How To Fix AO736 - Appropriation request &1: Overhead costs are negative

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

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

• Message number: 736

• Message text: Appropriation request &1: Overhead costs are negative

What causes this issue?

Investment costs are greater than the combined costs. This is not
allowed, since the investment costs are a part of the combined costs.

System Response

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

How to fix this error?

Procedure for System Administrators

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message AO736 - Appropriation request &1: Overhead costs are negative ?

  The SAP error message AO736 indicates that there are negative overhead costs associated with an appropriation request. This typically occurs in the context of project management or investment management within SAP, where overhead costs are expected to be positive but have been recorded as negative.
  Cause:
  
  Incorrect Data Entry: Negative values may have been mistakenly entered for overhead costs during the creation or modification of the appropriation request.
  Configuration Issues: There may be issues with the configuration of the cost elements or the overhead calculation settings in the system.
  Posting Errors: Overhead costs might have been incorrectly posted to the appropriation request, possibly due to a mistake in the allocation or distribution of costs.
  Integration Issues: If the appropriation request is integrated with other modules (like Controlling or Financial Accounting), discrepancies in data transfer could lead to negative values.
  
  Solution:
  
  Review and Correct Data: Check the appropriation request for any entries that have negative overhead costs. Correct any erroneous entries to ensure that all overhead costs are positive.
  Check Configuration: Review the configuration settings for overhead cost calculation in the relevant SAP modules. Ensure that the settings align with the business requirements and that there are no misconfigurations.
  Analyze Cost Allocations: Investigate how costs are being allocated to the appropriation request. Ensure that the allocation methods are correctly set up and that they do not result in negative values.
  Consult Documentation: Refer to SAP documentation or help resources for specific guidance on handling overhead costs and appropriation requests.
  Contact Support: If the issue persists after checking the above points, consider reaching out to SAP support or your internal SAP support team for further assistance.
  
  Related Information:
  
  Transaction Codes: Familiarize yourself with relevant transaction codes such as CJ20N (Project Builder) or AOPR (Appropriation Request) to manage and review appropriation requests.
  Cost Element Accounting: Understanding how cost elements are defined and used in SAP can help in troubleshooting issues related to overhead costs.
  SAP Notes: Check for any SAP Notes related to error AO736, as they may provide specific fixes or patches that address known issues.
  User Roles and Authorizations: Ensure that users have the appropriate roles and authorizations to make changes to appropriation requests and associated costs.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to identify the cause of the error and implement a solution to resolve it.