As shown in the sales process cycle, the actual order-to cash process starts with creating the sales order. That is the task of a sales representative. If you have the role of Sally, the sales representative in our example, learn now how to create and maintain a sales order.

As a first step, watch the video below to get an introduction to why a sales order is relevant for the entire sales process in SAP S/4HANA.
What do you need to consider when creating a sales order?
A sales order is one of various sales documents in SAP S/4HANA Sales. A sales document stores any information for the required business transactions. When creating a sales document, such as a sales order or a quotation, the first step is to assign it to a sales area. As introduced before, the sales area is a combination of a sales organization, a distribution channel, and a division. All sales documents must contain a customer number and at least one item with a material number.
Explore the figure below to identify what relevant information must be maintained in a sales order.

The illustration is just a simplified overview. A sales order includes a lot of information, but the SAP system helps you. All you need to do as a sales representative is to enter the customer (sold-to party number), the product (material number), and the order quantity. The rest is automatically done by the system. It determines all necessary data for the sales process:
- When entering the sold-to party, the order header data is automatically filled, such as terms of payment and incoterms.
- When entering a product and a quantity, the item data is automatically filled, such as pricing information.
- As soon as you enter the item data, the schedule line data is automatically filled, such as delivery dates and quantities.
- The system checks whether the material is available for the requested delivery date. If necessary, it transfers the requirements to materials planning.
- The system completes the billing information.
As a prerequisite, ensure a proper system setup and master data creation.