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Travelmanagementconfigurationsteps
Travelmanagementconfigurationsteps
An employee can make his/her own travel arrangements. All of the expenses claimed are verified against
the travel policy of the company. If the employee enters travel data in connection with the Cross-
Application Time Sheet (CATS), data such as trip dates and cost assignment are pre-populated.
a. Number Ranges for Trip Numbers - define number ranges and number range intervals for assigning trip
numbers. You do so for each personnel area individually. In the case of the settings you make in this activity
for internal number assignment, the system automatically assigns the trip numbers within the defined
interval.
b. Number Ranges for Posting Runs - Posting Travel Costs- TR is the run type for posting run.
- Country grouping for the wage types recorded in the expense types
- Trip currency in which the trip costs are reimbursed
- Settings for the input tax
- Methods for converting the receipt currencies to the trip currency
The Input tax default value for internat. receipts is set to Set acc. to trip destination.(Default value for
input tax = blank)
2. Enterprise-Specific Trip Type - Within Travel Expenses, you can use the enterprise-specific trip type to
classify employees trips according to enterprise-specific criteria (such as trips between plants or private
stopovers).
3. Trip Activity Type (Travel Expenses Accounting) - Since most enterprises use the reason for the trip (for
example, education and training, other reasons) for evaluations, different trip activity types can be defined
(e.g.: A = Education and training, K = Customer visit and S = Other reasons). However, for this scenario only
one trip activity type is defined.
4. Trip Activity Types (Travel Planning) - Since most enterprises use the reason for the trip (for example,
education and training, other reasons) for evaluations, the following trip activity types have been defined: A
= Education and training, K = Customer visit and S = Other reasons. So that the assignment can be made in
the travel request (travel manager), these activity types were assigned to travel planning Customizing as
well.
5. Travel Expense Types for Individual Receipts - In Travel Expenses, individual statements for travel costs
are created on the basis of receipts. Each receipt is saved in the system with a travel expense type, an
amount and an issue date. The travel expense type MTBZ (car rental, paid) has been added to the standard
system. Travel expense types are valid for all reimbursement groups.
7. Travel Expenses Control (Expert View) - In this IMG activity, you can edit the matrix of accounting
rules. The settings have been paid for the standard DE solution as per the screen print below.
C. Accounting
1. Assign Wage Types to Travel Expense Types for Indiv. Receipt - The results from Travel Expenses are
recorded on the basis of wage types in the table ROT. This means that you must record a wage type for the
tax-exempt part of the settlement amount for each travel expense type.
In the case of travel expense types for per diems, you must record a wage type for both the tax-exempt and
taxable part (additional amounts).
The relevant input tax indicators are determined by the turnover tax law. The standard settings correspond
to current terms and conditions.
The travel expense type MTBZ (car rental, paid) differs from the standard and has been assigned the SAP
standard wage type MJ63 (Trip trav.costs comp.paid
2. Assignment of Wage Type to Symbolic Account - Travel Management enables you to structure the
interface to Financial Accounting flexibly using the so-called initial account assignment. The initial account
assignment determines the posting accounts and controls the accounts side (debits/credits).
For this process, you assign the following data to each wage type that you assigned in the travel expense
types for individual receipts and per diems: A symbolic account expenses, a symbolic account for
Since the standard wage type MJ63 has been assigned to the additional travel expense type MTBZ, and there
is already a suitable symbolic account for this wage type in the standard system, it is not necessary to make
any new entries here.
3. Conversion of Symbolic Account to Expense Account - The incurred trip costs are posted to different
expense accounts, dependent on their travel expense type. The standard chart of accounts is 0001.
The offsetting entry is made in the employees customer/vendor account that is linked to their personnel
number. No provision is made for posting to clearing accounts.
The travel expense type MTBZ (car rental, paid) differs from the standard. It has been assigned using the
symbolic account 130 to the following expense account: Trip costs transport and airfare (recpts/flat rate).
Prerequisites - The appropriate G/L accounts have been created in the standard chart of accounts 0001
(U06_Core_FI).
4. Assign Substitute Cost Center - In the dialog for travel expense data entry, you can enter a cost
assignment specification for trips, stopovers or receipts. At present, only cost centers should be entered as
additional account assignment objects.
The transfer report enables you to substitute non-postable CO objects with the cost center that is currently
valid in Travel Privileges (infotype 0017). If this cost center is not postable either, the system substitutes
the original CO object with a substitute cost center from table TKA3G. The system documents all
substitutions in the trip transfer documents in the posting run. This means you can reassign these
substitutions manually at a later stage.
