Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Configuration Steps ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Define seasons .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Enable season processing in the sales document type ............................................................................. 3
Enable copying season from one sales document to the other ............................................................... 7
Master data creation .................................................................................................................................... 8
Material master ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Season condition record creation ............................................................................................................. 9
System Demo .............................................................................................................................................. 11
Scenario 1: ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Scenario 2: ........................................................................................................................................... 14
Scenario 3: ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Scenario 4: ........................................................................................................................................... 16
Scenario 5: ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Scenario 6: ........................................................................................................................................... 19
Scenario 7: ........................................................................................................................................... 21
Scenario 8: ........................................................................................................................................... 22



Introduction
In the fashion industry (apparel and footwear); it is very common to have seasonal fashions. For
example different fashions can be seen in the market for spring, summer, fall and winter. Therefore
branding companies has to make sure right product available in the market for the right time. After the
corresponding season, remaining products will be marked down and sell under clearance sales.
Therefore it is necessary to order products on time.
In order to cater for this business requirement, SAP IS-AFS (Industry solution - Apparel and Footwear)
has developed a functionality called season processing.
Based on the "order creation time period" (Known as "Order window") and the "requested delivery time
period" (Known as "Delivery window"), SAP determines the applicable season for the product. This
feature is commonly known as order window and delivery window in IS-AFS.
In AFS, it is possible to define seasons under Sales organization, Country, Region, Customer Group and
customer level.
Configuration Steps
Define seasons
IMG Path:

Under this IMG node, you have the flexibility to define Season, Collection and Themes based on your
business requirements. It is not mandatory to specify all 3 levels.
Under node, specify the season ID and applicable description

Highlight that season and double click on the node, to specify relevant
"Collections" for that season. (It can be another breakdown of articles in that season)

Now you can highlight the season/ collection and double click on the node to enter
another level called "Theme" within that season and collection

Once above is configured, you can assign those to the relevant article. For example, winter jacket can
have W02 / 001 / 0001.
Enable season processing in the sales document type
IMG Path:

You can enable / configure season processing for relevant sales document type and sales area
combination.
Highlight the sales document type/ sales area combination and go in to details by clicking

Under "Season Check Level", you can define the system behavior for season processing during sales
order creation.

Let's look at the behavior of each field.
o Season Processing - Under this field you can specify whether season processing should
be carried out and which level it should be carried out. Below entries are possible

o Message Type - Under this field, you can specify how system should react in case if
there is no season found. Below entries are possible

If you select the message type as "E", then user will not be able to save the sales order, if there is no
season determined.
Eg:

o Check Date - Under this field, you can specify which date should be used to determine
the season in the sales document line item. Below values are available.

Note:
This field has a direct link to "Season Processing" field. If you select the "Season Processing" as "P - check
season at item level", then this field will be automatically set to "R - Requested delivery date". This
assignment cannot be changed.
Eg:

But if you select "Season Processing" at Schedule line level, this field is enabled for selection.
Eg:

System performance wise it is advisable to process season at the item level.
o Determination with material and (AFS Only) Dimension - Flag this field, if you want
season determination to be enabled at size level. If you flag this field, you need to
specify seasons in the material master (AFS Basic Data view) for each size.
o Determination with material and (AFS Only) Requirement Category - Flag this field, if
you want to the season determination to be carried out in the Requirement category
level.
o All levels - Flag this field, if you want to consider all levels for season processing. For
example, if you create season at the sales organization and country level, then that
season will be valid for all customers created under that sales organization and the
country key.

Note:
This field is relevant only if the "Global Season key" field is flagged

o Global Season key - Flag this field, if you want system to carry out season determination
for all levels.

Note:
If this field is not flagged, then system will only search for a valid season condition
record (In transaction "/AFS/RS02") for Sales Organization, Country, Region, Customer
group and Customer number. Any other level will not be executed.
But if you flagged this field, system will carry out a season determination (Kind of a
condition technique) for below sequence;
1 - Sales Organization, Country, Region, Customer group, Customer number
2 - Sales Organization, Country, Region, Customer group
3 - Sales Organization, Country, Region
4 - Sales Organization, Country,
5 - Sales Organization
Therefore it is advisable to flag this field.
o Re-determine after ATP - The availability check (ATP) can change the confirmed delivery
date in the schedule line based on the stock availability. If you mark this field, system
will automatically carry out a new season determination based on the new confirmed
delivery date in the schedule line.
o Re-determine after OSL - Order scheduling also can change the confirmed delivery date
in the schedule line. Therefore mark this field, if you want to carry out a new season
determination after order scheduling.
o Set defaults when determine seasons - These fields can be used for season
determination based on the sales document type level.

