SAP Knowledge Base Article - Public

3077780 - Variable Pay - Tips and Tricks

Symptom

  • This KBA has been put together by Cloud Product Support to provide Customers and Partners some Tips & Tricks to the use of Variable Pay related features and tools during implementations.
  • The aim is to centralize some of the more frequently encountered Configuration issues and to give some tips and tricks to avoid any unnecessary delays to an Implementation.
  • Please note that this article (and sub-articles) are frequently reviewed and updated by Product Support over time, based on our experiences for new and existing customers.
  • Please do utilize the information provided to ensure that you troubleshoot the issues and/or blocks you are encountering first, before opening a Support case as a lot of the issues you may encounter already have solutions.

**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

Reproducing the Issue

Cause

Resolution

Support Tools Image.png  other resources image.png

Fundamentals - Variable Pay History

When implementing Variable Pay, it is important your background element is correctly enabled and setup. Please be aware of the following when it comes to configuring this which can be done in the UI via Business Configuration> Employee Profile> Background Elements.

The following fields are standard used in the background element.

  • startDate is reserved for "startDate".
  • endDate is reserved for "endDate"
  • vfld5 is reserved for "varPayProgramName"
  • vfld12 is reserved for "assignerId"
  • vfld13 is reserved for "managerId"
  • vfld14 is reserved for "localCurrencyCode"
  • vfld15 is reserved for "recordType"
  • ffld1 is reserved for "basis"

Outside of these, the following can be used as required

  • VFLD - These are varchar/string fields. Available to use are VFLD 1-20 excluding the above-mentioned ID's.
  • IFLD - These are integer/numeric fields. Available to use are IFLD 1-8.
  • DFLD - These are date fields. Available to use are 1-4.
  • FFLD - These are float/numeric fields. Available to use are 1-8 excluding the above-mentioned ID's.

For more information on this, please review our implementation GUIDE and 2730558 - Compensation & Variable Pay - Manage Business Configuration (BCUI)

Note

  • Not all columns in the history are effective dated. For example, the status, first and last names are not effective and therefore do not get derived from Employee Central.
  • This is the designed behaviour of the product and should you have a business case for this to change, please create an influence request via the Compensation community.

Bonus Equations

The following is some information on each of the available equations within Variable Pay templates.

Equation Description ABR Additional
Base x Performance

The bonus is calculated only based on the results of assigned business goals.
  • Aggregated as one payout on one summary row - Valid
  • One Assignment with payout per summary row - Invalid > This will result in error when accessing a form

Note: This formula doesn’t have a discretionary or individual component, therefore the budget can’t be added for this equation.
Base × Business performance × Individual performance

The formula includes employee performance into bonus calculation as a multiplier to business achievement.
  • Aggregated as one payout on one summary row - Valid
  • One Assignment with payout per summary row - Valid
Base × (Business performance + Individual performance) The formula includes business and individual performances as weighted components of the bonus payout towards the final payout.
  • Aggregated as one payout on one summary row - Valid
  • One Assignment with payout per summary row - Valid
Base × (Business performance x Team performance x Individual performance)

The formula includes business and individual performances as weighted components of the bonus payout towards the final payout.
  • Aggregated as one payout on one summary row - Valid
  • One Assignment with payout per summary row - Valid
Base x (Business performance + Team performance + Individual performance The formula includes business, team, and individual performances as weighted components of the bonus payout.
  • Aggregated as one payout on one summary row - Valid
  • One Assignment with payout per summary row - Valid

Budgets

Based on the above selections, budget will be calculated as follows when using non-ABR templates.

Formulas Two and Four from the Set Bonus Calculation page.

Equation Component: Forecast Component: modelling Component: Results

Base × Business performance × Individual performance

Base × (Business performance x Team performance x Individual performance)

Budget Amount
All employee's Forecast Calc amount * Budget Percentage

goalForecastPayoutAmountGrandTotal
Sum of Goal Forecast Payout Amount in Biz Section for all assignments

Budget Percent
This is defined within the Budget configuration page

budget percentage forecast.jpg

Allocated Amount
From all employee's Forecast Calc amount * Individual Percent

goalForecastPayoutAmountGrandTotal
Sum of Goal Forecast Payout Amount in Biz Section for all assignments

performancePercent
A % either calculated per guideline (when read only) or a manually input (when editable, default by guideline)

Allocated Percentage
This would be the allocated value / Budget Value * 100

Unallocated Amount
This would be Budget Amount - the allocated amount

Unallocated Percentage
This is Budget Percent - Allocated Percentage

Budget Amount
All employee's Forecast 2 Calc amount * Budget Percentage

goalForecast2PayoutAmountGrandTotal
Sum of Goal Forecast 2 Payout Amount in Biz Section for all assignments

Budget Percent
This is defined within the Budget configuration page

budget percentage modeling.jpg

Allocated Amount
From all employee's Forecast 2 Calc amount * Individual Percent

goalForecast2PayoutAmountGrandTotal
Sum of Goal Forecast 2 Payout Amount in Biz Section for all assignments

performancePercent
A % either calculated per guideline (when read only) or a manually input (when editable, default by guideline)

Allocated Percentage
This would be the allocated value / Budget Value * 100

Unallocated Amount
This would be Budget Amount - the allocated amount

Unallocated Percentage
This is Budget Percent - Allocated Percentage

Budget Amount
All employee's Business 2 Calc amount * Budget Percentage

goalResultsPayoutAmountGrandTotal
Sum of Goal Results Payout Amount in Biz Section for all assignments

Budget Percent
This is defined within the Budget configuration page

budget percentage results.jpg

Allocated Amount
From all employee's Business Calc amount * Individual Percent

goalResultsPayoutAmountGrandTotal
Sum of Goal Results Payout Amount in Biz Section for all assignments

performancePercent
A % either calculated per guideline (when read only) or a manually input (when editable, default by guideline)

Allocated Percentage
This would be the allocated value / Budget Value * 100

Unallocated Amount
This would be Budget Amount - the allocated amount

Unallocated Percentage
This is Budget Percent - Allocated Percentage

Formulas Three and Five from the Set Bonus Calculation page.

