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Klee Associates Unlocking The Value Of Your SAP Investment
Release Strategies for
Procurement Made EasyContent excerpted from our SAP
Materials Management andPurchasing courses
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Speaker Introduction - Jocelyn Hayes
Heads up our SAP consulting and trainingpractice.
Brings almost 14 years of SAP experience,plus a great deal of passion andenthusiasm
Enjoys the challenge of solving problemscreatively and collaboratively.
Worked for a big 4 consulting firm as a Sr.SAP Consultant and then moved intoindependent consulting.
Primarily involved with the Logisticsmodules of SAP and migrating clients tomore business process oriented andintegrated applications using SAP's mostadvanced solutions.
Jocelyn can be reached atJocelyn.Hayes@ERPtips.com or by phoneat 1.855.ERPtips (377.8477) ext 122.
mailto:Jocelyn.Hayes@ERPtips.commailto:Jocelyn.Hayes@ERPtips.commailto:Jocelyn.Hayes@ERPtips.com7/29/2019 Release Strategies
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3
Release Strategies for Procurement
Made EasyLearning Points
During this session, we will cover a four step process tosetting up release procedures for Procurement in SAP: Step 1: Corporate Purchasing Approval Matrix
Step 2: Configuration Step 3: Security
Step 4: Transports
At the end of the session, you will walk away with some tipson working with your business owners on setting up the
approval levels, configuration techniques, guidelines onsecurity settings, and the requirements for transporting theconfiguration and classification objects.
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Step 1: Determine Corporate Purchasing Approval
Matrix
Determining the Corporate Purchasing Approval Matrix is adifficult step in any organization because manydepartments believe their approval process must be uniqueand is different.
ERPtip: Keep it Simple Encourage purchasing policy makers to keep it simple.
Have a goal to make the approval process simple to make iteasier for your requistioners to know who must approve therequisition.
Selling Point: If it is easy for the users, they will follow the policy.If you make it too complex, they will find a way to bypass theprocess and complain about how cumbersome SAP is.
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Step 1: Determine Corporate Purchasing Approval
Matrix
The table below represents the scenario wewill be configuring for this demonstration:
Department Position Approval Limits101 Operations Manager Up to $10K101 Operations Director Up to $50K101 Operations Vice President Up to $100K101 Operations Chief Financial Officer Everything over $100K201 Finance Manager Up to $5K201 Finance Controller Up to $200K201 Finance Chief Financial Officer Everything over $200K
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Step 1: Determine Corporate Purchasing Approval
Matrix
The release strategy has three key values that are used to determine the
level of approval and who approves the requisition.
Purchasing group
Overall value of purchase requisition
Account Assignment Category (K cost center for both departments)
Department Position Approval Limits901 Operations Manager Up to $10K901 Operations Director Up to $50K
901
Operations Vice President Up to $100K901 Operations Chief Financial Officer Everything over $100K902 Finance Manager Up to $5K902 Finance Controller Up to $200K902 Finance Chief Financial Officer Everything over $200K
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Step 1: Determine Corporate Purchasing Approval
Matrix
The Release procedure example presented in this demonstration 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.
Department Position Approval Limits901 Operations Manager Up to $10K901 Operations Director Up to $50K901 Operations Vice President Up to $100K901 Operations Chief Financial Officer Everything over $100K902 Finance Manager Up to $5K902 Finance Controller Up to $200K902 Finance Chief Financial Officer Everything over $200K
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Step 2: Configuration
These 7 tasks are performed in configuring arelease procedure:
1. Create characteristics
2. Create class (assigning characteristics to class)
3. Create release groups4. Create release codes
5. Create release indicator
6. Create release strategies
7. Workflow: Assign release codes to a release point
Note: In this demonstration, we are presenting PURCHASE REQUISITION releasestrategy configuration. The exact same steps can be used for any purchasingdocument type (Purchase Orders, Contracts, RFQs, Scheduling Agreements)
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Step 2: Configuration
1. Create Characteristics
In Step 1: Determine the Corporate Purchasing ApprovalMatrix, 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?
