A Practical Guide to Manufacturing Variances in SAP S/4HANA

Book excerpt: Manufacturing companies need to put a large amount of effort into controlling variances in production. The SAP S/4HANA system provides many tools for highlighting and reviewing these variances. In this book, explore the sources of manufacturing order costs and how they interact to generate variances. Look into target cost versions and learn how different views of variances can give each stakeholder a fuller understanding of non-conformance in manufacturing. Review strategies for setting up the reporting tools to give the most actionable information. Learn some tips for analyzing reporting needs and how to keep the information fresh and meaningful. Understand the interaction between manufacturing orders and cost centers in order to see the big picture of manufacturing performance. Look into the period-end tasks required for order settlement and see how that impacts views of variances. Get an overview of the important configuration tasks. Learn about: - How SAP Manufacturing and Controlling modules interact - Sources of target and actual costs used to determine variances - How manufacturing reporting affects cost center accounting - Strategies for interpreting and managing variances in manufacturing