Defining Output Parameters for Sales Orders

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to defining Output Parameters for Sales Orders

Recap

Summary: Liv has grasped that to issue for example an order confirmation, the relevant output type must be determined for the sales order. Additionally, further output parameters, such as channel and recipient, need to be extracted from decision tables, comparing the comparison operators for the conditions with data from the sales document. Jim confirms Liv's understanding and elaborates that the sales order's specific characteristics, like the sales organization or distribution channel, determine the output parameters. He further explains how he can personally set condition columns in the decision tables to customize output parameters for various situations.

Jim also highlights how SAP S/4HANA output management can handle complex requirements for message output as there are different operators with include and exclude conditions. In connection with this representation, Liv responds to Carol's business requirements to immediately issue an order confirmation when saving a sales order. Liv asks Jim if he could demonstrate how this is set up in the system, and Jim agrees to start this task.

Determination of the Output Type

To recap: To be able to issue an output in relation to a sales document, the relevant output parameters must be determined. First, the output type for the document must be determined. The output type is defined in the customizing in the Output Parameter Determination application in the first determination step, output type. The output type is then a characteristic that, together with other document attributes, determines the additional relevant output parameters in further determination steps.

How to Define an Output Type

Determination of the Output Recipient

To issue output, the business partner to which the output is to be sent must be determined. This is the recipient of the output. For instance, the output type Order Confirmation is typically sent to the Sold-to Party of the sales order. The recipient is set in the customizing in the Output Parameter Determination application in the Receiver Determination Step. In this step, the output type is a characteristic that, if necessary, together with other characteristics, determines the output parameter Recipient.

How to Define an Output Recipient

Determination of the Output Channel

To be able to issue an output related to a sales document, the transmission medium of the output must be specified. Three so-called channels are generally available in connection with sales documents:

  • PRINT, meaning the output is printed on a printer

  • EMAIL, meaning the output is sent by mail

  • and EDI (message format IDoc or SOA (XML message))

The output channel is set in the customizing in the Output Parameter Determination application in the Channel Determination Step. Here again, the Output Type is a characteristic that, if necessary, together with other characteristics, determines the output parameter Channel.

How to Define an Output Channel

Determination of the Output Printer Settings

If the output is printed (PRINT channel), the printer and the number of outputs must be determined in the Printer Settings Determination Step. Here again, the output type is a characteristic which, if necessary, together with other characteristics, determines the output parameter channel.

How to Determine Printer Settings

Determination of the Form Template of the Output

For printouts and emails, the form template determines the content and layout of the output. The form template used by output management to generate a PDF document contains a data source (OData Service) and the layout of a PDF document (Adobe Livecycle Design Document).

The OData Service retrieves the data for the sales document from the database and the result set is merged with the Adobe Livecycle Design Document to render a PDF document that represents the sales document output. In the Form Template Determination Step, the form template for the output is defined. Here again, the output type is a characteristic which, if necessary, together with other characteristics, determines the output parameter form template.

How to Determine the Form Template of the Output

Determination of Output Relevance

This determination step does not represent an output parameter in itself. The output relevance is checked as soon as the output is triggered. With this step, you can control under what conditions the output can be carried out. For example, you can specify that outputs can only be issued for complete documents (incompleteness check) or that no output is made if the materials are not available (availability check). If you do not mark an output item as relevant for output here, the corresponding output cannot be output. The output position remains in preparation. Here again, the output Type is a characteristic which, if necessary, together with other characteristics, determines the output relevance.

Conclusion

Log in to track your progress & complete quizzes