Financial Planning/Budgeting Review and Approval Process in SAP BPC NW 7.5 - An “End-to-End” Implementation Guide

Designed and Developed
Planning/Budgeting Review and Approval Process By

Process
Through Jothi Periasamy
&
SAP BPC NW 7.5 Siva Namuduri

Planning/Budgeting Review and Approval

a community service

Authors: Jothi Periasamy
Siva Namuduri - SAP Certified Application Associate SAP EPM (BI, BPC, BOBJ) Subject Matter Expert
SAP BPC Consultant SAP BPC NW 7.5 Work Status Finance Transformation Solutions Architect
E-Mail: siva.namuduri@gmail.com E-Mail: JoeSaran@gmail.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jothiperiasamy

By
Planning/Budgeting Review and Approval Process Jothi Periasamy
Siva Namuduri

Executive Summary:
This document demonstrates, step by step how to implement a Planning/Budgeting Review and Approval Process through the Work
Status functionality in BPC 7.5 NW (same steps may work in MS version as well). It is assumed that reader is proficient in BPC
terminology in SAP NetWeaver technologies and also the application navigating in BPC and its user interfaces.

Solutions Building Blocks:
• Application : MYAPP (FINANCE/REPORTING type) that is in application set MYSET is used
• Dimensions : MYAPP uses the following dimensions (minimum required properties and dimensions are used to keep it
simple):

Dimension Name Dimension Type User Defined Properties
MYACCDIM Account
MYCATDIM Category
MYENTDIM Entity Owner(60)
MYCURDIM Currency
MYTIMDIM Time

• Workflow Drivers: MYENTDIM is used as work status driver dimension, MYCATDIM + MYTIMDIM are used as additional lock
dimensions
• Reviewer and Approver: User BPCUSER332 and BPCUSER305 are used in Owner property of the work Status driver
(MYENTDIM) dimension
• Work States: Work States DEFAULT (Work In Progress) , STATE1 (Submitted for Review) , STATE2 (Approved) are used to
demonstrate how a owner and manger control the workflow


By
Siva Namuduri

Business Scenario:

Work status in BPC controls the access to a planning/budgeting data sets , data can be accessed through various BPC
interfaces at different phase of a Planning/ Budgeting review and/or approval process. Work status helps to ensure that the
data regions are locked down at a checkpoint and changes to the data region are limited to certain interfaces and roles. Since
Work Status can be configured for interfaces , ownership can be designated at dimension member level. When properly setup,
work Status gives very fine level of control on when the data can be locked for changes and who can designate the locks on
the data regions.

Typical Example:
• While creating budget, initially users with proper entitlements can enter/collect and modify budget data using input schedule
•After all user inputs are entered, the owner of the budgeting process advances the work status (Example : Submitted
Review ) of the data set, in which only select group of users can make changes to data via input schedule
•Once review is complete the data region work status is set to Approved by budget owner. No changes are allowed to the
budget by any user via any defined user interface.

This type of control can be exercised across interfaces (manual input / journals / comments ) using work status.

Work status gives the ability to change the level of access for users without making any changes to user entitlements during
each Planning / Budget / Forecasting iteration. Without work status, to achieve the same level of control on data access,
multiple Task Profiles and Member Access profiles need be created and at each check point, the user need to be moved from
one task / member access profile to another task / member access profile so that the user’s capability to change the data via a
particular interface is enabled or disabled.

In BPC work status settings are used along with Business Process flow (BPF) to enforce that appropriate locks are placed
on the data during the process.

Siva Namuduri - SAP Certified Application Associate SAP EPM (BI, BPC, BOBJ) Subject Matter Expert (SME)

By
Siva Namuduri

SAP BPC NW 7.5 Work Status Key Functions:

In SAP BPC NW 7.5, the Work States are setup across all applications at the Application Set level and
configured for each application by designating dimensions with Owner property for each application that uses
work status

Application Set Functions:
Add new Work State
Modify Work State Name and/or Description
Delete existing Work State
Re-Order Work State order
Update Work Status grid settings – Interfaces/ Controller

Application Functions:
Select Work Status Controlling Dimensions
Assign Dimension that has Owner property
Populate proper owner values for the dimension member properties
Validate Task Profiles - make sure users can access work status option
Set proper value in Application level parameter APPROVALORG

Data Region Functions:
Set Work Status for a specific data region (move forward/backward one state)
Adjust Work Status for a specific data region

Reporting Functions:
Generate system provided reports for a given date and data region


