Automate Purchasing Approval Dos and Donts When Designing and Implementing SAP Release Strategy

Isaac Mazliach S.D.M. Israel

2007 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved.

What Well Cover

Release Strategy what is it? Classification system: Search, select, and

define parameters Which parameters to use and which NOT to use A simple Workflow customization Wrap-up

Release Strategy What is It?

Release Strategy is SAPs process to approve

purchasing documents from the early releases of SAP R/3 up to the latest releases of ECC IMG link:
IMG > Materials Management > Purchasing > Purchase

Requisition > Release Procedure IMG > Materials Management > Purchasing > Purchase Order > Release Procedure for Purchase Orders IMG > Materials Management > Purchasing > Contract > Release Procedure for Contracts IMG > Materials Management > External Services Management > Define release Procedure for Service Entry Sheet
3

Release Strategy Configuration

Release Strategy is not so difficult to configure as

long as maintaining it is taken into consideration at the design phase We will talk about:
Classification in Release Strategy Which fields should be used and which ones should not How to easily introduce Workflow into the process

Release Strategy Implementation

Release Strategy may be implemented for the

following documents:
Purchase Order Purchase Requisition

Contracts
Service Entry Sheet

What Well Cover

Release Strategy what is it? Classification system: Search, select, and

define parameters Which parameters to use and which NOT to use A simple Workflow customization Wrap-up

Classification What is It?

Classification is a general method in R/3 and ECC to

search and select objects

It is part of the cross application component

The classification system allows you to use

characteristics to describe all types of objects and to group similar objects in classes to classify objects, so that you can find them easily SAP has predefined a number of object types (for example, materials and equipment)
The settings for these object types have already been defined

during customization, so you can start to set up your classification system for these object types without defining further settings
7

Steps to Use the Classification Mechanism

SAP also uses the classification mechanism to define the

parameters of the Release Strategy

Use characteristics to describe the properties of objects

Create characteristics centrally in the SAP R/3 system Create classes to classify objects Classes must be set up Assign characteristics to the classes Assign objects to the classes you require for classification Use the characteristics of the class to describe the objects you classify

Release Strategy uses class type = 032

8

Communication Structures Characteristics

Characteristics for Release Strategy use the following

communication structures:
Purchase Order and Contracts: CEKKO Purchase Requisition: CEBAN

Service Entry Sheet: CESSR

Purchase Order and Contracts use the same class in Release Strategy. Therefore, analyze them both when you design the Warning characteristics values!
9

Classification Create Class and Assign Characteristics

SAP Menu > Cross-Application Components > Classification

System > Master Data > Characteristics

Data type assigned from reference field data

Make sure these parameters are correct to your needs

Enter the table name (e.g., Purchase Order data = CEKKO)

Enter the field name (from the table). See all table fields in txn SE11.
10

Classification Create Class and Assign Characteristics (cont.)

SAP Menu > Cross-Application Components >

Classification System > Master Data > Classes

Class type for Release Strategy must be 032 Assign the characteristics to the class

11

Classification User Exit Enhancement

In the case that the standard fields in CEKKO, CEBAN,

CESSR are not sufficient, use your own logic to enhance these communication structures with the following user exits:
M06B0001: Changes to communication structure for release

of requisitions M06B0005: Changes to communication structure for overall release of purchase requisitions M06E0004: Changes to communication structure for release of purchasing document (Purchase Orders and Contracts) SRVREL: Changes to communication structure for release

12

Options to Use Release Strategy

There are two options: With or without classification Option 1 Without classification An overly simplified solution Includes constant parameters (e.g., price) Option 2 With classification Characteristics Class (class type 032) Allows much more functionality than without classification Very flexible Allows fine-tuning with user exit

13

How Does it Work?

When one creates a document, SAP checks if it

corresponds to a Release Strategy and applies the Release Strategy to it automatically Assign the authorization M_EINK_FRG to the persons who are to be involved in the release procedure

Q: What happens when no corresponding Release Strategy is found? A: The document is released immediately!

14

Purchase Order with Release Strategy

There is a Release strategy tab; therefore the Purchase Order is subject to Release Strategy

15

Purchase Order Without Release Strategy

There is no Release strategy tab; therefore the Purchase Order is released

16

Release Strategy Setup

The process:
Choose parameters Define characteristics
Define class Assign characteristics to class Assign class to Release Group

Create Release Codes

Create Release Indicators

Combine all above in Release Strategies

17

Important Release Strategy Setup Tips!

