SAP Ordering

Selection of supplier and material

Selecting the right supplier and material is a crucial first step in creating an SAP purchase order. The criteria for selecting a supplier in SAP include the evaluation of the required goods/services in the past and the comparability of the assessments of different suppliers. This process requires careful evaluation and comparison. The supplier is an important part of the master data. SAP offers various tools and features to help select suppliers, such as:

• Determining requirements
• Identification of sources of supply
• Selecting suppliers
• Comparing offers

These features can help you choose the best possible business partner for your needs. After you have selected the supplier, the next step is to select the material. This is done by:

1. Selection of the desired materials
2. Search in the inventory and demand overview
3. Checking the availability of material using the collective availability check in the SAP information system

With this information, you can ensure that you choose the right material for your needs.

Input of quantities and prices

After selecting the supplier and material, the next step is to enter quantities and prices. In SAP, the fields for the unit of measure, price, quantity, and price unit of measure must be filled in. There are two different units of measure: the order unit of measure and the unit of measure conversion to specify values for different units of measure. When entering quantities and prices in SAP, you use revenue formulas such as [Preis] * [Menge]. The input takes place in the list screen of the detailed planning, which indicates a specific sequence. It is important to be precise when filling in these fields, as they have a significant impact on the order. However, it is important to note that when entering quantities and prices, there are potential transmission errors, as well as quantity or price discrepancies. To avoid such mistakes, it is recommended to:

• Speed up ordering processes
• Avoid manual transfers to the SAP system
• Use internal audit logics to reduce the error rate in price maintenance.

Determination of terms of delivery and terms of payment

Defining delivery terms and payment terms is the last step in creating an SAP purchase order. In SAP, it is possible to define the default delivery conditions by specifying a period type of the item and specifying a default location for each incoterm. These conditions have a significant influence on transport and shipping in the delivery process. The payment terms are defined in the master data for customers and suppliers in SAP. They define the conditions under which payments are to be made, including possible discounts or payment terms. In SAP Business One, payment terms include options such as discount calculation and lowest price, while in SAP Business ByDesign, there are options such as description and processing based on specific conditions. To modify the delivery terms in an SAP purchase order, you can perform the following steps:

1. In the SAP menu, navigate to Logistics > Materials Management > Purchasing > Ordering.
2. Use the ‘View/Change’ button or press the F7 key to open the order details.
3. Change the desired terms of delivery.
4. Save the changes.

We have now completed the process of modifying an SAP purchase order. But what if we want to change or display an order?

Displaying and Changing SAP Purchase Orders

It may happen that you need to change or display an order after it has been created. In SAP, the transaction codes ME21N, ME22N, and ME23N are used to change and display purchase orders. These transaction codes are key components in SAP and give you the flexibility to manage your orders as needed. To modify a purchase order in SAP, follow these steps:

1. Select “Inventory” from the main menu.
2. Select “Orders”.
3. Select “See All”.
4. Select the order you want to change.

With these steps, you can ensure that your orders are always up to date and meet your needs. However, it is important to note that an order that has already been completed cannot be changed directly in SAP. In such cases, it is possible to make a correction or cancellation booking to change the order. This ensures that your orders are accurate and up-to-date even after the closing phase.

Monitoring and analysis of orders

In addition to creating and changing purchase orders, monitoring and analyzing purchase orders is an important aspect of optimizing the purchasing process. The purchasing process can be streamlined by monitoring orders by:

• the purchasing requirements are specified
• a supplier is selected
• the supplier is commissioned
• an order is placed
• Orders are monitored

This monitoring can help make the entire process more efficient and effective. SAP provides various tools for analyzing purchase orders, including selecting relevant demand documents such as sales orders and stock transfer orders, as well as the MRP tool to automate material tracking and ordering. By using these tools, you can keep track of your orders and ensure that your purchasing process runs smoothly and efficiently. However, it is important to note that monitoring and analyzing orders is not limited to just observing the orders. It is also necessary to analyze the data and look for ways to optimize it. With the right tools and analysis, you can continuously improve your purchasing process and manage your orders efficiently and effectively.

