Automatic Change Management for Forwarding Settlements

Forwarding and Internal Settlement Change Management Process

You specify the change management strategy for your forwarding orders in the relevant settlement profile under Customizing. You can specify a strategy of Standard Settlement Process, Reverse and Repost, or Delta Only. The system determines the process steps according to the strategy you choose.

The following table describes the steps you, as a logistics service provider (LSP), can take to implement a change in the forwarding order process:

Process Stage	Action
Before you create a forwarding settlement document or an internal settlement document	Make the change directly in the forwarding order.
After you create a forwarding settlement document or an internal settlement document in SAP TM, but before you post the SD billing document in SAP ERP.	Cancel the forwarding settlement document or internal settlement document. Change the forwarding order, and create a new settlement document. This enables you to keep a one-to-one relationship between the settlement document in SAP TM and your subsequent billing document in SAP ERP. Alternatively, if the forwarding order has an invoicing status of Partially Invoiced, you can leave the existing settlement document in place and create a new settlement document for the delta amount.
After you post a settlement document to SAP ERP, and after SAP ERP creates the SD billing document.	Cancel an existing settlement document by creating a credit memo in SAP TM. SAP TM sends a credit memo to SAP ERP to cancel the existing SD billing document. When you create a new settlement document in SAP TM, the new settlement document contains the updated amounts including the changes. You transfer the settlement document to SAP ERP. SAP ERP creates an SD billing document for the new amount. This enables you to keep a one-to-one relationship between the forwarding order in SAP TM and your billing document in SAP ERP. Alternatively, if the forwarding order has an invoicing status of Partially Invoiced, you can create a new settlement document for the delta amount, and send this to SAP ERP. SAP ERP creates a new SD billing document for the delta amount.

Process Stage

Action

Before you create a forwarding settlement document or an internal settlement document

Make the change directly in the forwarding order.

After you create a forwarding settlement document or an internal settlement document in SAP TM, but before you post the SD billing document in SAP ERP.

Cancel the forwarding settlement document or internal settlement document. Change the forwarding order, and create a new settlement document.

This enables you to keep a one-to-one relationship between the settlement document in SAP TM and your subsequent billing document in SAP ERP.

Alternatively, if the forwarding order has an invoicing status of Partially Invoiced, you can leave the existing settlement document in place and create a new settlement document for the delta amount.

After you post a settlement document to SAP ERP, and after SAP ERP creates the SD billing document.

Cancel an existing settlement document by creating a credit memo in SAP TM. SAP TM sends a credit memo to SAP ERP to cancel the existing SD billing document.

When you create a new settlement document in SAP TM, the new settlement document contains the updated amounts including the changes. You transfer the settlement document to SAP ERP. SAP ERP creates an SD billing document for the new amount.

This enables you to keep a one-to-one relationship between the forwarding order in SAP TM and your billing document in SAP ERP.

Alternatively, if the forwarding order has an invoicing status of Partially Invoiced, you can create a new settlement document for the delta amount, and send this to SAP ERP. SAP ERP creates a new SD billing document for the delta amount.

Change Process Strategy

You can specify the change strategy in Customizing for Transportation Management under Start of the navigation path Define Settlement Profile Next navigation step Settlement Profile Settings Change Process FWSD End of the navigation path .

You can specify the approach the system takes when you make a change in a forwarding order for which a settlement document already exists:

Reverse and repost a settlement document
When you change a forwarding order, in the background SAP Transportation Management (SAP TM) creates a credit memo that automatically cancels the settlement document in SAP TM and the associated billing document in SAP ERP. The system creates a new forwarding settlement document or internal settlement document, and a new billing document for the entire forwarding order.

You must choose this option if you want to ensure that the replacement forwarding settlement document or internal settlement document and replacement billing document are the only documents for the forwarding order that contain the full total amount charge.

