What is SAP Account Group and What does it control.

Updated May 15, 2023

SAP Account Group is a classification mechanism that categorizes and controls master data records within the system. It determines which fields you can configure on the G/L master record.

Account Group allows organizations to define specific settings and attributes for different types of master data, such as customers, vendors, general ledger accounts, and assets. By assigning master records to relevant account groups, SAP ensures consistency, facilitates efficient data management, and enables streamlined reporting and analysis across various modules.

The standard SAP requires at least two account groups, one for balance sheet accounts and one for profit and loss accounts. T-code OBD4 is used to define account group/

IMG Path for Account Group

Financial Accounting > General  Ledger Accounting > GL Accounts > Master Records > Preparations > Define Account Group

Types of Account Group

There are several types of account groups used to classify and manage different types of master data. The most common types of account groups include:

Customer Account Group: This account group is used to categorize and control customer master data. It includes settings related to customer-specific data, such as payment terms, tax information, credit limits, and pricing conditions.
Vendor Account Group: The vendor account group is utilized to classify and manage vendor master data. It includes settings for vendor-specific information, such as payment terms, terms of delivery, payment methods, and communication details.
General Ledger Account Group: This account group is used to organize and control general ledger accounts. It defines settings related to the account's category, field status, number range, and other attributes.
Asset Account Group: The asset account group is employed to classify and manage fixed assets in SAP. It includes settings for asset-specific data, such as depreciation methods, useful life, capitalization thresholds, and asset class.
Material Account Group: In the Materials Management (MM) module, the material account group is utilized to classify and manage material master data. It includes settings related to procurement, pricing, valuation, and other material-specific attributes.

What SAP Account Group Controls?

Account groups in SAP control various aspects of master data records. The specific controls and settings vary depending on the type of account group and the module in which it is used. Here are some common controls managed by account groups:

Mandatory and Optional Fields: Account groups determine which fields are required, optional, or suppressed when creating or modifying master data records. This ensures consistent and complete data entry.
Number Range Management: Each account group is associated with a specific number range, which governs the assignment of document or account numbers. This control helps maintain data integrity and facilitates organized data retrieval.
Field Status: Account groups define the field status of specific data fields. This determines whether a field is display-only, editable, or hidden for users during data entry or modification.
Validation Rules: Account groups allow the definition of validation rules and checks to ensure data accuracy and compliance. These rules can include checks on data formats, ranges, or specific conditions.
Control Parameters: Account groups enable the configuration of control parameters specific to the type of master data. For example, in customer or vendor account groups, parameters like payment terms, credit limits, tax settings, and communication details can be defined.
Integration and Dependencies: Account groups facilitate integration with other modules within the SAP system. For instance, a customer account group may have dependencies with pricing conditions in the Sales and Distribution (SD) module, while a vendor account group may be linked to payment terms in the Accounts Payable (AP) module.

How tpo Create Screen lyout for Account Group?

Plese follow the steps below to define account group:

Execute t-code OBD4 in the SAP Commnad field

OBD4

Next on Change View "G/L Account Groups": Overview you will see the list of previously defined account group

List

Next click on New Enteries button to create a new account group

new enteries

Now on the next screen enter all the details. You can define the fields as Suppress, Requried Entry, Optional Entry or Display

Details

Click on the Save button to save the new account group.

Save Save

CHoose your Customized Request and press Enter to proceed.

A message Data was saved will be displayed on the bottom of your screen.

Data was saved

After the definition, you can check it with FSP3 - Chart of Accounts display.

SAP Account Group controls the Number ranges of GL A/C. The status of fields of the master record of GL belongs to company code area.

Comments

08 Jun 2018 1:00 pm Nitesh Singh Helpful Answer

1.Account group defines the nature of the accounts.
2. Account group defines number range.
3. AG defined the field status.
4. Ag defines whether the customer/vendor is one-time partner or frequent partner.

08 Jun 2018 1:01 pm Shalesh Singh Helpful Answer

We have account groups in GL accounts as well as in customer and vendor accounts, with respect to GL account groups these are the account groups which have same funcionality (example cash account groups, authorized account groups) standard account groups are defined already in SAP erp, with respect to customer and vendor account groups we can take as example your organisation has customer base all over india so u can create a specific customer account group city wise, state wise or zone wise same is eligible for vendor account groups (these groups are defined in customizing and you can define by copying form the standard account groups available in sap erp system) also you can change the field status of the account groups according to your requirement.

08 Jun 2018 1:01 pm SAP User Helpful Answer

TRANSACTION CODE : OBD4
The account group(or G/L ACCOUNT GROUP)- a 4- character alphanumeric key - controls how g/l account master records are created in the system.
this helps to "group" G/L accounts according to the functional areas to which they must belong .The account group is mandatory for creating a master records.The same account group can be used by more than one company code if they ll use the same chart of accounts. However,each G/L account is assigned to only one account group.
The account group determines :
1.What NUMBER INTERVAL is to be used while creating the master record?
2.What SCREEN LAYOUT is to be used while creating the master record in the company code area?
While defining the account groups in the system, you also need to define the corresponding FIELD STATUS for each of these groups. Else, you will not be able to see fields as all these would be hidden by default.
SAP comes delivered with a number of “account group”like:
1. SAKO -- G/L ACCOUNT GENERAL.
2. MAT. -- MATERIAL MANAGEMENT ACOOUNT.
3. FIN. --- LIQUIDS FUNDS ACCOUNT.
In the most of the situation, you will not require additional groups other than the ones already available in the standard system.
However , if you need to create a new one , it is easier to copy an existing one and make modifications to the same instead of creating from scratch.

08 Jun 2018 1:01 pm Sonia Barwar Helpful Answer

GROUPING OF SIMILAR NATURE OF ACCOUNTS, IT CONTROLS NUMBER RANGES IN CREATION TIME.