Hierarchies

You can use this function in SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM) to support sourcing of purchase requisitions for service items from SAP ERP, including service item hierarchies. This allows you to support service structures with a maximum depth of five outline levels. In addition, hierarchies are supported in supplier self-services (SUS), allowing supplier collaboration for back-end purchase orders containing service item hierarchies.

RFxs, RFx responses, shopping carts, and contracts are supported in SAP SRM, whereas sales orders and confirmations are supported in SUS. For shopping carts, however, hierarchies are only supported when they have been created based on external requirements with hierarchies. In other words, you cannot create shopping carts in SAP SRM and then build hierarchies.

You can use outline items to structure service requirements, and break them down into their smallest components using configurable item numbering. Outline items are purely informational, and allow you to group subline items. They must contain at least one subline item, and do not trigger follow-on processes. Subline items can be either outline items or line items. Contrary to outline items, line items contain accounting information and trigger follow-on processes. You can roll down prices, and other information, such as business partners, delivery date, and account assignment, to lower levels. Similarly, you can roll up prices from lower levels and sum them up.

Note Note

You can transfer informatory lines in a service structure of an SAP ERP purchase to SAP SRM, add them in the Sourcing application, and transfer them from an awarded RFx response to an SAP ERP purchase order.

End of the note.

To use this function, you must activate the business function SRM, Service Procurement Innovations (SRM_SERVICE_PROC_1).

Note Note

You can create RFxs with hierarchical structures directly in SAP SRM without a preceding purchase requisition in SAP ERP. The service hierarchy correctly fills the contract or back-end purchase order.

End of the note.

To use this function, you must activate the business function SRM, Service Procurement Innovations (SRM_SERVICE_PROC_1).

Prerequisites

You have performed the activity in Customizing for SAP Supplier Relationship Management under: SRM Server Cross-Application Basic Settings Service Procurement Activate Service Procurement Innovations .
You have performed the activity in Customizing for SAP Supplier Relationship Management under: SRM Server Cross-Application Basic Settings Service Procurement Activate Service Procurement .
You have defined settings as described in SAP Solution Manager under <project name> Configuration SAP SRM <release> Basic Settings for Service Procurement Classic Activate Service Procurement Classic . This configuration step applies to both SAP SRM and Materials Management.

Example

You can structure a computer delivery as follows, using configurable line item numbers:

1 Outline IT Equipment

1.1 Outline Laptop

1.1.1 Material Hardware

1.1.1.1 Info line RAM

1.1.1.2 Info line DVD drive

1.1.2 Outline Software

1.1.2.1 Material Microsoft Office

1.1.2.2 Material CAD

Values are entered at item level and rolled up to the superordinate outline level, whereas the delivery date is entered at outline level and rolled down to the item levels.