Status Management in Business Transactions

You can use the general SAP status management when processing business transactions.

You can document the current processing status of an object (for example, a sales order), using status management. The current object state can consist of a combination of individual statuses. Any number of statuses can be set for an object.

Example Example

The system statuses Open and Do not distribute and the user statuses Quotation created and Do not print can be active simultaneously in a quotation.

End of the example.

Each status fulfills two functions:

It informs you that a specific status has been set (for example, the quotation was released).
It specifies which step you can or cannot take next (for example, release is allowed).

If a business transaction is executed, this can set or delete one or several statuses for the relevant object. The switch between status and transaction can be portrayed as follows:

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text.

Statuses are portrayed in the system in two different ways:

As a 30 character text
As a 4 character abbreviation (only in status profile)

Both methods of portrayal are language-dependent.

There are two types of status:

System status: Status set by the system, which informs the user that the system has executed a specific business transaction on an object. You can only influence this status if you execute a business transaction that changes the system status.

Example Example

If you release a quotation, the system automatically sets the system status to Released.

End of the example.

Note Note

However, there are also some system statuses in CRM that the user can set or reset as he or she wishes, for example, Do not distribute. These statuses are defined in the CRMC_STATUS_PROC table.

End of the note.

User status: Status that you set that you can create as additional information to the existing system status. You define a user status in a status profile that is created in Customizing for business transactions. You can define and activate as many user statuses as you wish. A status profile can then be assigned to the following in Customizing for business transactions:
- Transaction types (for header status)
- Item categories (for item status)

A status profile can be assigned to several transaction types and item categories.

System status and user status influence the business transactions in the same way.

Note Note

The header status is independent of the item status. One exception is the status Completed. If all items have the status Completed, the header status is also set to Completed.

End of the note.

Integration

A business transaction is not a static object, but it has its own life cycle, which starts when it is opened and ends when it is completed. During this time, other business transactions change this business transaction. It is, for example, forwarded for release or set to completed.

There are five system statuses that represent the life cycle of the business transaction:

Open: Has been recently created and not yet processed (for example, contract from the Internet)
In process: Administrator is clearing up questions
Released: Contract is complete and legal. Follow-up processes can be started (printing, billing, distribution, releases and so on)
Completed: All actions directly linked to contract are completed
Closed: Actions indirectly linked to the contract are also completed (for example, from SAP ERP: batch run to actual costs)

Prerequisites

If you want to display and maintain the user statuses, you need to have maintained a status profile and assigned it to the relevant transaction types and item categories. To do this, go to Customizing and choose Start of the navigation path Customer Relationship Management Next navigation step Transactions Basic Settings Status Management End of the navigation path . You have made the assignments in the activities Define Transaction Types and Define Item Categories.

Features

The following functions are available to you at header level:

Display of system and user status
The system displays the user status that is assigned an ordinary status number, as well as the user status without a status number, on the Status assignment block. Only one user status with a number can be active at a time, while many user statuses without numbers can be active at a time.

The system also displays the user status with a status number on the status dropdown list at header level. When you have not maintained a status profile, predefined system statuses appear in the status dropdown list.

System statuses are shown in selected areas.

Example
The delivery status is shown on the Shipping assignment block, while the transfer block status is a hidden field at header level that you can edit. The distribution lock status to SAP ERP is available as a hidden field on the sales order header.

End of the example.

SAP ERP transfer and SAP ERP status: display of the distribution status to SAP ERP, as well as other statuses for the business transaction in SAP ERP.

The following functions are available to you at item level:

System status / user status: the Status assignment block and status profile are also available at item level.
Block / reason for rejection: you can reject an item or set a billing block. You must select a reason in both cases. You can also set a delivery block and credit block. The delivery block status for an item is set by the system when you maintain a delivery block reason.

The following functions are also available to you:

You can lock or cancel all items at header level. You can set a billing block or cancellation for all items. This is a kind of “fast setting” of the flag at item level.

More Information

Specifics for Partner Channel Management: Sales