Follow-Up Activities for the Logistical
Process 
Use
Follow-up activities define what happens to a service part after the customer (dealer) has returned it:
● Scrap
● Return to customer (dealer)
● Stock transfer
● Forward to remanufacturer
● Putaway
Prerequisites
● You have made the necessary settings according to Customizing for Follow-Up Activities.
● In SAP CRM, there is a returns authorization item for a document of the type return, used part return, or complaint with reference to billing document.
The returns authorization item was replicated to SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC) in a delivery. The delivery is replicated to SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM), into a warehouse request in extended warehouse management either directly or following confirmation by the customer (dealer). After the goods receipt for this warehouse request, an inspection outcome is created in SAP SCM in extended warehouse management. The inspection outcome is replicated to SAP CRM as an inspection confirmation.
For more information about confirmation by the customer, see Returns Authorization with Active System Confirmation for SPM in the "Returns Authorization" section, point 5.
You have made the following settings in the SAP CRM master data:
● In the SAP CRM product master data, on the Service tab page, you have set the indicator Log. Proc. Returns (indicator for controlling the logistics processes for returns) according to your needs.
Possible values include:
○ <blank> Undefined
○ A Returns with immediate storage
○ B Returns with immediate scrapping
○ C Returns with check
○ E Scrap at customer
○ F Returns with external decision (Note: This means that follow-up activities are defined in goods receipt and are processed using SAP SCM).
● For customers with sales-area dependent SAP CRM customer master data, in the sold-to party role, on the Complaints tab page, in sections Follow-Up Action for Rejected New Parts and Follow-Up Action for Rejected Used Parts, you have defined a procedure to follow when returned parts are rejected. For this purpose, you have entered the appropriate values in the For Values Under Threshold and For Values over Threshold fields. The next steps depend on how far over or under the threshold the value is. Possible values include:
○ Scrapping in storage
○ Return directly
○ Contact customer
■ The defined threshold is maintained via the condition function 20SC (scrapping limit).
For more information, see Customizing for Customer Relationship Management and choose Basic Functions ® Pricing ® Define Settings for Pricing ® Create Condition Types.
■ The threshold is determined in the condition record for the sold-to party with the condition type 20SC.
● In the sales-area-dependent CRM customer master data, in the remanufacturer role, in the case of used part returns, you have defined whether the inbound delivery should be delivered to an external or internal remanufacturer. On the Complaint tab page, the Remanufacturer field is available for this purpose.
Features
The system uses the Log. Proc. Returns (indicator for controlling the logistics processes for returns) indicator to determine and trigger the follow-up activities either in SAP SCM extended warehouse management, or based on the inspection results in SAP CRM. In other words, follow-up documents are created in SAP CRM, SAP ECC, or SAP SCM extended warehouse management.
The following graphic illustrates the communication between the systems:
Determination of Follow-Up Activities
In SAP CRM, depending on the Log. Proc. Returns indicator, you can define the follow-up activities that are executed in SAP SCM extended warehouse management immediately following goods receipt. Determination of the indicator occurs as follows:
The Log. Proc. Returns indicator that is defined in the product master is determined for the returns request item and copied into the returns authorization item. You can change the indicator manually in the item overview until the delivery is created in SAP ECC.
...
The values of this indicator have the following effects:
● If the flag value is A, the follow-up activity is putaway. In this case, putaway occurs in SAP SCM extended warehouse management immediately after goods receipt.
● If the flag value is B, the follow-up activity is scrap. In this case, scrapping occurs in SAP SCM extended warehouse management immediately after goods receipt.
● If the flag value is <blank> or F, SAP SCM extended warehouse management makes the decision about the follow-up activity.
● If the customer (dealer) wants to return an unknown part, you enter (or the customer enters in the dealer portal) a dummy product as a product in the returns request item. The Phantom Part indicator must be set in the product master for this part. In this case, the process runs in the same way as with indicator C: In SAP SCM extended warehouse management, the inspector enters the actual product and the decision about the follow-up activity.
● If the value of this indicator is C, SAP CRM requires that SAP SCM extended warehouse management creates an inspection outcome. The inspector enters the usage decision in the inspection outcome. The field for entering the follow-up activity in the inspection outcome is not available for entry. Then, the inspection outcome is replicated via SAP ECC into SAP CRM as an inspection confirmation. SAP CRM determines the follow-up activity code for the inspection confirmation item based on the usage decision. The system uses the Post Processing Framework (PPF) to determine the follow-up activity code. The PPF starts an action with action method INSP_FA_DETERM.
○ Usage Decision: Not Approved
In the sales area-dependent customer data, the fields For Values Under Threshold and For Values over Threshold store information about how the customer (dealer) wants to proceed, depending on the threshold that was defined.
Depending on the values chosen for the Calculat. Type indicator (in the Control Data 1 section) for condition type 20SC in Customizing for condition types, the system compares the values of the rejected parts with the threshold value as follows:
■ B - Fixed Amount: The total value of all rejected parts in an inspection confirmation is compared with the threshold value of the returns authorization item.
■ C - Quantity: The value for each item in an inspection confirmation is compared with the threshold value of the inspection confirmation item.
The Post Processing Framework uses these parameters to determine one of the following follow-up activity codes:
■ B - Scrap
■ C - Return to customer
■ If the system cannot determine a follow-up activity from the parameters, the confirmation cannot be completed and processing must be done manually. In this case, contact your customer (dealer) to agree on how to proceed and then set the follow-up activity code manually.
