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Function documentationPublication of Replenishment Orders

 

A replenishment order is an order document that only exists in SAP Supply Network Collaboration (SAP SNC). To support the processes in the customer back-end system (purchase order processing, goods receipt) and in the supplier back-end system (sales order processing, goods issue), you must publish replenishment orders and send them to the customer and supplier back-end systems. This means sending an XML message of type VendorGeneratedOrderNotification to the customer back-end system, where a purchase order is then created, and an XML message of type ReplenishmentOrderNotification to the supplier back-end system, where a sales order is then created.

You can send XML messages in the following ways:

  • Automatic sending

    When you publish a replenishment order on the SAP SNC Web user interface (Web UI), SAP SNC sends the XML messages automatically.

  • Send using a report

    When you publish a replenishment order on the SAP SNC Web UI, SAP SNC does not automatically send the XML messages. Instead, SAP SNC sets the customer send status and the supplier send status to Published but Not Sent. To actually send the XML messages to the back-end systems you must run a report. This option is only relevant for a Responsive Replenishment scenario.

Features

Automatic Sending

SAP SNC can send replenishment orders automatically either directly in the background or using the post processing framework (PPF).

Background Sending

In the standard delivery, SAP SNC sends messages directly in the background. To enable this background sending, the RO_PUBLISH_DIRECT validation check is active in the POS2 validation profile for publishing replenishment orders (technical process ORDER_PUBLISH). When sending messages in the background, SAP SNC automatically sends the replenishment order XML messages immediately to the supplier back-end system and to the customer back-end system. This immediate sending to both back-end systems is controlled by the RO_PUBLISH_IMMEDIATE validation check, which is active in the standard delivery for the validation profile for the ORDER_PUBLISH technical process.

Alternatively, you can specify that the replenishment orders are not sent to each of the back-end systems at all. For this we deliver the following inactive validation checks:

  • RO_NO_XML_TO_SUPPLIER

    If you activate this validation check, the system does not send replenishment orders to the supplier back-end system.

  • RO_NO_XML_TO_CUSTOMER

    If you activate this validation check, the system does not send replenishment orders to the customer back-end system.

Alternative Background Sending Options in the Responsive Replenishment Scenario

In the Responsive Replenishment scenario, you can alternatively trigger a staggered sending of the XML messages, as follows:

  • Send purchase order only after ATP confirmation

    In the Responsive Replenishment scenario, you have the option to only create a purchase order from a replenishment order in the customer back-end system once the supplier is able to deliver the ordered products. For this, you must activate the RO_PUBLICATION_ATPRESULT validation check . If you use this option, SAP SNC sends an XML message of type ReplenishmentOrderNotification to the supplier back-end system first. The supplier back-end system performs an ATP check. SAP SNC receives the results of the ATP check and compares the confirmed data with the tolerances of the requested data. To do so, SAP SNC uses deviation analysis in consensus finding (see Purchase/Replenishment Orders: Consensus Finding Settings). If the confirmed data does not deviate from the requested data tolerances, SAP SNC copies the data as requested data to the replenishment order. Only when all the items in a replenishment order have been accepted, SAP SNC sends the XML message of type VendorGeneratedOrderNotification to the customer back-end system for purchase order creation. For more information, see Responsive Replenishment with ATP Check.

  • Send sales order only after assignment of purchase order numbers

    In the Responsive Replenishment scenario, you can transfer the task of assigning purchase order numbers to replenishment orders from SAP SNC to the customer back-end system. To use this option, you must activate the RO_PUBLICATION_KEYCOMPLETE validation check. If you use this option, SAP SNC sends an XML message of type VendorGeneratedOrderNotification to the customer back-end system. The customer back-end system creates a purchase order and sends a confirmation containing the purchase order number to SAP SNC. SAP SNC receives this confirmation as an XML message of type VendorGeneratedOrderConfirmation. SAP SNC then copies the purchase order number to the replenishment order. Only then does SAP SNC send an XML message of type ReplenishmentOrderNotification to the supplier back-end system for sales order creation.