Process
&


Business Solutions Overview


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Siva Namuduri

SAP NetWeaver Systems Landscape

Business Solutions Architecture Revenue Cost Budget
Process Process Process

Revenue Cost
Drivers/ Budget
Drivers/
Scenario Scenario
Scenario
Balance
Sheet

P&L
Planning and Reporting Process
Technology Scope
Cash
Flow

SAP BPC NW 7.5 Sales Sales
SAP
SAP BW 7.0 Business
Objects
Revenue Cost

SAP ECC 6.0 Xcelsius

SAP BOBJ XI 3.5 Sales
Xcelsius Dashboard Forecast

Plan/Budget/Forecast/Consolidated Data Storage

SAP Oracle JDE/etc

Data Source / Actuals


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Siva Namuduri

Business Scenario : Planning/Budgeting Organizational Structure
Corporate Head Quarters –
USA
Finance Controller

3 Approve

Sales Region - Middle East
Sales Region - Asia- Pacific Sales Region - Latin America
Asia
Cost Center Manager Cost Center Manager
Cost Center Manager

2 Review

Sales Region - Sales Region - Sales Region -
Asia- Pacific - Singapore Asia- Pacific - India Asia- Pacific - Japan
Financial Analyst (Owner) Financial Analyst (Owner) Financial Analyst (Owner)

1 Submit Submit Submit

Financial Analyst Cost Center Manager Controller
Owner Manager Manager


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Siva Namuduri

BPC Work Status Report


By
Siva Namuduri

Implementation Approach

Work Status Implementation Approach
Configuration- Security Config- Application Set Config- Application Assign Status

1 Define Work State 2 Define Data Region 3 4
Ex: Ex: Assign Work State to a
Define Team Profile Submitted Entity - Owner Data Region
Review Category - PLAN

BPC Admin Function BPC Admin Function BPC Admin Function BPC Excel Function

Actual Work Status Assignment

Submitted Reviewed Approved

Cost Center
Analyst Controller
Manager



Process
&


Step # 1
Work Status Implementation-
Security Configuration


By
Siva Namuduri

Step I . Log into Web Admin Client using Primary Admin account (or any account with proper task profile to make
changes to work status/dimension member)


By
Siva Namuduri

Step II . Edit task profile to entitle users to changing work status; double-click task profiles.


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Siva Namuduri

Step III . Create new task profile (to make sure changes won’t get lost in existing profiles) –
complete description – click ‘next’.


By
Siva Namuduri

Step IV . Select Work Status interface.


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Siva Namuduri

Step V . Select SetWorkStatus task and click on right arrow to assign; press next.


By
Siva Namuduri

Step VI . Choose required users (BPCUSER305 and 332) by highlighting and pressing right arrow;
press next; on next screen, review summary and click apply; press ok when dialog box appears.



Process
&


Step # 2
Application Set Configuration


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Siva Namuduri

Step VII . Begin setting up Work Status table at AppSet level. These settings are used by all
applications in the Appset.


By
Siva Namuduri

Step VIII . Since the AppSet is copied, Work Status table from source appset is also copied.


By
Siva Namuduri

Step IX . Delete the unwanted work states – excluding default, all states can be deleted from the
action pane. When prompted, provide confirmation for deletion of states.


By
Siva Namuduri

Step XI . Provide work state name (20 characters at most, without special characters) and description
(40 characters). Work Status Description can be edited via edit Work Status Description task


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Siva Namuduri

Step X . Work states can be added one at a time by selecting as a new Work State task in the Action
pane. Work Status names can be edited by double clicking on the Work Status name


By
Siva Namuduri

Step XII . Choose the required values from the drop down boxes (this can be left as-is to edit later). Click
on green checkmark to finish.


By
Siva Namuduri

Step XIII . Add another work state and set the values as shown below from drop down boxes in work
status table. Then, check the work status via Excel Input Schedule (MAN) matches the table below.

Authors:
Siva Namuduri - SAP Certified Application Associate E-Mail: siva.namuduri@gmail.com
Siva Namuduri, SAP BPC Consultant SAP EPM (BI, BPC, BOBJ) Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Jothi Periasamy, SAP EPM (BI, BPC, BOBJ) Subject Matter Expert (SME) &
E-Mail: siva.namuduri@gmail.com Finance Transformation Architect
E-Mail: JoeSaran@gmail.com
E-Mail: JoeSaran@gmail.com LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jothiperiasamy LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jothiperiasamy


Process
&


Step #3
Application Configuration


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Siva Namuduri

Step XIV . Now we switch to Application level. Configure Work State controls for MYAPP – click on Work
State settings under MYAPP.


By
Siva Namuduri

Step XV . MYENTDIM contains the owner property – select owner from drop down. Select “Yes” from drop down
for MYCATDIM and MYTIMDIM. Account Type Dimension can’t be chosen as a lock dimension in work status. Only
3-5 dimensions can be designated as lock dimensions in an Application.


