Difference between COPA-PCA

Question

HI Guru's,
What are the major differences between COPA and PCA..
regards
JK

Answer 1

Hi,
this is a pure consulting issue and cannot be dealt within a few sentences.
PCA and COPA can be used simultaneously.
Please have a look on http:// help.sap.com --> ERP (english documentation) --> SAP ERP Central Component --> Financials --> Enterprise Controlling (EC) (for information regarding PCA) or follow the path Controlling (CO) --> Profitability Analysis (COPA) regarding information of COPA.
For a brief comparison between COPA and PCA follow the path:
Enterprise Controlling --> Profitcenter Accounting --> The Concept of Profit Center Accounting --> Role of Profit Center Accounting in the SAP System --> The Distinction Between Profit Center Accounting and Profitability Analysis (CO‑PA):
Profitability Analysis (CO‑PA), like Profit Center Accounting, is another form of profitability accounting. However, it is incorporated in operative cost accounting. That means that the profitability segments in CO‑PA are accounting assignment objects and are thus directly integrated in the flow of data in cost accounting.
In contrast to EC-PCA, where profits are found for areas of responsibility within the company, CO-PA lets you analyze the profitability of different segments of your operative business -- defined according to products, customers, orders, or any combinations or groups of these -- or organizational units, such as company codes or business areas. The aim of CO-PA is to provide the accounting department and decision-makers in sales, marketing, product management and corporate planning with information about the market.
You can define the master data and basic structures in CO‑PA flexibly to meet your company’s specific requirements. By choosing just the objects for evaluation (characteristics) and key figures you require, you can create a company‑specific multidimensional structure for analysis.
Unlike EC‑PCA, CO‑PA lets you use an account‑based or a costing‑based approach. In the costing‑based approach, you can define your own value fields for analysis. In account‑based CO‑PA, the values are represented in accounts.
EC‑PCA and CO‑PA should not be regarded as alternative components. On the contrary, they complement one another and jointly provide you with a flexible and comprehensive profitability accounting tool, allowing you both a market‑oriented viewpoint as well as a responsibility‑ and person‑oriented one.
Best regards,
Andreas