Which GFEBS report would you use to compare actual costs against planned costs?

The chosen report, S_ALR_87013611 - Actual/Plan Variance, is designed specifically to compare actual costs against planned costs. This report provides a detailed analysis of any variances between what was budgeted and what has actually been spent in a project, enabling project managers and financial analysts to assess performance and make informed decisions regarding budget adjustments and project forecasts.

This capability is crucial for effective project management as it allows for early detection of discrepancies between planned and actual expenditures, facilitating timely intervention if costs are exceeding expectations.

Other reports, while useful in the context of project management, serve different purposes. The WBS Element Overview gives a general look at work breakdown structure elements without focusing specifically on cost variances. The Actual Cost Line Items report provides detailed transaction-level data of actual costs but does not have the comparative aspect that the Actual/Plan Variance report provides. Lastly, the Project Definitions Overview serves to display general project setup and definitions rather than financial data comparisons. Thus, S_ALR_87013611 is the most appropriate choice for analyzing cost variances effectively.