Entitlements Check 

Purpose

You can use this process to determine entitlements for returns request items. The system differentiates between entitlements to deposit refunds and entitlements to returns.

Entitlements are created in the sales process, and they are locked and used in returns processing. At this point, we will focus on the interface between returns processing and Entitlement Management.

The interface to entitlement management enables the integration of entitlements into returns processing and offers the following functions:

·         Creation of a lock request and determination of entitlements for the deposit refund program

·         Creation of a lock request and determination of entitlements for returns

·         Distribution of locks among multiple reference objects

·         Determination of deposit value

·         Transfer of locks

With the help of Business Add-Ins (BAdIs), the system can populate the interface of the functions above, and run a customer-specific analysis of the results of these functions.

 

Prerequisites

●     You have set the System Configuration Active for Service Parts Management indicator.  You can find this indicator in Customizing for SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM) by choosing Transactions ® Basic Settings ® Activate System Configuration for Service Parts Management.

For more information about this indicator, see Additional Functions for Service Parts Management.

●     To use the functions described in the "Purpose" section above in returns processing, you have made the following settings for integration of entitlements in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management by choosing Transactions ® Settings for Complaints ® Integration:

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In the activities under ® Entitlements, you have defined an entitlements profile for the entitlements check at item level, and assigned this profile to an item category. As an optional step, you can define an entitlements profile for the entitlements check at document header level. You assign this profile to a transaction type in Customizing for SAP CRM by choosing Transactions ® Basic Settings ® Define Transaction Types.

For more information, see the documentation for the respective Implementation Guide (IMG) activity.

 

Process Flow

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Returns with Entitlements for Deposit Refund Program

A customer (dealer) buys products from you, the manufacturer. The customer also pays a deposit for the products. The customer therefore earns the entitlement to receive the deposit back when the products are returned after use. The system records and locks this deposit refund entitlement. (For more information, see Deposit Refund Program.)

When the product is returned, the system sends a lock request object to entitlement management. The lock request object is used to determine the existing entitlements for the deposit refund program. This lock request object can also be distributed.

Entitlement locks can be distributed as a result of partial deliveries, for instance. Example: A customer (dealer) returns service parts, for which he or she paid a deposit, in multiple, partial deliveries.

Following the Quality Inspection, entitlement management determines the deposit value for the delivery, and the customer (dealer) receives a credit for that amount.

When the deposit is refunded on the bill, the corresponding entitlement disappears, and the locks for other existing entitlements are updated.

 

Returns with Entitlements for Returns

In this case, the you and the customer (dealer) have agreed to special entitlements arrangements for certain products. These arrangements may include discounts that you guarantee the customer (dealer), or certain bonus programs, such as the rolling purchase history.

For returns, entitlement management determines the entitlements for returns authorization. In other words, the system checks whether the customer (dealer) is authorized to return products and if so, how many of these entitlements the customer has. The number of these entitlements determines the authorized quantity of returns.

Within the context of Returns, if the customer (dealer) has entered a requested return quantity in the returns request item, the entitlements quantity is transferred into the returns authorization item and becomes the authorized quantity. (For more information, see Quantity Flow and Adjustment.)

As a service parts vendor, you make an agreement with a car dealer that the car dealer is entitled to a refund of 20% of the value of the goods if the car dealer returns the unused parts.

Entitlement locks for returns authorization cannot be distributed because they are only used to determine the authorized quantity.