This segment from our 502 page SAP Purchasing manual is being made available as a sample of our training manuals. Please contact
[email protected] if you have any SAP training needs, or visit www.ERPtips.com for more information. Written by Jocelyn Hayes Published by Klee Associates, Inc. Copyright Klee Associates, Inc., 2009
Release Procedure In this unit, we cover these aspects of the Release Procedure:
Release Procedure without Classification
Release Procedure with Classification
Demonstration
Exercise
The following four steps lead you through the setup and implementation of the Release procedure. Each step offers ERPtips that guide you through the potential minefield of “gotchas.”
Step 1: Determine the Corporate Purchasing Approval Matrix Determining the Corporate Purchasing Approval Matrix is a difficult step in any organization because many departments believe their approval process must be unique and is different.
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ERPtip: Keep it Simple ERPtip
Encourage purchasing policy makers to keep it simple.
The goal here is to make it easier for people who enter purchasing requisitions to know who must approve the requisition, not to make the implementer’s job easier. So many times I have agreed to implement a complex release strategy, only to go back later and simplify. Why? Because the user community complained that it was too difficult to know who was delaying requisitions from becoming purchase orders.
Most companies I've seen base purchasing approvals on cost centers. I have implemented purchasing groups to be synonymous with cost centers. This means cost center is not required on the purchase requisition.
ERPtip: Use a General Ledger Account Number ERPtip
If you require the cost center on the requisition, you do not have to require the general ledger (G/L) account number; but you should, because most users do not know how to select the correct G/L account.
If you do not require the G/L account on the purchase requisition, it is not required on the purchase order (without a custom developed user/field exit).
If your purchasing agent forgets to add the G/L account, the receiving department gets an error when it tries to receive because SAP does not know how to post the material document.
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Approval Matrix Example The table below illustrates the example presented here. The release strategy has two key values that are used to determine the level of approval and who approves the requisition.
Purchasing group
Overall value of purchase requisition
Department
Position
Approval Limits
901 – Operations
Manager
Up to $10K
901 – Operations
Director
Up to $50K
901 – Operations
Vice President
Up to $100K
901 – Operations
Chief Financial Officer
Everything over $100K
902 – Finance
Manager
Up to $5K
902 – Finance
Controller
Up to $200K
902 – Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Everything over $200K
The Release procedure example presented in this manual is for an Overall Release procedure, which means that the person approving the requisition approves the entire requisition, not each line. This simplifies the action required by the approver, who has only to approve once; however, this does restrict you from allowing your users to combine purchase requisitions across departments.
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Step 2: Configuration These 6 tasks are performed in configuring a release procedure:
1. Create characteristics 2. Create class (assigning characteristics to class) 3. Create release groups 4. Create release codes 5. Create release indicator 6. Create release strategies 7. Workflow: Assign release codes to a release point
The following sections guide you through each of these tasks.
Create Characteristics In Step 1: Determine the Corporate Purchasing Approval Matrix, you could have developed your approval matrix in Excel or on a napkin. Now you need to translate that release strategy. Ask, “What parameters determine who approves?”
In the approval matrix table scenario, the parameters that determine the approval person are:
Department requesting the purchase
Overall amount of the purchase.
These two parameters equate to characteristics that must be represented by values entered in the purchasing document. In this scenario, the characteristics are:
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Purchasing group (representing the department)
Overall value of requisition
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The following numbered tasks guide you through everything necessary to configure your release procedure.
1. To determine what parameters are available as characteristics, run transaction SE11 and view table CEBAN. This table stores the fields that are available in the release strategy determination. The Characteristics screen shows where to correlate the characteristic from the CEBAN table to the field used for determination.
ERPtip: User Exits for Custom Release Strategy Fields ERPtip
If the field you want to use for the release strategy does not exist in the CEBAN communication structure (a custom field, for example), you can use the following user exits:
M06B0003 – For item-wise release
M06B0005 – For overall release
2. Navigate to the IMG and follow the menu path: Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition Release Procedure Procedure with Classification Edit Characteristics
Or Transaction Code: CT04.