Sending with PPF

If you use the PPF, you can control which messages are sent by activating and deactivating the corresponding actions in the /SCA/BOL_ORDER_VGOR action profile. To use the postprocessing framework, you must deactivate the RO_PUBLISH_DIRECT validation check in the validation profiles that you use for publishing replenishment orders (technical process ORDER_PUBLISH). In the standard delivery, this validation check is active. That is, SAP SNC does not use the PPF to send messages.

Sending with a Report in a Responsive Replenishment Scenario

In a Responsive Replenishment scenario, you can also use the report /SCA/ICH_ORDER_SEND to actually send replenishment orders to the customer and supplier back-end system. If you want to use this option, you must activate the RO_PUBLISH_REPORT validation check and deactivate the RO_PUBLISH_DIRECT validation check for background sending.

When you use this option and publish a replenishment order on the SAP SNC Web UI, SAP SNC does not automatically send the XML messages to the customer and supplier back-end systems. Instead, SAP SNC sets the customer send status and the supplier send status to Published but Not Sent. To actually send the XML messages to the back-end systems, you must run the /SCA/ICH_ORDER_SEND report . The report sends the messages to outbound message processing. If outbound message processing is unable to send the message, SAP SNC generates an alert (alert type 7408).

Note Note

If you publish replenishment orders with the report, you cannot monitor these replenishment orders in the SNC visibility process for replenishment orders (see Visibility Processes for SAP SNC).

You also cannot use the report in combination with the other publication options for the Responsive Replenishment scenario. For example, you cannot use the report to send a replenishment order to the customer back-end system for purchase order number assignment before sending it to the supplier back-end system, or to send a replenishment order to the supplier back-end system for an ATP check before sending it to the customer back-end system.

This report only supports data that was available with SAP ICH 5.0. The report does not, for example, send notes on item level.

End of the note.
Publication Function in TLB

You can publish replenishment orders created by the transport load builder (TLB) as follows:

  • Automatically after a TLB run that was triggered using planning services on the Web UI or by the planning service manager (See Planning Functions in the Replenishment Monitor)

  • Manually on the TLB screens of the Web UI, if the replenishment orders were not published automatically

Note Note

The RO_NO_TLB_PUBLICATION validation check prevents you from publishing replenishment orders created by the TLB from the replenishment order screens. This validation check is activated in the POS2 validation profile for publishing replenishment orders (technical process ORDER_PUBLISH).

End of the note.
Sending Options for Replenishment Orders Created by the TLB Service.

You can control the actual sending of the replenishment orders to the back-end systems of the supplier and the customer by activating and deactivating the relevant validation checks (as described under Automatic Sending and Sending with a Report in a Responsive Replenishment Scenario) in your validation profiles for sending replenishment orders created by the TLB (technical processes ORDER_TLB_PUBLISH and ORDER_SERVICE_PUBLISH).

Alternatively, instead of using global settings (specified by validation checks) for background sending that are relevant for all replenishment orders created by the TLB, you can specify the message types to be sent in individual TLB service profiles. In a TLB service profile, you can specify that the XML messages are sent only to the supplier back-end system, only to the customer back-end system, or to both supplier and customer back-end systems.

SAP SNC considers the TLB service profile settings for message sending only if the RO_PUBLISH_DIRECT validation check is activated but the other validation checks for background sending are deactivated. You make the settings in Customizing for Supply Network Collaboration, under Start of the navigation path Replenishment Next navigation step Transport Load Builder Next navigation step Define TLB Service Profiles End of the navigation path.

To be able to publish replenishment orders manually on the transport load builder (TLB) screens of the Web user interface, and to be able to make settings for publishing in the TLB service profile, you must activate the Supply Network Collaboration 1 (SCM_SNC_GEN_1) business function.