Implementation of a Release Procedure with Classification

This section describes how the system determines the release strategy for a purchase requisition, i.e. how a release procedure with classification is implemented. This basic knowledge will enable you to set up your own release procedure.

Prerequisites

You must have specified that the purchase requisition is subject to a release procedure.

When you define your release procedure, you assign the characteristics of a class to a release strategy via the release group. You assign values or value intervals to these characteristics individually for each release strategy.

Process Flow

The system carries out the following activities in order to determine the release strategy for a purchase requisition.

Filling the communication structure

When you process a purchase requisition, the system passes on the data from the document to the communication structure CEBAN. Certain fields of the latter are determined from the requisition data prior to the transfer. For example, the total value of an item is determined and passed on in this way.

Note

If you wish to use fields that are not included in the communication structure CEBAN to determine the release strategy, you must insert the relevant fields in the communication structure CEBANZZ.

Via the customer exit M06B0002 (item-wise release) and M06B0005 ( overall release), you can then include in the communication structure data that is not included in the structure in the standard system.
Example
The responsible cost center manager is to be determined for a cost center in the purchase requisition. This data is read fom the cost center master record, inserted in the field USRC1, and passed on to the communication structure CEBAN.

Object search

After the data has been passed on to the communication structure, the system initiates an object search:

1. The document type of the purchase requisition determines whether the latter is released in total or item-wise.

2. The system determines the relevant class via the type of release (overall or item-wise).
Note
Only one class is allowed per type of release. This means that you must assign the same class to all release groups valid for overall release, for example. When defining release procedures for purchase requisitions, you must thus create a maximum of two classes: one for overall release and one for item-wise release.

3. The system assigns the values from the communication structure CEBAN to the characteristics of this class.

4. Via the object search function, the system then identifies a release strategy whose characteristics accord with the values from the communication structure or lie within the specified interval.
The following search results are possible:

Just one release strategy is found.
The system assigns this release strategy to the purchase requisition.

Several release strategies are found.
The system assigns the first release strategy found to the requisition.

No release strategy is found.
The system does not assign a release strategy to the requisition. The latter can be converted into a follow-on document without having to be released.

Example

In your enterprise, all purchase requisitions with a total value exceeding $5,000 have to be approved. Final release (final approval) must be effected by different "release points" (individuals or departments), depending on the value of the requisition:

$5,000 to $10,000 - by the project manager

$10,000.01 to $15,000 - by the department manager

Above $15,000.01 - by the cost center manager

For this reason, three release strategies have been defined in Customizing:

	Strategy '01'	Strategy '02'
Char.	Value	Value		Value
Doc. type	NB	NB		NB
Tot. value	$5,000-10,000	$10,000.01-15,000	>$15,000.01

Process Flow

1.This purchase order with the document type 'NB' is created in the SAP System:

Item	Material	Qty.	Price/pc	Value of item
010	Telephone	350 pc	$200	$7000
020	Swivel chair	300 pc	$150	$4500
			___________
Total value of purchase requisition			$11,500

2.The data from the requisition is passed on to the communication structure CEBAN. At the same time, the data is aggregated. For example, the total value of the requisition ($11.500 DM) is determined and passed on to the communication structure.

3.The system checks the document type in Customizing: overall release has been defined for the document type in Customizing.

4.The system then searches for release groups for which overall release has been specified in Customizing for the release procedure. Release group '01' is valid for requisitions for which overall release has been defined via the document type. The class 'banf_ges' has been assigned to this class.

5.The system assigns the values from the communication structure CEBAN to the characteristics of the class 'banf_ges':
- Document type: NB
- Total value of purchase requisition: $11,500

6.The object search function is started and delivers release strategy '02' as the result, since the characteristics of the requisition accord with the characteristics of the release strategy. The release strategy is assigned to the purchase requisition.