B2A 202 · AUTHORIZE
How is capital investment governed?
Connect the business case, investment program, appropriation, budget ownership, approval, and availability control.
READ THE CAPABILITY
Make the investment case a controlled decision
Authorization starts with a business outcome, not an SAP document. The sponsor defines why the investment is needed, what will be delivered, how success will be measured, and which risks or alternatives the approver must consider.
The approved case then becomes an accountable investment measure and project or WBS boundary. Budget ownership, release conditions, status, and availability control make it possible to distinguish permission to spend from an estimate of future cost.
WORKING FLOW
From business decision to controlled evidence
Follow the capability through the records and decisions that make the result explainable.
Frame the case
State purpose, expected benefit, scope, timing, owner, funding source, and the evidence required for approval.
Approve the authority
Record the decision, amount, conditions, approver, and accountable investment object before execution is opened.
Release controlled capacity
Make the approved amount available according to phase, funding, procurement, or project-control rules.
Monitor and govern change
Compare commitments and actuals with available authority, then route transfers, supplements, or exceptions through approval.
DIAGNOSTIC EVIDENCE
What should be traceable?
When the result looks wrong, start with the last trusted record and follow the owning boundary.
Business case, portfolio fit, alternatives, expected value, risks, owner, approver, and decision date.
Investment object, budget baseline, release amount, validity, status, tolerance, and funding conditions.
Availability result, exception cause, accountable decision, approved change, and forecast implication.
SCENARIO
A production site requests a new packaging line
The sponsor proposes the line against a capacity and safety case. Approval creates the investment boundary; a staged release allows design and procurement to proceed while later funding remains conditional. A commitment that exceeds the released amount becomes an actionable control exception rather than an invisible overspend.
- Business rule and accountable owner are explicit
- SAP object and source evidence remain connected
- Exception or outcome is reconciled before closure
CORE MODEL
Three questions to resolve
A sound design makes ownership, control, and evidence explicit before configuration.
Investment purpose and portfolio fit
Define the rule, responsible object, required master data, resulting document or posting, and proof.
Compare patterns02Approval and responsibility
Define the rule, responsible object, required master data, resulting document or posting, and proof.
Compare patterns03Budget release and control
Define the rule, responsible object, required master data, resulting document or posting, and proof.
Compare patternsSee how this capability changes across valid integration models.