Sample Management in SAP R/3 with SAP CRM
Integration 
Use
Use this function to manage the samples that you as a field sales employee distribute to doctors. Inventory management serves as an overview to tell you if you have sufficient samples available for the next sales call and also as proof for audits. You can also use inventory management to perform an inventory.
Integration
The data from activity journals in SAP CRM (for example, the number of samples given to a doctor or a purchase order) is transferred to SAP R/3 inventory management using the CRM Middleware.
Prerequisites
· You have created a customer master record for the field sales employee in SAP Sales and Distribution in SAP R/3. You have assigned the employee’s personnel number to the company code data.
· You have set up a consignment stock at customer for each field sales employee (using the customer number) in SAP Sales and Distribution in SAP R/3. The consignment stock contains the samples for the field sales employee.
· If the field sales employee uses the SAP Enterprise Portal, you have assigned the role Field Sales Employee to the employee.
· You have set up goods movements in inventory management in such a way that SAP R/3 automatically posts a goods issue when you document the issue of a sample in the activity journal in SAP CRM. You have also made the required settings in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management under Industry-Specific Solutions ® Pharmaceuticals ® Master Data ® Sample Management ® Integration.
For more information, see the SAP Solution Manager.
Features
Issues of samples that you have entered in activity management in SAP CRM are automatically posted as goods issues in inventory management. Orders for samples that you have created in SAP CRM are automatically copied to SAP R/3. Using inventory management in SAP R/3, you can also
· Obtain an overview of the samples stock
· Carry out a physical inventory of the samples stock
· Confirm the arrival of deliveries.
For more information about the features of inventory management and consignment stock in SAP R/3, see the SAP Library under SAP R/3 Application Components ® Logistics ® Materials Management (MM) ® Inventory Management (MM-IM) ® Managing Special Stocks (MM-IM).
Activities
The Field Sales Employee’s Activities in the SAP Enterprise Portal (Role Field Sales Employee)
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1. You use the activity journals for issuing samples in SAP CRM to hand out samples to doctors or to order samples.
2. SAP CRM transfers changes in stock and purchase orders to SAP R/3.
3. Log on to the SAP R/3 system in which you manage your samples.
4. From the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Logistics ® Sales and Distribution ® Sales ® Order ® Display to check whether the order for the sample in SAP CRM was replicated correctly in SAP R/3.
5. From the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Logistics ® Sales and Distribution ® Shipping and Transportation ® Proof of Delivery ® Display Single Document to confirm the receipt of samples you ordered.
6. From the SAP Easy Access menu, choose Logistics ® Materials Management ® Inventory Management ® Environment ® Consignment ® Consignment at Customer to display the samples stock.
7. From the SAP Easy Access menu, choose Logistics ®Materials Management ®Inventory Management ® Create to create physical inventory documents following a physical inventory of your samples stock.
The Office-Based Employee’s Activities in SAP R/3
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1. From the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Logistics ® Sales and Distribution ® Shipping and Transportation ® Proof of Delivery ® Worklist Subsequent Processing for PoD to update the stock. This may, for example, be necessary if the delivery contains fewer samples than you actually ordered.
2. From the SAP Easy Access menu, choose Logistics ® Materials Management ® Physical Inventory ® Difference ® Post to eliminate discrepancies between the stock in the system and the field sales employee’s actual samples stock.