Enable copying season from one sales document to the other
IMG Path:


It is possible to copy the season from one sales document to the other. For example; from the contract
to an order
In such case, you need to mark below setting in the copy control.
If you did not flag this field, then system will carry out a new season determination during sales order
creation, with reference to another order.

Master data creation
Material master
In order to enable season processing during sales order creation, it is necessary to define the valid
season in the article masters under AFS basic data tab.
Eg:


Season condition record creation
Transaction: /AFS/RS02
When you type the transaction, you need to type is as
Easy Access Menu:

Enter valid sales organization for the season creation and press

Locate the valid season under "Season" node
Eg:

Then go to "Collections" node and select the relevant collection
Eg:

Highlight the "Season / Collection" line and double click on the "Theme" node to select the
relevant "Theme"

Note:
It is note mandatory to use all 3 levels. If business requirement can be met with only season/ collection,
then directly go to "Periods" node to maintain the "Order Window" and "Delivery Window"
Now select the relevant line and double click on the "Periods" node
Let's create a dummy season record for out testing!
Enter "Delivery date from" and "Delivery date to" fields for the season determination
Eg:

As per above, if the order creation date is between, 01.02.2012 and 28.02.2013 and the requested
delivery date is between, 01.11.2012 and 28.02.2013, then season can be determined as W02 / 001/
0001 (But this has other factors as well!)
The "Area of Validity" can be used to influence the season determination sequence. For testing purpose,
I have maintained below data;

Now let's create some sales orders with different combinations to see how exactly these fields effects
season determination.
System Demo

Scenario 1:
Sales document type configuration - No default values maintained

/AFS/RS02 - Created for the customer level

Customer "AW01" created for country "US", Region "NY" and Customer Group "01" (Under
"Sales Area Data")
Article "AW01" has below season/ collection/ Theme

Now let's create a sales order for customer "AW01" for sales area A300/A1/A1 for article
"AW01"
o Order creation date - 28/04/2012 (Within "Order Window")
o Requested delivery date - 01/12/2012 (Within "Delivery Window")
Season determined as follows;

Now let's use the "Season Determination Log" functionality to see how the season was
determined to the sales order. Season determination log is available in the below menu option;

Log:

As you see above, season was determined based on the customer specific season condition record in the
/AFS/RS02.
Scenario 2:
Now let's remove the customer "AW01" from the season condition record in the /AFS/RS02. Everything
else remains same.
/AFS/RS02 - No customer

Season determined in the sales order as follows;

Season determination log -

System first search for the customer specific record, since it is not available, then it goes to the next
level and found the correct season.
Scenario 3:
Remove the customer group also from the /AFS/RS02
/AFS/RS02 - No customer and customer group

Season determined in the sales order as follows;


Season determination log -

Season was picked form the third level for sales organization, country and region of the customer
master
Scenario 4:
Remove region also from the /AFS/RS02
/AFS/RS02 - No customer, customer group and region

Season determined in the sales order as follows;

Season determination log -

Scenario 5:
Remove region also from the /AFS/RS02
/AFS/RS02 - No customer, customer group, region and the country (Season record is only at the
sales organization level)

Season determined in the sales order as follows;

Season determination log -

Season was determined based on the sales organization level season master record for the order
window and delivery window.
Scenario 6:
Season record was set to Sales organization, country, region, customer group and customer
level

With this setting, system should determine the season from this level.
Sales document type configuration was changed with default values for country and region
fields (Which is different from the customer master)

Sales order was created with same sales document type in the same sales area - Season was
determined correctly (Same as above)

Season determination log -

As per above, season determined based on the master record for customer
Scenario 7:
Customer number was removed from /AFS/RS02 - All other data is same as customer master
(Country, Region and customer group)

Sales order creation - Season was NOT determined.

Season determination log -

Even though there is a valid season master record for sales organization, customer country, customer
region and customer group, system could not determined the correct season. (Not like in scenario 2)
If you carefully analyze the "Season determination log", you should be able to see below;
From second step onwards, system search for a season condition record for the country and region from
the sales document type (DE/ 01), Not from the customer master (US / NY)
Scenario 8:
Now If I create a season master record for above combination system should determine the season in
the sales order
/AFS/RS02 - New condition record was created for the country and region in the sales document
type configuration

Sales order creation - Season determined correctly

Season determination log -

Season was determined based on below criteria,
o Sales organization - From the sales document
o Country - From the sales document type configuration for AFS
o Region - From the sales document type configuration for AFS
Therefore, if you specify a dummy country (Eg: Country of the company code) and dummy region (Based
on your order placement scenario, Eg: Pre-orders or Re orders) in the AFS specific sales document type
configuration; you can reduce the number of season condition records maintained in the /AFS/RS02
transaction.

Author: Anupa Wijesinghe
E-Mail: anupaw@gmail.com / anupaw@learnsaptips.com
Website: www.learnsaptips.com
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