Section 5 of 10

Inventory Valuation and Movement Types

The two valuation methods, how movement types drive accounting postings, and how account determination (OBYC) works.

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Stock is managed by value as well as by quantity. How that value is set, and which accounts a movement posts to, is where MM meets FI.

Two valuation methods

Standard price compared with moving average
AspectStandard price (S)Moving average (V)
ValuationAlways a fixed standardRecalculated on each receipt
Difference from purchase pricePosted to price differenceAbsorbed into the stock value
Stability of unit valueStableMoves
Variance analysisPossible; the gap is explicitDifficult; it disappears into stock
Suited toManufactured items under standard costingPurchased items with volatile prices
Recalculating a moving average
Existing stock: 100 @ 1,000 = 100,000
Receipt:         50 @ 1,300 =  65,000
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Total:          150          = 165,000
New moving average = 165,000 / 150 = 1,100

Movement types

A movement type is a three-digit code describing how stock moved. It is the most frequently encountered code in MM, and it drives the accounting.

Movement types worth knowing
TypeMeaningEffect
101Goods receipt against a purchase orderIncrease
102Reversal of 101Decrease
122Return to vendorDecrease
201Issue to a cost centreDecrease
261Issue to a production orderDecrease
301Plant-to-plant transfer, one stepMoves between plants
311Transfer between storage locationsMoves within a plant
501Receipt without a purchase orderIncrease
601Goods issue for a deliveryDecrease
701 / 702Physical inventory differenceIncrease / decrease

Account determination (OBYC)

Which G/L accounts a movement posts to is configured in OBYC and derived from a combination of factors.

  1. Movement type: what kind of movement it is
  2. Transaction key derived from it: BSX for inventory, WRX for GR/IR, PRD for price differences, GBB for offsetting entries
  3. Valuation class from the material master accounting view
  4. Account modifier, which subdivides keys such as GBB further
Principal transaction keys
KeyMeaning
BSXInventory account
WRXGR/IR clearing
PRDPrice difference
GBBOffsetting entry โ€” consumption, inventory differences
BSVOffsetting entry for stock transfers
UMBRevaluation difference

The Material Ledger

The Material Ledger supports valuing stock in several currencies and running actual costing. It is active by default in S/4HANA.

With actual costing, the period runs on standard prices and is revalued at period end from actual purchase and production costs, combining the stability of standard with the accuracy of actual.

๐Ÿ“– Unfamiliar term? Look it up in the SAP glossary.

Check your understanding

Test what you just read.

Quiz 1

Which Price Control code represents Standard Price?

Quiz 2

With Moving Average Price (V), the unit price is recalculated after every goods receipt.

Quiz 3

Which movement type is used for a Goods Issue to a Production Order?

Quiz 4

Movement type 201 represents a standard Goods Receipt against a Purchase Order.

Quiz 5

Which movement type is used for a transfer between storage locations within the same plant?

Quiz 6

Arrange the inventory valuation posting flow in the correct order.

Click items in the correct order