After publication of my quick tip article (“Maintain Assets Centrally by Integrating SAP ERP HCM and FI-AA”) I received questions from many readers asking me to present a detailed approach about how to link Financial Asset Accounting (FI-AA) integration with SAP ERP HCM processes, thereby streamlining the assignment of assets to employees. This article is a direct result of these requests for more information on this topic.

I show you how to configure your system for:  

• Requirement A: Modifying the SAP ERP HCM processes defined in the system
• Requirement B: Integrating the asset assignment and unassignment to employees
• Requirement C: Addressing some complex processes, such as bonded assets concepts

Here are the prerequisites for implementing this solution:

• A fully configured SAP ERP HCM system with the personnel administration module
• Fully defined assets in asset accounting tables
• SAP ERP HCM integration with FI-AA

In addition, here are the configuration requirements for each of the following scenarios. To address these requirements you need to redefine or change the respective processes in SAP ERP HCM actions as defined in the PA40 screen. The following processes need to be modified in actions:

• Hiring
• Transfers
• Leaving and termination

I am not going into detail about these configuration steps for defining these actions as that is covered in Sanjiv Agarwal’s article, “Improve Maintenance of Your PA30 Records: Leave a Trace.”

Requirement A

In the first example scenario, organization A has already streamlined the HR personnel assets assigned to employees by integrating SAP ERP HCM with FI-AA, and now the company wants to align its HR hiring process and its FI asset assignment process. The organization also wants to align its bonded assets process with any government regulations, as well as streamline the process to save time and be more efficient.

Let me explain this requirement in detail. Organization A assigns the following assets to employees at the time of hiring:

• A work laptop
• A corporate credit card
• A security device to allow secured log-in into the organization portal

Now organization A wants these assets to be included in the assignment during hiring. Here I am going to show and explain how the addition of infotype 0040 (objects on loan) in the above three processes achieves the requirements and how to utilize this additional infotype for aligning the personnel assets assigned.

In Figure 1, all the relevant HR actions that are applicable for your organization are captured in this screen. I am going to redefine these personnel actions: hire, organization change, and voluntary separation.

Figure 1

Actions in my SAP ERP HCM system

The information group for the action hire is U1 and the following infotypes are configured for the hiring action. The menu path for the configuration setting is Personnel management > Personnel administration > Customizing procedures > Define Infogroups > Info group.

Figure 2 shows the existing set of infotypes.

Figure 2

Existing information group for hiring action

Now I am going to add one more entry to infotype 0040 with the subtypes laptop and credit card (Figure 3). You can add these subtypes by clicking the New Entries button (Figure 2), and then saving your changes by clicking the save icon.

Figure 3

Addition of objects on loan in hiring action

Now the hiring action has the objects on loan infotype with subtypes 06 (laptop) and 07 (credit card). When you run hiring actions, a pop-up screen appears for storing the laptop and credit card information (Figures 4 and 5).

Figure 4

Hiring actions with objects on loan screen

Figure 5

Objects on loan with asset details screen

Requirement B

In the second example scenario, organization B wants to assign some assets only to employees in certain regions. Bonded assets are specific assets that are meant only for use in particular regions. For example, in some countries the government gives special privileges to special economic zones (SEZ) and offers tax benefits or guarantees benefits, such as an uninterrupted power supply, to large employers who offer more job opportunities to locals. In such cases, the government also regulates the use of such assets, and assets belonging to SEZ are not permitted to be used in any other region. Violations of these regulations can lead to legal penalties and fines for non-compliant companies.

To ensure that the above-mentioned restrictions and rules are followed, organizations need to create a unique way to handle these assets, and to hand back assets to the SEZ in charge when the select employees move out of the special zone due to a transfer or termination.

For requirement B, you need to add the required infotypes in the organization change actions infotype (Figure 6). The menu path is same as above (i.e., Personnel management > Personnel administration > Customizing procedures > Define Infogroups > Info group) and the info group is U3.

Figure 6

Action organization change with the addition of objects on loan with display mode

When you run the organization change actions for transfers in transaction code PA 40, the system pops up a screen display with the object on loan.

Figure 7

Organization change with display objects on the loan screen

As an HR administrator, you can review this screen, and if any bonded assets are assigned, you can arrange for the proper handover of the assets to the location in charge. If the assets are non-bonded assets, then you can proceed further in the transfer action.

Requirement C

In this scenario, organization C has already streamlined the HR personnel assets assigned to employees by integrating SAP ERP HCM with FI-AA, but now it wants to align its HR termination or leaving process and asset unassignment process.

For requirement C, you need to add the required infotypes in the voluntary separation actions. Follow the same menu path (i.e., Personnel management > Personnel administration > Customizing procedures > Define Infogroups > Info group), and the info group is Z8 (Figure 8).

Figure 8

Voluntary separation with the addition of objects on loan

Figure 9 shows the voluntary separation action pop-up screen.

Figure 9

The delimit screen pop-up screen during a voluntary separation action

In Figure 9, click the delimit icon  to delimit the asset type; this results in the screen shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10

The delimited screen of the object on loan subtype (laptop)

Figure 10 shows the delimited screen of the asset, which confirms that the asset was handed back to the organization on October 3, 2010.

Asset Allocation Check

By implementing the HR and FI-AA integration, HR administrators also gain the benefit of this integration and asset allocation check facility. The system automatically keeps track of assets that are assigned to employees (i.e., the system doesn’t allow the administrator to mistakenly assign an already assigned asset to another employee). However, the same concept of time constraint applies here as well. The same asset can be assigned to two different employees at different periods but not in the same time period.

As an example, let’s see how the system behaves if you try to assign the already assigned asset to a different employee. This test can be done using transaction code PA30, Maintain HR Master Data. In this test example, choose one employee and select infotype 0040 and subtype 06 > Laptop (Figure 11), and click the create icon  (Figure 12).

Figure 11

Maintaining HR master data

Figure 12

Maintain HR master data (infotype 0040) subtype 06 (maintain view)

In the screen of Figure 12, notice that the system doesn’t allow the asset (30001) to be assigned to personnel number 1000026, and it alerts the user that there is an already existing assignment.

Raghavendran Parthasarathy

Raghavendran Parthasarathy works for Hexaware Technologies as a Principal Consultant,where he manages SAP solution design for customers across the globe. He has worked in SAP ERP HCM for over 14 years in various capacities, including payroll projects in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia/Pacific. In addition to payroll, Raghavendran has experience in negative time management, personnel administration, and recruitment. He has also been a part of portal implementations. Currently, he is involved with cloud-based HCM applications such as SAP SuccessFactors and Workday.

You may contact the author at raghs99@yahoo.com.

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