Sales Document Types Configuration

Document Type Configuration

Related Trainings

Concept

A document type represents a type of transaction in the system. For example, a Contract Transaction is represented in the system using a document type CT. Similarly a quotation to a customer is created in the system using a document type QT. The reason why different document types are used to represent different transactions is because, each transaction behaves in a different way from another. A quotation behaves differently from a Standard Order. Some examples are shown below.

Quotation ( QT )

Does not require Credit Check to be performed.
No Deliveries required directly for a quotation unless converted to an order.
Not relevant for billing.

Standard Order ( OR )

Relevant for Deliveries and billing
Relevant for Credit Check
Different fields are required compared to a quotation ( For example, quote validity dates not required )
Generates material requirements to be passed on to MRP, whereas a quote does not.

The document type QT controls the characteristics of the quotation document type. Also, if there are slight modifications required, a copy of QT can be made – like ZQT – and used. For example, when creating a quotation in a particular company, if credit checks needs to be performed that particular feature can be enabled.

Configuration

The transaction code to configure a document type is [VOV8] or use the menu path [SPRO -> Sales and Distribution -> Sales Documents -> Sales Document Header -> Define Sales Document Types ]

When creating new entries, as usual always try to choose an entry close to your required document type and copy it. For example, if you want to create a quotation with different characteristics, its always better to create the new document type as a copy of QT. That way all the item category determination, schedule like determination etc are already done for you – unless you create new item categories.

List of Document Types

Let’s go through some of the controls inside a document type say OR ( which is the document type for a standard order ) . Not all controls are relevant , but we will try to cover the most important ones. Select the document type OR and click on the magnifying glass or double click on OR to learn more.

Select OR Sales Document Type

The controls are segregated into multiple sections.

Number Ranges
General Control
Transaction Flow
Scheduling Agreement
Shipping
Billing
Requested Delivery Date
Contract
Availability Check

As you can see, not all these sections are relevant for all types of documents. For example, the Scheduling Agreement or the Contract Sections are not relevant for OR document type.

Before going into the controls in the different sections, there are some basic controls

Basic Controls

The sales document category signifies at a broad level which type of sales document this document type belongs to. These are hard coded and cannot be changed. The only document categories possible are

Inquiry
Quotation
Order
Item Proposal
Scheduling Agreement
Scheduling Agreement with External Service
Contract
Returns
Order without Charge
Credit Memo Request
Debit Memo Request
Independent Requirements plan
Master Contract

Now if you need to create a new document type that resembles a Returns document, you would have to select the document category as H – which stands for Returns. Because, the way a standard order behaves from a return is very different. And the document category controls how it behaves.

Also a sales document can be blocked. An example is a scenario where a new promotion document type has been created in 2000 and the business process has changed since 2005 that requires the company to not use promotions any more. In order to force the order entry personnel not to use that document type, the sales document can be blocked as shown in the picture below.

Block Sales Order from Processing

Now, let’s explore the sections

Number Ranges

Number Ranges

The Number Range Internal Assignment is used to mention the number range that is to be used when creating a sales document of this type. Transaction code [VN01] is used to define those number ranges. Each of the documents created in the system need to have a unique number. This is defined using the number ranges. Read more about Number Ranges here.

Number Range Section

For example, the number range 01 in this case starts from 0000000001 to 0000199999. And the current number is 12919

Number Range

So, when the next document of type OR is created, the number would start with 12920.

Similarly, if external number ranges are used, the number ranges assigned to 02 would be used.

Item Number Increment

This is the auto increment that is to be used when creating line items in the sales order. When a sales order of type OR is created the line items that are automatically generated would start with 10 and go in increments of 10 there after.

Line Item Increment

Sub-item Increment

If new items need to be entered in between ( Say for example, between 10 and 20 ), then that item will have to start with atleast 10 + 1 = 11.

Sub Item Increment

General Control

Reference Mandatory

Sales documents can be created with reference to other sales documents or other billing documents. Read more about this in Document Flow. This field signifies if a reference is mandatory. For example a release order can only be created with reference to a contract. Similarly if your business dictates that a sales order cannot be created without reference to a quotation, you can configure it here. The possible values are

With reference to inquiry
With reference to Quotation
With reference to Sales Order
Scheduling Agreement Reference
With reference to Quantity Contract
With reference to Billing Document

Check Division

When creating a sales order you can enter the sales organization, distribution channel and division. However, it is possible that you enter materials belonging to different divisions in the sales order. You can configure the system to either allow or disallow materials from different divisions be entered in the sales order.

No Value

Allows materials of a different division at the line item level compared to the header level division

Error/ Dialog

This option will force the system to respond with either an error or a warning when a different division is entered.

Probability

This field is rarely used and if used is used mostly in inquiries and quotations which are not actual sales.

