Direct Subcontracting Process

(SAP SD & MM)

Applies to:
This article is applicable to SAP SD & MM modules of SAP for version SAP 4.7 till ERP 6.0

Summary
This article describes a process called ‘Direct Subcontracting’. The process is similar to a third party
scenario, but the difference is that here instead of a vendor; a subcontractor ships the final product to
customer.

Author: Prakash H. Ayer

Company: Infosys Technologies India Ltd.
Created on: 22 September 2009

Author Bio
I am Prakash H. Ayer and I have total 7+ years experience in total out of which 5+ years as
a SAP Logistics Consultant. I have worked on SAP MM, SD, PP, PS & WM modules and
have been involved in implementation, configuration and setup of the same. I am based out
of the Netherlands but have worked for major clients in Europe. My areas of expertise
include purchasing, inventory and warehouse management, SAP upgrade, SAP instance
consolidation, SOX control testing. I have a reasonable good knowledge of sales,
distribution, planning and projects.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Table of Contents
Overview ............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Functionality ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
Implementation ................................................................................................................................................... 5
Demo Details ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
Material Master Changes ................................................................................................................................ 8
Sales Order Creation ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Convert Purchase Requisition (PR) to Purchase Order (PO) ......................................................................... 9
Releasing the Purchase Order (PO) ............................................................................................................. 13
Check that Purchase Order Reference is Printed on PO Form .................................................................... 14
Send the Components to Subcontractor ....................................................................................................... 14
Process the Shipping Notification to Create an Inbound Delivery ................................................................ 15
Perform Goods Receipt (GR) with Inbound Delivery .................................................................................... 18
Complete Sales Order Billing ........................................................................................................................ 21
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 22
Disclaimer and Liability Notice .......................................................................................................................... 23

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Overview
This document describes a process called ‘Direct Subcontracting’. The process is similar to a third party
scenario, but the difference is that here instead of a vendor; a subcontractor ships the final product to
customer.

Functionality
Our client was using customer consignment scenario, where the ownership of the good lies with my client till
the time customer withdraws the goods. But, my client has gone for new set of agreement with the customer.
And the customer has agreed to take the ownership of the material within say for example between 1 and 90
days of receipt of product. This means, technically based on the product receipt, sales billing can be
generated. The new process is between a consignment and direct subcontracting process. So there was
necessity to phase out the consignment process.
The phase out of consignment process also triggered a new set of process improvement initiative.
The high level requirement for the new functionality is as follows:
1. The sales process should trigger a subcontracting purchase order
2. Based on the subcontracting purchase order it should be possible to send components with serial
numbers
3. When the subcontractor ships the final product to the customer he will send a shipping notification;
with this notification an inbound delivery should be created
4. When this inbound delivery is used to perform the goods receipts, then the subcontracting
components should automatically get back-flushed.
5. The sales order billing should only be possible when the statistical goods receipt is done for the
purchase order.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

The flow chart of this functionality is included here.

Direct Subcontracting Process
Employee
Customer

Employee
Customer
Service

Create sales order

Service

for subcontracting
Start Sales order billing End
Customer Order with item category
direct subcon

Creation of
SAP

purchase
SAP

requisition
(PR) by SAP
Purchaser
Purchaser
Buyer/

Create an outbound
Buyer/

Transfer of PR to
delivery to send
purchase order (PO)
subcontract
subcontracting
components
Warehouse

Employee
Warehouse
Outbound
Employee
Outbound

Vendor
Send components to Stock
subcontractor

Assembly
Subcontractor
Subcontractor

Shipment to client’s
customer

Shipping Notification
to client
Backflushing of components
Purchaser
Purchaser
Buyer/
Buyer/

Create inbound
delivery
Warehouse

Employee
Warehouse

Employee
Inbound
Inbound

Perform Goods
Receipt

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Implementation
This asset is built on SAP 4.7 version, but it is scalable across to the latest version ERP 6.0.
We need to have following changes to SAP.
Changes on Sales and Distribution Customizing:
1. Create a new item category group
2. Create a new item category
3. Assign the new item category to the item category group
4. Create a new schedule category with Item category 3 and account assignment X
5. Assign the item category to the new schedule line category
6. Maintain the copy control settings for the new item category

Step for item category definition and assignment

1. Create a new item category group ZTSU
Configuration path: IMG→ Sales and Distribution→ Sales→ Sales Documents →Sales
Document Item →Define Item Category Group

2. Create a new item category ZTSU

Configuration path: IMG→ Sales and Distribution→ Sales→ Sales Documents →Sales
Document Item →Define Item Categories

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

3. Assign the new item category ZTSU to the item category group ZTSU
Configuration path: IMG→ Sales and Distribution→ Sales→ Sales Documents →Sales Document
Item →Assign Item Categories

4. Create a new schedule category as ZD with Item category 3 and account assignment X
Configuration path: IMG→ Sales and Distribution→ Sales→ Sales Documents
→Schedule Lines →Define Schedule Line Categories

5. Assign the item category to the new schedule line category ZD

Configuration path: IMG→ Sales and Distribution→ Sales→ Sales Documents →Schedule Lines
→Assign Schedule Line Categories

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

6. Maintain the copy control settings for the new item category
Transaction: VTFA

Changes on Material Management:

