2203885 - Variable Pay - Bonus Forecasting

Symptom

What is Bonus Forecasting?
How can we run this report from Variable Pay?

**Image/data in this KBA is from SAP internal systems, sample data, or demo systems. Any resemblance to real data is purely coincidental**

Environment

SAP SuccessFactors Variable Pay

Resolution

What is Bonus Forecasting?

Bonus Forecasting allows you to enter expected goal achievement, team, and individual goal % completed or use the performance management form to calculate the expected bonus accrual amount without launching forms.
The reason a company would want to use this feature is because companies need to calculate and forecast the annual bonus payout during the plan year, so that finance can accurately accrue annual bonus expense.

Requirements

New compensation administration tool should be enabled
This feature only works on Variable Pay module
If this feature is not enabled in your instance it will require an implementation partner to be engaged to implement
Update your goal import files and related files and typically will require training and explanation of the functionality which the PS Consultant will be able to provide

Product Support/Implementation Partner

To "turn on" Forecasting, the following steps must be taken both in Provisioning as well as within the admin tools:

Provisioning Settings
Enable the Attachment Manager
Enable Generic Objects — requires Enable the Attachment Manager

Professional Services/Implementation Partner

To enable Forecasting, the following steps must be taken:

Is it right for the customer, will it work with the current program?
Configure the bonus goals and associated files to use the needed fields
User acceptance testing and training

Compensation Admin

The configuration steps are:

Enable RBP setting for Bonus Forecasting.

Import goals
Run bonus calculation
Go to Plan Setup> Forecast Bonus> Bonus Forecasting and enter details to run the report
Run forecast
Once completed, the report can be viewed/exported via Plan Setup> Forecast Bonus> Bonus Forecasting Results

The following is a screenshot of what this data looks like.

forecasting variable pay.png

This data can be exported using the export button. Alternatively, clicking the "Assignment History" option to view this data in the UI through filtered options.

forecasting results filtering.png

Important

Please make sure that the user generating the Bonus Forecasting has the ability to launch a Variable Pay form as well. As forecasting creation share the same code as form creation.

If the planners are able to create the forms, they should be able to create the forecasting objects. (VRP-8637).

Additional Information

1. Column Values

While exporting the forecasting report you may sometimes notice some columns have a string value 'money' before a value in some columns.

string values in forecasting report.png

Generally, this issue would only affect columns which are not present/added at entry level from the template.

In most cases we have seen this affecting report columns Total Forecast 1 Payout, Total Forecast 2 Payout and Total Result Payout.

To correct this please add the following columns:

Forecast 2 Calc Amount
Forecast Calc Amount
Final Payout

Once added run bonus calculation and the report again.

2. Hierarchy

There is no possibility for running this report for a specific head of hierarchy. This will contain all forecasting information which can be filtered in excel.

Additionally, should there be a requirement for any head of hierarchy (who reports to no one and subsequently has NO_MANAGER) to be included in forecasting, then they will need to be planned for by a dummy user.

Without this and should the head of hierarchy be in the history, they will not contribute to forecasting data and reporting.

For example:

Steps to have CEO (head of hierarchy) appear on a form

Because the CEO does not typically have a MANAGER in the system, there are steps to be taken which can still make them appear on a form
Select a hierarchy of either standard or second manager

Create or identify functional user

This is a system user, such as "compadmin" or "hradmin". Most instances will have one, but if there no such user one would need to be created

Export user data

Employee Export> Valid uses only> Export User file

Format file

Remove all users from file except the current head of hierarchy
Replace the "NO_MANAGER" in the MANAGER or SECOND_MANAGER column with USERID of the functional user, such as "compadmin" etc
Import user file
Note this is only temporarily changing the MANAGER/SECOND_MANAGER. It will be overridden at next HRIS Synch

Launch form for "compadmin" (a user who is not within the current hierarchy of the CEO. This is very important as this can cause issues loading hierarchy)

Use normal launch tools to launch a single comp form for the "compadmin", it should include the CEO
Note it is not recommended to try and launch the entire hierarchy at once, as this is a temporary change in manager

Once launched, planning can occur

If you do not require forms to be launched and only want to have the CEO as part of forecasting, make the mentioned changes from steps 1-4 and leave steps 5-6.

You can run forecasting as required, generate the exportable file and view the data. At this point, if required you can revert the hierarchy back.

3. Ineligible Users

If the template is set up to use an inactive hierarchy, only eligible users who are both active and inactive will contribute to forecast data.

Therefore, these users should they be ineligible will not appear within your forecasting results export.

Keywords

variable pay forecasting, bonus forecasting, forecasting permissions, vrp forecast, running forecasting report, string value in forecast report, money0, Total Result Payout, Total Forecast 2 Payout , KBA , LOD-SF-VRP-FOR , Forecasting , LOD-SF-VRP , Variable Pay Programs , LOD-SF-VRP-BON , Bonus, calculating bonus, payouts, etc. , LOD-SF-VRP-REP , Reporting & Analytics, Data Imports & Exports , How To

Product

SAP SuccessFactors Compensation all versions