To ensure that a warning and not an error message is issued when the account assignment is checked, the
cost center 1104 has been defined in table TKA3G. When you create the posting run, ensure the Replace
incorrect CO object field is active.
D. Legal Requirements
1. Travel Flat Rates - The reimbursement amounts for business trips are in line with tax regulations. An
alternative travel flat rate is reimbursed for trips between plants (enterprise-specific trip type W).
Separate expenses records have been created for the enterprise-specific trip type W.
You can enter the alternative amounts for the flat rates in the maintenance view V_T706F (accessible using
transaction SM31).
2. Influence of Control Parameters: Accommodation - Since the defined enterprise-specific trip types and
trip activity types do not influence the reimbursement amounts, they are not considered when you access
the related Customizing table (T706U).
3. Influence of Control Parameters: Meals - Since the defined enterprise-specific trip types and trip
activity types do not influence the reimbursement amounts, they are not considered when you access the
related Customizing table (T706V).
E. Integration
1. Activate Request/Plan/Expense Report in Travel Manager - In order to use the Travel Manager
(transaction TRIP) for inputting travel expenses, you must activate the components for editing travel
requests and travel expense reports.
2. Deactivate Integration of Travel Planning - Travel Expenses - Since only the Travel Expenses
component is in use, the integration of Travel Planning to Travel Expenses is deactivated.
3.Assign Trip Activity Types - The integration of travel planning with travel expenses covers all entry
transactions of both, as well as basic settings for the travel manager (transaction TRIP).
For the trip provision variant, only the following components of the travel manager (transaction TRIP) are
active:
Create travel request
Create travel expense
The assignment trip schema travel plan type is required for the transfer of the travel request into travel
expenses.
Travel management can process pre-trip approval, online booking, expenses reporting and data
warehousing, with process optimization it can help a business reduce indirect travel costs as well as
lower travel agency transaction fees. Travel management from one place can help with the initial
request through planning and online booking, to the submission and settlement of travel expenses.
The application can be synchronized with the booking information of the leading reservation systems,
you can easily enforce your travel policy, optimize purchasing agreements or rates, evaluate travel
expenses and perform cost planning and forecasting, the application can use multiple languages and
has pre-defined country support to meet any legal requirements.
You can access the Travel Manager or Travel Expenses wizards via the transaction codes below
The process flow covers the requesting and planning of a trip, accounting the travel expenses and
taxation (payroll accounting), posting of the travel expenses (FI accounting) and clearing (controlling
or Funds management) according to the allocation-by-cause principle, there are 11 steps
1. The person submits a travel request (TR) to his/her manager, the TR will contain destination,
dates, purpose of the trip, the transportation, any accommodations, travel advance and the
estimate for the entire trip
2. The manage will either approve or reject it (alterations can then be made)
3. The TR is then requested and approved, the traveler can then make use of several payment
options, including cash payment, check, bank transfer for payment of the travel advance
amount, the paid amounts are forwarded for posting to financial accounting.
4. Once the TR has been approved the traveler determines the available travel services such as
flight, hotel, train, etc, and books them using the SAP system, the reservation is made in an
external reservation system that is connected to the SAP system.
5. When the traveler has recorded the travel plan (TP) the booking code (PNR) is entered in the
processing queue of the travel agency, the agency confirms the details and makes any changes
necessary which are sent back to the SAP system
6. The TP is also transferred to the appropriate manager for approval, once approved the tickets
are then sent to the traveler
7. Once the trip has been completed the traveler completes the travel expense report, with any
supporting information, receipts, the company will then perform some checks to make sure
that is meets company travel regulations
8. The report is then sent to an appropriate manage for approval, once approved it can be settled
9. The system determines the travel expense result which may include the amount for
reimbursement for the trip, the system prepares the travel expense results to suit the method of
payment chosen by the traveler and makes it available to the corresponding components (FI,
CO, Payroll, etc)
10. The traveler is now paid back any reimbursements through payroll via check, bank transfer
11. The traveler receives a travel expense statement with all the relevant trip details together with
the accounting information
You have multiple choices to setup the travel management into HR and accounting (AC)
The travel management and accounting system can each have a different release status and you can connect to the
existing accounting system, you do not need to distribute travel expenses results to payroll accounting but you do need
to replicate CO receivers with the travel management system to provide correct input help for CO receivers. To create
person related vendors automatically you need to replicate the HR master data in the accounting system via ALE
(Application Link Enabling), as this is posted asynchronously you need to validate the posting run before it is sent to
accounting.
