SAP BPC Interview Questions

Are you planning to attend an interview for the SAP BPC Developer role but are confused about how to crack that interview also what would be the most probable SAP BPC Interview Questions that the interviewer may ask? Well, you have reached the right place. Tekslate has collected the most frequently asked SAP BPC Interview Questions which are often asked in multiple interviews.

In this article, we will cover the following:

• SAP BPC Interview Questions
• SAP BPC Security Interview Questions

Most frequently asked SAP BPC Interview Questions

When BPC 7.5 NW is available? What about BPC in the consolidation part? What are the key benefits of using SAP BPC with NetWeaver? Can you debug the data manager package? What are the key advantages of using BPC MS? What is the difference between EVGTS and EVANS? What are the options of DRILL THROUGH? What is the Model in SAP BPC? How can you migrate EvDRE reports created by BPC 7.5 Excel to BPC 10.0? What are the two sections in the Custom Menu Template?

SAP BPC Interview Questions

Q1. What is BPC?

Ans: BPC stands for Business Planning and Consolidation.  BPC is used for both Planning and Consolidations, unlike IP, which is used for only planning.

Q2. When BPC 7.5 NW is available?

Ans: The 7.5 version is currently in the ramp-up stage and should be available in a few months. I am not sure of the exact month.

Q3. What are the two versions available for SAP BPC?

Ans:

• Dimension Logic − This can be configured in the BPC system using simple mathematical formulas.
• Business Rules − This allows you to create rules in the BPC system to perform specific functions.
• K2 Script Logic − This is used to perform some specific functions which can’t be achieved using out-of-box functionality to meet the business requirements. You can create K2 script logics to perform certain functions, which can be performed in a standard system.

Q13. What are the system variables?

Ans: %USER% - Returns current SAP Business Objects Planning and Consolidation User %APPSET% - Returns current SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation AppSet (Application Set) %APPLICATION% - Returns current SAP BusinessObjects Planning and Consolidation Application %YEAR% - Returns current calendar year.

Q14. What is the difference between EVGTS and EVANS?

Ans:

EVGTS: The EVGTS (Get value and scale) function retrieves a data value based on the specified members, and scales the value if the scale property is enabled on the dimension. The report templates provided in the sample application set have a scale reference in the Control Panel area of the template.

EVSND: EVANS This Send function references another cell and sends its value to the database when you select Send and Refresh Schedules. The parameters specify the dimensions that identify where the data value is to be sent to the database. EVSND returns the value from the database to the referenced cell. You do not need to add any EVGET functions to the sheet to return values to the cell. Since the values are returned to the referenced cell, BPC sends only the cells that have changed since the last send in the current session. By putting the formula in the EVANS cell and not in the input cells, you decrease the chances of your formulas getting overwritten or erased. To further protect the formulas, you may want to hide the EVSND cells in the input schedule. This function takes members that are not specified from the current view settings.

Q15. What is the difference between DRILLDOWN and DRILL THROUGH?

Ans: Drill down is different than drill through. Drill down is used to drill down on member data within dimensions. You can drill down on members in a worksheet, or you can drill down on charts and graphs. Drill down is conducted within one report in the Excel interface whereas drill through is a 'jump' outside of the Excel Interface.

Q16. What are the options for DRILL THROUGH?

Ans: Jump to any website Jump to a BW query Jump to ECC code.

Q17. What steps are in processing a dimension?

Ans: Processing a dimension will execute the following steps:

• Validate Hierarchy.
• Validate Dimension member formulas.
• Update member data into BW.
• BW Attribute change run.

Q18. What fields will be in the Distribution Template?

Ans: A Distribution Template may contain the following fields:

• BOOK: the title of your distributed book.
• SECTION: denotes the beginning of a section.
• RENAME: report filename, location, and title (can also be for Input Schedules).
• FIXKEY: sets dimension members to the fixed values when generating the report. For example, you can ensure that a report runs for 2008.TOTAL and ACTUAL.
• VARKEYS: lists the dimensions and dimension members that should vary for each report that will get created.

For example, if you want to create a new offline report for each Entity/Cost Center/etc, you would specify that dimension as a Very Key.

Q19. What are the key components in BPC architecture?

Ans:

• Requirement: SAP NetWeaver ABAP 7.3 or 7.31
• Database: Any of the above versions of SAP NetWeaver support.
• Operating System: Any supported version of the SAP NetWeaver system and database engine.