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Siva Namuduri

Step XVI . Save Work Status Setting from Action pane and Click OK to continue. Application level setting
is complete with this.


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Siva Namuduri

Step XVII . Configure Owner Property on MYENTDIM dimension by choosing maintain dimension
members in action pane. Any Application using MYENTDIM can leverage the owner property


By
Siva Namuduri

Step XVIII . Enter Members and Properties as described below. Owner of Parent dimension member is
Manager of Child dimension member. BPCUSER306 is Manager of CG11,CG12,CG13,CG14 members in
the member sheet given below


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Siva Namuduri

Step XIX . Process Changes on dimension members by clicking process dimension in action pane.


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Siva Namuduri

Step XX . Member sheet for MYACTDIM dimension is given below


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXI . Member sheet for MYCATDIM dimension is given below


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXII . Member sheet for MYCURDIM dimension is given below


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXIII . Member sheet for MYTIMDIM dimension is given below


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXIV . Process ALL dimensions – precautionary measure.


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXV . It takes a while, ALL dimension members are updated and ready to use


By
Siva Namuduri

Step XXVI . Check the Application Set Status; If Appset is offline, set the AppSet Status to Online from
Action pane. If the Appset is offline, non-Admin users can’t log into AppSet.


By
Siva Namuduri

Step XXVII . Start BPC-Excel interface; choose MYSET and MYAPP in the connection wizard; Press OK


By
Siva Namuduri

Step XXVIII . log in using BPCUSER332 (Owner of dimension members CG11,CG12,CG13 and CG14 from
MYENTDIM)


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXIX . Once Excel opens; Expand Available Interfaces in Action pane and Click on Administration.


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXX . Supply login credentials (of primary admin) to log into administration and click OK


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXXI . Click on Set Application parameters in Action pane;


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXXII . For APPROVALORG parameter – make sure that the value is “H1” (since we have only one hierarchy in MYENTDIM
dimension and using that.) Click Update, close web page. When multiple hierarchies are present, one hierarchy number from H1-
Hn must be entered here to designate the approval organization of the dimension.



Process
&


Step # 4
Assign Work State to a Data Region


By
Siva Namuduri

Step XXXIII . In Excel interface Check the current view settings in action pane..


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXXIV . Changing members in the current view – Select MYACCDIM member CE0004210 – Internet Expenses


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXXV . Similarly other dimension members are also modified in the current view. Click Data Input from action pane to
create an input Schedule.


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXXVI . Open a blank workbook to work with EVDRE


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXXVII . Enter “=EVDRE()” in A1 and click on refresh work book. Click OK when prompted to clear existing input data


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXXVIII . When Input Schedule is built, Click on the + sign to reveal Range Keys. Enter “DEP” in Expansion1 member set (Cell
B17); Enter “MEMBERS” in Expansion2 member set (Cell C17). Click Expand All.


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Siva Namuduri

Step XXXIX . Double check that you can enter data by looking at Workbook Type from Work Book Options under E-Tools Menu. Drop
down value must be “Input Schedule” to enter data.


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Siva Namuduri

Step XL . For Cells G14 through G17, enter value 1,2,3,4 respectively. (Data entry allowed only for base level members)


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Siva Namuduri

Step XLI . Click on send and refresh schedule. Select Active Work book option and click refresh


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Siva Namuduri

Step XLII . When prompted, click “Yes” to send the 4 updated records to the Application


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Siva Namuduri

Step XLIII . Refresh Schedule results are displayed indicating successful insert on all four records


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Siva Namuduri

Step XLIV . Click on Modify Work Status from e-submit menu. (Work Status being modified from here)


By
Siva Namuduri

Step XLV . Web Interface login screen pops-up. Log in using BPCUSER332 click OK (Owner of CG11, CG12,
CG13and CG14 members of MYENTDIM)


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Siva Namuduri

Step XLVI . Web page with Work Status Action pane is displayed. MYCATDIM,MYENTDIM and MYTIMDIM are
displayed. (Three dimensions designated as lock dimensions for MYAPP application). Member selection can be
changed via the hypertext dimension names appearing in blue.


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Siva Namuduri

Step XLVII . Select CG1 member from MYENTDIM (Remember! CG1 is parent of CG11-CG14 and Owner of CG1
is BPCUSER306)


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Siva Namuduri

Step XLVIII . Select 2011.JAN from MYTIMDIM (also selected is member ACTUAL from MYCATDIM – not shown
here)


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Siva Namuduri

Step XLIX . Try to advance the Work State from Default to Work State 1 by selecting MYWORKSTATE01 and
clicking green check mark (Can include children member using set children check box)


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Siva Namuduri

Step L . Error message pops up indicating that BPCUSER332 can’t control STATE01 for Selected data region.


