01
CO foundations
FI and CO as different perspectives, controlling areas, versions, and the relationship between cost elements and G/L accounts in S/4HANA.
SAP School + SAP Library
Learn SAP CO. Make sense of costs.
Where do costs arise, who is responsible, and how are they allocated? Understand the controlling logic behind SAP objects or refresh the knowledge you need as a consultant or key user.
For iOS · English & German · 3-day free trial
What is SAP CO?
SAP CO means Controlling. It supports internal cost and performance management. Cost centers, internal orders and profit centers address different questions: which area incurs a cost, which activity needs separate reporting, and where does responsibility for results sit?
Your SAP CO learning path
02
Cost centers
Master data, standard hierarchies and groups. Follow account assignments, repostings and plan/actual reporting.
03
Internal orders and profit centers
Distinguish individual activities from ongoing areas. Learn about order status, settlement and profit center assignments.
04
Allocations and closing
Distribution, assessment and activity allocation. Understand how cycles, activity types and rates work together.
Build knowledge. Keep it fresh.
For beginners and module switchers
Start with the business foundations of costs, cost centers and contribution margins. Then explore the problems that CO objects solve in the system.
For consultants and key users
Use short lessons to refresh key distinctions: cost center or internal order, distribution or assessment, FI or CO perspective? Quizzes help you check your understanding.
Sample lesson
Experience a lesson from ERP Coach
Adapted excerpt from „Cost Center or Internal Order?“.
The situation
Northwind is planning a bicycle trade fair booth. The cost analyst wants to know afterward what it cost. On cost center 21000 it blurs into the running marketing budget.
What do you think?
How can the trade fair costs be tracked separately?
- A.Create a separate account assignment object with a start and an end
- B.Create a cost center just for the trade fair
- C.Keep posting the costs to cost center 21000
Show answer and explanation
Create a separate account assignment object with a start and an end
A cost center typically represents an ongoing area of responsibility, such as Marketing. An internal order can collect the costs of an individual activity, such as a trade fair, separately. It therefore fits the reporting need in this example. The objects used depend on the controlling design.
This example explains a typical business concept. Specific features and workflows depend on the SAP version, edition and system settings.
The full lesson introduces other order categories and leads into settlement. The CO path also covers order types, master data and reporting.
Continue learning in the appFurther SAP documentation for this example: SAP Learning: Using Overhead Orders
Learning content and editorial adaptation: ERP Coach · BTF Consulting GmbH
SAP Library
Learn in School. Look it up in the Library.
SAP Library complements the lessons with descriptions of CO transactions and Fiori apps, processes, tables and data objects. Look up concepts and workflows even when you are not working through a lesson.
- Transactions & Fiori apps
- Processes
- Tables
- Data objects
SAP Library describes content for FI, CO, MM, SD, PM, IM, PP and HCM. FI, CO, MM and SD have the most extensive coverage. Library coverage is distinct from the availability of complete School learning modules.
The Library covers ECC and S/4HANA. Choose the system view that fits your use case.
Connect knowledge across modules
A posting may affect both the FI and CO perspectives. Account assignments in procurement also connect MM with CO. The learning paths help you understand these boundaries beyond your own module.
Learn together at work
Training several employees? The Teams offer bundles licenses for using SAP School and SAP Library across your team.
Explore the Teams offerQuestions about learning SAP CO
Is SAP CO only useful for controllers?
No. Consultants and key users also benefit from understanding account assignments, areas of responsibility and allocations. SAP School starts with the underlying business context.
How do cost centers and internal orders differ?
A cost center typically represents an ongoing area of responsibility. An internal order can collect the costs of an individual activity separately. The sample lesson illustrates this with a trade fair.
Which devices and languages does ERP Coach support?
ERP Coach is an iOS app in English and German. See the App Store for current device requirements and subscription prices.
Is ERP Coach an official SAP course?
ERP Coach is an independent learning and reference product by BTF Consulting GmbH. It is not endorsed or sponsored by SAP SE.
For iOS · English & German · 3-day free trial