2013 03 28 Connections Train2 Tips Tricks Creating ACL Scripts

ACL Services Ltd.

ACL Services Ltd. B O S C H A N D S I E M E N S H O M E A P P L I A N C E S G R O U P

Anke Giegandt, ACDA Auditor

Embrace Repeatable Scripts Tips & Tricks for Creating ACL Scripts

3 ACL Services Ltd. ACL | Connections 2013

AGENDA Data analysis for internal audit at Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group

Methods for creating ACL scripts Best practices for script design Populate a drop down menu with data from a

table Create dynamic dialog boxes ACL language and ACL version test Summary


Data Analysis for Internal Audit at Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group


The BSH shareholders 2011


The BSH product portfolio covers the entire spectrum for daily life

Cooking

Washing & Drying

Dishwashing

Refrigeration & Freezing

Consumer products


BSH success worldwide

13 brands, 42 factories, about 45,000 employees around 9.7 bill. Euro sales in 2011

about 70 companies in 49 countries Global sales and customer service network


Start: mid 2007 Data analyses mainly based on

data from: SAP Legacy systems Archived SAP data GDPdU (German format for data

storage for financial authorities) SQL-databases

Amount of data for one audit: 500 MB 700 GB

Scripts used: Purchased scripts Manual analyses Scripts developed by consultants Scripts we developed ourselves

Support of: Standard audits Special investigations Cycle audits (once per year) External audit Continuous auditing (started 2013)

History of data analysis at BSH Internal Audit


Accounts Payable Invoices without purchase order Duplicate payments

Accounts Receivable Open items Changes of customer master data

Asset Management Assets with wrong useful life Assets which never have been

depreciated

Controlling Factory Dummy prices Product calculation date

FI-General Baseline date changes GL-account overview

Material Management Scrap postings Defective goods postings

Purchasing Invoice date before PO date Split purchase orders

Sales and Sales Admin CPD deliveries Free goods

Analysis of SAP Access Rights

Standard-analyses: available analysis topics


Data Analysis at BSH Internal Audit data flow

Data Sources

Data Access

Data Analysis

dab: exporter (Access-handling with SAP user and password,

with dab:PrivacyProtection for pseudonymisation)

Results

weBSH.net Worldwide

Finance Facto-ries

Master-data

Sales Customer Service

Slowa-kia

North America

Greece China Rest of Asia

Other BSH-internal Data-

sources


This presentation shows screenshots and examples based on SAP data, our main data source for data analyses

In SAP tables and fields are standardized therefore scripting leads to even more synergy effects

When you start writing scripts Have a good idea what the script should do Use the script as often as possible CHANGE MANAGEMENT: establish a process

Get feedback about the results Improve the script according to the feedback

Get rid of errors and too many false positives, improve usability

Resource Planning!

Remarks


Methods for Creating ACL Scripts


A series of ACL commands stored as one unit in an ACL project Any ACL command can be used in a script A given script can be executed repeatedly on different data (e.g., every

month on a file with the same data structure, but with different data content each month)

What is an ACL script?


Why use ACL scripts? Improves the efficiency of the data analysis team: more can be done with the same

resources Quality assurance: using the same script for auditing different legal entities assures

the same quality of the audit Complex analyses can sometimes only be performed by using scripts Less experienced users can start ACL scripts and use the results without knowing

how to write scripts

Methods for creating ACL scripts Create a script from table history Usage of the script recorder Use the commands stored in the log Create a script manually

Methods for creating ACL scripts


Open the table you want to get the history from Go to Tools Create Script from Table History 1.

Create a script from table history


2.

3.

4.

Create a script from table history


Go to Tools Set Script Recorder On

Open the table you need for your analysis All commands performed from now on will be written to the new script

Usage of the script recorder



Manual data extraction to a new table with one condition

(Table LFA1=Vendor Master Data).

New results table.


When the manual analysis is finished, go again to Tools Set Script Recorder On

Then you are prompted for a script name:

And, here is the resulting script:



If you want to copy commands from the log, check the required items, right-click the selection and select Copy

The selected commands can now be copied into a script

Use the commands stored in the log


To create a script exporting the commands directly from the log, check the required items, right-click the selection and select

Save Selected Items Script

Enter the script name and click OK

Use the commands stored in the log


To create a script manually, right-click the project name in the project navigator and select New > Script

Create a script manually


There are now three different ways to populate the new script with your commands: Type commands in manually Copy and paste commands from the log (see previous slides) Capture syntax command

Create a script manually


Click the start button

Select the commands as required. They are directly written to the script, but not yet executed. These commands will only be executed when the script is started. When the script is finished, select the End Syntax Capture Button.