For example, in a forwarding settlement scenario, you have the following business documents and charges:

Business Document

Amount (USD)

Forwarding order at first

1000

Forwarding settlement document

1000

Sales and Distribution (SD) billing document

1000
You then change the charge amount in the forwarding order from USD 1000 to USD 1200. In the reverse and repost strategy, the system creates the following business documents:
- In SAP TM, a credit memo for USD 1000
- In SAP ERP, an SD credit memo for USD 1000
On the overall accounting side, this means the customer does not have to pay any charge, as the credit memo amount (USD 1000) cancels the forwarding settlement amount (USD 1000).
The system then creates the following documents:
- In SAP TM, a forwarding settlement document for USD 1200
- In SAP ERP, an SD billing document for USD 1200
On the overall accounting level, following the original forwarding settlement document, the credit memo, and the second forwarding settlement document, the customer eventually must pay USD 1200.

If you change a forwarding order that is included in a collective forwarding settlement document or internal settlement document, the credit memo that the system creates only cancels the items belonging to the forwarding order from the collective settlement document

For example, you have a collective forwarding settlement document with a life cycle status of Invoiced in ERP that includes the following forwarding orders:

Settlement Line Item

Forwarding Order

Amount (USD)

10

1

1000

20

2

2000

30

3

3000
You make a change to forwarding order 1 from USD 1000 to USD 1200.
The system creates the following documents:
- In SAP TM, a credit memo for USD 1000 for forwarding order 1 only. This is item 10 of the existing settlement document.
- In SAP ERP, an SD credit memo for USD 1000
On the overall accounting level, the customer does not have to pay any charge for this forwarding order at this point in time. The credit memo amount of USD 1000 cancels the forwarding settlement amount of USD 1000.
The system then creates the following documents:
- In SAP TM, a forwarding settlement document for USD 1200 for forwarding order 1
- In SAP ERP, an SD billing document for USD 1200
On the overall accounting level, from the original forwarding settlement document, to the credit memo, and on to the second forwarding settlement document, the customer eventually pays USD 1200 for forwarding order 1.
Delta amount only
When you change a forwarding order, the system does not cancel the existing settlement document and the associated billing document. Instead it creates a new settlement document and a new billing document for the amount that is not already covered by the existing forwarding settlement document or internal settlement document and billing document.

For example, in a forwarding settlement scenario, you have the following documents and charges:

Business Document

Amount (USD)

Forwarding order

1000

Forwarding settlement document

1000

SD billing document

1000
You then change the charge amount in the forwarding order from USD 1000 to USD 1200. In the delta only strategy, the system creates the following business documents:
- Forwarding settlement document for USD 200
- SD credit memo for USD 200
At the overall accounting level, the customer must pay the amounts in both forwarding settlement documents, a total of USD 1200.

Business Document	Amount (USD)
Forwarding order at first	1000
Forwarding settlement document	1000
Sales and Distribution (SD) billing document	1000

Settlement Line Item	Forwarding Order	Amount (USD)
10	1	1000
20	2	2000
30	3	3000

Business Document	Amount (USD)
Forwarding order	1000
Forwarding settlement document	1000
SD billing document	1000

The following table describes the action the system takes using the different strategies when you change a forwarding order and the forwarding order has an existing settlement document:

Settlement Document Type	Life-Cycle Status	Reverse and Repost Invoicing Status of Forwarding Order: Partially invoiced, Over Invoiced, or Not Up-to-Date	Delta Only Invoicing Status of Forwarding Order: Over Invoiced or Not Up-to-Date	Delta Only Invoicing Status of Forwarding Order: Partially invoiced	Follow-Up Action
Forwarding settlement document or internal settlement document	In Process/Ready for Transfer to SAP ERP	Cancel the existing settlement document or settlement document item	Cancel the existing settlement document or settlement document item	None	Create a new settlement document
Forwarding settlement document or internal settlement document	Invoiced in SAP ERP	Create a credit memo to reverse the settlement document or settlement document item	Create a credit memo to reverse the settlement document or settlement document item	None	Create a new settlement document
Credit memo	In Process/Ready for Transfer to ERP	Cancel the existing credit memo	Cancel the existing credit memo	None	Create a new credit memo for the existing settlement document, reversing the settlement document or the settlement document item. Create a new settlement document.
Credit memo	In Process/Ready for Transfer to ERP	Cancel the existing credit memo	Cancel the existing credit memo	None	Create a new credit memo for the existing settlement document, reversing the settlement document or the settlement document item. Create a new settlement document.
Credit memo	Invoiced in SAP ERP	Create a credit memo for the credit remaining amount in the forwarding order.	Create a credit memo for the credit remaining amount in the forwarding order.	None	Create a new settlement document

Note Note

If you specify a change strategy of Delta Only and the invoicing status of the forwarding order is Over Invoiced or Not Up-to-Date, the system processes the change as if you had a strategy of Reverse and Repost.

End of the note.

In a collective settlement document, the system applies the change process only for the items that have changed in a forwarding order. The system does not apply the change process for all other settlement items that you included in the collective settlement document that are not linked to the forwarding order that you have changed.

The new settlement documents can be collective settlement documents in the following situations:

You enable an Invoice Creation Method of Collective when you run the background processing function Creation and Transfer of Forwarding Settlement Documents (program /SCMTMS/CFIR_CREATE_BATCH).
You select the Collective Settlement checkbox in the relevant settlement profile.

Blocked Settlement Documents

In some business situations, the system will not apply the change process strategy after running the background processing function.

You can display the forwarding orders, credit memos, and internal settlement documents that the system blocked from the run under the queries Start of the navigation path Forwarding Settlement Next navigation step Worklist Overview Forwarding Settlement Documents Settlements Blocked in Automatic Change Process End of the navigation path .

You can view the reason why the system put a block in place under Start of the navigation path Statuses Next navigation step Blocking Information End of the navigation path on an individual settlement document.

Block reasons can include the following:

Settlement document has been manually changed
Credit memo has a setting where it does not influence the invoicing status of the forwarding order
Settlement document has an unplanned or other business partner
Settlement document has a settlement group

You can manually process these settlement documents from the Settlements Blocked in Automatic Change Process queries.

Note Note

In execution-based settlement scenarios, such as a buyer’s consolidation, a route-based settlement, or a trailer-unit based settlement, the forwarding order does not contain the charge calculation details. Therefore for these scenarios, you cannot use change tracking and change management in a forwarding settlement process.

End of the note.

Forwarding Settlement Document and Credit Memo Settings

You have enabled all the relevant settings for working with forwarding settlement documents and credit memos. For more information about credit memos, see Credit Memos for Forwarding Orders.

The system determines the settlement document type as follows:

From BAdI: Forwarding Settlement Document Type Determination
For more information, see Customizing for Transportation Management under Business Add-Ins (BAdIs) for Transportation Management Settlement Forwarding Settlement .
From the forwarding settlement document type
For more information, see Customizing for Transportation Management under Settlement Forwarding Settlement Define Forwarding Settlement Document Types .
From the default credit memo type
For more information, see Customizing for Transportation Management under Settlement Forwarding Settlement Define Credit Memo Reason Codes and Types for Forwarding SDs .

If the system uses the credit memo type for a change process, you must specify a credit memo type in which you have enabled the following settings:

Influence Invoicing Status
Automatically Enter Credit Amount

More Information

Subject	More Information
Change management process for settlement documents	Automatic Change Management Process for Settlements
Change management process for freight settlements	Automatic Change Management for Freight Settlements
Example of an Automated Change Management Process in a Forwarding Settlement Scenario	Example of Automated Change Management in an FWSD Scenario
Background processing function to automatically change a forwarding settlement document and an invoice posting	Creation and Transfer of Forwarding Settlement Documents