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SAP AG
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-1
SAP AG
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-2
SAP AG
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-3
PReq.
Material
Quantity
Deliv. date
(Source)
Conversion
Approval of
purchase order
Pur. order
Vendor
Material
Quantity
Delivery date
Pur. order
Transmission
to vendor
Price
Automatic
source
determination
Source list
Source of supply
Info
Contract
record
item
Quota
arrangement
Scheduling
agmt. item
R
SAP AG
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-4
Approval
Item 10
20
30
(o.k.)
o.k.
(o.k.)
PO
RFQ
()
Item 10
20
30
PO
Approval
o.k.
SAP AG
For purchase requisitions you have the choice to use the procedure with classification or the procedure
without classification. This choice is valid for all requisitions.
The procedure with classification offers more possibilities.
Using the procedure with classification you may control, if a purchase requisition will blocked/released
on item level or on document level (depending on the document type of the requisition).
Using the procedure without classification the blocking/releasing will be on item level in any case.
For other purchasing documents is only the procedure with classification.
This chapter is concerned with the procedure with classification only.
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-5
Pur. order
Approval
o.k.
o.k.
o.k.
RFQ
Item 10
20
30
Pur. order
Approval
o.k.
RFQ
SAP AG
If a purchase requisition (an internal document) or an external purchasing document (such as a purchase
order) fulfills certain conditions, it may be necessary for the document to be approved before it can be
processed further. This approval (clearance or authorization) process is replicated in the SAP System by
the release procedure.
By the release of a purchase requisition we mean the process of approval of (or giving the "green light"
to) the items of the requisition for the purpose of issuing RFQs or POs covering the relevant materials or
services. The purpose of this approval procedure is to check the data on the materials, quantities, and
delivery dates for correctness and to ensure that the right account assignment and source of supply have
been specified.
As of SAP Release 3.0, you have the option of setting up release (approval) strategies for purchase
requisitions on the basis of freely definable classification characteristics or on the basis of predefined
criteria. If you set up the release procedure with classification for purchase requisitions, the procedure
without classification is deactivated.
Up to SAP Release 4.0, purchase requisitions could only be released (approved) on an item-wise basis.
As of SAP Release 4.0A, you can also release (approve) a complete requisition. This can be useful in
the case of requisitions whose individual items all relate to a requirement that should be viewed as a
whole. Whether a requisition has to be released item-by-item or in its entirety is determined via the
document type. In the latter case (i.e. if the requisition is subject to overall release), item-wise release is
not possible. For the purpose of determining a release strategy, the data from the items is aggregated.
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-6
Release of Requisitions
Individual release
PReq.
Item 10
Starting situation
Strategy S1
blocked
PReq.
Release point
o.k.
o.k.
o.k.
Release
point 2
+ o.k.
Release
point 3
+ o.k.
Convert requisition
into RFQ
Release point
Item 10
Release
point 1
PReq.
Item 10
Collective release
Release
point 4
+ o.k.
Convert requisition
into PO
SAP AG
Purchase requisitions can be released (cleared, or approved) individually or collectively. If you use the
collective procedure, you process all the requisitions awaiting release via your release code on the basis
of a list. This method is recommended for frequent releases.
The release (clearance, or approval) of purchase orders, contracts, scheduling agreements, etc., is
effected from a list.
Only those documents that satisfy the release prerequisites can be released.
Each release point involved in the release procedure must approve a document that is subject to release.
In the course of the approval process, the release status of the document changes. This status is shown
by the release indicator, which also governs the further processing of the requisition. You can also make
field selection control dependent on the release indicator.
You can cancel a previously effected release and reset the former release status.
You can display the release status of a document to obtain details of the name of the release strategy,
releases effected to date, and the release codes with which the document has to be released.
You can simulate which release status a document would have if you released it with a certain release
code. This enables you to determine how the document can be processed further after you have released
it.
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-7
Message
Pur. order
Item 10
20
30
Approval
o.k.
SAP AG
By the release of external purchasing documents (purchase order, contract, scheduling agreement, RFQ,
and service entry sheet) we mean the process of checking the correctness of the document data and
approving the documents prior to their transmission to vendors. The objective of this approval procedure
is to replace a manual system of authorized signatures by an electronic one.
Each purchasing document is checked for relevant conditions. A strategy is automatically assigned to a
document if the conditions are fulfilled.
External purchasing documents are released at header level. Item-wise (i.e. item-by-item) release is not
possible.
External purchasing documents can only be released using the release procedure with classification.
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-8
Value
Plant
Customizing:
Definition
Release strategy
Create requisn.