3. Enter a name for the first characteristic in the Characteristic field and click the Create
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4. Review the field definitions in the table below and enter the appropriate information on the Basic Data tab as shown:
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Field
Value
Description
Purchase Requisition Value
Data Type
CURR
Number of Chars
15
Currency
USD
Template
(click enter and it will default)
Value assignment
Select Single-value and Interval vals allowed
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5. Click on the Addnl data tab and complete the following:
Field
Value
Table Name
CEBAN
Field Name
GFWRT
The Reference to Table field is what links the fields on the Purchase Requisition to the characteristic value. This is the information you gathered when reviewing table CEBAN in transaction SE16 which is the Data Browser for SAP Tables.
ERPtip: Deselect the Not Ready for Input Box ERPtip
If you are working in a release Pre-ECC, notice that the box Not Ready for Input is checked in the Procedure for Value Assignment area. (I cannot tell you how many times this has stung me!) Make sure you deselect it. Otherwise, it stops assignment of a value to your characteristic causing your release strategy to fail! Having the Not Ready for Input box checked does serve a purpose – when the value is inferred by object dependencies, which is only applicable in the Sales and Distribution module when characteristics are used in Variant Configuration for configurable make-to-order materials.
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Once you complete the Reference to Table Field entries, SAP imports the characteristic formats from the data dictionary (the SAP table/field definition). Click on the Basic Data tab to see the data format and value assignment pulled from the data dictionary field definitions.
ERPtip: One Release Strategy for Multiple Departments ERPtip
SAP carries over default values from the field definition in the CEBAN table to the value assignment portion (shown on the Basic Data tab). Pay close attention to whether SAP allows intervals (needed for a range of values, like value of requisition) and whether it allows multiple values (needed if you plan to use one release strategy for multiple departments or purchasing groups). Using one release strategy for multiple departments has many advantages, including easier configuration and security role setup.
6. Click
to save the characteristic.
Repeat the same steps for all characteristics that you need to maintain for your release strategy. In this example, we repeated steps 1 through 6 to create characteristic PURCHASING_GROUP with Table Name CEBAN and Field Name EKGRP.
Create Class Now that you have created your characteristics, you must assign them to a class. To create the class, do the following tasks: 1. Navigate to the IMG and follow the menu path: Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition Release Procedure Procedure with Classification Edit Classes
Or Transaction Code: CL02.
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2. Enter the following data on the Class screen and click the Create
icon.
Field
Value
Class
purchase_release
Class type
032 – This is the class type for release strategies.
3. Enter this data on the Basic Data tab:
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Field
Value
Description
Purchase Requisition Release Strategy
Status
1 Released
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4. Click on the Char. (Characteristics) tab and enter the following.
Field
Value
Char.
Enter the characteristics you have defined to be used for your release strategy.
5. Click
to save the class with the characteristic assignments.
Create Release Group In this step, you create a release group. A release group has the same release levels and strategy. The scenario illustrated in the table below needs two release groups because the approval interval values are different between the two departments. If there were a third department with the same approval interval values, it could share a release group and the release strategy would be for more than one department (or in this example, purchasing group).
Department
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Position
Approval Limits
901 – Operations
Manager
Up to $10K
901 – Operations
Director
Up to $50K
901 – Operations
Vice President
Up to $100K
901 – Operations
Chief Financial Officer
Everything over $100K
902 – Finance
Manager
Up to $5K
902 – Finance
Controller
Up to $200K
902 – Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Everything over $200K
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1. Navigate to the IMG and follow the menu path: Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition Release Procedure Procedure with Classification Set up Procedure with Classification.
2. On the Choose Activity pop-up window, double click on Release Groups:
3. Click on
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4. Enter the following data:
Field
Value
Rel.Grp
You can have multiple release groups utilizing the same class. Each release group can have different release strategies assigned to it. Here, we entered G1 and G2 since we will have two release groups in our Release Strategy.
