You can use this function in SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM) to support complex line item numbering in procurement documents, for example, for line item hierarchies, service requirements, or accounting lines. You can define your own numbering schemes that deviate from the standard SAP schemes. You can, for example, use different prefix numbers to distinguish service items from material items in a hierarchy, or use distinct alphanumeric numbers for optional line items and accounting lines, as described below:

Lots and Works in a Building Maintenance

Contracts

A Concrete Work

A.01 Delivery

A.02 Pouring

A.03 Drilling and other Treatments

B Windows

B.01 Measurement

B.02 Manufacturing

B.03 Delivery

B.04 Fitting

C Paintwork and Plastering

C.01 Scaffolding and Preparation

C.02 Painting

C.03 Plastering

The system can assign numbers automatically. However, if you choose to manually assign numbers to your procurement document, the system checks whether the numbers are valid according to the configuration. For example, you can determine number ranges for internal and for manual (external) numbering within one numbering rule, for example, 001 – 899 for internal numbering and 900 – 999 for external numbering. When the user manually enters 777, the system does not recognize this number as valid and prompts him/her to only use numbers between 900 to 999. The system also checks that external numbers are not inadvertently duplicated per document.

To customize line item and subline item numbering, you define the desired components of the number, for example, a hierarchical structure, and the related numbering rules. For automatic numbering, you assign numbering schemes to business processes. You can activate configurable line item numbering in Customizing by assigning version numbers to numbering schemes. For each transaction type of a business object, you can assign a specific numbering rule per line item hierarchy level, or per line item process type. Additionally, you can have the system automatically number accounting lines per procurement line item according to a distinct rule.