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Define Release
Procedure for Purchase Orders
In this step, you set up the release procedure
for purchase orders (POs) and can link it to workflow. (Note that in this
context "releasing" means "approving", or giving the "green light" to a
document.)
Requirements
- In the case of a release procedure linked to
workflow, you must have previously created the user names, positions, jobs,
etc. that you here assign to the release code in the organizational plan and
must have linked them to the relevant standard tasks in task-specific
Customizing (Basis -> Business Management -> Business Workflow ->
Perform Task-Specific Customizing).
- You must assign the authorization
M_EINK_FRG to the persons who are to be involved in the release
procedure (Authorization Management -> Create
Authorization Profiles and Assign to Users).
Activities
Here you define the following:
Release group
Create a release group for your release
procedure and assign it to a class. In the process, you assign release
conditions to the release procedure.
Release codes
Here you create the
release codes you need for your release
strategy and assign the codes to your release group. If a release code is to
be used in workflow, indicate this accordingly in the
Workflow field
The Workflow indicator is also
used to control role resolution:
- "1 - Role Resolution with Group, Code and
Plant (T16FW)"
Here you use a role
resolution that is supplied in the standard system. To do so, you must assign
the release point in the section Workflow (see
below).
- "9 - Role Resolution via User
Exit"
Here you use
the
customer exit
M06E0005 to define a role resolution of your own.
Release indicators
Arelease indicator shows the release status of
a PO.
Via the following settings, you can define the
release indicators you need for your release procedure:
- The Released indicator is
used to specify whether messages (PO documents in output format) may be
transmitted for a purchase order with this indicator.
- The Changeability indicator
shows the effect of changes to the PO (a change to a PO may require a new
release strategy to be determined, for instance).
- By means of the Value change
indicator, you can specify that the release strategy is to be re-started if a
PO is changed and the value of a PO item thereby increases by a certain
percentage (e.g. 10%). Set the Changeability indicator to "4
- Changeable, new release in case of new strategy or value change" or "6 -
Changeable, new release in case of new strategy or value change/outputted" and
enter a percentage in the Value change field.
Attention:
The following release indicators are necessary for every
release procedure:
- Release indicator for initial
status
If the PO is subject to a release strategy, it must normally be released
before it can be transmitted to the vendor. Therefore, when a PO is created,
it is assigned a release indicator that blocks it from being outputted in
message form.
The Released indicator must not be selected for
this indicator.
- Release indicator for released
status
This indicator is assigned to the PO when it is released.
The Released indicator must be selected for
this indicator.
Release strategies
Create a release strategy for your release
group and assign your release codes accordingly.
With
the
release
prerequisites, you specify the order in which the individual release points
(individuals or departments) represented by the release codes may release the
document.
Example
The following table
shows release prerequisites for a strategy with four release
codes.
Code/Release
prerequisite
|
|
01 |
02 |
03 |
04 |
|
01 |
- |
[ ] |
[ ] |
[ ] |
|
02 |
[x] |
- |
[ ] |
[ ] |
|
03 |
[x] |
[x] |
- |
[ ] |
|
04 |
[x] |
[x] |
[x] |
- |
|
In this release
strategy, the codes 01, 02, 03, and 04 must successively release the purchase
order.
Read the table from
left to right. For instance, the third line for release code 03: For code 03,
release via code 01 and code 02 is a prerequisite. That is to say, the PO must
be released via codes 01 and 02 before it can be released via code
03.
Here you specify the
status a PO has after certain release points have effected
release.
Specify which
release indicator/status a PO is to have after having been released via a
certain release code.
In classification,
you maintain the values assigned to the characteristics. Via the
characteristics and their values, you specify the POs to which your release
strategy is assigned.
Maintain values
(individual values or intervals) for your characteristics.
Example
Two characteristics
and their values have been maintained in classification for release strategy
'EA':
- Document type -
'NB - standard purchase order'
- Total value -
above $10,000
All POs with the
document type 'NB' and a total value in excess of $10,000 are thus subject to
a release procedure with the release strategy 'EA'.
The release
simulation function enables you to check which status a PO will achieve with
your release strategy if release is effected by a certain release
point.
Choose "Simulate
release" and release the document with the desired release code by
double-clicking. The system shows you which status the PO now has as a result
of this release.
Workflow
Assign a processor
ID to your workflow-relevant release codes. The processor (member of staff
responsible for processing the document) will then receive a work item when he
or she is required to effect release.
You can assign a
processor ID either directly or indirectly:
- Direct processor assignment:
Enter a user
name.
- Indirect processor assignment:
Enter ajob, for
example, or aposition. At runtime, the system will then determine the
member(s) of staff responsible for processing the document.
Customer
exit
Customer exit M06E0005 enables
you to define your own role resolution which determines the person responsible
for releasing purchasing documents in workflow.
Further
Notes
Further information on how to set up a release
procedure linked to workflow is available via the menu options Help
-> Application Help.