Validity Period for the Document Number Interval 

For each interval, you must specify a validity limit (year value). You can use the same number range in different fiscal years by specifying a fiscal year. After changing fiscal years, the system starts assigning numbers again from the lower limit of the interval. The prerequisite for this is that you have defined that interval for the next fiscal year.

If you do not want to have numbers assigned based on each year, you must specify a year which lies far into the future, for example "9999". Documents are then assigned numbers from an interval that is unaffected by changes in fiscal year.

The following example shows the effects of defining different number ranges.

If you specify a year far in the future for a number range (see number range 01 in the above illustration), numbers from this interval are assigned only once to documents over the span of the specified fiscal year. If, however, you define the same number range in several fiscal years (see number range 02 in the above illustration), the same numbers are reassigned to documents in each fiscal year but are uniquely identified by the year specification.

External number assignment is automatically based on each year. A unique number results from the document number and fiscal year. You can therefore reuse your number ranges for external number assignment in each fiscal year without having to define them based on the year.

To edit or display a document, you must specify the fiscal year in addition to the document number on the request screen if your system assigns numbers based on each year. You can also have the system automatically default the fiscal year. To implement this function, you must specify it for each company code.