Information about General Ledger & Cost Objects in SAP
Cost Objects
Within SAP, a cost object can be either a cost center or WBS element.
- Cost centers are used to track income and expenses for state-aided (non-revolving and revolving), auxiliary, and other types of funds (endowments).
- WBS elements are used to track income and expenses for grants, student loan funds, agency, and plant funds.
The cost centers and WBS elements are entirely numeric. There is visual recognition built into the number structures to identify the:
- Campus
- Fund type
- Sub-program
- Department
General Ledger (GL) Accounts
In contrast to a cost object, which identifies an area of responsibility, a GL account identifies the specific nature of a transaction within a cost object.
The GL account is a six-digit field and is hierarchical in structure. Listings of the GL Accounts can be found in the SAPPHIRE Resources Reference Guides section.
- Revenue (4xxxxxx)
- Expenses (5xxxxxx)