Business Example
Product inspection is a mandatory step in the standard process of customer returns. You must examine the product and enter the inspection result before the subsequent logistic steps can be processed.
With this feature, you can enter the inspection result when you create a returns order and before the product is returned. If you already know the inspection result before you receive the product and don't want to go through another inspection after it has been returned. You can ask the system to automatically create and complete the inspection using the inspection data and the next follow-up activity you provide when you create the returns order. As a result, after you receive the product, the system completes the inspection and triggers the specified subsequent logistic steps automatically.
To activate the feature, choose Configuration. You can search for "Configure Returns Order Type for Standard Return" or ID: 106396 in your configuration environment.
If you use the Manage Your Solution app (business role SAP_BR_BPC_EXPERT), you can find the configuration activity via the following path:
Choose: Configure Your Solution
Application Area: Sales
Sub Application Area: Claims, Returns, and Refund Management
Item: Customer Returns
How does the feature work on SAP S/4HANA Cloud?
As a prerequisite, the configuration expert must first activate automatic inspection in the configuration activity Configure Returns Order Type for Standard Return to enable the feature in returns orders.
If the feature is active in your system, a checkbox that indicates whether to perform automatic inspection can be found in the returns order item if you use the following apps:
- Manage Customer Returns - Version 2
- Create Customer Return or Change Customer Return in the Manage Customer Returns app
For the system to complete the inspection automatically after the product is received, you must enter the following inspection and logistic data required for the inspection document in the returns order item:
- Inspection code
- Next logistical follow-up activity
- Inspection comment (optional)
If you want to have the checkbox automatically selected when you create a returns order, the configuration expert can define the default value for this checkbox in the configuration activity Define Default Values for Customer Returns Apps.
The diagram shows how the Automatic Product Inspection in Customer Return function works on SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
Dependencies and Restrictions
Automatic inspection is only allowed if the returns order item is specified as follows:
- Logistical follow-up activity is 0001 (Receive into Plant).
- The product is not marked as received.
If you already received the product, automatic inspection after goods receipt is not applicable. You can enter the inspection data directly in the returns order item to complete the inspection via following logistical follow-up activities:
- Immediately Move to Free Available Stock (0002)
- Immediately Move to Scrap (0003)
- Immediately Move to Specified Stock (0014)
Only the below-mentioned follow-up activities specified in the returns order item can be used in automatic inspection:
- Ship to Supplier (0005)
- Transfer to Free Available Stock (0011)
- Transfer to Scrap (0012)
- In-House Repair (Service) (0026)
- No Further Activities (0031)