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Process documentation Marketing Planning and Budgeting  Locate the document in its SAP Library structure


You use this business process to create a marketing plan and perform key figure planning. The marketing plan is intended for the long-term, strategic planning of marketing activities and is used as a framework for planning, structuring, and budgeting marketing projects. Within this framework, you can quickly gather and analyze data on customers, target groups, sales, territories, and competitive activity using integrated analytical functions. Throughout the duration of the plan, you can monitor performance and react accordingly. After the marketing plan is executed, you can use the results as a basis to evaluate future projects.

This business process shows how you would typically carry out planning for a marketing plan. You create the structure for the marketing plan in SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM). The necessary planning, budgeting, and performance monitoring is carried out using SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence (BI). Posting of budget data takes place in SAP ERP Core Component (SAP ECC).


     You have set up your system landscape.

     You have configured key figure planning.

Process Flow

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text



       1.      Create and maintain marketing plan (CRM Server)
You create a marketing plan in the CRM Marketing Planner, maintain details, define the hierarchical structure of your plan, and assign marketing plan elements. When you save this marketing plan, it is transferred to the BI system for reporting purposes.

       2.      Plan marketing key figures (CRM Server)
Once you created a marketing plan, you plan key figures for that marketing plan directly in the CRM Marketing Planner. The planned key figures are transferred to the BI system where they can be used to plan the budget.

       3.      Release marketing plan (CRM Server)
When you completed your planning, you release the marketing plan. The data is transferred to SAP ECC Profitability Analysis (CO-PA).

       4.      Commit and release budget data to ERP (BI)
In the BI system, you commit budget data and release it. It is transferred to CO-PA, where it can be used to evaluate the costs of the project.

       5.      Compare plan/actual revenue and cost (BI)
In the BI system, you can monitor response and success rates, monitor open orders, and compare plan/actual revenues and costs.

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