Strategy S1
Requisn.
Item 10
Plant 1000
Strategy S1
blocked
Released for PO
= Release point
= Release status
SAP AG
The release strategy defines the release (clearance, approval, or authorization) process. The strategy
specifies the conditions under which a requisition or external purchasing document must be approved,
the individuals or departments who must approve it, and the sequence in which the approvals have to be
granted.
The assignment of a release strategy to a purchase requisition is carried out automatically and is based
on the release conditions. In the case of the procedure with classification, the conditions are defined via
characteristic values and stored in Customizing. If a requisition or an external purchasing document
fulfills the conditions, the document has to be released in accordance with the release strategy.
Each individual or department who is required to approve a requisition within the framework of a
release strategy represents a release point. A release strategy can include up to eight such release points.
A release point is identified by a two-character key, the release code. Each person involved in the release
procedure signifies approval (gives the "green light") using his or her release code. You can also cancel a
previously effected release (i.e. reset the original release status) using this code.
The release indicator reflects the current release status. It is determined automatically and defines
whether, for example, an RFQ or a PO can be created with reference to the item in question.
Release strategies, release codes, and release indicators are defined in Customizing.
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-9
Rel. code
CO
TK
Workflow Description
Controlling
Technical
Description
Not released
Fixed
RFQ
Val. chg.
F203
CO TK
x
x
d Classification
Rel. ind.
1 Not released
1 Not released
2 Released
Char.
PLANT
VALUE
Value
1000, 2000
> 1000
R
SAP AG
You define release codes, release indicators, and release strategies in Customizing for Purchasing,. A
prerequisite for customizing a release strategy is the definition of release classes with release
characteristics.
The release code is a two-character key identifying a release point. Each person involved in the release
procedure signifies approval in a release transaction using his or her release code.
The release indicator reflects the current release status. Depending on the release indicator, you can
specify whether it is possible to change documents that have been partially or completely released, or
whether a document must pass through the release procedure all over again if it is changed.
The release strategy defines the approval process. The definition of a release strategy comprises
specification of the prerequisites for release points (i.e. the order in which the release points must signify
approval), the release status, and the release conditions in the form of characteristic values for
classification.
Release strategies are uniquely identified via a four-character key. The first two characters of this key
denote the release group, the last two the strategy. A release group must be assigned to a release object
(e. g. 2 = purchasing documents) and a release class.
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-10
Classification
Customizing
Definition of
characteristic
Definition of class
Charact. PLANT
Communication
structure
Plant
Mat. group
Item category
Acct. assgt. cat.
Value
...
Multi-value x
Ref.
table field
Unformatted x
Class
FRBANF
Release Rel.
Release
group
obj.
class
01
PReq. FRBANF
Charact. VALUE
Multi-value x
Ref.
table field
Unformatted x
Interval values
allowed
x
Definition of
release group
SAP AG
To be able to work with the release procedure with classification, you must create a release class with
characteristics in addition to making the other Customizing settings. You set up a release class with
characteristics via the classification system.
The communication structures CEBAN (for purchase requisitions) and CEKKO (for external
purchasing documents) contain all the fields that can be defined as release characteristics. If you have
additional requirements, take advantage of the user exit made available by SAP.
All release conditions must be defined as classification characteristics. Part of the characteristic
definition is a link to a field of the communication structures CEBAN or CEKKO. The classification
characteristics should have the attribute multi-value, so that you can not only maintain the
characteristic values as single values but can enter several values if necessary. For characteristics of the
data type NUM or CURR, you should also allow interval values.
You group together all characteristics that you wish to use in release strategies for purchase requisitions
or external purchasing documents in a class. The class must be assigned to the class type 032. You can
define a class for purchase requisitions, a class for external purchasing documents, and a class for
service entry sheets. The release class is assigned to the release object in Customizing (1 = purchase
requisition, 2 = external purchasing documents, 3 = service acceptance).
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-11
Technical Services
Department
PReq
Release CO
Release CO
TK
Meyer
Release TK
Smith
User
authorizations
User
authorizations
Authorization object
M_EINK_FRG
Value: CO
Authorization object
M_EINK_FRG
Value: TK
SAP AG
The authorization object "release code and group" in Purchasing (M_EINK_FRG) determines which
users can release requisitions and external purchasing documents with which release code.
If you use the release procedure for purchase requisitions without classification, you must create
authorizations for the authorization object "Release code in purchase requisitions" (M_BANF_FRG).
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-12
SAP AG
SAP AG
TAMM30 4.0B
19-13