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Step 2: Configuration
1. Create Characteristics
In the approval matrix table scenario, the parameters thatdetermine the approval person are: Department requesting the purchase
Overall amount of the purchase Account Assignment Category
These three parameters equate to characteristics that mustbe represented by values entered in the purchasing
document. In this scenario, the characteristics are: Purchasing group (representing the department)
Overall value of requisition
Account Assignment category (representing the lines are forexpense items, in this case, to a cost center)
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Step 2: Configuration
1. Create Characteristics
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 strategydetermination. The Characteristics screen shows where tocorrelate the characteristic from the CEBAN table to thefield used for determination.
Note: Use CEKKO for POs, and other Purchasing DocumentTypes
We will now demonstrate how to view this table.
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Step 2: Configuration
1. Create Characteristics
ERPtip: User Exits for Custom Release Strategy Fields
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
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Step 2: Configuration
1. Create Characteristics
2. Now that you have determined which fields will drive therelease strategy, you need to create the characteristics.
3. Navigate the create characteristics transaction using thefollowing IMG menu path: Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition Release Procedure Procedure with Classification EditCharacteristics
Or transaction code: CT04
4. We will now display the characteristics that have beencreated for this demonstration.
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Step 2: Configuration
1. Create Characteristics
Here are a couple ERPtips on creating characteristics:
If you are working in a release Pre-ECC, notice that the box Not
Ready for Input is checked in the Procedure for ValueAssignment area. If you do not de-select it, it stops assignmentof a value to your characteristic causing your release strategy tofail!
SAP carries over default values from the field definition in theCEBAN table to the value assignment portion (shown on the
Basic Data tab). Pay close attention to whether SAP allowsintervals (needed for a range of values, like value of requisition)and whether it allows multiple values (needed if you plan to useone release strategy for multiple departments or purchasinggroups).
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Step 2: Configuration
2. Create Class
Now that you have created your characteristics, youmust assign them to a class.
To create a class, follow the menu path in the IMG: Materials Management Purchasing Purchase
Requisition Release Procedure Procedure withClassification Edit Classes
Or Transaction Code: CL02.
We will now display the class that has been createdfor this demonstration.
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Step 2: Configuration3. Create 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.
Department Position Approval Limits901 Operations Manager Up to $10K901 Operations Director Up to $50K901 Operations Vice President Up to $100K901 Operations Chief Financial Officer Everything over $100K902 Finance Manager Up to $5K902 Finance Controller Up to $200K902 Finance Chief Financial Officer Everything over $200K
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Step 2: Configuration
3. Create Release Group
Navigate to the IMG and follow the menu path:
Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition
Release Procedure Procedure with Classification Set up
Procedure with Classification
We will now display the release group that has been created for this
demonstration.
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Step 2: Configuration
3. Create Release Group
ERPtip: One Class per Release Type
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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Step 2: Configuration
4. Create Release Codes
A release code is an identifier that is associated with the person
responsible for approving the purchase requisition.
Navigate the IMG and follow the menu path:
Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition
Release Procedure Procedure with Classification Set up
Procedure with Classification
We will now display the release codes that have been created for this
demonstration.
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Step 2: Configuration
4. Create Release Codes
ERPtip: Generating Workflow Information for the Approver
You can utilize a customer user exit for purchase requisitions,
M06B0001, to define the workflow and generate notification andwork list objects for the person responsible for the approval.
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Step 2: Configuration
5. Create Release Indicator
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.
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Step 2: Configuration
5. Create Release Indicator
Navigate to the IMG and follow the menu path:
Materials Management Purchasing Purchase Requisition
Release Procedure Procedure with Classification Set up
Procedure with Classification
We will now display the release indicators that will be used for this
demonstration.
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Step 2: Configuration
5. Create Release Indicator
ERPtip: Allow Changes after Release / Do Not Trigger New Release
If you want to allow changes to certain fields during or after a release, youcan 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 yourchanges. Once you create a custom field selection key, you should alsocreate a custom release indicator by maintaining a new entry in the CreateRelease Indicators screen.