The travel management and payroll system can each have a different release status, you can validate the CO receivers
locally and you do not need to distribute to the CO receivers, however you need to replicate the travel expense results
for payroll accounting via ALE. You can synchronously post travel expense results to accounting, again to create person-
related vendors automatically you need to replicate the HR master data in the accounting system via ALE. You need to
import both the AC and HR support package into the travel management and/or accounting system.
This option has the maximum flexibility because payroll, travel management and accounting are in three different
systems, they can all have release statuses as well. You can also connect to the existing non-SAP accounting and HR
systems, the HR data has to be replicated in travel management system via ALE, you also need to undertake a remote
validation of CO receivers, this setup will call for an asynchronous posting of travel expense results to accounting via
ALE, you will need to validate the posting run before it is sent to accounting.
Before you chose one of the methods above you need to review your company's own travel work flow
and trip-check rules for processing and approving business trips, what other systems you will use, etc.
You also need to decide what processing areas you need to use travel requests or travel planning with
travel expenses or just travel expenses alone, you can even use the travel management independently
from the rest of the SAP application environment as ALE can provide you with any links to earlier
releases.
All trips are assigned a unique number either externally or internally (we have covered number ranges
in multiple sections), we will use the IMG,
Once the personnel areas have been created we can create the number ranges using transaction code
PR10,
Travel Request
The travel request is a unit of information that is submitted by a traveler and then approved by a
manager, you use it to book a trip or for requesting advanced travel payments, from the managers
view it contains all the travel information (trip date and time, destination, reason, estimated cost,
advanced amount required, etc) that is required to approve the trip. Already configured in the systems
In the below screenshot you can see the other travel services that I have configured
grouping ID - for sales office determination that will allow you to assign different users and
employees to different sales offices for booking travel services
code: other service - a category for the travel service
PNR - use if you want to integrate this travel service with a PNR of the reservation system,
you need to implement the BAdI FITP_TRAVEL_PLANNING
field control - select whatever you need and the requirement level
In the configuration screen you can see the list of travel services, by double-clicking on a service you
can see the details of that service
to be approved - you will see the travel request (in the Web DynPro ABAP user interface)
showing the particular travel medium (rental car, hotel, etc) under means of transportation or
types of accommodations as an indicator that the user can set
enter estimated costs - this is similar to the above
type - type has two category accommodation or transportation
category - further categories the type
Travel planning can help with reducing costs since it can be integrated into an external reservation
system, users will be able to view price information, availability, etc. You will need to sign up to this
service to a company that can supply a reservation system, for example Amadeus, SABRE, BIBE,
HRS, Galileo, etc.
Next we need to maintain the identifiers for the sales office, using the IMG,
The next few configuration can all be accessed via the IMG in the below paths
Then we setup the parameters to access the external reservation system, you have to setup a RFC
connection (use transaction code SM59) and then link the RFC to the sales office, use the IMG to
access this configuration
You can maintain additional information relating to travel service providers (flights, hotels, car
rentals), you can maintain specific exceptions from determining the cabin class (for example) for each
of the airline carriers for specific routes, you can use the IMG,
Next we will look at the trip rules and profiles, I will list all the paths from the IMG below, you can
then create a trip rule as per on the right hand screenshot
Next we specify the class rules using transaction code S_AHR_61006688, the class rules with the
trips will be used in the profile later
The travel policy defines a number of specifications for the traveler, it brings together the trip rules
and the class rules, first we need to setup the activity types, which determine who is going to pay for
the trip your company or you can bill to another company, we will use transaction code
S_AHR_61000689 to setup the activity type
Now we can define the travel profile which will bring together the category, trip rules, the class rules
and priority using transaction code S_AHR_61000691,
Then we use transaction code S_AHR_61006705, on the initial screen make sure you select the travel
profile, you are then taken to the change/view screen
Once you have defined the profile it time to assign employees using transaction code
S_AHR_61000669, the TRVCP for travel planning is in a tree-like structure for assigning the
individual employees to the travel profiles
Next we define the groups from the payment methods using the IMG,
Next we assign the payment methods to the payment groups using transaction code
S_AHR_61006706, you can pay by personal credit card, company credit card, cash or invoice
(external companies).