Q20. Which databases are supported by SAP BPC with the NetWeaver version?

Ans: This layer is responsible to store all the data in the database. SAP NW back-end system is responsible to create objects and data stored for the BPC system. NetWeaver supports most of the databases like SQL Server, DB2, Oracle, and many more.

SAP BPC Security Interview Questions

Q21. What is the Model in SAP BPC?

Ans: To meet the Business Planning and Consolidation requirement of an organization, you need to build a model in an environment, which is defined as a collection of several dimensions.

Q22. What is the use of Logic Scripts in SAP BPC?

Ans: Logic Scripts is defined as a set of SQL or MDX programming structures to perform some customized functions for flexibility and manage data models. When some specific requirements are not achieved using business rules, those can be met by the use of Logic Scripts.

Q23. While creating a legal consolidation application, which of the dimensions needs to be created in BPC?

Ans:

• C_Acct (A) − For maintaining charts of account.
• C_Category (C) − To define the category.
• Groups (R) − Like GROUP A (USD), GROUP B (EUR), and GROUP C (RMB).
• Entity (E) − It contains the business unit used to derive the process.
• C_Datasrc (D) − Data Source Dimension.
• IntCo (I) − It determines the level of the entity hierarchy at which level the elimination needs to be performed.
• Time (T) − Time in all dimensions.
• Flow (S) − To keep track of movements in Consolidation.

Q24. What is the use of dimension - R_Acct (A), while creating a Rate Application in BPC?

Ans: R_Acct (A) is used for maintaining different types of Rates.

Q25. Which design models are available in SAP BPC to fulfil the business requirements?

Ans:

• Standard Model
• Embedded Model

Q26. How the Standard model is different from the Embedded BPC design model?

Ans: Embedded model is different from the Standard model and includes data access to all community users. For the Embedded design model, the initial versions used were SAP BW Integrated Planning and Planning Application Kit i.e. BW-IP and PAK.

In the Standard Model, the BPC environment contains the BPC applications or models and each model generates a BW InfoCube which is hidden.

Q27. What is the use of the Transformation file? What are the different sections in a Transformation file?

Ans: The transformation file provides the mapping of fields from BW to BPC and is an Excel file in BPC. It contains transaction data from InfoObjects in BW with BPC dimensions defined in the administration console.

There are three sections defined for the mapping file.

• Options − Contains the general settings.
• Mapping − Used to assign dimensions in the BPC system with a source column in BW InfoObject.
• Conversion − Contains the link to other Excel sheets to apply the conversion routine.

Q28. What is the use of a conversion file? Name different sections in a conversion file.

Ans: A conversion file is used to apply the conversion rules for the BPC dimension and is an Excel file. It contains three sections 

• External − Contains the value from an external source.
• Internal − Contains the value it should be having for the BPC dimension.
• Formula − Defines the conversion formula applied to each record.

Q29. What are the different methods that can be used to create reports and input schedules in Business Planning and Consolidation?

Ans:

• Using Default Templates
• EvDRE Builder
• Drag and Drop Interface
• Blank workbook

Q30. Have you used any default templates in BPC for reporting purposes? Name a few of the default templates.

Ans:

totals by Account	This custom report contains an Account dimension with subtotals in rows and any dimension across in columns.
Variance	This custom report contains any dimension in rows and categories comparison in columns. It also features Variances calculation (both amount and percentage). With both YTD and Periodic boxes.
Consolidating	This custom report contains any dimension in rows and Entity type members across in columns with hierarchy.
Comparative X	This custom report contains any dimension in rows and categories comparison in columns and also retrieves the Last Year same period data. With both YTD and Periodic boxes.
Comparison with 3-year	Year over Year comparison.
Drill in Place	This template performs drills in place.
Nested	This allows any two-dimension to be nested in a row and the third dimension in the column.
Sort on value	This template performs the sort of total value.
Drill Dimension	This allows using the drill in one dimension to others.

Q31. How can you migrate EvDRE reports created by BPC 7.5 Excel to BPC 10.0?

Ans: Go to EPM Ribbon → More → EvDRE Migration.

Q32. What is the syntax for Dimension logic? Which operators can be used in Dimension logic?

Ans: To define the member dimension formula, you have to put a Square bracket around the dimension and there is a dot between the two.