Equation Component: Forecast Component: modelling Component: Results

Base × (Business performance + Individual performance)

Base x (Business performance + Team performance + Individual performance

Budget Amount
All employee's Ind Calc amount * Budget Percentage

totalIndividualCalcAmount
Sum of Ind Section Amount of all assignments

Budget Percent
This is defined within the Budget configuration page

budget percentage forecast.jpg

Allocated Amount
From all employee's Ind Calc amount * Individual Percent

totalIndividualCalcAmount
Sum of Ind Section Amount of all assignments

performancePercent
A % either calculated per guideline (when read only) or a manually input (when editable, default by guideline)

Allocated Percentage
This would be the allocated value / Budget Value * 100

Unallocated Amount
This would be Budget Amount - the allocated amount

Unallocated Percentage
This is Budget Percent - Allocated Percentage

Budget Amount
All employee's Ind Calc amount * Budget Percentage

totalIndividualCalcAmount
Sum of Ind Section Amount of all assignments

Budget Percent
This is defined within the Budget configuration page

budget percentage modeling.jpg

Allocated Amount
From all employee's Ind Calc amount * Individual Percent

totalIndividualCalcAmount
Sum of Ind Section Amount of all assignments

performancePercent
A % either calculated per guideline (when read only) or a manually input (when editable, default by guideline)

Allocated Percentage
This would be the allocated value / Budget Value * 100

Unallocated Amount
This would be Budget Amount - the allocated amount

Unallocated Percentage
This is Budget Percent - Allocated Percentage

Budget Amount
All employee's Ind Calc amount * Budget Percentage

totalIndividualCalcAmount
Sum of Ind Section Amount of all assignments

Budget Percent
This is defined within the Budget configuration page

budget percentage results.jpg

Allocated Amount
From all employee's Business Calc amount * Individual Percent

totalIndividualCalcAmount
Sum of Ind Section Amount of all assignments

performancePercent
A % either calculated per guideline (when read only) or a manually input (when editable, default by guideline)

Allocated Percentage
This would be the allocated value / Budget Value * 100

Unallocated Amount
This would be Budget Amount - the allocated amount

Unallocated Percentage
This is Budget Percent - Allocated Percentage

When using ABR (Assignment Based Ratings) there is no requirement to multiply performancePercent (Ind Percent) when calculating an allocated amount.

Budgets will be visible on the following pages within Variable Pay

Page Budget Visible
Worksheets Yes
Executive Review Yes
Executive Review Individual Edit Yes
Individual View No
Print Preview (from Individual View) No

Business Goals & Eligibility

  • Business goals are imported and managed through your templates via Plan Setup> Manage Plan Details> Business Goals.
  • These goals can be created from the UI as well as being managed through the import and export functionality.

Common issues and helpful content

Below are a list of helpful KBA's as well as other helpful resources like blogs etc.

Employee History

  • 2078121 - Employee History Processor in SuccessFactors Variable Pay
  • 2718875 - Variable Pay - Insert of Employee History via API
  • 2461722 - Variable Pay - Employee Central History Processor. Partial Import vs Full Import
  • 2766401 - Variable Pay - Employee History Data Start and End date
  • 2498400 - Variable Pay - Employee History import Failure
  • 2438792 - Variable Pay - Top 5 Errors why the Employee Central History Processor job fails

Worksheets/Forms/Other error's

  • 2739969 - Variable Pay - 900-001-6 Error while accessing " Edit Employee History"
  • 2076690 - Most Common Reasons Worksheets Aren't Created - Variable Pay

Bonus Calculations

  • 2555961 - Variable Pay - EC History Processor fails with java.lang.IndexOutOfBoundsException error
  • 2985812 - Compensation & Variable Pay - Using custom MDF objects
  • 2806142 - Variable Pay - Point in time calculations
  • 2921300 - Variable Pay - Gates & Accelerators
  • 3063896 - Variable Pay - Salary Earnings Table

Other known issues

3011968 - Compensation & Variable Pay - Combined statement values incorrect when comparing to worksheets

See Also

Keywords

vrp tips and tricks, variable pay fundamentals, employee history, background elements, vrp common issues, known issues, vrp guide, variable pay budgets, vrp budgets, configure budgets, variable pay budget, budget calculations, formula calculation, set bonus calculation, hidePercentage, directAmount , KBA , LOD-SF-VRP , Variable Pay Programs , LOD-SF-VRP-ADM , Admin Tools, Settings, Permissions , LOD-SF-VRP-BON , Bonus, calculating bonus, payouts, etc. , LOD-SF-VRP-SCH , Launch Worksheets, Scheduled jobs , LOD-SF-VRP-EC , Employee Central data, configuration , How To

Product

SAP SuccessFactors Compensation all versions ; SAP SuccessFactors HCM Core all versions