Scheduling third party sales orders in APO

[Former Member]

Dear Experts,

Scenario:

Sales order with item category TAS (third party SAP standard) triggers a purchase requisition. The Preq calls ECC ATP check and gets scheduled simply based on planned delivery time. The delivering plant is virtual and doesnu2019t hold inventory. An inbound delivery is the only receipt against which sales order can be confirmed if at all I care to do an ATP check.

This is a standard SAP third party scenario with ATP check. The material is shipped directly to the customer from vendor and invoice by the company.

Requirement

This purchase requisition should be scheduled in APO.. Condition technique-trans. and shipment scheduling

The scheduled delivery date then should be updated to sales order schedule line.

My purpose is to schedule a delivery date based on lead times that are more conditional than the one from info record that just has a planned delivery time which is currently irrespective of customer.

Other info

Customing for checking rules is CIFd. Material is in APO with checking group maintained. All basic config exists.

The Purch req is calling ATP check ONLY in ECC that shows a delivery date offset from requested delivery date.

Why scheduling in APO and why not ECC:

I want to make use of possibly trans lanes duration in the future. by maintained t/lanes from vendors to all ship to parties.

Related question

Is TAS item category hardcoded not to call APO !

Regards,

Loknath

[pavan_verma2]

Hi,

You can do Third party orders in APO. You donot have to use item cat TAS.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_scm70/helpdata/en/9d/8b044138f9ef23e10000000a155106/frameset.htm

Thanks

Pavan Verma

[Former Member]

Thanks Pavan, RIshi

Pavan: I did browse through the config of third party ATP chcek in APO but it seems you need CRM sales orders for that.. Is that correct !

Regards,

Loknath

[pavan_verma2]

Hi Loknath,

SCM7 release restrictions says that but I saw it working from ECC to APO.

Thanks

Pavan Verma

[Former Member]

Thanks Pavan,

Is there any standard building block doc for third party orders with ATP. I didnt see one while browsing the BB library or any doc on sdn articles on this.

Thanks for the prompt replies.

Got the much needed re-assurance

Regards,

Loknath

[Former Member]

Meanwhile I read these consulting notes on third party item scheduling

210455- Confirmation of TAS items and

549364- FAQ's on scheduling of third party PO's

where SAP's design intent of PO/Preq scheduling is explained..that primarily comes from this hypothesis:

IF WE CANT CONTROL EXTERNAL VENDORS, WHY BOTHER SCHEDULING VENDOR's DATES.

Sounds like an archaic reasoning!! given we cannot practically confirm a reasonably good delivery date with albeit approximate assuming vendor has 100% materail on release date. The inforecord's planned delivery time as I mentioned is only so much...not destination specific (the vendor can potentially supply to customers across the globe with transit times varying from x to 10x)

The logic used for confirmation of third party orders based on PO scheduling is this

Backward

Release date =Requested delivery date - purchasing department processing time - planned delivery time or

Forward

Realistic delivery date =Current date + purchasing department processing time + planned delivery time

To help visualize I tried a scenario with sale order requested delivery date 3months out. The PO scheduling screen is NOT called. The order stands confirmed on requesed delivery date with the simple logic applied being

Requested delivery date = material availability date

My requirement still remains valid though.

I want to schedule TAS items in APO..using APO master data or condition technique.

I need to get a MAD date updated to the sales order schedule line for gettting a delivery date that is more conditional than info-record's planned delivery time. Not sure if this sounds technically consistent but requirement is reasonble !

Edited by: Loknath Rao on Jun 28, 2011 6:03 AM

Edited by: Loknath Rao on Jun 28, 2011 6:03 AM

Edited by: Loknath Rao on Jun 28, 2011 6:05 AM

[Former Member]

Loknath

My guess is that the whole ATP routine is bypassed in ECC in a 3rd party scenario. You can confirm this by getting a developer to apply break points in the appropriate call.

If you can confirm this, then you could use a user exit to call the ATP check in APO seperately and use the condition technique to get your results. Doesnt look easy !

Rishi Menon

[Former Member]

Hi Rishi, Pavan

I was able to call APO using the TAS item cat assignment to scheduling schema SCHEDL_TPOP within configurable process scheduling. I followed Pavan's link of source deteremination and scheduling for third party orders.

At this point I am unable to interpret the resultant dates in the schedule lines of sales order (I get 2 schedule lines-one with 0) but it is calling scheduling in APO before the purchase requistion is created and the confirmation date in the purchase requisiton is not using the planned delivery time from info-record any longer.

However the confirmation date is always fixed no matter what requested date I enter.. May be I need to review some config - f.wd-b.wd settings.

Will post the config document on sdn if I am able to make ends meet

Thanks once again

Regards,

Loknath

[pavan_verma2]

Hi Loknath,

I am not able to find BB or config document for TPOP except SAP help.

I am not able to understand why are you using TAS item category. Can you use activity type in your rule and create a P req in APO from vendor to your plant.

In this way you will see scheduling works.

Thanks

Pavan Verma

[Former Member]

Thanks Pavan,

The TAS thing is an existing config..always been used though such orders weren't scheduled and business didnt care much probabably to given some realistic delivery date view.

i shall try your suggestion and update on this.

Regards,

Loknath

[Former Member]

Loknath

If GATP is being called, then you might be able to set up the condition technique in CPS to simulate the scheduling you want - including Planned Delivery Time.

Rishi Menon

[Former Member]

My latest observation is this

I see this message in sales order processing when I call ATP check for TAS items- external materials.

Reading Workflow Definition WSXXXX in version 0001....

I note this workflow number is the same workflow corresponding to SCHEDL_TPOP scheme in CPS that I assigned the TAS item cat alias to. This is called before the "scheduled" purchase order is created (auto create back to back)

But the scheduled delivery date updated in sales order is based on release date of PO (=confirmed PO requested date + x days)

Tips appreciated. This seems like a requirement that always existed since SAP 4.6C.. I recall someone mentioning the same issue...as their business was 70% global sourced.

CPS seems like a whole module in itself to become a special consultant for ! Almost nil help documentation or even f1 help on an application that seems to have so many beautiful possible uses other than transportation scheduling.

Basic business reason: I want to confirm a reasonably good delivery date to the end customer who can be anywhere on this planet. One planned delivery date from purchasing source record is not enough.

Regards,

Loknath

Edited by: Loknath Rao on Jul 12, 2011 2:03 PM

Edited by: Loknath Rao on Jul 12, 2011 2:05 PM