Types of Field Selection Keys for Purchasing Documents
The following sections present the different types of field selection keys for purchasing documents:
- Field selection key for the transaction:
This field selection key has a fixed link to the transaction used. For example, for the transaction Change Contract, ME32 is the field selection key, and for the transaction Display Contract, ME33 is the field selection key.
For the single screen transaction for maintaining POs, there is only one field selection key – ME21N.
- Field selection key for the activity category:
The four activity categories that are called internally by the program are AKTH (to add or create a document, or add an item), AKTV (to change a document, or create a PO with ME21N), AKTE (for PO extension), and AKTA (to display a document).
Hint
For more information about the field selection keys for activity categories, see SAP Notes 30316 and 326125. - Field selection key for the purchasing document type:
You can assign each purchasing document type its own field selection key. For example, the field selection key UBF is assigned to the document type UB (for stock transport orders within a company code). With this field selection key, the fields Price and Price Unit are hidden.
- Field selection key for the item category (for each document category):
The item category, in combination with the document category, determines this field selection key. The first two characters of the field selection key are the letters PT, the third character is the item category (internal), and the fourth character is the document category. The characters assigned to item categories are: A, for requests for quotations, B, for purchase requisitions, F, for POs, K, for contracts, and L, for scheduling agreement.
For example, for a subcontracting PO item, the field selection key PT3F is used. You can control only item fields with this key.
- Release Status Field Selection Key:
The field status of a purchase requisition can be controlled using the field selection key for the release indicator, which depends on the release status of a purchase requisition.
Special Procurement Transactions
For special procurement transactions, such as those in a retail system, the program includes additional field selection keys. For example, if a vendor offers a discount-in-kind in the form of inclusive or exclusive bonus item quantities, the discount-in-kind items are automatically generated in a PO, provided the conditions are fulfilled.
You can control the field selection for the subitems of the PO using the following field selection keys:
- UP2F – Subitem inclusive bonus quantity
- UP4F – Subitem exclusive bonus quantity
User Parameter EFB
You can also influence the field selection, depending upon the user parameter EFB (Function Authorization for Buyers). This parameter is assigned to the user along with a value.
Each value of EFB can have an associated field selection key for price display.
Based on the value, the system controls the display or entry of prices in purchasing documents (like PO and Outline Agreements).
If the authorization for the price entry and display is denied without assigning an additional field selection key, the field selection key $$$$ is used. In addition, this user parameter enables you to assign an additional field selection key that is relevant in single-screen transactions for maintaining purchase requisitions.
Field Selection Priorities
In field selection for a transaction in the purchasing area, the relevant field selection keys are linked together.
The following order of priority applies (where 1 = highest and 4 = lowest priority):
- Priority 1: Hide
- Priority 2: Display
- Priority 3: Required entry
- Priority 4: Optional entry
The following table shows the linkage rules for the individual field selection settings for purchasing documents:
Linkage Rules for Field Selection Settings
| Characteristic | Hide | Display | Required Entry | Optional Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hide | Hide | Hide | Hide | Hide |
| Display | Hide | Display | Display | Display |
| Required Entry | Hide | Display | Mandatory | Mandatory |
| Optional Entry | Hide | Display | Mandatory | Optional Entry |
If a certain field is defined as a mandatory field by one field selection key and as an optional field by another selection key, the mandatory attribute applies because it has the higher priority.
The field selection keys for the release status apply when you assign a field selection key to the individual release indicators, and, only to purchase requisitions in the release stage.
The field selection keys for the authorization to display price data apply only to users to whom special function authorizations for buyers have been assigned via user parameter EFB.