Determining Output Parameters

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to determine Output Parameters from Decision Tables in BRFplus

Decision Tables

In SAP S/4HANA output management, decision tables are used to determine the various output parameters (output type, recipient, form template, and so on). Basically, the different output parameters are maintained in separate decision tables. An example of this can be seen in the graphic below.

Example of different output parameters maintained in separate decision tables

The maintenance of the output parameters in the different decision tables is done in the Output Parameter Determination application through so-called determination steps. There are eight determination steps available with different result columns:

  • Output Type
  • Recipient
  • Channel
  • Printer Settings
  • E-Mail Settings
  • E-Mail Recipient
  • Form Template
  • and Output Relevance

A decision table consists of condition columns (white columns) and one or more result column(s) (green columns). Rules are defined in the condition columns. If these rules are met, the result is returned. The result(s) are the output parameters. If necessary, you can add new condition columns in the table settings.

Example: Imagine a company that manufactures toys for children and supplies various customers around the world. The toys are sold through different sales organizations via various distribution channels. One condition is: if the sales organization "Germany" sells via the "End Customer" distribution channel, then the result is that the order confirmation is sent to the customer only by email. Another condition is: if the same sales organization sells via the "Wholesale" distribution channel, then the result is that the order confirmation is printed and sent by mail.

Check out the following demo to get a basic understanding of the Output Parameter Determination Application.

How to Generally Manage the Application of Output Parameter Determination and Add New Columns

Arrangement of Entries in a Decision Table

In each decision table, the entries are processed from left to right and from top to bottom. Therefore, the table entries should begin with the most specific sets, followed by the more general sets.

In the decision table for the output management of the toy company - for example, the following entries could be listed:

Example of decision table

The first row is the most specific information. The output is only sent as an email if the sales organization 1010 sells through distribution channel 10. The 2nd row is more general: regardless of the distribution channel, outputs of the sales organization 1020 are always printed. If you leave a condition cell in the decision table empty, any value can fulfill the condition. Therefore, for all possible combinations of sales organization and distribution channel, the outputs are sent by EDI.

It is possible for the processing of a determination step to return multiple hits. This applies to the following determination steps: output type, recipient, channel, and email recipient. Depending on the business case, this may be desired or undesirable. To prevent all rules that meet certain conditions from being applied, you can mark a record in the recipient or channel determination step as exclusive. When this indicator is set, the determination is stopped with this data record. None of the rules that follow it will be applied.

Let's revisit the example we just mentioned.

Example of decision table

In the case of orders from sales organization 1010 and distribution channel 10, the output is sent by email AND through EDI (row 1 and 3 are evaluated). Unless the first line is "exclusive". If the exclusive indicator is "true", then only one output is made by email. If the exclusive indicator is "false", an output is made by email and additionally by EDI.

As part of new or changed output requests, the table rows can be rearranged so that the most specific conditions are checked first. For editing, tables can also be exported to and imported from Microsoft Excel.

In the following demonstration, you will learn how to insert new rows into a decision table and rearrange them.

How to Insert a New Row into a Decision Table and Rearrange it

Conditions

So, decision tables have condition and result columns that determine the output parameters. But I'm still not clear on how conditions are maintained in decision tables.
No problem, I'll explain it to you. Have a look on the figure - it illustrates the general rule.

The general rule is as follows:

Graphical illustration of the general rule

The condition(s) of the decision table(s) are checked using the data from the sales document. If the 1st condition of the 1st row is fulfilled, the 2nd condition of the 1st row is checked. The columns are linked with a "logical" AND. If all conditions of a row are fulfilled, the result or results of this row are transferred to the sales document. If the result is not "exclusive", the next row is evaluated and so on. It is possible to evaluate the values in the individual condition cells using comparison operators. If you leave a condition cell in the decision table empty, any value can fulfill the condition.

Include and Exclude Conditions

There are Include and Exclude Conditions:

  • For Include Conditions, the following applies: A row is only (further) evaluated if an Include Condition is "true". If an Include Condition is "false", the row is not (further) evaluated. If all Include Conditions in a row are fulfilled, the field values defined in the result column are returned.