In the standard system, SAP will not allow changes to the quantity, unit ofmeasure, or price when an approver is executing the release transaction. Ifyou require that other fields, such as delivery date, plant, etc., not bemodified via the release transaction, configure a custom field selection.
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Step 2: Configuration
6. 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.
Release Group + Release Code = Release Strategy
Release Group = Department
Release Code = Level of approver
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.
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Step 2: Configuration
6. Create Release Strategies
To configure the Release Strategy, Navigate to the IMG and follow the
menu path:
Materials Management Purchasing Purchase RequisitionRelease Procedure Procedure with Classification Set up
Procedure with Classification.
We will now display the release strategies that have been configured for
this demonstration.
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Step 2: Configuration
6. Create Release Strategies
ERPtip: Entering Correct Characteristics Value Assignments
Be sure you entered the correct characteristics value assignments. You
must allow an interval value for the Total value of requisition amountto enter a range in the characteristic value assignment.
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Step 2: Configuration
7. 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.
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Step 2: Configuration
7. Workflow: Assign Release Codes to Release Point
The task flow for creating a workflow is:
1. When you save the purchase requisition, SAP determines which typeof 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.
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.
BONUS if time, create a requisition for Release Group 99 and
demonstrate workflow.
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Step 3: Security
Security can be the most time consuming activityin developing release strategies, particularly ifyou have multiple characteristics defining yourrelease strategies along with multiple release
levels. Here is where our recurring theme Keepit Simple counts.
You may want the job security for your BasisSecurity Administrators, but you also want the
change process to be simple so you can reactquickly when that all too common companyreorganization happens.
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Step 3: Security
ERPtip: Sarbanes-Oxley (SOx) Compliance
For Sarbanes-Oxley (SOx) compliance, do not usethe * function, which gives access to all objects,to define the roles in security. Using * may give
approval authority to some folks who should nothave it.
You should set up a role for each releasegroup/release strategy combination. For greater
security, include the restriction for other valuesthat you have assigned as characteristics, such aspurchasing 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 inyour Gold SAP Configuration client does notinclude the values you associated to thecharacteristics.
Transport classes are stored in characteristic
value tables that must be moved through yourSAP environments via the Application LinkEnabling (ALE) function.
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Step 4: Transport Classes and
Characteristics ERPtip: Move your Characteristics and Classes after your Configuration
Transport
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:PURCHASING_GROUPPR_VALUE
BD91 CT04 CHRMAS Dont worry about IDOC errormessage Object S2L3(T16FS) not found.
Class:PR_RELEASEClass Type:032
BD92 CL03 CLSMAS
Class:PR_RELEASEClass Type:032
BD93 CL03 CLFMAS
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Best Practices
That was easy! (Compliments of the Staples
button)
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
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Key Learnings
This presentation 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 oftricky configuration
challenges.
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Other Learning Opportunities
Webcasts
Public Workshops onsite or virtual
Onsite Workshops
Journal
Blog
ASUG Annual Conference (May 16 19 inOrlando) ERP Training Lifecycle and
Customer Events contact Jocelyn for more
info
http://www.erptips.com/SAP-Library/Multimedia-Presentations/Webcasts.htmlhttp://www.erptips.com/SAP-Training/Public-SAP-Course-Schedule.htmlhttp://www.erptips.com/SAP-Training/Public-SAP-Course-Schedule.htmlhttp://www.erptips.com/SAP-Library/http://www.erptips.com/blog/http://www.sapandasug.com/mailto:Jocelyn.Hayes@erptips.com?subject=ASUG%20Annual%20Conference%20Eventsmailto:Jocelyn.Hayes@erptips.com?subject=ASUG%20Annual%20Conference%20Eventshttp://www.sapandasug.com/http://www.erptips.com/blog/http://www.erptips.com/SAP-Library/http://www.erptips.com/SAP-Training/Public-SAP-Course-Schedule.htmlhttp://www.erptips.com/SAP-Training/Public-SAP-Course-Schedule.htmlhttp://www.erptips.com/SAP-Library/Multimedia-Presentations/Webcasts.html7/29/2019 Release Strategies
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Want More Information? This presentation will be posted on our website in the next couple days
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