Merging and Splitting Items

If the customer back-end system or the supplier back-end system does not support multiple items for the same location product within an order document (for example, to perform follow-up processes that require single items such as an ATP check for a sales order), you use this function to merge and split the items. This function merges and splits the items of replenishment orders and advanced shipping notifications (ASNs) in a Responsive Replenishment scenario, where the replenishment order or ASN contains both promotion items and baseline items for the same location product.

To merge items, SAP Supply Network Collaboration (SAP SNC) combines the promotion items and baseline items to form a single item before sending the order document to the back-end system. When an order containing a previously merged item is received from a back-end system, SAP SNC splits the item and distributes the quantities across the promotion items and baseline items.

To use this function, you must activate the business function Supply Network Collaboration 1 (SCM_SNC_GEN_1).

Prerequisites

You have specified a splitting rule, for the customer for which SAP SNC is to use merging and splitting. The splitting rule defines how SAP SNC distributes a quantity received from the back-end system across the baseline items and the promotion items when splitting. By specifying a splitting rule, you are also activating the merge function. You make this setting in Customizing for Supply Network Collaboration, under Start of the navigation path Replenishment Next navigation step Replenishment Order Define Qty Split for Promotion and Baseline Items End of the navigation path

Features

The following figure shows when SAP SNC merges and splits items, and is followed by an explanation:

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text.

Merging Replenishment Order Items

SAP SNC merges items of a replenishment order automatically before sending the replenishment order to the customer back-end system or to the supplier back-end system. SAP SNC combines the items for the same location product with the same delivery date into a single item.

Note Note

If you use the /SCA/ICH_ORDER_SEND report to send orders to the back-end system, the items are not merged.

End of the note.

Splitting Sales Order Items and Purchase Order Items

Splitting is relevant for a sales order item or a purchase order item that correspond to a merged replenishment order item. SAP SNC performs the splitting when receiving an updated sales order from the supplier back-end system or an updated purchase order from the customer back-end system, as follows:

Splitting a sales order item
SAP SNC distributes the confirmed quantity of the sales order item across the corresponding baseline item and promotion item of the replenishment order according to the splitting rule specified in Customizing.
Splitting a purchase order item
When a purchase order is received from the customer back-end system, SAP SNC assigns the purchase order item number to the corresponding replenishment order items.

Splitting ASN Items

Splitting ASN items is relevant in the following cases:

When the supplier creates an ASN in his or her back-end system and sends the ASN to SAP SNC
The supplier can create an ASN (outbound delivery) for a sales order and send the ASN to SAP SNC. If an ASN item refers to a merged sales order item (sales order item that is based on a merged replenishment order item) SAP SNC splits the ASN item into a baseline item and in a promotion item based on the items of the corresponding replenishment order. In the standard delivery, you cannot change an ASN that contains split items manually on the SAP SNC Web UI. This is controlled by the ASN_SPLIT_ITEM_DISPLAY_ONLY validation check that is active in the standard delivery. This is to keep data consistent.
When the customer sends a proof of delivery to SAP SNC
In the customer back-end system, the customer can post a goods receipt with reference to a merged ASN item and send the goods receipt quantity with a goods receipt message (ReceivedDeliveryNotification) to SAP SNC. SAP SNC distributes the GR quantity accross the baseline items and promotion items of the ASN with the same location product.

Merging ASN Items

If an ASN was created with split promotion/baseline items, SAP SNC merges ASN items before sending the ASN to a customer back-end system (for example, to create an inbound delivery).