Source of Supply

[Former Member]

Hi everybody,

We are on SRM 5.0 (classic mode). When we create a described requirement the system gets all the sources of supply from the backend system. If there are many sources of supply the system does not assign any one source of supply automatically. However if there is only one source of supply the system automatically assigns the source of supply. Is there a way to not have the system assign the souce of supply to the shopping basket (when there is only one source of supply available)? This should happen only for described requirements shopping basket.

Any ideas or suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Venkat

[former_member195032 · Accepted solution]

In R/3 system ,you can look at implemntation of user exit.

details are as

User Exits: Materials Mgmt. (Purchasing)

The enhancement <b><i>LMEQR001</i></b> can be used in source determination to reduce the number of sources of supply suggested to the buyer to just one.

This simplifies the further processing of the document for the buyer, since the latter does not have to choose from what might otherwise be a large number of suggested possible sources.

When the enhancement is invoked, the possible sources determined for the document by the system and the necessary parameters are provided.

After this, you can reduce the number of suggestions to just one on the basis of your own criteria.

Function/Program:

EXIT_SAPLMEQR_001: User Exit for Source Determination

regards,nishant

please reward if this helps.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Sundeep - The vendor list may work only in certain instances. For example if I create a described requirement for a product category that has a vendor list, the shopping basket will get a source assigned. The idea is for all described requirements to not have a source attached.

Nishant - Actually I do not want the determination of source of supply to be changed. I just dont want any sources to be assigned to a described requirement shopping basket after the source determination is made. Also, not knowing all the details, I am thinking altering LMEQR001 will also alter how source of supply is determined in R3 which is not something I want it to happen.

To add to the above issue, do you guys know how to get rid of the info record or contract requirement for catalog items (i.e if I pick an item from the catalog, I have to actually have a info record for the corresponding catalog item to have the shopping basket converted to a PO).

Thanks for your help.

Venkat

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Venkat,

<b>

I have a quick question for you !! Does this source of supply have to be suppressed only for describe requirement or all across any shopping cart? (like internal goods/services or catalog SHC).</b>

If the requirement is to suppress source of supply all across, my suggestion is that activate sourcing via vendor list and dont create any vendor list at all. This will ensure that no source of supply is assigned from the backend and also no source of supply assigned from the vendor list as well, as you will not create a vendor list at all but will have the vendor list activated as the source of supply.

As a result of this step, your end user will not see any source of supply from the backend (contract,PIR) as vendor list will take higher precedence over PIR and Contracts from the backend and since there exists no vendor lists, there will no source of supply assigned.

Hope this workaround helps !!

Please reward points for usefull answers !!!

Sundeep

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Venkat,

On your catalog question....I dont think you require a PIR or Contract to create a PO out of a catalog item. The supplier ID that you use to create your supplier catalog will be transferred through OCI to the SRM shopping cart with partner function 19, which is a fixed vendor and SRM interprets this to be a complete shopping cart thus creating the PO.

Hope the info helps !!

Please assign points if the answer is usefull !!

Sundeep

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Sundeep -

Thanks for the quick response.

The source of supply does not have to be suppressed for all items. For described requirements only, we dont want a source of supply. That way when a described requirement is created it will create a PR in the backend and the buyer can source it from the R3 system.

Currently we are using punchout. Unless we create a info record it does not create a PO in the backend system. Is there some thing we have to do for punchouts?

Thanks for the help.

Venkat

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Venkat,

<b>Currently we are using punchout. Unless we create a info record it does not create a PO in the backend system. Is there some thing we have to do for punchouts?</b>

You dont need to get PIR and contracts for the creation of PO's from punchout catalogs. The configuration step SPRO>SRM SERVER> MASTER DATA> DEFINE EXTERNAL WEB SERVICES will let you assign the BP number for the catalog. This will be transferred to SRM shopping cart as a partner function 19 from the OCI.

Select a business type product catalog for the new Web Service and confirm your selection with Enter. Once you do that the next page will ask you for additional info liek teh BP number for source of supply. This step will automatically ensure the transfer of the source of supply to SRM as a fixed vendor and enable the PO creation.

If this is satisfied with this step, then you can suppress the source of supply with my workaround solution only for describe requirement. '

Also i have a business question for you. If you want to suppress the source of supply of a product category only in the describe requirement, it really doesnt make sense as in the internal goods you use the source of supply for the same product category.

If your business driver is creation of the follow on document on the basis of the shopping cart (describe requirement or internal goods/services), then i guess for the same product category you need to find a distinguishing criteria between the two and use a BADI to force changing the partner function from 19 to 39 (preferred vendor). This will create a PR for describe requirement.

Hope info helps !!

Please assign points if answer is usefull !!

Sundeep

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Sundeep -

Thanks for the ultra quick responses!

I have configured the external web services the way you have described and yet without info record or contract, the system does not create a PO in the backend system. If I can make the catalog shopping baskets work without info records, your vendor list solution will work.

We do not use internal goods/services here. EBP is used for catalog and describe requirements only.

I will send you a screenshot of my config for the external web services. Let me know if you see anything glaring.

Thanks for your help.

Venkat

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Venkat,

The screen shots that you have sent are the right configuration. Now what is happening is and you can see this in BBP_PD is that the source of supply for the punch out catalog item is a fixed vendor but a PR is being created.

So the problem doesnt lie with populating the fixed vendor but lies with when the data is being interpreted, it asks R/3 the permission to create a PO but these is a message in table T160m message 334 and class 06. If this message is a error, it will inhibit the creation of a PO. As this error looks for a PIR or a contract to allow creation of a PO, if not then it just creates a PR. If this message is changed to warning you should see PO creation and the vendor list solution should work for the other scenario.

Also check out this OSS note to help creation of PO. SAP Note number: 140846

There is another OSS note on this topic which i dont recall. I will look for my docs and send you the OSS note.

Thanks,

PLease assign points if answer is usefull !!

Sundeep

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Sundeep -

Your suggestion worked. Thanks for your help.

One final question do you see any impacts (eg mainly in POs created through MRP) to changing message 334 to warning in the R3 system? I think making this message a warning would open up at the minimum ME57 PR processing without info records.

I have awarded points so far. Once you reply to my final question I will close this chain.

Thanks

Venkat

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Venkat,

I dont think this will have a huge impact at all. Also there is an OSS note that takes care of creation of PO's without flipping the message. I will keep you posted once i find that note.

Thanks,

Sundeep

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks Sundeep! I am closing this thread. I have assigned points for all the answers.

Venkat

[Former Member]

Dear Venkat,

I am having the similar issue,which in describe requirement,i have to restrcit the source of supply for only Good Items.

Could you please share with me if you have any solution with you on this.

Thanks for all your help.

Best regards

Murali Talchuru

[Former Member]

Venkat,

I have a workaround solution for your requirement. If you dont want to assign a source of supply automatically from the backend (PIR, Contracts etc), all you can do is activate sourcing by vendor lists and this will suppress your sourcing in the describe requirement. Not a great solution, but an easy work around.

Please tell me if this works or we can think of some other solution !!

Please assign points if answer is usefull !!

Sundeep

[Former Member]

Dear Sundeep,

I am having the similar issue,which in describe requirement,i have to restrcit the source of supply for only Good Items.

Could you please share with me if you have any solution with you on this.

Thanks for all your help.

Best regards

Murali Talchuru