Automatic field copying in SAP FI documents

Entering the Financial document in SAP is not a difficult process, once you learn the transaction. You can do it either via the “classic” way, similar to transaction code FB01, or in a newer “Enjoy” style like transactions codes FB50, FB60 or FB70.

However, there are some routines which everyone wants to avoid: for example, copying of information between the fields.

The most obvious way to accomplish the task of field copying is to create a substitution. It will copy one field into another based on a set of prerequisites.
However, there are some SAP standard field copy rules, which you can use straight away, without any system configuration.

1. Document balance

You entered a document with multiple lines, each of them has a different Debit/Credit sign, and the last line item of the document should bring the balance to zero. Even if your document has as little as 2 line items, it is easier to “auto-balance” the document rather than type the amount manually.

The easy way to do so in SAP FI transactions is to put “*” (asterisk) into the Amount field. Press Enter, and system will automatically calculate the document balance and populate the Amount field with the necessary value. Now, you only need to Simulate or directly Save the document.

2. Document text

You typed in a long descriptive text in the document line item, as much text as 50 characters can allow. Go to the next line item, and it requires a text as well. Do you need to type that text again? No!

Put “+” (plus sign) into the Line Item text field, and the previously entered text will appear there! Remember, you can only copy a text from the previous line item, not the line item before that one.

3. Reference

You want to automatically populate the Reference field of the document. It is usually used for external references. But what if there are no external references? The most obvious case is Sales Invoice document – it is born directly in SAP, there are no external numbers.

Nevertheless, put “*” (asterisk) into the Reference field, and SAP will automatically populate Reference with a 10-digit document number. Of course, this only happens at the moment of document saving.

The most obvious way to use it are with Sales Billing documents, especially if some of your Billing Documents migrate from another system. You populate Reference with the real external number for migrated documents, and with the SAP document number for SAP-originated documents. Then, the Reference field always contains the document number which the customer sees. It can be used for cash allocation, for example. How to achieve this in SAP SD to FI integration? Talk to SAP SD consultants, or ask SAP Expert!

4. Payment document text

You want to have some user-defined text for the invoice on the remittance advice, or on any other payment-document related document that goes to your vendor.

It is easy. Start the line item text in the vendor line item of the invoice document with “*” (asterisk), and the text will come across to the SAP table REGUP, where payment-related information is stored. The field name is REGUP-SGTXT. Of course, your remittance advice or payment file should now extract the content of SGTXT field and place it on the output.

As you can see, SAP has already cared about providing some simplifications of user life. Which methods are in use in your company?