Release Procedure in Indent/Purchase Order

Question

I want to customise release strategy in indent and Purchase order in SAP. Kindly provide me steps to configure this. will apperitiate your efforts.
Manjit

Answer 1

Hi Manjit,
Release Procedure for Purchase Orders
In this section, you set up a release procedure for purchase orders (POs).
Requirements
If you want to use workflow to release POs, you must make the standard and basic settings for workflow (Basis -> Business Management -> SAP Business Workflow).
How do you set üp a release procedure for POs?
To set up the release procedure, you must make a series of settings in Customizing. This section provides you with an overview of the necessary activities.
You must perform the following steps:
1. Create characteristics and classes
For more on this topic, see Edit Characteristics and Edit Classes.
Note
If you wish to link your release procedure to workflow, you must perform steps 2 and 3 . You make these settings in Customizing for Business Workflow (Basis -> Business Management).
Otherwise, continue with step 4.
Define organizational plan
For more on this topic, see Edit Organizational Plan.
Assign standard tasks and activate event-receiver linkage.
For more on this topic, see Perform Task- Specific Customizing.
1. Set up release procedure for RFQs
a) Create release group
b) Create release code
c) Create release indicator
d) Create release strategy
Note
You need only carry out the following step if you wish to link your release procedure to workflow.
e) Assign release code to a user
For more on this topic, see Define Release Procedure for POs.
2. Check release strategies
For more on this topic, see Check Release Strategies.
Further notes
For more information, refer to
· Implementation of a Release Procedure for Purchasing Documents
· Release of Purchasing Documents (SAP Library -> Basis -> Business Management (BC-BMT) -> SAP Business Workflow (BC-BMT-WFM) -> Reference documentation -> BC Workflow Scenarios in the Applications -> MM Materials Management: Workflow Scenarios)
Edit Characteristic (CT04)
In this step, you create characteristics for a release procedure for purchase orders (POs).
Classification characteristics are the criteria for a release condition. If the criteria of a release condition are satisfied, the associated release strategy is assigned to the purchasing document (e.g. purchase order or RFQ).
Example
Release condition for release strategy EA:
Characteristic Characteristic value
Total net value of PO Above $10,000
If the total value of a purchase order exceeds $10,000, release strategy EA is assigned to this PO.
Requirements
In communication structure CEKKO you will find all the fields that can be used as characteristics for a release condition (e.g. BSART for the order type and GNETW for the total order value).
Check which fields you wish to use as characteristics for your release strategy. To do so, choose Tools -> ABAP Workbench -> Development -> Dictionary, enter CEKKO in the field Database table , and choose "Display".
Note
If you wish to define a separate release strategy for the various document categories (PO, RFQ, etc.), you must create a characteristic for each relevant document category.
Activities
1. Create a characteristic for each field from communication structure CEKKO that is to be a criterion for your release strategy. You have a free choice of names for the characteristic.
2. Enter the table name and the field name on the tab page Additional data (for example, table CEKKO for field GNETW).
Note
o Do not select any of the indicators in the area Procedure for value assignment on the tab page Additional data. Only if none of these indicators is marked can you assign a value or value interval to the characteristic when defining your release strategy.
o When you create a characteristic for a currency-dependent field (e.g. GNETW), a box appears in which you must enter the currency for the relevant value. The system then converts the currency of the purchasing document into this currency.
3. Check the data for the chosen field on the tab page Basic data.
If you want to enter several values or a value interval for a characteristic, set the Multiple values indicator in the area Value assignment.
Note
Value intervals can only be specified for numerical values (e.g. an interval of $10,000 to $15,000 for the value of the purchase order.
4. Check the texts for the field on the tab page Descriptions.
5. You can maintain default values for a characteristic on the tab page Values.
If you maintain values here, these values will be displayed as input help under Create Procedure with Classification -> Release Strategy -> Classification . If you wish to use not only the input help but also other values, you must select the Additional values indicator.
Note
You can also maintain ' ' as a default value. For example, for account assignment: ' ' for stock material, 'k' for cost center, and 'a' for asset.
6. If you want to restrict the use of a characteristic to particular class types, specify the relevant class types on the tab page Restrictions. For example, class type 032 for the release strategy.
Further notes
Further information on characteristics is available in this Customizing activity via Help -> Application help.
Customer exits
Customer exit M06E0004 enables you to change the communication structure for determining the release strategy for purchasing documents.
Edit Class( CL02 )
In this step, you create classes for a release procedure for purchase orders (POs).
You use a class to group together characteristics that are to constitute a release condition for a release strategy. In the step "Define Release Procedure for Purchase Orders " you assign this class to the release strategy.
Activities
1. Create a class with the class type 032. You have a free choice of names for the new class (e.g. REL_RFQ for the release of RFQs).
2. Assign a name for the new class on the tab page Basic data.
3. You can view an error message if different characteristics with identical values have been assigned to a class. To be able to do so, select the Check with error message indicator in the Same classification area.
4. If appropriate, select terms to be used as search criteria in searches for your class on the Keywords tab page.
5. Assign your characteristics to the class via the tab page Characteristics.
Further notes
Further information on classes is available in this Customizing activity under Help -> Application help.
Define Release Procedure for Purchase Orders
In this step, you set up the release procedure for purchase orders (POs) and can link it to workflow. (Note that in this context "releasing" means "approving", or giving the "green light" to a document.)
Requirements
· In the case of a release procedure linked to workflow, you must have previously created the user names, positions, jobs, etc. that you here assign to the release code in the organizational plan and must have linked them to the relevant standard tasks in task-specific Customizing (Basis -> Business Management -> Business Workflow -> Perform Task-Specific Customizing).
· You must assign the authorization M_EINK_FRG to the persons who are to be involved in the release procedure ( Authorization Management -> Create Authorization Profiles and Assign to Users).Activities
Here you define the following:
·     Release group
·     Release codes
·     Release indicator
·     Release strategy
·     Workflow
Release group
Create a release group for your release procedure and assign it to a class. In the process, you assign release conditions to the release procedure.
