CO 202 · MODULE TOPIC
How does the CO period-end close work?
The CO close turns complete operational postings into allocated, settled, reconciled, and explainable management results in a controlled sequence.
What this capability is for
The exact close depends on the activated scope and cost-accounting method. The accountant first proves source completeness, then executes only the relevant accrual, reposting, allocation, overhead, WIP or results-analysis, variance, actual-price, and settlement steps before locking and reporting the result.
WORKING FLOW
Follow the management question through the record
Prove source completeness
Confirm payroll, purchasing, inventory, production, sales, asset, and FI postings are complete enough for the close and resolve invalid or blocked objects.
Process overhead flows
Run approved accruals, repostings, activity allocations, distributions, assessments or universal allocations, retaining logs and reversals.
Complete cost-object close
Apply overhead, calculate WIP or results analysis where relevant, calculate variance, revalue if required, and settle in the designed sequence.
Approve the management result
Prove sender and receiver totals, unsettled balances, FI/CO agreement, plan/actual views, profitability impact, exceptions, and sign-off.
CONTROL POINTS
What makes the result trustworthy?
Sequence and dependencies
A technically successful job can still be wrong when source postings are incomplete or settlement runs before the required valuation and variance steps.
Repeatability and reversal
Record run groups, parameters, logs, timestamps, rerun rules, and reversal procedures. Avoid duplicate processing after late corrections.
Scope by object
Cost centers, internal orders, production orders, projects, sales-order items, and profitability views do not all use the same close steps. Apply only the sequence designed for that object.
Finance completes material, payroll, supplier, and depreciation postings. CO validates activity quantities, runs overhead allocations, calculates actual activity prices where required, completes WIP and variance for eligible production objects, settles balances, and reconciles the result to margin reporting before sign-off.
OFFICIAL SAP REFERENCES
Continue into release-specific detail
Use the target system and its activated scope as the authority for available apps, reports, and execution steps.
Follow cost from source posting through allocation, close, and management reporting.