Introducing Further Functionality of SAP S/4HANA Sourcing and Procurement

Not all deployment options of SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) that were available for SAP ERP are supported for SAP S/4HANA.

The best way to understand the process of transitioning from SAP ERP to SAP S/4HANA in combination with an existing SAP SRM system, is to start by reading SAP note 2611066: SAP SRM and S/4HANA. This SAP note is the central entry point for all other notes related to this topic.

SAP provides several applications as part of SAP SRM. This includes, for example, SUS (Supplier Self Services) and ROS (Registration of Suppliers). The MM-SUS scenario is not supported with SAP S/4HANA. Customers will need to evaluate alternative scenarios. They could evaluate the option of SRM-SUS, which would be a temporary solution. Another possibility is using the Ariba Network, which is SAP’s strategic solution and supports the business process of Supplier Self Services. Supplier replication with ROS is not supported. This means that customers need to evaluate other options. All this is documented in SAP note 2474434: S/4 HANA support in SRM-SUS and ROS.

In this context it is also important to mention that there is an impact to SAP SLC (Supplier Lifecycle Management) as well. Co-deployment of this solution with SAP S/4HANA is also not supported and there is an impact to the way SAP SLC needs to be integrated with SAP S/4HANA. See SAP note 2267719: S4TWL – Supplier Distribution via MDG-S and SAP note 2271188: S4TWL – Dedicated SAP Supplier Lifecycle Management (SAP SLC) business processes.

It is not possible to install the SAP SRM software components within the SAP S/4HANA stack.

More information on these topics can be found on dedicated Wikis and on the SAP Help Portal - http://help.sap.com.

If a recompilation of the business volume data is required, table S111 has to be rebuilt using report RMEBEIN3, as described in SAP note 73214.

Condition contracts are not SAP S/4HANA-specific. They were also already available in SAP ERP.

To create a condition contract, use the following menu path in the SAP Easy Access menu: Logistics → Settlement Management → Condition Contract Management → Master Data → Edit / Display (WCOCO).

The necessary Customizing settings can be found using the menu path: SAP Customizing Implementation Guide → Logistics General → Settlement Management → Condition Contract Management.

SAP S/4HANA Settlement Management uses Central Contract Administration as the single point of entry for contract data and contract related conditions for:

• Full support of business volume-related scenarios

• Calendar-based settlements

• Accrual conditions, independently defined from settlement conditions

• Intuitive data entry of settlement information with full transparency of involved documents

The SAP ERP shopping cart functionality is replaced by SAP S/4HANA Self-Service Requisitioning. The business function LOG_MM_SSP_1, which enabled the SAP ERP shopping cart functionality, can no longer be used.

The SAP SRM MDM catalog is replaced by the catalog search function as part of Self-Service Requisitioning in SAP S/4HANA. An available SAP SRM MDM catalog instance can still be integrated with SAP S/4HANA as a punch-out catalog via OCI.

The SAP SRM MDM catalog content can be integrated into SAP S/4HANA via OCI5. Catalog content is then managed as part of Self-Service Procurement in SAP S/4HANA.

As an alternative, it is possible to use SAP Ariba Procurement Content or SAP Lean Catalog. Both are not part of SAP S/4HANA and must be licensed separately.

For SAP S/4HANA, a different approach to output management is available. By design, SAP S/4HANA output management is based on BRF+ functionality and it supports, for example, extensibility, multitenancy, and modification-free configuration. In SAP S/4HANA, the target architecture for output management is based on Adobe Document Server and Adobe Forms only. For the form determination rules (along with other output parameters), transaction code OPD can be used.

Output determination in SAP ERP uses the condition technique and is based on the NAST table. Condition records are used to store all output properties. This way of configuring output determination is also still supported in SAP S/4HANA, next to SAP S/4HANA output management.

For purchasing contract and purchase order processing, it is recommended to use Adobe Forms, but for compatibility reasons the form technologies from SAP ERP (such as SmartForms and SAPScript) are also still supported.

SAP S/4HANA output management only supports the channels PRINT, E-mail, XML (for Ariba Network Integration), and IDoc (for on-premise).

Information about the configuration steps for SAP S/4HANA output management is available in SAP notes 2228611 and 2292539.

As stated, output management based on the NAST table is also still supported. Which technique the system actually uses for output management for a certain object (like a purchase order) depends on the following Customizing setting:

SAP Customizing Implementation Guide → Cross-Application Components → Output Control → Manage Application Object Type Activation.

For the output/transmission of purchase orders with SAP S/4HANA output management, the SAP Fiori app Print Scheduled Purchase Orders can be used, or (using SAP GUI) the corresponding transaction code ME9FF in the SAP S/4HANA system.

In SAP S/4HANA, it is possible to define flexible workflows. This functionality can be used to replace the release procedures with classification, or it can be used additionally. For purchase orders, the workflow task is 00800238. Depending on the document type, it is possible to decide if the flexible workflow needs to be used or the release procedure using classification.

To activate the flexible workflow for a purchase order document type in Customizing, navigate the menu path: SAP Customizing Implementation Guide → Materials Management → Purchasing → Purchase Order → Flexible Workflow for Purchase Orders → Activate Flexible Workflow for Purchase Orders.

The settings for the flexible workflow are maintained using the Manage Workflows for Purchase Orders app.

A flexible workflow can be set up for one or several of the following characteristics:

• Account assignment category: Cost Center

• Account assignment category: Project

• Company code

• Material group in at least one purchase order item

• Currency

• Document type

• Purchasing group

• Purchasing organization

• Total net amount

The approval can be carried out using the SAP Fiori app My Inbox or using a mobile device. Approval flows can consist of one or several steps. It is possible to assign one or several (possible) approvers to a workflow. The approvers can be users or roles.

All organizations in the EU must be compliant with the GDPR regulations. To be compliant, SAP offers a component known as Information Lifecycle Management (SAP ILM). For procurement, the deletion of personal data in business partner master records is effected.

If business functions Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) and ILM-Based Deletion of Business Partner Data (BUPA_ILM_BF) have been activated, the necessary Customizing settings related to the blocking and deletion of business partner master data can be done in Customizing via:

SAP Customizing Implementation Guide → Cross Application Components → Data Protection. In this section in Customizing, all relevant settings for the blocking, unblocking, and the deletion of data can be found.

In Logistics Invoice Verification, direct posting to fixed assets can be allowed. The tab on which the relevant data can be entered, can be activated in Customizing via: SAP Customizing Implementation Guide → Materials Management → Logistics Invoice Verification → Incoming Invoice → Activate Direct Posting to G/L & Material Accounts & Assets.