Release codes
Here you create the release codes you need for your release strategy and assign the codes to your release group. If a release code is to be used in workflow, indicate this accordingly in the Workflow field
The Workflow indicator is also used to control role resolution:
·     "1 - Role Resolution with Group, Code and Plant (T16FW)"
Here you use a role resolution that is supplied in the standard system. To do so, you must assign the release point in the section Workflow (see below).
·     "9 - Role Resolution via User Exit"
Here you use the customer exit M06E0005 to define a role resolution of your own.
Release indicators
A release indicator shows the release status of a PO.
Via the following settings, you can define the release indicators you need for your release procedure:
·     The Released indicator is used to specify whether messages (PO documents in output format) may be transmitted for a purchase order with this indicator.
·     The Changeability indicator shows the effect of changes to the PO (a change to a PO may require a new release strategy to be determined, for instance).
·     By means of the Value change indicator, you can specify that the release strategy is to be re-started if a PO is changed and the value of a PO item thereby increases by a certain percentage (e.g. 10%). Set the Changeability indicator to "4 - Changeable, new release in case of new strategy or value change" or "6 - Changeable, new release in case of new strategy or value change/outputted" and enter a percentage in the Value change field.
Attention:
The following release indicators are necessary for every release procedure:
o     Release indicator for initial status
If the PO is subject to a release strategy, it must normally be released before it can be transmitted to the vendor. Therefore, when a PO is created, it is assigned a release indicator that blocks it from being outputted in message form.
The Released indicator must not be selected for this indicator.
o     Release indicator for released status
This indicator is assigned to the PO when it is released.
The Released indicator must be selected for this indicator.
Release strategies
Create a release strategy for your release group and assign your release codes accordingly.
·     Release prerequisites
With the release prerequisites , you specify the order in which the individual release points (individuals or departments) represented by the release codes may release the document.
Example
The following table shows release prerequisites for a strategy with four release codes.
Code/Release prerequisite
          01     02     03     04
     01     -               
     02          -          
     03               -     
     04                    -
In this release strategy, the codes 01, 02, 03, and 04 must successively release the purchase order.
Read the table from left to right. For instance, the third line for release code 03: For code 03, release via code 01 and code 02 is a prerequisite. That is to say, the PO must be released via codes 01 and 02 before it can be released via code 03.
·     Release statuses
Here you specify the status a PO has after certain release points have effected release.
Specify which release indicator/status a PO is to have after having been released via a certain release code.
·     Classification
In classification, you maintain the values assigned to the characteristics. Via the characteristics and their values, you specify the POs to which your release strategy is assigned.
Maintain values (individual values or intervals) for your characteristics.
Example
Two characteristics and their values have been maintained in classification for release strategy 'EA':
- Document type - 'NB - standard purchase order'
- Total value - above $10,000
All POs with the document type 'NB' and a total value in excess of $10 ,000 are thus subject to a release procedure with the release strategy 'EA'.
·     Release simulation
The release simulation function enables you to check which status a PO will achieve with your release strategy if release is effected by a certain release point.
Choose "Simulate release" and release the document with the desired release code by double-clicking. The system shows you which status the PO now has as a result of this release.
Workflow
Assign a processor ID to your workflow-relevant release codes. The processor (member of staff responsible for processing the document) will then receive a work item when he or she is required to effect release.
You can assign a processor ID either directly or indirectly:
o     Direct processor assignment:
Enter a user name.
o     Indirect processor assignment:
Enter a job, for example, or a position. At runtime, the system will then determine the member(s) of staff responsible for processing the document.
Customer exit
Customer exit M06E0005 enables you to define your own role resolution which determines the person responsible for releasing purchasing documents in workflow.
Further notes
Further information on how to set up a release procedure linked to workflow is available via the menu options Help -> Application Help.
Check Release Strategies
In this step, you can check whether the basic settings for your release strategy are complete and correct.
Checks
The following checks are carried out for purchasing documents:
·     Basic checks
The system checks whether the necessary release groups exist in the system. For example: Whether a release group has been deleted even though an associated release strategy still exists.
·     Checks regarding release groups and release classes
The system checks whether the release groups and the assigned classes have been maintained correctly. For instance, whether
o     A class has been assigned to the release groups and whether it exists in the system
o     Characteristics - which exist in the system and are linked to the communication structure - have been assigned to the class
o     A customer exit must be maintained for a characteristic
·     Checks regarding release codes
The system checks whether the release codes have been maintained correctly
·     Checks regarding release indicators
The system checks whether the release indicators have been maintained correctly. For example: Whether release indicators exist for the statuses "Blocked" and "Released".
·     Checks regarding release strategies
The system checks whether the release strategies have been maintained correctly. For example, whether:
o     Release codes have been assigned to the release strategy
o     The relevant release indicators have been assigned to the initial and final statuses of a release strategy
·     Checks regarding link to workflow
The system checks whether the link between your release procedure and workflow has been maintained correctly. For example, whether:
o     A processor (member of staff responsible for processing) has been assigned to a workflow-relevant release code and is defined in the organizational plan
o     A customer exit is necessary for the role resolution
Result
The result of these checks is displayed in a log. Further information is available in the Customizing activity under Help -> Application Help.
Activities
1. Start the check by performing the Customizing activity.
2. Check whether any error or warning messages are displayed.
3. If necessary, correct your Customizing settings for the release procedure.
4. Re-run the check after making corrections.
Rewards if Helpful
Regards
Sanjay L