Travel expenses enable you to settle all the travel related costs of a traveler, you can have two models
centralized or decentralized in your company, this helps in checking, processing (receipts) and other
documents centrally, you can use country-specific travel expense functionality as SAP provides you
with the statutory trip regulations and per diem limits stored in specific versions to meet the
requirements of various countries. We now to to configure several settings we start with the master
data using transaction code S_AHR_61009946, on the initial screen you can copy/restore, delete of
define the trip provision variant, this helps to classify the trip provisions based on country-specific
accounting methods, for example 81 - US accounting (M&IE) is used for accounting meals and
incidental expenses while 10 - US accounting (docs) is used in receipt accounting or area of validity
(such as the public sector), basically the variant contains the rules for determine taxes regarding
expenses
SAP already has a number of variants configured, if you don't have them configured then copy them
from client (000)
The global settings which are defined for each of the trip provision variants contain country grouping
of SAP payroll applicable for the wage types
You can also maintain valid entry values for the control parameters for trip costs accounting (vehicle
types, vehicle classes, statutory meals, accommodation reimbursement groups, employee groupings
for travel expense types, and travel management) which can be stored for each employee within
his/her master data in Infotype travel privileges, you can also define the control parameters for travel
privileges 9trip areas, statutory trip types, service provider). Every travel receipt in the system will be
stored with the valid expense type (representing expenses towards meals, telephone charges, mobile
call charges, magazines, taxi fare, etc), you will need to define the required expense type per trip
provision variant that you will be using, you can use transaction code S_AHR_61009843,
Next we can configure the reimbursement amounts for travel costs, accommodation, meals, etc
besides configuring the per diem deductions, we start with defining the miles/km's cumulation (per
trip, yearly cumulation with the period as specified by the employee, etc) which determines when you
need to reimburse a employee for the amount he/her has traveled using there own transportation, this
can also be a flat rate across all vehicle types and classes, we can use transaction code
S_AHR_61010022,
Next we will define and assign the required wage types for each of the expense types, the wage type
is a payroll term that is made up of characteristics that are dependent on the tasks carried out by that
wage type, these characteristics will determine how to process the wage type, we will use transaction
code S_AHR_61006702, SAP comes with many wage types already configured, the first wage type
contains the total receipt amount in a receipt, if you split the meal receipt amount into taxable and
non-table portion, then the first wage type will denote the tax-free portion and the second wage type
will denote the taxable component, you can have only the first wage type.
To transfer the result from travel expense to FI, you need to maintain the connection between wage
types and the G/L accounts in FI through symbolic accounts, you then assign the symbolic account to
the G/L account, this help in that you don't need to change the wage type-symbolic account
assignments when changing the G/L account, we start by using transaction code S_AHR_61006691,
The left hand screenshot details the trip costs postings and expense accounts, the right hand
screenshot determines whether the employee is a vendor or a customer, in this case it is as a vendor,
here we maintain a search entry *KP in the account field for general modification 1RR, for customer
search maintain that entry as *DD.
The EES (Employee Self Service) is a package that allows employees themselves creating, changing
or display their own data using the enterprise portal, you will enable access to employee personal
data, compensation related information, working time including applying and tracking leave, travel
planning and reimbursement of expenses, etc. I will only be giving you a high level introduction on
ESS and will leave you to SAP's document on how to setup ESS. If setup ESS you need to perform
the following
download and install the business package for ESS from SAP
You then need to create the ESS users and provide them with the necessary authorizations to
access ESS, create and assign ESS roles to the employee who will be using ESS
Connect the ESS homepage to the individual business area like working time, compensation
and personal data
Make technical settings including transporting entries in client 000 that will all be handled by
the basis team
Once integrated you will be able to transfer the date (trip specific date, cost distribution, receipts, etc)
from travel plan (for a trip) to the travel expense report that will help in generating the required
expense receipts, we will using the IMG,
You can transfer travel accounting results into payroll accounting, when both travel management and
payroll accounting are on separate systems (connected via ALE) or in the same logical system again
we using the IMG,
You will also need to use transaction code PE01, to enable the transfer you need to include the
schema UREI in the payroll accounting logical system in the country-specific accounting schema
U000( for US accounting), GREI in the payroll accounting logical system in the country-specific
accounting schema G000 (for UK), etc.
As with components of FI there are a number of reports that can be used, I have listed the most
common ones used in the table below,
All the reports can be accessed via the SAP menu as per the below screenshot