Explaining Manual Requests, Advice, and Status Code

In this lesson, you will learn about:

How to manually request materials using SAP Fiori apps
How to describe the role advice and status codes material requests

Scenario

Requesting materials manually can be carried out:
- With reference to the results of the Authorized Actual Comparison (AAC)
- Or, individually using the corresponding SAP Fiori app
The following lesson will discuss how purchase requisitions from AAC can be created, and how they can be influenced by advice and status codes.

The image shows a diagram illustrating the flow of the material procurement process. It includes three main sections: Requesting Unit, Supplier, and Supplier/Vendor. The Requesting Unit has various input options like Reorder point, Order reservation, Manual request, and Initial Supply. The Supplier section has a Purchase Requisition, Stock Available, Purchase Order, Delivery, and Goods Issue. The Supplier/Vendor section has a Purchase Requisition.

Purchase requisitions can be created manually in different ways. The follow-on process of a manual request is identical to the follow-on process of an automatically created purchase requisition.

The image illustrates the procurement process, showing the flow of activities between the Requesting Unit (Customer) and the Supplying Unit (Supplier). The Requesting Unit has a Material request, Manual PR Creation, and Planning of Provisions, which leads to a Purchase Requisition. The Supplying Unit then generates a Purchase Order, Delivery, Picking, and Goods Issue. The overall flow depicts the key steps in the procurement process between the customer and supplier.

The internal supply process is manually initiated by the requesting unit; the supplying unit converts the resulting purchase requisition into purchase order and processes the material delivery until goods issue. Finally the requesting unit receives the material and posts the goods receipt.

The Create Purchase Requisition app

The image shows a window titled Create Purchase Requisitions with the transaction code DFS_PR_CREATE displayed below it.

This figure shows the SAP Fiori app: Create Purchase Requisition. We will now discuss its functionalities.

The image shows the SAP Fiori app Create Purchase Requisitions interface. The app can also be used to create manual provisions requests. Prerequisites for using the app include maintaining the material master and assigning provisions storage locations/MRP areas.

Manual requests can be created from the SAP Fiori app, Create Purchase Requisition.

The details of the standard supplier are used to populate the corresponding fields of the popup. If needed, the entries can be adjusted manually. The standard supplier is determined by the supply relationships defined for the respective force element.

The Create Purchase Requisition Advanced app

The image shows the SAP Fiori app Create Purchase Requisition - advanced interface, which includes DFPS specific fields and Source Determination. The Purchase Requisition field, Source Determination checkbox, Reqmt Priority field, Suppl. Plant field, and Issuing Stor. Loc. field are highlighted.

Purchase Requisitions can be created manually using the Standard SAP Fiori app, Create Purchase Requisition - advanced, which features less automation but more flexibility, thereby helping you to create requisitions with more exceptional scenarios.

Advice and Status Code

Facts about mapping in the SAP System:

Definition of the Advice Code and status code in customizing
Per advice code, you can define, for example, whether: i. A purchase requisition is to be processed manually/automatically ii. A requirement is met in the event of shortages
The status code provides additional information about a logistics operation, for example, why a Purchase Requisition was processed in a specific way.

Integration in the process:

Advice and status codes are incorporated in the purchase requisition.
Advice code is incorporated in the purchase order
Advice code is incorporated in the material reservation.
The SAP Fiori tiles, Create Purchase Requisitions and Create Purchase Requisition – Advanced, are used.

The Advice Code is used to add information that the requester wants to pass on to the planner. The status code is the reaction / reply of the planner aiming to inform the requester.

The image demonstrates the SAP Fiori Create Purchase Requisition app. It highlights the use of advice codes to specify conditions, and the ability for the supplier to enter a status code in response.

The screenshots in the figures above shows that the requester is entering an Advice Code, in both the regular and the advanced Create Purchase Requisition options.

The image displays a maintenance view for advice codes and status codes used in the purchase requisition process. It shows the descriptions for advice code E1, which indicates that the requested quantity is not completely available, and the status code CB, which indicates that the quantity is not deliverable and the requisition is closed due to the advice code.

In some cases, advice codes have an influence on the automatic downstream processes. Some advice codes can be used to exclude the requisition from being processed automatically, or map a status code used in response if an automatic process determines closing of the original request.

In Customizing for Advice Code, a reply in the form of a status code can be assigned to each advice code.

The image shows a table defining the permitted advice codes and their descriptions for different document types. The table indicates that the advice codes E1, E2, and ZZ can be used for purchase requisitions (PR1) and return requisitions (RD1), with corresponding descriptions such as IF REQUESTED QUANTITY NOT COMPLETELY AVAILABLE, CLOSE PURCHASE REQUISITION, MANUAL PROCESSING REQUIRED / NO AUTOMATED CONVERSION TO PURCHASE ORDER, and AUTOMATIC RETURN REQUISITION.

The use of the advice code in purchasing documents is document-type-dependent. Valid combinations have to be defined in Customizing.

The image shows the SAP Fiori app Change Purchase Req. interface, with the Advice Code E1 and Status Code CB highlighted. It also indicates that the Manage Purchase Requisitions Professional FIORI app includes an additional tab page with more details about the purchase requisition.

The Advice and Status Code can be maintained on Additional DFPS Fields tab in the SAP Fiori app, Manage Purchase Requisitions Professional.