Complaints Processing in CRM (SAP Library

Complaints Processing in CRM

Purpose

You use this process within your sales and service organizations to process customer complaints. A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction that a customer makes in relation to a service or product.

Process Flow

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

The process begins when you receive a complaint relating to a service or product.

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1. Create complaint (SAP CRM)

You create a complaint:

¡ Without reference to a document, or

¡ With reference to an existing document, such as:

§ Sales order

§ Service order

§ CRM billing document

§ Product service letter

¡ With reference to more than one CRM invoice (but only within mass-object controlling)

2. Maintain reference object or serial number information (SAP CRM)

You create a reference object for the product or service about which the complaint was made at item level. Reference objects can be products, installed bases with their components, individual objects, or serial numbers.
You enter either an installed base component, an individual object, or a product with the corresponding serial number. Depending on the settings for serial number validation in the product master, the system validates the serial number that you entered and determines the corresponding individual object.

3. Analyze complaint reason and categorize problem using predefined codes (SAP CRM)

You analyze the reason for complaint for each item. You use predefined codes to categorize the problem and can thereby specify, for example, causes of damage.

4. System determines valid warranty and contract (SAP CRM)

The system performs an automatic warranty check.

If a warranty is determined, this is apparent from the assigned warranty product and the accounting indicator. The accounting indicator influences pricing.

The relevant services and service parts and their related discounts are defined in the warranty. The internal recipients to whom the incurred costs should be charged are also defined in the warranty.

The system determines the existing service contract for the business partner for each complaint item.

5. System determines response times from contract (SAP CRM)

Assured response times are determined based on the Service Level Agreements (SLA) defined in the contract. The times determined by the system enable the monitoring and prompt escalation of overdue complaints.

6. System or investigator approves item and displays approved quantity (SAP CRM)

The item is approved either by the automatic execution of business rules or via an agent in an Structure link investigation.

During the course of complaints processing, you trigger one or more of the following actions for each complaint item:

7. Trigger follow-up action: creation of returns request (SAP CRM)

You create a subitem of category Return for the main complaint item.

8. System replicates returns item (SAP ECC)

After saving the complaint in SAP CRM, the returns item is replicated to SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC) for the purpose of logistics processing. Depending on the indicator in Activate System Configuration for Service Parts Management, the replication occurs as follows:

¡ If this indicator is not set, the returns item is replicated in a sales order; in other words, a sales order with a corresponding returns item is automatically created. The returns item gets the same number and same item category as the complaint document and the complaint item in SAP CRM.

You create a returns delivery for the returns item. When the product has been returned, create a goods receipt for the returned item. The goods receipt triggers the accounts receivable accounting and the posting to the controlling object in SAP ECC.

¡ If this indicator is set, the returns item is replicated in a delivery; in other words, a delivery with a corresponding returns item is automatically created. Each delivery item gets an additional returns material authorization (RMA) number, which is created by putting together the numbers of the returns document and the returns item in SAP CRM.

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

9. System displays returns material authorization (RMA) number (SAP CRM)

The returns material authorization (RMA) number is made up of the unique complaint number and the item number of the returns item. The customer uses the RMA number to send the defective product in for repair.

10. Trigger follow-up action: creation of credit memo request (SAP CRM)

You generate a credit memo request to create a credit memo for a customer within the context of a complaint.

You can also create a debit memo request to calculate additional customer charges within the context of a substitute delivery (for example, for a replacement product with a higher value than the original product).

The credit memo request/debit memo request appears in the billing due list in CRM Billing. Generate the billing documents based on this billing due list.

11. Trigger follow-up action: creation of quality notification in SAP ECC (SAP CRM)

You use an action to trigger creation of a quality notification for a complaint or complaint item in the assigned SAP ECC system, with an aim of introducing corrective actions in order to improve product quality.

12. System creates quality notification (SAP ECC)

A quality notification is created via replication in SAP ECC. The SAP CRM complaint is visible in the document flow of the quality notification.

13. Trigger follow-up action: creation of substitute delivery (SAP CRM and SAP ECC)

You create a subitem of category Substitute Delivery for the main complaint item. After saving the complaint in SAP CRM, the substitute delivery item is replicated in a sales order item in SAP ECC for the purpose of logistics processing. The sales order item gets the same number and same item category as the complaint document and the complaint item in SAP CRM. In SAP ECC, first create an outbound delivery for this item and then a goods issue.

14. Create and assign appropriate controlling object (SAP ECC)

The goods issue triggers the accounts receivable accounting and the posting to the controlling object.