Create aging bucket in BEx - based on date variable

Question

Hi everyone,
I have a report for which we need to create account receivable aging bucket to classify arrears (1>29 / 30>59 / etcu2026).
Our solution overall architecture is the following :
Source System (SAP) >  BW back end...Multiprovider > Super BEx Query > Universe > Webi Report
BW 7.0
BO XI 3.2 SP3.0
In this report, each bucket is defined by the difference between:
-     the Net Due Date (which is the due date of payment of the invoice)
-     and the Current Date (date for which the report is run u2013 can be the date of the day or a date in the past)
We can develop this either in BEx or in Webi, but to avoid potential performance issues in Webi, we take the try to develop this in BEx.
As you can easily imagine, this BEx query will be used for many reportsu2026so not only for this specific report.
What weu2019ve done so far:
1-     We created a variable to prompt the user with the date he wants to run the report for
           - ZTEST is an optional variable, single value, User input, based on characteristic 0CALDAY
2-     We developed RKF in BEx
-     Key Figure restricted by Amount
-     Net Due Date restricted by the variable ZTEST using the between function and an offset (to determine the range)
=> When we save the query we are getting a warning message saying u201CVariable ZTEST for characteristic Net Due Date has been converted to a required entryu201D
Why? (you probably knowu2026) Because my RKF is using a variable with an offsetu2026which automatically turn on my variable as mandatory and no more as optional.
Consequences:
-     In BEx: My variable, which is required to be optional (because we donu2019t have to have this field as mandatory for each and every report running on top of this query) is now mandatory.
-     In Webi: If I use the variable (funnel in webi), my report is working fineu2026but if I donu2019t use it in the webi report, I get an error message saying u201Cvalue required for ZTESTu201D
o     Funnel is configured as optional in the universe designer (so the issue is not coming from here)
=> 2 consequencesu2026same issue
Question: What can we do to keep our bucket logic running in BEx and avoid this variable to become mandatory?
Solutions (potential)
-     Create a custom exit routine to work around this issue u2013 how?
-     Create CKF/Custom exit to create our bucket (using ZTEST as an entry value to determine the range) and then use the created range in our RKF to restrict the amount u2013 how? Not so easyu2026
-     Build the logic in Webi
-     Any other suggestions?
Here we are, any advice would be really appreciated
Thank you guys
Regards
Henri

Answer 1

Hi peeps,
We finally find a solution for this problem! So I can share it with you.
The overall solution is pretty easy to understand.
1st step is to prompt with the user with a 0DATE variable. The date selected becomes a date input for the next step.
The variables is defined as a range [01/01/1900;variable_value)...in order to retrieve the right data set.
2nd step is to use this date to create our aging bucket, dates range.
To do so, we created 4 user exit variables (for each aging bucket).
3rd step is to use these ranges in RKF.
This way you get aging bucket dynamically defined by the user input pretty cool!
Regards
H