Credit Limit Check

There are different types of credit management that can be used in SAP SD. Read more about SAP Credit Management here. This field signifies what kind of credit check need to be used for this kind of sales document.

Credit Group

This field is almost always set to 01 for all sales documents. Read more about SAP Credit Management to learn more about Credit Group.

Output Application

For standard sales document types, this is set to V1. Shipping documents have this field as V2, billing documents as V3 etc.

Read Info record

This field needs to be checked if this document type needs to use the Customer Material Info Record ( CMIR ) . Read more about Customer Material Info Record here.

Check Purchase Order Number

When the incoming Customer PO contains a duplicate PO number or if the order entry personnel is creating a duplicate sales order ( with the same PO number ), this field can be used to force a check for a pre-existing Purchase Order Number for that customer. There are only 2 options in this field. A blank means no check. ‘A’ implies to do a duplicate check on existing PO numbers. Let’s set it to ‘A’ for order type OR and see the difference.

Create a sales order with PO # = “Bulk Order 123″ for customer 1400.

Create Sales order with Po Number

Let’s create another order for the same customer with the same PO #. This time the system would issue a warning message saying that the purchase order number “Bulk Order 123″ already exists. This is a way of preventing duplicate POs from being entered in the system.

Duplicate PO Number Warning

Enter PO Number

This check box is used to copy the Sales Order Number into the PO Number field. This could be used when there is no Actual PO # from the customer but a number needs to be entered in the PO Number field. To test this, just create a sales order and without entering a PO Number save the sales order. Reopen the sales order and you will find the PO Number field will be filled with the Sales Order Number automatically.

Transaction Flow

Document Pricing Procedure

This field along with the customer pricing procedure determines the Pricing Procedure. Read more on Pricing in SAP here.

Status Profile

Sales Documents have different statuses at the header level and item level. There are a set of pre-defined Statuses that SAP uses. Also, you can define custom defined Statuses and define sequences in which they go. Read more about Status Profile here.

Alternate Sales Document Type

During order creation, you can change the document type on the fly. This again is a rarely used feature and is tricky to use as well because of the constraints imposed on this feature. When creating a sales transaction, we mention the document type upfront and SAP takes us to the right screen. However, inside the sales order screen it is possible to change the sales order type by just clicking on the radio button.

Change the order type during order creation

You can select the order type ( highlighted in orange above ) and if the constraints are fulfilled, the order type can be changed. The configuration for the same is to have ZOR and ZTA as the alternative document types in the

Incomplete Messages

This field allows the user to save the order irrespective of the messages in the incompletion log. Use this feature when you want to force the user to not save the order without completing all the necessary items as specified in the incompletion log of the sales document header and item. Read more about Incompletion log here.

Quotation Messages

When creating sales orders, if there are outstanding quotations for the customer for this material, you can configure the system to react differently based on the different options that are configured. The possible options are self-explanatory.

A / B Check at Header / Item level

C / D Check at header / item level and copy if unique. This option is useful, if there is only 1 matching quotation that you just want to be copied into the sales order.

E / F Check at Header / Item Level and branch directly to selection list. This option is useful if there are multiple quotations and you want the list of multiple quotations to be shown to the user creating the order.

As an example, let’s set this field to E ( which checks for matches at the header level ) and try to create 2 quotations 20000036 and 20000037 for the customer 1400.

Now if we create a sales order for the same customer 1400, irrespective of the line items, the list of open quotations are displayed.

Display Open quotations at the header level

however, if the option was set to F, this message would not have been shown until the line items entered in the sales order matched the line items in the open quotations.

Shipping

This section controls the delivery parameters.

Shipping section of sales order configuration

Delivery Type

This field contains the delivery document type that is used when a delivery is created for the sales order. The standard delivery LF is used when creating a delivery document for the sales document of type OR.

Immediate Delivery

Consider the case of a rush order ( As soon as the order is created, the delivery needs to be created ). Again, there are 2 cases here. Creation of the immediate delivery if stock is available and confirmed and creation of the delivery irrespective of the stock situation. Rush order follows the first example. As you can see in the screenshot below, as soon as the rush order is created and saved, the delivery is automatically created ( Subject to availability )

Immediate delivery notification

Exercises

Question 1 : A rush Order is a transaction that is used in business when the nightly delivery batch process needs to be bypassed and a delivery needs to be created as soon as the order is created.

Based on this description, create a new order type in SAP that suits this business scenario and give the order type.

Question 2 : A cash sale is a transaction that is used in business when the cash is paid upfront instead of the standard payment terms. The delivery of the goods is also taken immediately. In order to accomodate this, the standard system proposed date for delivery should not be pushed out like a standard order, but needs to be the same day as the order is being taken.