[PRODUCT].[PRODUCT1] – [PRODUCT].[PRODUCT2]

[SALES].[SALES1] / [SALES].[SALES2]

Standard Arithmetic functions have to be used in dimension formula - addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), and division (/) - are used in SAP NetWeaver.

Q33. What are the requirements to perform simple currency conversions and complex currency conversions?

Ans:

Simple Conversion:

• There should be a Rate application where you store the exchange rates.
• You should have an account dimension, which includes RATETYPE.
• The entity dimension should include a property CURRENCY.
• FXTRANS logic should be available and DEFAULT logic should include a call to FXTRANS logic.
• The entity dimension should include property TRANSALATE_TO.

Complex Conversion:

• There should be a Rate application where you store the exchange rates.
• The application should contain a CURRENCY type dimension.
• There should be property REPORTING for the CURRENCY dimension.
• The entity dimension must include property CURRENCY.
• Account dimension must include property RATETYPE.
• FXTRANS logic should be available.
• DEFAULT logic should include a call to FXTRANS logic.

Q34. What is the use of work status? What are the key attributes in defining work status?

Ans: Work status is used to lock a region of data in a model. This is used to override the user’s member access privilege to write to a particular region.

There are multiple dimensions defined for a region with one property called as OWNER. While defining the work status, the following are defined 

• Work States − It belongs to the physical state of data.
• Security − You can set different levels of security on changing data in the system –All or Locked. You can set who can change the work state − Manager or Owner.
• Data Update − This defines how data will be updated by the customer.
• Push − This option is used to push the same work state for all the children of a member.

Q35. How is auditing done in SAP BPC? What are the different audit reports that can be pulled for audit purposes?

Ans: Audit functions allow you to create reports that contain a history of user sessions and system information.

You can create Audit reports on the following topics

Business Process Flows − You can create these reports in BPF.

• Standard
• Step
• Audit

Security − You can create these reports in Security.

• User
• Team
• Task Profiles
• Data Access Profiles
• BPF

General − You can create these reports in general.

• Work Status
• Administration Activities
• Comments
• Data Changes

Q36. What are the two sections in the Custom Menu Template?

Ans: Custom menu content is defined by two sections in the custom menu template - The default section and the Menu item section.

Q37. Explain the parameters that can be used with the Custom Menu Template.

Ans:

Parameters	Options
NORMAL SCREEN	Value is True − It opens the custom menu in the Excel interface. Value is False − It opens the custom menu in Standard Excel.
HIDEEVTOOLBARS	If the value is True − It will hide the Planning and Consolidation Toolbar. If the value is False − It will display the Planning and Consolidation Toolbar.
CVLIST	It is used to define the dimensions that have to be displayed on the top of the custom menu page. These dimensions can be changed in the report mentioned in the Custom menu.

The menu item section includes the following parameters 

• Menu Item: Text description that the user can select for the menu item.
• Actions: Highlight, custom menu function, or menu command.
• Level: Level can be selected from a section, item, or sub-item.
• Parameters: For custom menu functions.
• Normal Screen: Default is a full screen. This is set to the true, open custom menu on the normal screen.
• CV Override: This is used to change current view dimensions while switching applications

Q38. What is the difference between Reporting Model and Driver and Rate Model?

Ans: We use reporting models for analysis purposes. Non Reporting modules include the Driver and Rates model and are used for currency rates, price, ownership data, etc.

Types of Reporting Models:

• Consolidation
• Finance
• Generic

Types of Non-Reporting Models:

• Rate
• Ownership

Q39. To perform intercompany elimination, which dimensions should be defined, and what properties should be created for these dimensions?

Ans: To perform currency conversion and intercompany eliminations, you need a dimension type - Intercompany dimension (I). To execute intercompany elimination, an application should have the following:

• Dimension Type “I” for intercompany elimination.
• Dimension “I” should include a property ENTITY.
• The account dimension should include the property ELIMACC.
• The entity dimension should include the property ELIM.
• You should set the appropriate business tables.
• There should be a DPT package to execute intercompany logic that should be available.

Dimension	Property	Length	Content
Account	ELIMACC	20	Valid account
Entity	ELIM	1 char	It contains ‘Y’ or blank
InterCompany	Entity	20	Entity Id w.r.t Intercompany member
Currency	Reporting	1	‘Y’ or blank