Financial snapshot comparison

Use this function to review progress for a specific project using financial snapshot data.

A snapshot essentially captures an overview of a project on a given date. It’s a real-time top-level overview of a project at a specific point in time. Each extracted snapshot is unique.

This function provides a comprehensive solution for project managers to keep track of the financial status and progress of a project relative to its budgets. You might use it to provide monthly, quarterly, or half-yearly progress figures to the stakeholders.

  • You can use this function to compare one time-captured financial snapshot against the current financial status of the project.
  • You can use this function to compare one time-captured financial snapshot against a different time-captured financial snapshot.

The resulting financial overview comparison offers twin views, one view based on the cost structure and a second view based on the cost types. It reflects the default report specification supplied with your solution, or your customized report specification and applied structured query language (SQL) queries. Additional columns display the difference between the selected values as Variance columns. The difference between the snapshot and the current financial status, or the difference between the two sets of snapshot data.

This function only displays Variance comparison figures for consolidated data. Detailed comparisons are not available.

See also Financial snapshots

Prerequisites

See also Refer to documentation Implementation

Screen management

The Financial snapshot comparison function contains a home section in which you select a "snapshot header" and the comparison data.

The resulting financial overview comparison offers twin views:

  • One view is based on the cost structure.
  • A second view is based on the cost types.

Home

You use this section to set the comparison data. You need to select the "snapshot header" that forms the basis of the comparison. You can then choose to compare the selected snapshot header against a different snapshot header or against the current financial status of the project.

A snapshot header sets the parameters for a financial extraction. It’s a prerequisite to running a snapshot. The snapshot header comprises the project code, the financial view to extract, the unit, and the currency to use each time the data extraction is requested.

You can change the results to display only quantity columns, amount columns, or both time and amount columns. Select the Apply action to confirm.

Block number 1

Project (field OPPNUM)

The project code to analyze.

This field displays the code of the current project code if you accessed this function directly from the project.
Financial view (field SHOWGRP)

The financial view that's linked to an SQL query that's been extracted for the selected snapshot header. The view code was activated in the 388—Financial view miscellaneous table. For example, for an expense view this might display view "10" or a revenue view, this might display view "20".

By default, the 388—Financial view miscellaneous table enables data tracking on selected financial views such as expenses and revenue. The 388 table therefore controls which financial overview data can be displayed.

Project management includes standard, or master SQL queries for both expense and revenue financial overviews. Delivered by default with your solution are master SQL queries for financial views 10 (expenses) and 20 (revenue). You can modify these master SQL queries, or create new SQL queries from scratch to suit your organization, your processes, or your users.
Time unit (field SHOWUOM)
The code that represents the unit of time in which labor is measured for the project or activity.
Currency (field SHOWCUR)
The project currency.
Quantity (field SHOWQTY)
Leave the checkbox selected to display quantity columns in the results. To only display amount columns, clear the checkbox.
Amount (field SHOWAMT)
Leave the checkbox selected to display amount columns in the results. To only display quantity columns, clear the checkbox.
Snapshot N-1 (field KEYEXTN1)
The snapshot code to use to provide the financial basis for the comparison.
Snapshot N-1 date (field SNPDTEN1)
The snapshot extraction date.
Snapshot N (field KEYEXTN)
The snapshot code against which the figures in the Snapshot N-1 snapshot (KEYEXTN1) are compared.
Snapshot N date (field SNPDTEN)
The snapshot extraction date.
Current status (field CURRSIT)

Leave the checkbox selected to compare the figures in the selected base snapshot (Snapshot N-1 field (KEYEXTN1)) with the current actual financial status of the project.

Tab Cost structure

This section displays the complete cost structure associated with the project. The columns are produced by the interpretation of a report specification.

  • The report specification is based on an expense or revenue financial view enabled for data tracking in the 388—Financial view miscellaneous table.
    The columns displayed are defined in the Financial overview structure function (GESPJS).
  • For the content of each column identified in the outline report structure as a Free column (Free column 1-10), the Financial overview queries function (GESPJQ) specifies exactly which data to use in it.

The resulting columns therefore reflect the defined report specification and applied structured query language (SQL) queries for each level of the cost structure for the project.

  • A column heading with the suffix N-1 contains data from the base financial snapshot (Snapshot N-1 field (KEYEXTN1)).
  • A column heading with the suffix N contains data from the current financial status of the project or the selected time-captured financial snapshot (Snapshot N field (KEYEXTN)).
  • A column heading with the suffix Variance contains the difference between the associated N-1 and N column.