Rel.Obj.
1
OvRelPReq
Check the OvRelPReq (Overall Release of Purchase Requisitions) box
Class
Enter PURCHASE_RELEASE. This is the name of the class you created in the previous step.
Description
You can use a generic description or a specific description here. In this example, I made a specific description of the department to which the Release Group applies – but release groups can be shared across departments.
5. Click
to save the release groups.
ERPtip: One Class per Release Type ERPtip
You can only have a single class per release type. Release type is defined as overall release or item-wise release. This can be quite limiting if you have a complex approval structure. You can have characteristics that are assigned to the class but not utilized in the release strategy.
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Create Release Codes A release code is an identifier that is associated with the person responsible for approving the purchase requisition. 1. Navigate the IMG and follow the menu path: Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition Release Procedure Procedure with Classification Set up Procedure with Classification.
2. On the Choose Activity pop-up window, double click on Release Groups.
3. Click on
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4. Enter data from the table that follows this screenshot:
Field
Value
Grp
This is the release group(s) created in the previous step.
Code
This is the release code, which represents the level of approval.
Workflow
See ERPtip 7 below.
Description
Describe the level of the approver. You can make this description generic if the release strategy will be used across multiple departments.
ERPtip: Generating Workflow Information for the Approver ERPtip 7
You can utilize a customer user exit for purchase requisitions, M06B0001, to define the workflow and generate notification and work list objects for the person responsible for the approval.
5. Click
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Create Release Indicators A release indicator shows the release status of a purchase requisition. In the standard system, a purchase requisition release status is either Blocked or RFQ/Purchase Order. The RFQ/Purchase Order status indicates that the purchase requisition was fully released and now can be converted into an RFQ or purchase order. You can use the standard release indicators provided in your release strategy or perform the following to maintain the release indicators. 1. Navigate to the IMG and follow the menu path: Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition Release Procedure Procedure with Classification Set up Procedure with Classification.
2. On the Choose Activity pop-up window, double click on Release indicator:
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3. Select Release ID S, and click the Display
icon.
4. Review the settings.
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Field
Value
Field Selection Key
In the standard system, SAP will not allow changes to the quantity, unit of measure, or price when an approver is executing the release transaction. If you require that other fields, such as delivery date, plant, etc., not be modified via the release transaction, follow ERPtip 8.
Changeabil.
It is possible to configure the release not to be restarted if the amounts have only changed a specified percentage. Option 4 allows the user to change the purchase requisition and requires any existing approvals to be re-approved only if the value change (maintained in the next field) exceeds a specified percentage change.
Value Change
The acceptable percentage change to not require re-release of the purchase requisition.
ERPtip: Allow Changes after Release / Do Not Trigger New Release ERPtip
If you want to allow changes to certain fields during or after a release, you can modify the field selection key. To modify the Field Selection Key, follow the menu path in the IMG: Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition Define Screen Layout at Document level.
The standard field selection key is FZ01. You can copy it and maintain your changes. Once you create a custom field selection key, you should also create a custom release indicator by maintaining a new entry in the Create Release Indicators screen.
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Create Release Strategies A Release Strategy is a combination of the Release Group and Release Code. The release group combines the release codes (think of them as release levels); each combination is then assigned a release strategy.
For each release code (or level), you define the prerequisites required to get to that release level, which includes the release status and the characteristic values that place the release into that release level.
1. To configure the Release Strategy, Navigate to the IMG and follow the menu path: Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition Release Procedure Procedure with Classification Set up Procedure with Classification.
2. On the Choose Activity pop-up window, double click on Release Strategies.
3. Click
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4. Enter data from the table that follows this screen:
Field
Value
Release Group
Enter the identifier for the release group you configured in the Create Release Group section of this unit.
Release Strategy
Enter a 2-digit code for your release strategy.
Release codes
List all the releases required for this level of release.
5. Click on code, so the screen will look like this:
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6. Click . When you have more than one Release Code, consider the following note.