Purchase Order Items and Account Assignment

Purchase order items and account assignment play an important role in SAP purchase orders. Purchase order lines in SAP represent the individual items of a purchase order and contain information such as:

• Material
• Quantity
• Price
• Supplier

Each line item in a purchase order carries specific information that helps track and manage the process. Purchase order items can be created and managed digitally in SAP in a clear and central way. In addition, an app is available with which orders can be created, managed and searched. With this app, you will have access to your orders at all times and will be able to manage them efficiently. Account assignment in SAP Purchase Orders refers to the assignment of one or more account assignments to a purchase order item, for example, to enable the allocation of costs to different accounts. Account assignment of purchase orders in SAP is carried out by assigning one or more account assignments to each item. Multiple account assignment makes it possible to distribute the costs of an order proportionately to different accounts.

SAP Orders in S/4HANA: New Features and Benefits

With the introduction of SAP S/4HANA, many new features and benefits have been added that further improve the ordering process. SAP S/4HANA brings significant improvements compared to older versions, especially in terms of simplicity, digitalization, and simplification of business processes. These improvements can help make the entire process more efficient and effective. A new feature in SAP S/4HANA Sales is the provision of a Fiori app for creating sales orders. With this app, you can create, manage and view your orders quickly and easily. In addition, several new features have been added to the Gantt chart for maintenance orders that can help you better manage and monitor your orders. Using SAP purchase orders in S/4HANA provides organizations with the following benefits:

• Adaptability to industry-specific requirements
• Creating transparency
• Improved order frequency and flexibility
• Cost savings
• Faster analyses thanks to the in-memory database

With these new features and benefits, SAP S/4HANA can help make your ordering process even more efficient and effective.

Purchase Requisitions and Procurement Types

Purchase requisitions and various procurement types in SAP can have a significant impact on the purchasing process. Purchase requisitions in SAP are manual or automatic requisitions that the purchaser creates to contain information such as:

• Creditor
• Cost
• Article
• Cost per piece
• Delivery
• Delivery

Set. These requirements act as triggers for the procurement process in SAP and can help keep your purchasing process running efficiently and effectively. There are several types of procurement processes in SAP, including:

• Needs assessment
• Determination of sources of supply
• Supplier Selection
• Order processing

These different types of processes can help ensure that you choose the best possible process for your specific needs. The differences between the types of procurement in SAP are mainly due to the separation between external procurement and in-house production. In addition, there are special procurement types such as subcontracting, consignment, stock transfer, and service that provide additional options for supply chain management. With these options, you can ensure that you choose the best sourcing method for your specific needs.

Summary

In the course of this article, we discussed the basics of SAP purchase orders, creating purchase orders, changing and displaying purchase orders, monitoring and analyzing purchase orders, purchase order items and account assignment, the new features and benefits of SAP purchase orders in S/4HANA, as well as purchase requisitions and procurement types. Each of these aspects plays a crucial role in the ordering process and helps to make this process efficient and effective. With this knowledge, you’re now ready to manage your SAP orders like a pro!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an SAP order?

An SAP purchase order is a procurement order in which a customer requests an external company to deliver certain quantities of products, defined as “the request of a purchasing organization to a supplier to deliver a certain amount of materials or services at a specified time.”

What form can an order take?

An appointment can be made in the form of an application or an acceptance in accordance with the legal provisions (BGB §§ 145 et seq.). It can be written, electronic or oral and can be either binding or non-binding. There is no fixed form to which the acceptance of an order is bound. It can be verbal, written or even by immediate delivery.

How can I copy a purchase order in SAP?

To copy a purchase order in SAP, you can open the desired purchase order and select the “Copy Record” option. You can then edit and submit the copied order to complete the process.

What types of orders are available in SAP?

There are three main types of purchase orders in SAP: standard purchase orders, blanket purchase orders, and delivery schedules. It’s important to understand these in order to optimize purchasing with SAP S/4HANA.