The 388—Financial view miscellaneous table controls which financial overview data can be displayed.

Project management includes standard, or master report structures for both expense and revenue financial overviews. Delivered by default with your solution are master report structures for financial views 10 (expenses) and 20 (revenue). You can modify these master report structures or create new report structures from scratch, such as for a view 30, to suit your organization, your processes, or your users.

Grid

Budget code (field OBJCODE)

The cost structure for the project. All levels of the cost structure are displayed as individual lines.

The top, or parent level is used to group and consolidate the sublevels.

The intermediate levels provide the opportunity to consolidate the lower levels to manage costs and track budgets.

The lowest levels, or the levels manually defined as "Chargeable" in the cost structure are considered to be expense items such as a product, expense note, business partner invoice, time records. Each budget line at each chargeable budget level can be assigned to a cost type.

You can expand each parent line to reveal child lines in the hierarchy.
field QTY1N1

The column heading has the suffix N-1. It therefore contains data from the base financial snapshot defined in the Snapshot N-1 field (KEYEXTN1).

This column is displayed if defined in the report specification in the Financial overview structure function (GESPJS) which is based on an expense or revenue financial view enabled for data tracking in the 388—Financial view miscellaneous table.

This column displays figures for the specific budget code.
field QTY1N

The column heading has the suffix N. It therefore contains data from either the current financial status of the project, or the selected time-captured financial snapshot defined in the Snapshot N field (KEYEXTN).

This column is displayed if defined in the report specification in the Financial overview structure function (GESPJS) which is based on an expense or revenue financial view enabled for data tracking in the 388—Financial view miscellaneous table.

This column displays figures for the specific budget code.
field QVAR1
The column heading has the suffix Variance. It therefore contains the difference between the associated N-1 and N column for the specific budget code.

Tab Cost type

This section displays the cost groups and cost types associated with the project.

  • To view all cost groups and cost types associated with the project, select the project level in the Cost structure section.
  • To view the cost groups and individual cost types associated with a particular budget code, select the budget code in the Cost structure section.

The cost groups and cost types are refreshed dynamically to reflect the selected budget code.

As for the Cost structure section, the columns are produced by the interpretation of a report specification based on an expense or revenue financial view enabled for data tracking in the 388—Financial view miscellaneous table.

The resulting columns therefore reflect the defined report specification and applied structured query language (SQL) queries for each level of the cost groups and cost types for the project.

  • A column heading with the suffix N-1 contains data from the base financial snapshot (Snapshot N-1 field (KEYEXTN1)).
  • A column heading with the suffix N contains data from the current financial status of the project or the selected time-captured financial snapshot (Snapshot N field (KEYEXTN)).
  • A column heading with the suffix Variance contains the difference between the associated N-1 and N column.

The 388—Financial view miscellaneous table controls which financial overview data can be displayed.

Grid

field OBJFATHER

The cost groups and cost types for the project.

All levels of the operational structure are displayed as individual lines if the project level in the Cost structure section is selected. Otherwise just the cost groups and individual cost types associated with a particular budget code are displayed, if the budget code in the Cost structure section is selected.

You can expand each parent line to reveal child lines in the hierarchy.
field QTY1N1

The column heading has the suffix N-1. It therefore contains data from the base financial snapshot defined in the Snapshot N-1 field (KEYEXTN1).

The column is displayed if defined in the report specification in the Financial overview structure function (GESPJS) which is based on an expense or revenue financial view enabled for data tracking in the 388—Financial view miscellaneous table.
field QTY1N

The column heading has the suffix N. It therefore contains data from either the current financial status of the project or the selected time-captured financial snapshot defined in the Snapshot N field (KEYEXTN).

The column is displayed if defined in the report specification in the Financial overview structure function (GESPJS) which is based on an expense or revenue financial view enabled for data tracking in the 388—Financial view miscellaneous table.
field QVAR1
The column heading has the suffix Variance. It therefore contains the difference between the associated N-1 and N column for the specific task level or task code.

Specific actions

Apply

Select the Apply action to apply your comparison criteria, and to display or redisplay the project cost and operational structure details, and report comparisons.

Error messages

The only error messages are the generic ones.

Tables used

See also Refer to documentation Implementation