Introducing Copy Control

The activity we execute during the sales process are reflected in the system in a number of documents. For example, the quotation, the order, the delivery and the invoice. Such documents are logically chained within the Document Flow.

In frequent cases, a new document is created as subsequent of a previous document. For example, a sales order can be subsequent of a quotation. Every time this happens, part of the information in the previous document is copied to the subsequent document, in addition some updates are executed in the previous document.

Copying control tables define which document types can be copied to another document type.

The same they do for items: they define which item category can be copied to another item category.

In SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition you cannot create additional table entries in the way you would in the private edition, for example you cannot include a new couple of documents in the list, or remove an existing one.

As a result, for example, it is pre-defined that a Quotation can be copied into a Standard Order, but it cannot be copied into a Credit Memo Request.

Using data transfer routines, you can control which data (such as header data, partner data, or conditions) is copied when referencing.

The Create with Reference function is available on the initial entry screen of creating a document with reference as well as on the Create Sales Document Overview screen during document entry.

Before data is copied from the source document to the target document, certain requirements must be met. ABAP routines contain these requirements, which are assigned in the copying control tables using their identification (ID) numbers. You can also create customer-specific routines. The specified data transfer routines are not executed until the copying requirements are fulfilled.