○ Usage Decision: Approved
The Post Processing Framework determines one of the following follow-up activity codes:
■ A - Put away, if the parts have arrived at the target location
■ D - Stock transfer if the parts have not arrived at the target location yet
■ E - Forward to the remanufacturer if the parts have arrived at the target location, and if there is a remanufacturer entered as a partner
■ You cannot set Completed status for confirmation items for which the system could not determine a follow-up activity code or for which you did not enter a follow-up activity code. The system status can be set to Completed and further processing is possible only if the follow-up activity code is entered manually.
Performing Follow-Up Activities
Depending on the follow-up activity code, SAP CRM triggers the follow-up activities, provided that the following prerequisites have been met:
● The follow-up activity code was determined.
● Customizing for Define Follow-Up Action Code for Follow-Up Action is set as follows:
○ The Ext. Decisn indicator is not set (exception: follow-up activity Return to Customer, in which case this indicator is irrelevant).
○ The Active indicator is set.
● The status of the inspection confirmation item is Completed.
The following follow-up activities are available:
Scrap
If SAP CRM has determined follow-up activity code B, this follow-up activity is triggered.
The inspection confirmation item is transferred to SAP ECC via an adapter (CRM_BUS20001_R3A – CRM_INSPECT_R3A). Depending on the type of warehouse management, scrapping is performed as follows:
● Warehouse management in SAP SCM extended warehouse management
In SAP ECC, an outbound delivery is created that is replicated to SAP SCM extended warehouse management.
● Warehouse management in SAP ECC
In SAP ECC, a material document containing a goods transfer posting is created.
The link between the inspection confirmation item and the SAP ECC document is saved in the document flow.
Return to Customer
If SAP CRM or SAP SCM extended warehouse management determined follow-up activity code C (indicator Ext. Decisn is not relevant), this follow-up activity is triggered.
The inspection confirmation items are copied into a CRM sales document (transaction type RTTC). In the sales document, all inspection confirmation items with reference to the returns document are collected and sent back to the customer. As soon as you release the CRM sales document, an outbound delivery is created in SAP ECC. To release the sales document, use the action method RELEASE_FOLLOW_UP from the Post Processing Framework (PPF), which you schedule for the transaction type for complaints or returns. A warehouse request for the outbound delivery of the returns is created in SAP SCM, extended warehouse management. The connection between the inspection confirmation item, returns authorization item, and SAP CRM sales document item is saved in the document flow.
Stock Transfer
If SAP CRM has determined follow-up activity code D, this follow-up activity is triggered.
During goods receipt of a return at a location before the target location, SAP CRM determines whether the inbound delivery should be transferred to the next location. This occurs based on the inspection confirmation that was created in the current location. It is a prerequisite that the current location is reflected in the system as a business partner with the function type Location. You can find Customizing for function types in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management by choosing Basic Functions ® Partner Processing ® Define Partner Functions. Location determination occurs in SAP SCM, in SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization (SAP APO), in which the current location is compared with the target location.
The inspection confirmation item is transferred to SAP ECC via an adapter (CRM_BUS20001_R3A – CRM_INSPECT_R3A). In SAP ECC, a stock transport order with outbound delivery is created. To do this, in SAP SCM extended warehouse management, a warehouse request is created for outbound delivery to the current location and for inbound delivery to the target location. The link between the inspection confirmation item and the stock transport order in SAP ECC is saved in the document flow.
Forward to Remanufacturer
If SAP CRM has determined follow-up activity code E, this follow-up activity is triggered.
At goods receipt for a return in the target location, SAP CRM uses the inspection document to determine whether the inbound delivery should be sent to the remanufacturer. If the remanufacturer was entered in the inspection document, the service part must be sent to the remanufacturer. The remanufacturer is reflected in the system as a business partner with the function type Remanufacturer. There is a distinction between an external and an internal remanufacturer. This distinction is made at the business partner.
The follow-up activity is triggered as follows:
● Send to internal remanufacturer
A plant that is the target location for forwarding is assigned to the remanufacturer.
The inspection confirmation item is transferred to SAP ECC via an adapter (CRM_BUS20001_R3A – CRM_INSPECT_R3A). In SAP ECC, a stock transport order with outbound delivery is created. To do this, in SAP SCM extended warehouse management, a warehouse request is created for outbound delivery to the current location and for inbound delivery to the target location. The link between the inspection confirmation item and the stock transport order in SAP ECC is saved in the document flow.
● Send to external remanufacturer
The inspection confirmation item is copied to the SAP CRM sales document (transaction type RTTR). As soon as you release the CRM sales document, an outbound delivery is created in SAP ECC and a warehouse request for outbound delivery to the external remanufacturer is created in SAP SCM extended warehouse management. The link between the inspection confirmation item and the SAP CRM sales document is saved in the document flow.
Putaway
If SAP CRM has determined follow-up activity code A, this follow-up activity is triggered.
Consolidation of Follow-Up Activities
You can consolidate the execution of follow-up activities based on the complaint document or the return document. This means that the follow-up activity for an item is not executed directly; instead, the corresponding inspection confirmation item is collected in a follow-up inspection confirmation document. The goal is to execute the follow-up activities together, at a specified time, in the follow-up inspection confirmation document. To do so, the document must have status Completed. You can set the status either manually or via an action for the header of the return document.
If you want to use an action to set the status, use the COMPLETE_FOLLOW_UP action method, which you can schedule for the action profile of the return transaction type. As a prerequisite, you must enter the processing parameter PROCESS_TYPE with the corresponding transaction type as the initial value for this action definition.