Capture syntax command


Best Practices for Script Design


First try to answer the following questions: Begin with the end in mind: how should the result of the script look like?

Who will use the results of the script? What will the script do?

Which data are required? What other information is to be collected? Which input parameters are required?

Who will use the script? Error trapping Languages (dialog, comments, text tables)

Define naming conventions Use comments within the script code for documentation Modular programming: one main script should call subscripts

Once the script is finished: in-depth testing of the script with different input parameters, test data and productive data ensures high quality

Best practices for script design - overview


Naming conventions ACL commands: always in UPPERCASE: CLASSIFY ON company_code TO t_temptable Variables: c_variable_name Calculated fields: c_field_name Calculated fields which are used as key fields: c_kfield_name Indices: i_index_name Temporary tables: t_table_name Try to avoid blanks in names

Introduce a run ID which will be defined by the user in the dialog E.g., a 4-digit ID which can represent the audit number, company code, . Can be added at the end of variables, temporary tables, indices, results tables, name of the

results folder Easy differentiation of different script runs with different parameters

Text tables: let the user prioritize the languages required in the dialog.

Best practices for script design - details


Create a script template which can be re-used (I) Script header:

Area of Analysis: Accounts Receivable Name of the script: AR_Cust_Duplicates Version: 0.43 Author: agiegandt Created on: 03.10.2012 Last changes: 23.02.2013 Changed by: agiegandt Uses subscripts: AR_Cust_Dups_Sub01 Uses tables: KNA1, KNB1, KNBK



Create a script template which can be re-used (II) Basic settings:

SET SAFETY OFF SET EXACT OFF DELETE ALL OK (or conditional deletion) CLOSE CLOSE SECONDARY SET DATE "YYYYMMDD Dialog to get the Run_ID SET SESSION ++ Name_of_Analytics_%Run_ID% ++ SET FOLDER / Name_of_Analytics _%Run_ID%



Create a script template which can be re-used (III) Cleanup section: delete at the end of the script

Variables Temporary tables Indices Relations Calculated fields in original tables

Final settings: SET SAFETY ON CLOSE CLOSE SECONDARY SET FOLDER /



Populate a Dropdown Menu from a Table


Scenario: Assume you want to write a script with a dialog box. In this dialog box, the user

should be able to put in some parameters for the script run One of the selection parameters should be the Company Code for which the

analysis will be executed

Desired dialog:

Traditional approach: a dialog is created and the possible parameters are put in hard-coded

Populate a dropdown menu from a table


Dialog creation:

Resulting script code:

Dropdown values are semi-colon delimited in the dialog command



To get a more flexible dialog (not hard-coded), it is necessary to know which Company Codes are in the data ahead of time and to display only those Company Codes in the dropdown menu for selection by the user

This requires a unique list of all possible valuesa unique list can be created by using the CLASSIFY command



This table has to be converted into a variable which is semi-colon delimited

This can be done using the GROUP command or using a subscript Solution with GROUP command:

Variables v_compcodes_tmp and v_compcodes:



Now this variable containing all possible Company Codes can be used in the DIALOG command:

Resulting dialog when the script is executed:



Create Dynamic Dialog Boxes


Scenario: Assume you have to write a script with the following requirements:

Technical parameters for each script run have to be maintained outside of ACL Analytics New analysis topics can be added without additional programming

Approach: The code must be as flexible as possible Parameter definition will be done in a spreadsheet

But how can I show an analysis to be selected by the user in a dialog box, which is not known at the time the script is actually written?

Dynamic Dialog Boxes are required

Create dynamic dialog boxes


Analysis topic: User Authorizations in SAP In the spreadsheet, two workbooks are defined: Authorizations Overview and

Authorizations Details Workbook Authorizations Overview:



Workbook Authorizations Details :

The dialog box created by the ACL script allows you to select one or more analyses from the Workbook Authorizations Overview

The technical details required for the analysis are taken from the Workbook Authorizations Details



Import from spreadsheet

Details

Overview


What we need: A DIALOG command split into a fixed part and a variable part But: the variable part is not known at start of the script

We need a script that creates a script with the correct dialog box at runtime

Create dynamic dialog boxes the result

Fixed part

Flexible part


Example DIALOG:

Corresponding DIALOG command:

Analysis of the DIALOG command

x-position y-position


Variable v_dialog = v_dialog_fix + v_dialog_var

Script with DIALOG command:

Create dynamic dialog boxes solution


The following data have to be calculated: Total number of checkboxes required Number of rows and number of columns for the checkboxes Maximum width of each checkbox Distance between rows Distance from top of the dialog box Distance from left of the dialog box Height and width of the complete dialog box Location of the OK and Cancel buttons

Create dynamic dialog boxes solution


ACL Language and ACL Version Test


Why: Different ACL language versions create different column names in the command

CROSSTAB German: Anzahl English: COUNT

If you want to use the column names in a script, you need to know ahead of time which ACL language version is used

ACL language test


Example English:

Example German:

ACL language test - CROSSTAB


SET SAFETY OFF OPEN AnyTable EXTRACT "TEST" AS "KEY" 0 AS "TESTVALUE" TO t_languagetest1 FIRST 1 OPEN "t_languagetest1" CROSSTAB ON KEY COLUMNS KEY SUBTOTAL testvalue COUNT TO

"t_languagetest2.FIL" OPEN

IF FTYPE("Count_TEST") 'U' Assign v_CountLabel = 'COUNT_' IF FTYPE("Anzahl_TEST") 'U' Assign v_CountLabel = 'ANZAHL_ PAUSE "Label = %v_CountLabel% CLOSE SET SAFETY ON

ACL language test - script


English German

ACL language test - screenshots


DISPLAY VERSION Especially required if scripts should run on both the Unicode and the Non-Unicode

version of ACL Analytics Some commands are different between Unicode and Non-Unicode

DISPLAY VERSION creates four numeric variables: ACL_Ver_Type: type: 0 is non-unicode, 1 is unicode ACL_Ver_Patch: patch ACL_Ver_Minor: minor version ACL_Ver_Major: major version

ACL version test


One command to be used differently in the two versions:

ASCII: ZONED(number, length)

UNICODE: BINTOSTR(ZONED(number, length), A)

ACL version test

string string type (A for ASCII)


Summary


Scripts can be very useful to improve the efficiency of the audit department

The different methods of script creation when using ACL technology offer a wide range of possibilities and allow the user to start simple and to develop easily to become an advanced script writer

So lets get started, but

Summary


How not to perform script writing:

Summary II


Anke Giegandt Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group Internal Audit

Carl-Wery-Str. 34 81739 Munich Germany Phone: +49 89 - 4590 5093 Fax: +49 89 - 4590 2158 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: www.bsh-group.com ACL User Group D/A/CH: http://www.am-dataconsult.de/acl-usergroup.html

Contact

58 2012 ACL Services Ltd. ACL | Connections 2013

Slide Number 1Embrace Repeatable Scripts Tips & Tricks for Creating ACL ScriptsAGENDAData Analysis for Internal Audit at Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances GroupThe BSH shareholders 2011The BSH product portfolio covers the entire spectrum for daily lifeBSH success worldwideHistory of data analysis at BSH Internal AuditStandard-analyses: available analysis topicsData Analysis at BSH Internal Audit data flowRemarksMethods for Creating ACL ScriptsWhat is an ACL script?Methods for creating ACL scriptsCreate a script from table historyCreate a script from table historyUsage of the script recorderUsage of the script recorder Usage of the script recorder Use the commands stored in the logUse the commands stored in the logCreate a script manuallyCreate a script manuallyCapture syntax commandBest Practices for Script DesignBest practices for script design - overviewBest practices for script design - detailsBest practices for script design - detailsBest practices for script design - detailsBest practices for script design - detailsPopulate a Dropdown Menu from a TablePopulate a dropdown menu from a tablePopulate a dropdown menu from a tablePopulate a dropdown menu from a tablePopulate a dropdown menu from a tablePopulate a dropdown menu from a tableCreate Dynamic Dialog BoxesCreate dynamic dialog boxesCreate dynamic dialog boxesCreate dynamic dialog boxesImport from spreadsheetCreate dynamic dialog boxes the resultAnalysis of the DIALOG commandCreate dynamic dialog boxes solutionCreate dynamic dialog boxes solutionACL Language and ACL Version TestACL language testACL language test - CROSSTABACL language test - scriptACL language test - screenshotsACL version testACL version testSummarySummarySummary IIContactSlide Number 57Slide Number 58

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2013 03 28 Connections Train2 Tips Tricks Creating ACL Scripts