Introduction
Note
The following video introduces transaction types in SAP S/4HANA Service:The Structure of Service Documents
A service document in SAP S/4HANA consists of a header that contains data that is valid for the complete service document. Examples of this data are the sold-to-party, the priority, and an external reference number.
Besides header data, a service document contains one or more items. Service products, expenses, and spare parts (service parts) are all examples of types of items that a service document can contain. Examples of data that is stored at item level include the item status and the pricing details for a specific item.
Configuration elements are available in SAP S/4HANA to control service documents both at header and at item level.
Every service document in SAP S/4HANA Service is created based on a certain transaction type (that is, similar to a document type) that has been set up in customizing for the respective type of service document (like a service order or a service contract). This is the main element used to control a service document at header level.
Items are mainly controlled using item categories (also sometimes called item types). For more information on this, see lesson 2 of this unit.
Configuring Transaction Types
Examples of (standard SAP) transaction types for service orders are SRVO (Service Order) for a normal service order and REPO (Repair Order) for a repair order in a repairs process.
It is possible to configure additional transaction types to fulfill specific requirements for a service process. This lesson describes how to do this and (some of) the possibilities that SAP S/4HANA offers in this area.
To see a list of all available transaction types in SAP S/4HANA, in Customizing, navigate to SAP Customizing Implementation Guide → Service → Transactions → Basic Settings → Define Transaction Types.
Each transaction type is assigned to a leading business transaction category (the Leading Transaction Category field in the definition of the transaction type), which specifies the leading business context in which a transaction type can be used (for example, a service request or a service order). Service Order/Quot. (BUS2000116) is an example of a business transaction category.
Note
Whether a transaction type is used to represent either a service order quotation or a service order, is not something that is configured in the transaction type itself. Only if all item categories used for a certain transaction type are configured as 2 Is a Quotation, then this transaction type is used to represent a quotation.
Check, for example, the definition of item category SRQS (Sales Item) to see that it is configured as 2 Is a Quotation.
Transaction types also contain a description, and settings related to the numbering of the documents and its items. To define number ranges for transaction types, in Customizing, navigate to SAP Customizing Implementation Guide → Service → Transactions → Basic Settings → Define Number Ranges.
When configuring a new transaction type in the system (maybe because settings deviating from those of the standard available transaction types are required), it is possible to start by copying an existing transaction type. A complete new entry can also be added, if needed.
The new transaction type is added, basic settings are entered (like the internal and maybe external number ranges required, and the settings for item numbering, and so on), and then the leading business transaction category is entered (the Leading Transaction Category field in the definition of the transaction type). Again, this specifies the business context within which the transaction type can be used.
Multiple transaction categories can be assigned to a transaction type, but only one is set up as the leading transaction category. The leading transaction category acts as a preference: a transaction with a transaction type that has the business transaction categories Service Order/Quot. (BUS2000116) and Sales (BUS2000115) maintained, but with Service Order/Quot. (BUS2000116) as the leading category, would, for example, during transaction processing, be displayed as a service order/quotation transaction and not as a sales transaction.
Specific configuration fields are available for each assigned business transaction category. An example is the Doc. Pric.Proc. (Document Pricing Procedure) field, which is available for the Sales (BUS2000115) business transaction category.
Besides these basic settings, various profiles are assigned to a transaction type. Examples are profiles for text determination and for the determination of available partner roles in the document created using the transaction type. A status profile and a date profile are other examples of profiles assigned to a transaction type. Some of these will be explained in more detail later on. For example, see lesson 8 of this unit.
A transaction type also contains a setting related to contract determination: should the system search for and assign an existing contract whenever (for example) a service order is created? Furthermore, if so, should the system perform a search for an existing contract on header or on item level? The setting also controls whether, if one unique contract can be found, it should be automatically assigned or not.