I have never experienced a business rule that allowed a higher level approver to approve a purchase requisition before or simultaneously with a lower level approver. In other words, I have not had a client that wanted the purchase requisition release to go to the approval queue of a director at the same time as the same approval request went to the manager. A director usually wants the manager to approve the expense before having to approve it. Completing the Release Prerequisites screen is easy even though it is confusing at first – I just check the boxes in the lower left corner to note the prerequisite approvals, as shown below:
7. Click on
.
Review the release statuses. If you configured a new status, change it here and click
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8. Click . On the classification screen, you assign the values or ranges of values to the release strategy.
ERPtip: Entering Correct Characteristics Value Assignments ERPtip
Be sure you entered the correct characteristics value assignments. You must allow an interval value for the Total value of requisition amount to enter a range in the characteristic value assignment.
9. Click
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10. Click on
.
There is nothing really to simulate here since there is only one level. The following screen shot shows a release strategy with 3 levels.
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Clicking
Release Procedure
here returns the following screen:
Clicking on the first release code and then release options for codes R1 and R2.
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Clicking the this simulation screen:
button on the final release code (R4 here) returns
11.
Complete tasks 3 through 10 for each release strategy.
12.
Click
to save the release strategy.
Workflow: Assign Release Codes to Release Point Workflow is another component of SAP that allows you to assign tasks to users. Those tasks appear in the user's workflow inbox and are executable items. A standard workflow exists in SAP to put a work item in the inbox to trigger the approver to approve a purchase requisition.
Only perform this step if you wish to link this release procedure to Workflow and you are not using customer exit M06B0001.
The task flow for creating a workflow is:
1. When you save the purchase requisition, SAP determines which type of release is required for the document type. In this case, the document type is NB and it is flagged in configuration for Overall release.
2. Next, SAP determines what class to use for this type of release.
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3. The characteristics assigned to the class are then associated to the values in the purchase requisition.
4. With the data up to this point, SAP determines which release strategy to invoke and then follows through with any workflow activities.
In the Release Codes section, you set the release code as relevant to Workflow. You set 1 to use standard SAP Workflow and 9 to use the User Exit provided for custom customer workflow.
Step 3: Security Security can be the most time consuming activity in developing release strategies, particularly if you have multiple characteristics defining your release strategies along with multiple release levels. Here is where our recurring theme “Keep it Simple” counts.
You may want the job security for your Basis Security Administrators, but you also want the change process to be simple so you can react quickly when that all too common company reorganization happens.
ERPtip: Sarbanes-Oxley (SOx) Compliance ERPtip
For Sarbanes-Oxley (SOx) compliance, do not use the * function, which gives access to all objects, to define the roles in security. Using * may give approval authority to some folks who should not have it.
You should set up a role for each release group/release strategy combination. For greater security, include the restriction for other values that you have assigned as characteristics, such as purchasing group, when defining this role.
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Step 4: Transport Classes and Characteristics This is the most overlooked step in the Release process. The transport you created in Step 3 in your Gold SAP Configuration client does not include the values you associated to the characteristics.
Transport classes are stored in characteristic value tables that must be moved through your SAP environments via the Application Link Enabling (ALE) function.
ERPtip: Move your Characteristics and Classes after your Configuration Transport ERPtip
Remember to request your ALE with your transport.
Here is a sample spreadsheet of transaction codes, which you can provide to your Basis team.
Object
Transaction
Check (Target)
Message Type (BD64)
Notes
Characteristics:
BD91
CT04
CHRMAS
Don’t worry about IDOC error message “Object S2L3 (T16FS) not found.”
BD92
CL03
CLSMAS
BD93
CL03
CLFMAS
PURCHASING_GROUP PR_VALUE
Class: PR_RELEASE Class Type: 032 Class: PR_RELEASE Class Type: 032
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Release Procedure Exercise: In this exercise, each student will create their own release strategy for their own purchasing group. While the students complete the exercise, the instructor will remove the purchasing group assignment from the existing release strategy displayed in the demonstration.
