Executing Lean Customer Returns (BDD)

When a customer wants to send material back to your company, you can create a corresponding returns document. This document represents the process in the system. It can be created with reference to a billing document or a sales order. The system receives all the required data on quantities and price agreements from the original document, ensuring that the correct document is processed further.

When you create the returns document, the system asks you to maintain an order reason (for example, damaged in transit). This is for the purpose of evaluation. In addition, the document automatically contains a billing block to prevent a credit memo from being created directly.

When the goods arrive at your warehouse, the corresponding goods receipt must be posted. To post, a returns delivery must first be created that references the returns document. Usually, the relevant quantity is posted to a separate returns stock rather than to the unrestricted-use stock.

Once the process is approved and the billing block is removed, the credit memo and the required accounting documents can be created. The correct amount is automatically credited to the customer account. This step can be performed independent of the posting of the goods receipt.

As an alternative to creating the credit memo, you can create a subsequent delivery that is free of charge and that references the returns document.

The figure, BDD – Process Diagram, is the process diagram for scope item BDD, Customer Returns.

The following are the main steps in the process:

1. Create Return Order: confirm the customer's intention to return the goods and initiate the process.

2. Create Return Delivery: initiate the inbound shipping of the goods.

3. Post Good Receipt: confirm the return of the goods to stock.

4. Remove Billing Block: confirm the authorization of credit to the customer.

5. Create Billing Document: create and send the credit note to the customer.

The figure, Business Benefits, shows the main benefits of the Customer Returns business process.

The table, Principal SAP Roles and Fiori Apps used in Customer Returns, shows the roles and apps used in the process steps.

Using the Create Outbound Deliveries app, you can create outbound delivery runs from a list of sales documents. This app also allows you to display logs with information related to your sales orders or deliveries. For example, if errors occur while you are creating deliveries, the system issues a message to the log. Similarly, the system issues a message to the log if you successfully create a delivery. Following is a list of key features:

• Able to search for sales documents due for delivery using basic filter options. you can also search using additional filter options
• Able to sort table entries by ascending or descending and then select the filter option you want to sort by
• Able to personalize table columns by selecting the columns you want to display in the Sales Documents Due for Delivery table
• Able to display a log that provides information about the delivery run that you have created
• Able to create outbound deliveries from sales documents

With the Create Billing Documents app, you can create billing documents, for example, invoices and credit memos, from items in the billing due list. This includes debit memo requests, sales orders, deliveries, and other Sales and Distribution (SD) documents. You can also generate temporary billing documents that you can review before converting them to final billing documents.

When searching, you can show or hide the filter bar. You can save your filter settings and restore the original settings.

Saved layout variants also save the values that you have set in filters. You can share saved layout variants with other system users. Following are view and Search features:

• Able to search using basic filters; by document number, document category, and sold-to-party for all billing due list items created before and including a certain date
• Able to search using additional features; add additional filters to the filter bar and filter by sales organization, by billing type, by customer project or billing document issue
• Able to select the columns that you want to display
• Able to sort the displayed data by one or more data types
• Able to group the data
• Able to use page variants to save and load custom filter and column layouts that you have created

The Create Billing Documents app has the following transactional features:

• Display details of any SD document in the billing due list (for example, sales order, outbound delivery or credit memo request) by choosing the corresponding document number.
• You can make billing settings so that the system performs intended actions automatically when you create billing documents.
• You can select one or more items in the billing due list to create billing documents for them.
• After you have created billing documents, you can manage them using the Manage Billing Documents app.

According to the billing settings, the following actions are performed by the system when creating billing documents:

• Enter the billing date and type before billing.

  If you enable this setting and choose to create billing documents, the system requests a billing date and the required billing type before creating billing documents.

• Create separate billing document for each item of billing due list.

  If you enable this setting and choose to create billing documents, the system creates separate billing documents for each item of the billing due list that you have selected.

• Automatically post billing documents

  The system automatically posts all billing documents that you create to accounting and triggers output (for example, an invoice by e-mail). Note that if you do not choose to post billing documents automatically, you must post them manually using the Manage Billing Documents app.

• Display billing documents after creation.

  The system generates and displays temporary billing documents for the SD documents that you have selected for billing. You then have the option to save or discard them. Saving converts them to final billing documents, while discarding them returns you to the billing due list.