Release Strategy for Sales Orders - Status Profiles

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Introduction

Like in Purchase order release strategy, if business wants to have a release strategy for sales orders, Status Profile Management is the best solution we can suggest.

Status Profile consists of several individual statuses, which can be changed in specific order, each status can be linked to a particular authorization group, and also it can influence corresponding business transaction. With this functionality we can restrict access to the document if it is in specific Status.

Example / Use:

The most common functionality we use to block creating deliveries or billing documents is the delivery block / billing block in the sales order line item level. The main disadvantage of this is, all users who has VA02 access can remove this block at any stage.

But if the business wants only an authorized person to change the delivery block / billing block, we cannot do it. (Unless you remove access to VA02 from all merchandisers, which is not practical)

To serve the above requirement, we can user status profiles in SAP.

We have to create statuses for each block (delivery and billing) and have to assign relevant authorizations keys to each status. Based on the business requirement, we have to assign those authorizations keys to relevant user ID’s.

In that case; users who have the relevant authorizations key (assigned to their user id) will only be able to changing the status in the sales order. (In other words to remove delivery block / billing block)

Configuration Steps

Define Status Profile

Tx: BS02

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 Click on to create a new status profile

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 Press

 Now click on that line and press or double click on the line

 Enter new user defines statuses

For my example I’m creating 3 new statuses as follows.

Column definitions are as follows.

-

The status number is used to define the sequence of the user statuses in a status profile. Statuses with a lower number are usually activated earlier than statuses with a higher number. An object (eg: Sales Order) can have several statuses at the same time. Only one of these statuses, however, may have a status number. If another status with a status number is activated, the old status with a status number is deactivated, providing the conditions defined in the status profile are met.

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-

Key which informs you of the current status of an object. This is what user will see in the sales order. A status can be activated either internally (system status) or externally (user status) for information and control purposes.

- Description of the status

- This is to indicate whether long text has been maintained for this task. If you want to enter any long text, select the line and press . Once long text is maintained, you should able to see in the line.

-

If a status is marked as an initial status, it is automatically activated in an object when the object is created (for example, an order, a project and so on).

- An object (order, project, etc) can have several statuses at the same time. However, only one of the statuses may have a status number. If another status with a status number is activated, the old status with a status number is deactivated. This is only valid under certain conditions. The system makes a note of the status with the highest status number that has been reached up to the present. The "lowest number" of this status number determines which status number a new status must have.

Examples:

Status A has status number 30 and the 'lowest status number' 10. Status B has status number 40 and the 'lowest status number' 20.

Once status B was active for the object, only statuses with numbers 20 or higher may be activated, even if status A is currently active. However, if status B has never been active, statuses with status numbers 10 or higher may be activated if status A is currently active.

- An object (order, project, etc) can have several statuses at the same time. However, only one of the statuses may have a status number. If another status with a status number is activated, the old status with a status number is deactivated, provided the new status number does not exceed the 'highest number' defined for the old status number.

Examples

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If status A is active, only statuses with status numbers 50 or less can be activated.

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The authorization key is the basis for status-dependent authorization verification. Example

Whenever a user status is set or deleted, the user's authorization to do so is checked. The status profile, the object type and the authorization key for the user status concerned are checked.

If, for example, you want to ensure that certain user statuses can be changed only by people in a particular group, you assign all those user statuses an authorization key.

Then use authorization object B_USERSTAT to give authorizations for those authorization keys.

Assign Object Type for status profile

Once you set up all user statuses, you need to assign relevant objects.

 Click on

 Depend on the requirement; you have to assign it to relevant object.

 Save

Define Transaction Controls for each status

In this step you can specify the blocks that you want to set for each status.

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 Press

 Select relevant “Influence” for relevant transaction You have below options available

- Indicator specifying that this status does not influence the corresponding business transaction

- Indicator which specifies that the business transaction can be carried out if this status is active.

- Indicator which specifies that the business transaction may be carried out. However, the system issues a warning message during processing of the transaction.

- Indicator specifying that the business transaction cannot be carried out if this status is active.

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- Indicator showing that the associated process neither sets nor deletes the status concerned.

- Indicator which specifies that the status is to be activated when this business transaction is carried out.

For my example, I choose below settings. Status 01 (AW01) – No delivery creation allowed

Status 02 (AW02) – No Billing document can be created

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Once done, Select Save

Assign order types / status profiles

Depend on whether you want to have it in header level or item level you have to configure this. If you want this to be active in line item level, then no need to set it for order type.

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 Select the order type and press

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You can do same in the transaction VOV8 as well.

Allocate status profile to item categories

If you want to have it in the sales order header level, then you don’t need to follow this step. IMG Path:

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Define Display Status in the Overview Screen

You can display and change the system and user statuses of all items that have an object status in the sales document overview screen. This means that you no longer need to go to the details screen to view the status. Instead, you can check, set, or re-set all the important statuses directly in the item overview. The same rules apply as before: you can change a user status at any time but you can only change a system status if this is permitted by the system. At the moment, you can change the following statuses: blocked, completed, finally billed, technically completed.

In this IMG activity, you can determine which status, from which item status profile, should be displayed for each document type. You can also determine whether the status can be changed or is for display only. If an item does not have a user status, for example, because a status profile has not been saved for the item category, the display fields for the system status are empty in the overview screen.

You can also combine user statuses from several status profiles for the display. Use the Display field to control whether the status should only be displayed in the overview screen, or whether it can also be changed by the user.

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- If you select this field, the status is only displayed and cannot be changed by the user. If you do not select the field, the system determines the changeability of the status, whereby a user status can always be changed.

 Maintain relevant status against status profile and save. (Enter Status in CAPSLOCK)

Scenario Testing

I have configured “ZAWTEST” status profile and assigned it only to Item Category “JMT2”. Set it to display in Item Overview tab as well.

Create a sales order with Order type OR and item Category JMT2.

Since I have configured to see the status profile in the overview screen, I should be able to see those statuses in the “Item Overview” tab. Please note this is not AFS Item overview tab. You have to go to R/3 Item overview tab.

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Now let’s check delivery creation in transaction VL01N. (It should not be allowed)

Long text for that is;

In order to create the delivery I have to change the status in the sales order line item.

Changing Statuses in the sales order line item

Change status to AW02

Now let’s change the status to AW02.

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Else you can do same from Menu option -> Go to -> Item -> Status

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 Select relevant option

 Press option

 You have to come back and save the sales order

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As per above, I should be able to create the delivery now. If you go to the same tab with status AW01, you should be able to see that Create delivery is in RED flag.

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Since my sales order line item has AW02 status, I was able to create the delivery without any issue. Please note, if you have set the status profile at sales order header level, then you have to release that as well.

Now let’s create the billing document. (Tx: VF01)

When I’m in the status AW02, it gives me below error at billing document creation.

In order to create the billing document I have to change the SO/LI status to AW03. Same manner you have to change the LI status to AW03 and save.

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Now let’s check the billing document creation again. I can create the billing now without an error.

Author: Anupa Wijesinghe

E-Mail: anupaw@gmail.com / anupaw@learnsaptips.com

Website: www.learnsaptips.com View my profile in LinkedIn Follow me on Twitter

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Disclaimer

This article is done based on my research and readings, unless otherwise stated. The views expressed are my own and not of anyone else.

Author accepts no liability for the content of the articles in this website or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Using this information is at the users own discretion and responsibility.