The students will configure the following scenario for their respective purchasing groups:
Department
Approval
Limits
902 – Finance
Manager
Up to $5K
902 – Finance
Controller
Up to $200K
902 – Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Everything over $200K
Complete the following steps:
1. Review the Characteristics Execute the display characteristics transaction CT04 to display the characteristics used for this release procedure.
PURCHASING_GROUP
PURCHASE_REQUISITION_VALUE
2. Review the Class Execute the display class transaction CL03 to display the characteristics used for this release procedure.
PURCHASE_RELEASE
Class: 032 Release Strategy
3. Set up Procedure with Classification
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Follow the menu path: Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition Release Procedure Procedure with Classification Set up Procedure with Classification.
Complete each activity in the screen shot above and use the following table to determine the values you should use with your purchasing group.
Release group
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Field
Value
Release Groups
XX
Overall Release PReq
Class
PURCHASE_RELEASE
Description
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Release Code Field
Value
Release Group
XX
Code
R1 R2 R3
Description
Manager, Director, CFO
Workflow
1
Release Indicator (no configuration here – just review the following) Field
Value
Release Indicator
Release Strategies Field
Value
Release Group
99
Release Strategy
L1 – Manager L2 – Director L3 – CFO
Release Codes
R1 (for L1) R1 and R2 (for L2) R1, R2, and R3 (for L3)
Release Prerequisites
Release Status
Classification
Purchasing Group – 2XX Account Assignment – leave blank
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Workflow
Field
Value
Release Group
99
Release Code
One entry for each: R1, R2, and R3
OT
US
Agent ID
LEARNXX
4. Create a Purchase Requisition to test your release strategy
Field
Value
Material
Quantity
1
Plant
XXXX
Purchasing Group
2XX
Write your purchase requisition number: __________________________
Review your release strategy on your PR. Write the release strategy assigned: _________________
Review the Business Objects button. Did your workflow appear? _______________
5. Using ME54N or ME55, release your purchase requisition.
This unit laid the groundwork and provided some good tips to SAP MM Configurators to use in their journeys to developing a purchasing approval solution. Purchase requisition release strategies rank high on my list of tricky configuration challenges. (Others are condition techniques and account assignments for Inventory Management).
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Legal Speak:
Purchase of this book or acquisition at an ERPtips class, constitutes an implied agreement by the purchaser to a limited, license granted to the purchaser by Klee Associates, Inc., specifically for purposes limited to improving your personal knowledge of SAP software which does not in any way compete with Klee Associates. This manual is protected by copyright law, and is sold or is part of an ERPtips class with the following conditions: The manual will be used for your personal professional development. The manual will not be physically copied for distribution to other individuals or converted to an electronic copy for distribution to other individuals, unless copyright permissions for copying have been acquired from Klee Associates, Inc. The manual will not be used to conduct training classes by you or other individuals, without the written permission of Klee Associates, Inc. Inclusion of the concepts in this book in any internal client training material is allowed if the source of the concepts is acknowledged as follows:
Copyright 2009 All rights reserved. Used with permission. Klee Associates, Inc.
NO WARRANTY: This documentation is delivered as is, and Klee Associates makes no warranty as to its accuracy or use. Any use of this documentation is at the risk of the user. Although we make every good faith effort to ensure accuracy, this document may include technical or other inaccuracies or typographical errors. Klee Associates reserves the right to make changes without prior notice. ERPtips is a valued resource for thousands of clients and consultants worldwide. Visit our web site for more information about upcoming training, books, and newsletters. www.ERPtips.com
ERPtips is a registered trademark of Klee Associates, Inc. No Affiliation: Klee Associates, Inc. and this publication are not affiliated with or endorsed by SAP AG. SAP AG software referred to on this site is furnished under license agreements between SAP AG and its customers and can be used only within the terms of such agreements. SAP AG is a registered trademark of SAP AG. All other product names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. SAP Purchasing ECC 6.0
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