Scenario Variants

You can use Series Sales and Distribution to map the following four scenario variants, which are described in detail below:

  • Periodical delivery

  • Journal

  • Looseleaf

  • Closed series

    Note Note

    These scenario variants are simply examples. You can mix them to create hybrids according to your company's requirements.

    End of the note.
Periodical Delivery

You use the scenario variant Periodical Delivery (see above graphic) for products published periodically, such as yearbooks or magazines. Unlike the scenario variant Closed Series , for example, all the subscribers receive the same issue of the product at the same time.

The system determines the issue to be delivered according to the issue sequence. When you create a new issue with the issue sequence, the system automatically generates a shipping schedule record. The delivery date is determined from the first shipping date of the issue.

Journal

The scenario variant Journal (see above graphic) is the same as Periodical Delivery. However, since the issues in Journal are serial in nature, back issues are also possible here. This means the customer receives the issues previously delivered as back issues when a new contract item is created. In the above graphic, Issue 1 is supplied as a back issue.

The scenario variant Journal can be used, for example, for scientific publications, since articles occasionally contain references to previous issues, which are then required in order to gain a full understanding of the subject matter.

The system creates two shipping schedule records in the issue sequence: First Shipping (the actual issue) and Backdated Orders.

Note Note

You can define the point from which back issues are to be delivered. For example, if a customer takes out a subscription to a monthly scientific publication in July, you could specify that they are to receive the back issues from January through June.

End of the note.
Looseleaf

Looseleafs are publications that are updated, for example legal texts. Subscribers usually have a basic edition and are then sent updates, which they add to it.

In the scenario variant Looseleaf (see above graphic), you can enter the basic edition together with the subscription item in one order for new customers. A delivery is created for the basic edition item, and a contract is created for the subscription item. Since this involves using an order item (basic edition) and a contract item in the same sales document, this is referred to as a mixed sales document .

Note Note

You must define an assignment between the basic edition and the subscription item so that the system automatically makes this connection when you enter orders (see graphic below). To do this, choose Start of the navigation path Logistics Next navigation step Media Sales and Distribution Next navigation step Series Sales and Distribution Next navigation step Master Data Next navigation step Media Product Master Next navigation step Basic Edition Next navigation step Assign Basic Edition to Media Producton theSAP Easy Access End of the navigation path screen.

You define which item in the order represents a contract item in Customizing for Series Sales and Distribution under Start of the navigation path SAP Media Next navigation step Media Sales and Distribution Next navigation step Series Sales and Distribution Next navigation step Sales Next navigation step Mixed Sales Documents Next navigation step Define Subscription Items in Orders End of the navigation path .

End of the note.

The following graphic illustrates the link between the basic edition and the subscription item.

You can display this link on the Media tab in the subscription item ( Order for Basic Edition Delivery and Item Number fields).

The contract is created (automatically) from the contract item in the order using program RJKSECREATECONTRACT, Create Contract from Order . You must specify a sales document type for the contract to be created for each combination of order type and item category that represents a contract item in the order. This is done in Customizing for Series Sales and Distribution under Start of the navigation path SAP Media Next navigation step Media Sales and Distribution Next navigation step Series Sales and Distribution Next navigation step Sales Next navigation step Mixed Sales Documents Next navigation step Define Contract Type for Contracts to Be Created from Order Items End of the navigation path .

Note Note

Please note that the contract item in the order remains in the contract and is not removed after the program Create Contract from Order has been executed.

End of the note.

If you use delivery-related billing, you can still define a start-up period , during which the updates are free of charge. After this period, the system bills the customers for updates. In the above graphic, issues 1 and 2 are covered by the start-up period.

Closed Series

A closed series (see above graphic) includes several media issues in a fixed sequence. Since a customer can subscribe to a closed series at any time and each customer receives the issue according to their customer history, each customer can be supplied with a different issue at the same time.

Example Example

According to the delivery sequence for the closed series , Issue 1 must be delivered first, followed by Issue 2, Issue 3, and so on. Customer A has already received issues 1 and 2, Customer B has received Issue 1, and Customer C has not yet received any of the issues. Customer A is now supplied with Issue 3, Customer B with Issue 2, and Customer C with Issue 1.

End of the example.