Visibility Processes for SAP SNC 

Use

You can use SAP Event Management (SAP EM) to monitor processes. This is based on events that are expected in a process by specific dates/times at the latest. Delays in the actual events lead to alerts. The following visibility processes are available for Supply Network Collaboration (SAP SNC) with SAP EM 5.1:

●      SNC Visibility Process for Inbound Message

●      SNC Visibility Process for Purchase Order

●      SNC Visibility Process for Replenishment Order

If you use SAP EM, you need to have a license for SAP EM. You can install SAP EM in the SAP SNC system as an add-on, or install it in another system.

Prerequisites

See Settings for Visibility Processes.

Features

SNC Visibility Process for Inbound Message

In this visibility process, you can monitor any type of XML message that you are expecting in SAP SNC. Here, the expected event is that an XML message arrives in SAP SNC by a certain time and for a specific combination of the following characteristics:

●      XML message sender

●      XML message recipient

●      Product

●      Customer location

The graphic below provides an overview of the process, the expected events, and the events.

SNC Visibility Process for Purchase Order

In this visibility process, you can monitor the process steps in purchase order collaboration. This includes the following events that must occur within customer-defined deadlines after the customer has sent a new or confirmation-relevant changed purchase order to SAP SNC:

●      The supplier publishes the purchase order confirmation for the purchase order in SAP SNC.

●      SAP SNC sends the purchase order confirmation to the customer backend system.

The graphic below provides an overview of the process, the expected events, and the events.

SNC Visibility Process for Replenishment Order

In this visibility process, you can monitor the following processes in replenishment order collaboration:

●      Responsive Replenishment with ATP

●      Purchase Order Number Assignment in Customer Back-End System

You must therefore have activated the corresponding validation checks for publication of replenishment orders.

The following publishing options do nicht support the visibility process for replenishment orders:

●        Simultaneous sending of the replenishment order to the back-end systems of the supplier and customer (RO_PUBLISH_IMMEDIATELY validation check)

●        Publication with the RO_PUBLISH_IMMEDIATELY report

In the visibility process for replenishment orders, you cannot monitor replenishment orders that you publish with these publishing options.

For the visibility process for replenishment orders, the following events must occur within certain supplier-defined deadlines after the supplier has published a replenishment order in SAP SNC:

●      SAP SNC sends the replenishment order to the supplier back-end system, where a sales order is created based on the replenishment order.

●      The supplier back-end system sends the sales order confirmation to SAP SNC. This event is relevant for replenishment order collaboration with ATP, for example.

●      SAP SNC sends the replenishment order to the customer back-end system, where a purchase order is created based on the replenishment order.

●      The customer back-end system sends a VendorGeneratedOrderConfirmation to SAP SNC. This event is relevant if the purchase order number assignment takes place in the customer back-end system.

The graphic below provides an overview of the process during replenishment order collaboration with ATP, the expected events, and the events.

 

The graphic below provides an overview of the process during purchase order number assignment in the customer back-end system, the expected events, and the events.

Alerts

You run the report for determining overdue events in SAP EM. The data is transmitted to SAP SNC. SAP SNC creates the following alert types for overdue events:

●      SNC Visibility Process for Inbound Message

Inbound Message Overdue (alert type 7135)

●      SNC Visibility Process for Purchase Order

Supplier's Purchase Order Confirmation Overdue (alert type 7129)

●      SNC Visibility Process for Replenishment Order

○       Supplier's Replenishment Order Confirmation Overdue (alert type 7127)

This alert type is relevant for Responsive Replenishment with ATP.

○       Customer's Replenishment Order Confirmation Overdue (alert type 7128)

This alert type is relevant for purchase order number assignment in the customer back-end system.

The SAP SNC users responsible for the processes can use the Alert Monitor in SAP SNC to monitor the alerts. SAP SNC can use alert notifications to automatically inform users about new alerts. You only use SAP EM for administrative tasks, such as configuring visibility processes and for problem analysis.

Scheduling Expected Events

SAP SNC sends an event message along with the date/time for the expected event to SAP EM. For scheduling, SAP SNC uses the SNC_RESPONSE scheduling schema of the configurable process scheduling. In the standard system, SAP SNC places an expected event at the end of the day, based on the time zone at the customer location. If you want to use your own scheduling logic, you can enhance the scheduling schema. In particular, you can use the condition technique from configurable process scheduling to configure the scheduling based on certain characteristics (for example, depending on the customer or on the ship-from location).

The PREP and POST activities in the SNC_RESPONSE scheduling schema help you adjust the schedules to the calendars of the ship-from location and of the customer location. You do not need to make any settings here. The RESPONSE activity helps you define the maximum allowed delay. You can determine this deadline by using the condition technique from the configurable process scheduling. Alternatively, you can define a duration for the RESPONSE activity in the activities master data. The deadline you determine using the condition technique has a higher priority than the deadline you determine in the activities master data.