Configuration changes on Materials Management:
For automatic determination of item category in inbound delivery for the delivery type, item category group,
usage (purchase order) and item category (ZTSU), default item category – ELN (Shipping Notification) will be
assigned.
This would be done at customizing path: Logistics Execution  Shipping  Deliveries  Maintain item
category determination in deliveries.
We have to maintain the configuration to allow the combination of usage of item category – Subcontracting
and Account Assignment Category (Sales Order without GR – X).
The customizing path is: Materials Management  Purchasing  Account Assignment  Define
combinations of Item Categories/ Account Assignment Categories.
Changes to purchase order form:
There would be one change on existing PO form. As in this process vendor is directly delivering it to the
customer, Vendor would need reference of the customer PO number for delivery. This information can be
extracted from PO reference field from sales order.
The below logic should only get triggered for the purchasing process: Sales order with no GR and
Subcontracting (Account Assignment Category X and Item category 3 – Subcontracting)
The customer reference number can be taken with help of tables: Account Assignment in Purchasing
Document (EKKN) and Sales Document: Business Data (VBKD). With help of the given PO from table
‘Account Assignment in Purchasing Document’ you can get the sales order number. With this sales order
you can go to table ‘Sales Document: Business Data’, and get the purchase order number.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

This derived purchase order number should be printed below the text customer reference on PO form as
shown below:

Demo Details
The detailed demo is included in user manual for this process. This demo also contains the test case
confirming that the asset is tested and working as expected.
The user manual steps are given below:

Material Master Changes

To ensure that the item category ZTSU (Direct Subcontract) is picked up automatically on sales order
creation, it is necessary to have item category group as ZTSU on Sales org 2 view in material master.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Sales Order Creation

Create sales order with transaction code: VA01 or
SAP path: Logistics  Sales and Distribution  Sales  Order  Create
Item category ZTSU should be picked automatically on sales order creation.

After the sales order is saved check the costing is done automatically. So, when you go into the changes
mode of sales order the document should be completed.

Convert Purchase Requisition (PR) to Purchase Order (PO)

If the sales order is created without any critical field or credit block, then it will automatically create a
purchase requisition.
Convert this purchase requisition into purchase order with transaction code: ME57 or

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SAP Path: Logistics  Materials Management  Purchasing  Purchase Requisition  Follow-On

Functions  Assign and Process. Give sales order number in below screen, tick on Assigned purchase
requisitions and click Execute.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Select the output line item. Click on button Assignments.

You see below screen. Place your cursor on while line with text ‘1 NB 1’ and Click on button Process
assignment.

You get a pop-up, click on continue button as shown below

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

The system will take you to purchase order creation screen. Here select the purchase requisition and click on
button Adopt as shown below.

As soon as button Adopt is clicked all the PR details are copied to PO.

Check the storage location (Consignment use) is used while creating the PO.

If there are no errors the PO would be saved, you get following message.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Releasing the Purchase Order (PO)

Get the PO released.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Check that Purchase Order Reference is Printed on PO Form

Check that the PO form has the correct Delivery Address and Client Purchase Order Reference.

Send the Components to Subcontractor

Now, you can send the components to subcontractor with transaction code ME2O.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

On the output select the line item and click on button outbound delivery

Then for this outbound delivery you can complete picking and goods issue. There is no change to this
process. Hence, further details are not given here.

Process the Shipping Notification to Create an Inbound Delivery

When the subcontractor completes his work and he will ship the goods to customer. The shipping notification
will also be send to client via Fax or e-mail.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Based on this shipping notification you can create an inbound delivery from transaction code VL31N or
SAP Path: Logistics  Materials Management  Purchasing  Purchase Order  Inbound Delivery 
Create. Give vendor and purchase order details. You can take PO details from step 5.

Note: If you are not able to create inbound delivery check following:
1. Before creating an inbound delivery the PO should be released.
2. Check if the PO line item has confirmation control key as shipping notifications.

When you click Continue, you get following screen

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Now, go to tab: Stock placement and give Putaway Quantity

As soon as you give putaway quantity and press enter, the overall putaway status is changed from A – For
putaway to C - Compl. put away.

Now, you can save the inbound delivery. You get the inbound delivery number.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Perform Goods Receipt (GR) with Inbound Delivery

As such this step could be performed via a background job, but for clarity this process is also covered here.
You can perform the goods receipt with inbound delivery from transaction code VL06IG or
SAP Path: Logistics  Logistics Execution  Inbound Process  Goods Receipt for Inbound Delivery 
Post Goods Receipt  Collective Processing Via Inbound Delivery Monitor
Give the Inbound delivery number or the PO number in below screen

On the output select the line item and press Post goods receipt

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

You get following pop-up, click Continue.

The material document is created as seen below.

Note: If you get error: VL659 (Error when creating document flow for delivery &), then check if the subcontractor has
enough stock for the component material.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Go to the PO and see the GR document.

Click on the material document number. You see that the back flushing of the component is done with
movement type 543.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Complete Sales Order Billing

Now, as the statically delivery is done for the purchase order, sales order can be billed to customer.
Create the billing document with VF01 or from
SAP path: SAP path: Logistics  Sales and Distribution  Sales  Order  Change

You see following screen on VF01

When you save the billing document is generated.

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See the sales order document flow:

With this step the process is complete.

Conclusion
As we have seen, this is almost completely a standard SAP process, without many changes. It can bring
considerable efficiency and productivity improvement in consignment and subcontracting areas. It has
benefits like reduced lead time for deliveries to customer, and fastens the billing process.
It has good cost saving benefits and can help simplify the overall process.

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 Direct Subcontracting Process (SAP SD & MM)

Disclaimer and Liability Notice

This document may discuss sample coding or other information that does not include SAP official interfaces and therefore is not
supported by SAP. Changes made based on this information are not supported and can be overwritten during an upgrade.
SAP will not be held liable for any damages caused by using or misusing the information, code or methods suggested in this document,
and anyone using these methods does so at his/her own risk.
SAP offers no guarantees and assumes no responsibility or liability of any type with respect to the content of this technical article or
code sample, including any liability resulting from incompatibility between the content within this document and the materials and
services offered by SAP. You agree that you will not hold, or seek to hold, SAP responsible or liable with respect to the content of this
document.

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