Line Attributes

Use

You can define a service line more precisely by giving it specific characteristics using line types , alternatives and line categories .

Caution Caution

You cannot use line types if you are dealing with particularly long and comprehensive descriptions and you want the service line to consist of a main description and one or more sub-descriptions. In this case, use costing items underneath a service line to include the sub-descriptions.

End of the caution.

Note Note

You can also use the indicators on the screens for transferring data of purchasing and sales documents.

End of the note.

Prerequisites

Define which indicators should be required or optional in Customizing for Materials Management under Start of the navigation path External Services management Next navigation step Define Screen Layout End of the navigation path . Also define which indicators should be required fields, and which optional fields.

Features

Line Type

You can assign one of the following line types to a service line:

Standard line

This is the standard line type, and is the system default.

Blanket line

You do not specify a quantity for blanket lines. The system defines the default quantity one to service lines with this line type. It is settled as a lump sum.

Contingency line

This line type describes a service that is not absolutely necessary to perform the order. This service is only used when required.

Note Note

The value of this service line is not included in the total value of the BOS.

End of the note.

Example Example

If you are building on a piece of land where a gas station once stood, and are not sure whether the ground is contaminated, you can record an excavation transport to a special dump as a contingency line.

End of the example.

Open quantity line

If the sold-to party requires that the bidder offers the quantity for a specific partial service, the service line can be indicated by Line with open quantity .

You can only use this line type in the following documents:

Purchase requisitions and RFQs in Purchasing (MM Services)

Inquiries with BOS in Sales

Example Example

You can use an open quantity line when you are to plaster a 100 sq. meter parking lot that requires gravel, but the sold-to party is unable to specify the exact amount. You do not have to enter a quantity in the customer inquiry; you can enter it later in the quotation.

End of the example.

Informatory line

This line type does not describe a service. It is purely documentary in nature. You select this line type if you want to use the service line to store additional text.

Internal line

This line type describes a service line in a BOS that is used for internal purposes.

You use internal lines for sales document BOS for Controlling purposes or internal costing.

If you select this line type for a service line, one of the following happens:

  • It is not communicated externally, for example, it is not provided as output in a sales order

  • You cannot create a service entry for this service line

    Note Note

    The value of this type of service line is not included in the total value of the BOS.

    End of the note.
Alternatives

You can group together several of the available alternative services, as follows:

  • In the simplest of cases, define a service line as a basic line. You can then define each alternative service as an alternative line and assign it to the appropriate basic line. You can enter one or more alternative lines for a given basic line.

  • If the description is long and involved, you can group together several service lines of the line categories basic line and alternative line (grouping of alternatives). Each grouping contains a unique number. This number consists of the group number and the sequence number .

  • For a subitem, only another subitem from the same composite of service lines can be assigned as an alternate.

Grouping of alternatives/assignment number: Group number

The group number is optional and defines a grouping of alternatives.

Grouping of alternatives/assignment number: Sequence number

A counter that is assigned for a grouping of alternatives.

The basic grouping of alternatives receives the sequence number zero. You can group together the alternative groupings belonging to it using a sequence number from one to nine.

Basic line

If an alternative type is to be used for part of a service description, define this service line as a basic line.

You can define an assignment number. All basic lines of the same group number and sequence number zero result in a basic grouping of alternatives.

Alternative line

You can define a service line as an alternative line in one of the following ways:

  • Define it as an alternative to the basic line

    You can enter the basic line to which the alternative line refers in the For line field.

  • Define it as an alternative within a grouping of alternatives

    You can group together comprehensive descriptions for several services to a description for the grouping of alternatives using the assignment number. All alternative lines of the same group number and the same sequence number result in an alternative grouping of alternatives.

    Note Note

    The value of the alternative line is not included in the total value of the BOS. Only the value of the basic line is entered in the total value of the BOS.

    End of the note.

    Example Example

    You offer different flooring alternatives in a customer quotation, for example: parquet flooring or tiles with floor heating or carpet. This grouping of alternatives receives the group number one. You decide to define the parquet flooring as the basic line. This receives the sequence number zero. You define the tiles and the floor heating as alternative lines. These receive the sequence number one. The carpet is an additional alternative line. This receives the sequence number two. The sold-to party then decides on one of the alternatives.

    End of the example.

    Line number

    Service Lines

    Basic line

    Alternative line

    For line

    Group number

    Sequence number

    10

    Parquet

    X

    1

    0

    20

    Tiles

    X

    10

    1

    1

    30

    Floor heating

    X

    10

    1

    1

    40

    Carpet

    X

    10

    1

    2

No alternatives

The system sets No alternatives as a default. This defines that there are no alternative services for the service line.

Line Category

Bidder’s line

This describes a service that the bidder has included when creating the quotation. This means that the sold-to party did not foresee this service, which is required to fulfill the contract.

Example Example

You purchase services from a subcontractor. You do this by creating a RFQ with a BOS in Purchasing . You receive a quotation from a subcontractor that includes an additional service line to transport excavated soil to a special dump during the construction work.This additional service line is a Bidder's line .

End of the example.

Risk line

Costing may contain budgeted costs that assume extremely positive conditions, and therefore, are subject to risk. This indicator can be used to identify such services.

Risk lines are evaluated in the costing report.

Supplementary line

This line category describes a service that is added after the order has been placed, meaning that this service is quoted and authorized (requested, approved) after submission of the order.

You can also assign a supplementary number and supplementary status for service lines of this line category.

A subitem marked as a supplementary line with a statistical status is not be considered whendetermining the total value of a subitem.

Note Note

You can define the supplementary (subsequent) status in Customizing for Sales and Distribution under Start of the navigation path Bill of Services Next navigation step Determine Subsequent Status for Service Lines End of the navigation path .

End of the note.