How To Fix AO342 - With change of cost center &3, business area changed from &1 to &2

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: AO - Appropriation requests - Master data / Customizing

• Message number: 342

• Message text: With change of cost center &3, business area changed from &1 to &2

What causes this issue?

You entered cost center &V3&. The business area and the profit center
are adopted from the definition of the cost center.
Business area &V1&, which was the business area until now, is
overwritten by business area &V2&.

System Response

The system overwrites existing business area &V1&.

How to fix this error?

Check the cost center entry.

Procedure for System Administrators

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message AO342 - With change of cost center &3, business area changed from &1 to &2 ?

  The SAP error message AO342 indicates that there is a discrepancy in the cost center and business area assignment during a transaction. Specifically, it means that when you are trying to change the cost center, the associated business area is also changing, which is not allowed in certain contexts.
  Cause:
  The error occurs when:
  
  You are attempting to change a cost center in a transaction (like a journal entry or an internal order) that is linked to a specific business area.
  The new cost center you are trying to assign is associated with a different business area than the one currently assigned to the transaction.
  
  Solution:
  To resolve this error, you can take the following steps:
  
  
  Verify Cost Center and Business Area Assignment:
  
  Check the master data for both the old and new cost centers to see which business areas they are assigned to.
  Ensure that the new cost center is in the same business area as the old one if the transaction requires it.
  
  
  
  Adjust the Transaction:
  
  If the business area must remain the same, you may need to select a different cost center that belongs to the same business area as the original one.
  Alternatively, if the business area can be changed, you may need to adjust the settings in the configuration to allow for this change.
  
  
  
  Consult Configuration Settings:
  
  Review the configuration settings in the SAP system related to cost centers and business areas. There may be specific settings that restrict changes in business areas when cost centers are modified.
  
  
  
  Check Authorization:
  
  Ensure that you have the necessary authorizations to make changes to cost centers and business areas. Sometimes, restrictions can be due to user roles.
  
  
  
  Contact SAP Support:
  
  If you are unable to resolve the issue, consider reaching out to your SAP support team or consulting SAP documentation for further assistance.
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Transaction Codes: You may encounter this error in various transaction codes such as FB50 (G/L Account Document Entry), KSB1 (Cost Centers: Actual Line Items), or others where cost centers are involved.
  Business Area: A business area is an organizational unit that represents a specific area of operations within a company. It is important for reporting and financial statements.
  Cost Center: A cost center is a unit within an organization that incurs costs but does not directly generate revenue. It is used for internal cost tracking and management.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to identify the root cause of the AO342 error and implement a suitable solution.