Book excerpt: The methods used for inventory valuation have been transformed with SAP S/4HANA. The material ledger is now integrated with the Universal Journal and is the sole means for valuing materials. This book covers how valuation is managed in up to three different currencies, in parallel, without requiring the actual costing functionality. Learn how the material ledger interacts with the Universal Journal and how to configure the currencies used for parallel valuation. Investigate various valuation approaches and see how legal, group, and profit center valuation views can be used to help understand company profitability. Be guided through the configuration steps that enable these multiple valuation approaches. For those who are using or intending to use actual costing, learn how the actual cost is determined and the steps required to set this up to achieve maximum benefit. Find out how the actual costing run works and how alternative valuation runs can be used to provide additional information about inventory values. Review the optional business functions FIN_CO_COGM for parallel valuation of cost of goods manufactured, and LOG_MM_SIT for intercompany stock-in-transit and actual costing to see how they can be used for additional analysis of inventory. Investigate the different forms of balance sheet valuation and how they interact with the material ledger. - Valuation in parallel currencies, with and without transfer pricing - Defining currencies and using them with the material ledger - Valuation using standard cost, moving average cost, and actual cost - Balance sheet valuation methods