By
Siva Namuduri

Step LI . Change the member selection on MYENTDIM to CG12 only.


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Siva Namuduri

Step LII . Make member selection 2011.JAN for MYTIMDIM and ACTUAL for MYCATDIM.


By
Siva Namuduri

Step LIII . Advance the work state of the data region from Default to State1 by choosing from drop box and
clicking on green Arrow. Since all member selections are base level, Set children Check box does not have any
impact.


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Siva Namuduri

Step LIV . Repeat the steps above (for same data region) to advance Work State from Staet01 (Owner
controlled) to State02 (Manager Controlled)


By
Siva Namuduri

Step LV . Error message pops up indicating that the State can’t be set by the user for the selected data region.
The State may be changed back to Default –Default State is controlled by Both Owner and Manager


By
Siva Namuduri

Step LVI . Back to Input Schedule, Try to make a change on the locked data region by entering value 5 in Cell
G15


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Siva Namuduri

Step LVII . Click on Send and refresh data to post the changes to Application


By
Siva Namuduri

Step LVIII . Click OK when prompted to continue on one record change


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Siva Namuduri

Step LIX . Error Message indicating that Update failed due to Error in Work Status Checking. Click Close. Save the
Input Schedule on local drive – not shown here


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Siva Namuduri

Step LX . Launch BPC-Excel and login using user Id BPCUSER306 (Owner of the Parent member of CG12 for which
we set Work Status above). In the Work Status table, Manger of the member can make changes via input
Schedule in WorkState1.


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXI . Open the Above Saved Input Schedule (Name Book4 is used in this demo). Verify Current view to
match what is shown below.


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXII . Enter value 5 in cell G15 (The cell that was locked for BPCUSER336). Click on Send and Refresh Data


By
Siva Namuduri

Step LXIII . Choose “Active Work Sheet” and click refresh. (No difference even if Work book is chosen we have
data in only Active sheet)


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXIV . Click Yes when prompted to continue sending one record


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXV . Message pops up indicating send is successful. Click close and check the value.


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXVI . Click on Modify Work Status from e-submit menu– to advance the work status to State02


By
Siva Namuduri

Step LXVII . Web interface login screen pops up. Login using user BPCUSER306 (Manager of member CG12 – can
set work State 02)


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXVIII . Make the member selection ACTUAL for MYCATDIM, CG12 for MYENTDIM and JAN.2011 for
MYTIMDIM; Click on green arrow.


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXIX . Select MYWORKSTATE02 from drop down and click green check mark. Close the window.


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXX . Try to make data entry to “locked” data region by entering value 7 in cell G15. Click Send and
Refresh Schedule. (Same user was able to make changes before advancing the work State)


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXI . Click on refresh to update the data back into the application.


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXII . Click Yes to send one record


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXIII . Error Message pops up indicating send failed due to an error checking work status


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXIV . Refresh work book to fetch values from the application – just to see the values from the application


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXV . Input Schedule is refreshed with the values from application. Click on Home Icon in Action pane


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXVI . Click on Open System Reports from Action pane


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXVII . Web interface login screen pops up. Login using admin user credentials (BPCUSER332 in this case)


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXVIII . Click on Work Status Report in the action pane. Meta data on Work Status is stored outside the
BPC cube and can be viewed only through system reports


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXIX . Make Selections in date range and Dimension members. Click on Green check mark.


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXX . Report pops up showing the last Work Status update on the data region.


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Siva Namuduri

Step LXXXI . One more Work Status change is performed (not shown here) and report is generated again. This
time two records – one for each data region are displayed in the report.


By
Siva Namuduri

Disclaimer:

These materials strictly discuss our implementation expertise, and sample coding used
our implementation or other information that does not include we official interfaces and
therefore is not supported by we. Changes made based on this information are not
supported and can be overwritten during an upgrade.

We will not be held liable for any damages caused by using or misusing the information,
code or methods suggested in this document, and anyone using these methods does so
at his/her own risk.

We offers no guarantees and assumes no responsibility or liability of any type with
respect to the content of this technical article or code sample, including any liability
resulting from incompatibility between the content within this document and the materials
and services offered by we. You agree that you will not hold, or seek to hold, we
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Process
&

Thank You !!

a community service


Financial Planning/Budgeting Review and Approval Process in SAP BPC NW 7.5 - An “End-to-End” Implementation Guide

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Financial Planning/Budgeting Review and Approval Process in SAP BPC NW 7.5 - An “End-to-End” Implementation Guide