nearly all asset attributes that aren’t tracked elsewhere.
Replaces: ANLA

FAAT_MD_TDD

Title: Fixed Asset Master: Time Dependent Data
Purpose: This serves the same purpose as ANLZ did. It tracks the asset’s assignment to a large variety of integrated fields (i.e., outside FI-AA) such as cost center, profit center, segment, plant and location.
Replaces: ANLZ

FAAT_MD_LD

Title: Fixed Asset Master: Ledger
Purpose: This stores ledger specific information such as the asset’s capitalization date, deactivation date, revaluation date, and first acquisition date.
Replaces: ANLA posting date fields

FAAT_MD_VAL

Title: Fixed Asset Master: Valuation
Purpose: This table stores several valuation (i.e., depreciation) related fields at the ledger and depreciation area level such as the depreciation start date(s), changeover year and period, index age, last retirement date, current fiscal year and the period scaling (PERFY). Note, that it does not store the depreciation key… just about everything else though.
Replaces: most of ANLB except the depreciation key.

FAAT_MD_VAL_TDD

Title: Fixed Asset Master: Time Dependent Data for Valuation
Purpose: Similar to FAAT_MD_VAL above, this stores depreciation relevant fields but does so on a time-dependent basis. The most notable are the depreciation key, useful life year and period, scrap value(s), multi-shift factor, and shutdown indicator.
Replaces: ANLB, ANLBZA, and some from ANLZ.

FAAT_MD_VAL_YDDA

Title: Fixed Asset Master: Year Dependent Attributes
Purpose: This tracks the asset’s expired UL on a year-by-year basis.
Replaces: ANLB, ANLC, and FAAT_YDDA

New Configuration

SAP has also rearchitected all of the underling configuration to support this. All of the T08* tables for screen layouts and asset views have been replaced. How individual fields were mapped to Field Groups, then Logical Field Groups, then Asset Field Groups has completely changed as well. Even asset classes aren’t stored in ANKA anymore. There might be a holdover or two but I haven’t found it yet. Everything has changed technically but the concepts are still the same.

First for the topic of the asset master, we no longer have screen layouts. They’ve been replaced with Master Data Layouts. New name but the same concept. These are assigned to asset classes and inherited by the asset when its created. SAP delivers several examples but note that the Delivery Class on this table is ‘Customizing, maintenance only by customer, no SAP imports’ so you don’t need to copy these as Z* entries as someone else did in this system. AUC, VEHICLES, LAND, etc. is sufficient.

The detail of a given layout shows familiar specifications. The list of fields is fixed (there is an alternative way to add your own custom fields) but this design is new and slightly better than what we had in the past. First, we don’t have to wade through every single field for a given layout. If you only want to specify settings for 20 fields, then you can remove/delete the field entries from your layout. That’s easier to maintain and administer.

Next, you can maintain the usual field properties with the following values: Invisible, Mandatory, Optional, and Read-Only (i.e., Display). Then you can maintain the Maintenance Level as we did in the past. You can mark the field as only appearing on the main asset or both the main and the sub.

This layout is assigned to the asset class but you can also specify it at the company code level if you need to have different layout requirements for different companies/regions within the same class.

Asset Views have been deprecated. I’m not sure if this will come back or if there is an authorization or Fiori work around that could be used. SAP had a good solution with Views as it let different user groups (Property vs Tax) work with their own data fields witnin the same master record.

Validations/Substitutions/Rules (VSR) have also been deprecated though I’d wager that SAP eventually comes out with a solution here. They already have in the public cloud version.

Tab layouts have been deprecated. The assignment of the fields to the particular tabs in the Fiori app has been defined by SAP and can’t be changed.

Old Fields

Several fields have been deprecated and removed from the asset master. This list below is by no means a complete or thorough review because the more I look, the more fields I find. But here’s a preview of the most prominent fields I’ve noticed so far:

Evaluation Groups 1-5
The AAPM Synchronization between the asset and equipment record.
Manual Net Worth Tax Value
Assessed Value
Supplier Name (but not the Supplier/Vendor)
A lot of leasing fields. Some basic ones have been retained but the old solution for financing leased assets that was previously possible directly from the asset master has been removed. SAP provides a separate solution for IFRS 16 / ASC 842 called Contract Lease Management (CLM).
Vintage Year/Month

There are a few new fields such as a dedicated Legacy Asset Number. I think I’ll re-visit this topic later when I have more time to note the differences because the more I dig, the more differences I see. I would assume (hope) that we’ll get back the equipment-to-asset synchronization at some point but can’t confirm at the moment.

Next Blog

We’ll spend some more time reviewing all of the other Fiori changes with UPA Fixed Assets.