  • For Exclude Conditions , the following applies: A row is only (further) evaluated if an Exclude Condition in a line is "false". If an Exclude Condition is "true", the row is not (further) evaluated. This means: If all Exclude Conditions in a line are false, the field values defined in the result column are returned. If any Exclude Condition in a row is fulfilled, no result is returned.

Example: In the decision table of the toy manufacturer, the Include and Exclude Conditions could look like this:

  • Include Condition: Sales organization = 1010

  • Exclude Condition: exclude Distribution channel = 10

It is possible to either enter an Include or Exclude Condition into a separate cell or combine multiple Include and Exclude Conditions in one cell.

A condition refers to an object. The objects for which you can formulate conditions are determined by the condition columns of the decision table. For the output type determination step, for example, the condition columns SD Document Category and Sales document type are offered as standard delivery. This means that the result (= the output type and shipping time) can be determined depending on two objects (SD Document Category and Sales document type).

Comparison Operators

Comparison operators (for example, is equal to, is less than, is not equal to) are used to compare a specific characteristic of the document object (for example, sales document type is C, the so-called test parameter) with a predefined value or value range in the condition cell (the comparison parameter).

  • If the result of the comparison is true, the result is returned to the document in the case of Include Conditions or the next condition column, that is, another object, in the example the sales document type of the document, is compared with the comparison parameter.

  • If it is an Exclude Condition, the result of the line is only returned or the line is further evaluated if the result of the comparison is false. The condition columns are linked to each other with a logical AND, that is, all Include Conditions must be true and all Exclude Conditions must be false in order for the result of the line to be returned to the document.

It is also possible to formulate multiple conditions for an object, that is, in one condition cell. Include Conditions in a condition cell are then linked to each other with a logical "or". This means as soon as one is true, the others are not checked and the result is taken over into the document or the row is further evaluated, that is, the next object is checked. Exclude Conditions of a condition cell are also linked to each other with a logical "or". This means as soon as one is true, the others are not checked and the result is not taken over into the document. Include Conditions and Exclude Conditions of a condition cell are linked to each other with a logical "and". This means only if the Include Condition is true and the Exclude Condition is false, the result is taken over into the document or the row is further evaluated.

Example in the System

We'll concentrate on the first line of the decision table in the graphic below:

Example decision table

  1. Include Condition in the Condition Cell

  2. Comparison Operator: is equal to

  3. Condition Column = Object "(SD) Document Category"

  4. Condition Columns are linked with "and"

  5. Comparison Operator: is not equal to

  6. Condition Column = Object "Sales Document Type"

  7. Example of three conditions in one condition cell

  8. Result Column = Output Type and Dispatch Time

  9. Include Condition

  10. Exclude Condition

  11. Link between the conditions in the cell

  12. Comparison Parameters

The Include Condition in the SD Document Category column (=object) is: SD Document Category = C (comparison parameter). This means that the row will only continue to be evaluated if the order has SD Document Category C (test parameter). For quotations (SD Document Category B), the row will not be further evaluated because the Include Condition is "false". No result (output parameter: Output Type Order Confirmation) is returned to the quotation. In the Sales Document Type column (=object), three conditions are maintained: one Include Condition and two Exclude Conditions.

The Include Condition is "true" if the Sales Document Type is not equal to BV. If it is a standard order (Sales Document Type OR), the condition is "true" and the row will be further evaluated. (If the test parameter were BV, the condition would be "false" and the row would not be further evaluated, meaning no order confirmation would be issued). Include Conditions and Exclude Conditions of a condition cell are linked with a logical AND. This means the subsequent Exclude Condition must be "false" for the row to continue to be evaluated.

The Exclude Condition says Sales Document Type is equal to SO01. For the test parameter OR, the condition is "false", the row continues to be evaluated. Since the following Exclude Condition is linked with a logical OR, it is not checked. Consequently, for the test parameters SD Document Category C and Sales Document Type OR, the result of the row (Output Type "Order Confirmation" and Dispatch Time "1 Immediately") is returned to the standard order.

How to Insert Conditions

Simulation

For each Determination Step, the evaluation of the decision table can be simulated analyzed. This is particularly helpful for complex conditions, as it is not always obvious which output parameters will be determined in various situations. You can start the simulation in the Output Parameter Determination application.

You can see how this works in the following demonstration:

How to Simulate Determination Steps

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