Preliminary Posting
Description
The following functions were added to preliminary posting.
Connection to cash management
Cash management data is updated within preliminary posting. With every change and when the parked document is posted, the cash management data is redetermined and updated accordingly.
Reporting
The payables represented by parked documents can be displayed and if necessary, posted on a flat-rate basis. Program RFPKDB00 is available to do this.
You also have the option of additionally including parked documents in the document journal and in the reports for open items.
Account assignment model
The so-called account assignment models were included, that is, it is now possible (as in normal document entry) to copy these account assignment models into the parked document.
Customers
Line items for customers can be parked.
Request for payment
For parked line items, so-called requests for payment can be entered. These requests for payment can be prepaid. If requests for payment or partial payments made in response to these requests already exist for parked invoices, note the following: If parked invoices for which partial payments exist are deleted, a warning message is issued. Individual lines of parked invoices must not be deleted if a partial payment exists for them. With the POR procedure, the data is not transferred to the invoice if a partial payment exists for it.
Parking from document entry
It is possible to park documents within document entry. Line items which cannot be parked within preliminary posting cannot be parked in document entry either (for example, down payments).
Batch input for preliminary posting
Batch input for parked documents is now possible.
Document release
Document release using the new workflow components is now available. You determine whether a document is to be released at all within customizing by defining so-called workflow variants. Company codes can be allocated to these workflow variants. If a company code is not allocated to a workflow variant, no document is released. For document release, so-called workflow models, which should generally suffice for releasing parked documents, are delivered. In preliminary posting, we distinguish between amount release and total release. You define the release procedure that should be used for total release per workflow variant provided a separate release procedure has been defined for this purpose within the workflow. You can also determine as of which amount a release should be started. If a document is to be released, an entry appears in the inbox and the person with release authorization can display the document and release or refuse it.
Amount release is started with the first preliminary posting. You can distinguish between single-level, 2-level and 3-level amount release by assigning a so-called subworkflow within Customizing. Consequently, the amount release can be carried out by one person, or by two or three people, that is, the two person/three person security principle is supported. Which release procedure is chosen, can be set in Customizing based on the workflow variant, document type and amount. Release authorizations are also assigned within Customizing. For this purpose, release groups can be created that can in turn be entered into the master records of vendors and customers. Depending on these release groups, different persons with release authorization can be assigned in the form of HR objects (position, organizational unit) in Customizing. In addition, so-called user exits are available with which other persons with release authorization can be determined and assigned.
Total release is started when the user has entered the document completely and explicitly confirmed this in the parked document. Total release is carried out for all HR objects that are allocated to this release step. Persons in charge of release authorization can thus be allocated to the cost centers in HR and all these persons in charge of release authorization have to release the document. Additionally, so-called user exits with which other persons with release authorization can be determined and assigned are available.
As soon as all amount releases and total releases have been carried out, the document can be posted. If release is refused, the document is forwarded to the author for changing. After the document has been changed, the complete procedure (amount release plus total release) is carried out again. If the document is changed release-relevantly, all releases are cancelled and the document must be released again. What release-relevant changes are is determined in Customizing. There you can determine per account type which changes lead to a cancellation of the document release.
Change system parameters in customizing
If documents are to be released in preliminary posting before they are posted, define the workflow variants, release groups, authorization paths, the release procedures and the fields that are to lead to a cancelation of the releases in case of a change.
For more information, see the 
"Parked documents" key word in the "Financial accounting global
settings" Implementation Guide.