Understanding Purchase Order Rules and Other Rules

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to define the key purchase order rules

SAP Business Network: Purchase Order Transaction Rules

Let’s take a closer look at some of the key information about purchase order and other rules.

Note

Remember, your default transaction rules have been baselined to SAP best practices when your SAP Business Network account was created. We recommend that you perform end-to-end tests to ensure connectivity and establish a delta for any changes to the baseline.

Purchase order rules are not available to be set in the supplier group or in the country based supplier rules however, they may be applied at the individual trading partner level. Click to learn more - SAP Business Network Buyer Administration Guide.

This image shows an example of Purchase Order Rules applied at the Trading Partner level.

There are rule settings at the default level that may not necessarily correspond to an actual return document like an order confirmation, a ship notice or an invoice.

  • Allow suppliers to access your SAP Ariba procurement applications for collaborative invoicing, requisitioning, managing time and expense sheets, and creating service sheets.
    This screenshot shows the Rule “Allow Supplier to access your SAP Ariba procurement applications for collaborative Supplier, Requisitioning, managing Time and Expense Sheets, and creating Service Sheets.

    This rule allows Trading Partners to punch into your Procurement Application to create Invoices against no-release contracts or respond to collaboration requests on a requisition. If you will be using collaborative requisitioning or no-release contract Trading Partner, make sure to set this to "Check".

  • Attachment File Extension Rules
    This screenshot shows the Attachment File Extension Rules.

    These settings control which file extensions your trading partners are allowed/disallowed to use on attachments to order confirmations, ship notices, invoices, etc. Note that executable (.exe, .bin) files are disallowed by SAP Business Network regardless of how this is set.

  • Allow Suppliers to include attachments with Order Confirmations
    This screenshot shows the Rule “Allow Supplier to include attachments with Order Confirmations”.

    Trading partners can attach useful information to order confirmations, like specs for a custom order or additional information on a substitute part if the ordered part is discontinued or out of stock.

    You will need to test if the receiving system can consume the attachments. If not, you have the option to include a URL so that the reviewer can log into SAP Business Network to access the attachments.

    You may want to disallow attachments if you will not have a workflow in place to check and review the attachments on the order confirmation.

  • Allow Suppliers to include attachments with Ship Notices.
    This screenshot shows the Rule “Allow Supplier to include attachments with Ship Notices”.

    Trading partners can attach useful information to advanced ship notices, like a packing slip or bill of lading.

    SAP Ariba Buying can consume ship notice attachments, however, in a purchase order automation scenario, you will need to test if the receiving system can consume the attachments. If not, you have the option to include a URL so that the reviewer can log into SAP Business Network to access the attachments.

    You may want to disallow attachments if you will not have a workflow in place to check and review the attachments on the ship notice.

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