Classification data is treated in SAP as Master Data Therefore it is not transferred with Transport Request Use Application Link Enabling (ALE) for that purpose Use the following paths: BD91 - SAP Menu > Tools > ALE > Master Data Distribution > Logistics > Classification > Characteristic > Send BD92 - SAP Menu > Tools > ALE > Master Data Distribution > Logistics > Classification > Class > Send BD93 - SAP Menu > Tools > ALE > Master Data Distribution > Logistics > Classification > Classification > Send

18

Release Strategy Classification Setup

1.1 Define

Characteristics (txn CT04)

1.2 Define Class and

assign Characteristics (txn CL02)

19

1.3 in IMG for Release Group

Assign the class you created

20

1.4 Create Release Codes

A 2-digit identifier of a person to release a document

21

1.5 Create Release Indicator

1-digit identifier

of the release status (e.g., not released, partially released, released)

22

1.6 Create Release Strategies

Combine all of the previous Release Strategies: List the Release Codes per specific Release Strategy Create the Release Sequence Per each Release, define its relevant Release Indicator Assign the values of the assigned characteristics (e.g., value 0 $10,000)

23

Release Prerequisite and Status

Release prerequisite: These settings mean that the order of release is MR, then SM, and last MN

Release statuses: These settings mean that if not released, the indicator will be 2 If MR released, the indicator will be 4 and so on
24

Release Strategy Classification

These settings mean that MR, SM, and MN will release the orders that have the characteristics: Company code = 1000 Order type: NB Purchasing organization = 1000 Order value > $200,000 Purchasing group = 101

25

What Well Cover

Release Strategy what is it? Classification system: Search, select, and

define parameters Which parameters to use and which NOT to use A simple Workflow customization Wrap-up

26

Which Parameters to Use

The following points should be considered when

deciding which parameters to use:

Parameters needed by the organizations rules Mostly document value (price quantity) is used

Use range Do not override values Make sure no ranges are missed (e.g., 0-100, > 100) If both contracts and POs are implemented use document type or document category as one of the parameters Add parameters that do not change often, such as plant, company code, account assignment category, item category, etc. Why? Because when the parameter changes the release strategy will have to be modified.

27

Which Parameters NOT to Use

Consider the following points when deciding on

parameters not to use:

Do not use parameters that may change too often, such as cost

center, purchasing group, material group, etc. Why? If a release strategy is not found the document is immediately released. For example: A cost center is used, and a new cost center is added the new requisition to this cost center may be released immediately!

28

What Well Cover

Release Strategy what is it? Classification system: Search, select, and

define parameters Which parameters to use and which NOT to use A simple Workflow customization Wrap-up

29

Release Strategy or Workflow?

Release Strategy Works on pull strategy, i.e., the user should enter a transaction, enter his/her Release Code, and receive a list of the appointed documents waiting to be released

Workflow Works on the push strategy, i.e., a document that is waiting to be released is sent via email to the persons mailbox. After releasing the document, it is sent to the next persons mailbox.

Important Workflow is built on the ground of the Release Strategy; first you create the Release Strategy, then you add the Workflow to it
30

Workflow is it Complicated?
Many SAP customers think that Workflow is very difficult

to configure and set It may be true only if Workflow is implemented from scratch ... this process may take a few months BUT SAP provides a simple Workflow in Release Strategy to be used without any programming This Workflow may be implemented faster and easier!

31

Workflow Activation
Before implementing the Release Strategy Workflow,

Workflow must be activated

Txn SWU3

32

Workflow Activation (cont.)

Txn SWETYPV For PO enable (activate) event BUS2012 For PR enable (activate) event BUS2009

33

Workflow Activation (cont.)

Txn PFTC Task type: Workflow template Task (PO release): 20000075 display

34

Use the Following Link (e.g., Purchase Order)

IMG > Materials Management > Purchase Order > Release

Procedure for Purchase Order > Define In the opened window choose Release Codes and enter 1 in the Workflow field

35

Use the Following Link (e.g., Purchase Order) (cont.)

IMG > Materials Management > Purchase Order > Release

Procedure for Purchase Order > Define In the opened window, choose Workflow and enter the relationship between a Release Code and an SAP user Result: All releases will be directed to the user email

36

What Well Cover

Release Strategy what is it? Classification system: Search, select, and

define parameters Which parameters to use and which NOT to use A simple Workflow customization Wrap-up

37

Resources
www.workflowbook.com Assign agent to task Activate events

38

7 Key Points to Take Home

Release Strategy uses the pull strategy as opposed to

Workflow, which uses the push strategy Select parameters that do not have too many values or change too often this will reduce your maintenance If a purchasing document did not find a suitable Release Strategy it will be released automatically When standard parameters are not enough use user exits to enhance your release selection options

39

7 Key Points to Take Home (cont.)

Make sure there are no redundancies you may end up

with unexpected results Avoid going live with Workflow. Use Release Strategy first, allow the system to be stabilized, and then introduce Workflow. Design is the key. Good design will reduce your maintenance efforts long into the future.

40

Your Turn!

How to contact me: Isaac Mazliach isaac@sdm-c.com

41