PurReq Item Category for Subcontracting

[Former Member]

Hi,

As I understand it, for a subcontracting Purchase Req the item category 'L' should be use to trigger the BOM explosion.

The issue I have here is that I cannot get APO to set this 'L' Category. The situation is as below:

• Subcontracted Finished good demand is STR distribution demand from another location. (PReqRel)
• Master data is: MRP type PD, Special procurement type 30 and procurement type F

We run SNP Heuristics for the plant and it creates supply for the demand, the supply created by Heuristics is a PurReq.

This PurReq is passed to ECC and is seen in MD04 but has no item category populated and therefore no BOM explosion.

When I re-test the same scenario but rather than running heuristics in APO, I run ECC MRP against the original PReqRel demand, MRP creates the PurReq's to meet demand and these correctly have the item category 'L'. and therefore component SUBREQs are created.

So the problem I hope the forum can help with is:

Why can I not get APO created PurReq's to have the item category of L automatically assigned? what settings in APO are needed? As you can see above the master data seems to be correct and allows MRP to assign 'L'. So what is APO missing? Why can MRP do it and not APO?

S SB

[Former Member]

Hi S SB,

You can control it by the following master data:

Procurement type = X

Special procurement key = 30

Create production versions. Advised to use some different production number range. transfer them to APO as SNP PDS.

By these settings, SNP hueristic will create the SNP planned order using specific SNP PDS. You can convert those planned orders to subcontracting purchase reqs (item category L) in transaction MD15. You can also develop a transaction variant of MD15 with more selection parameters like production version, etc, and alway converting them to subcontracting purchase reqs.

Regards,

Mukesh

[sap_pp13]

S SB, When you executed the heuristic, was that referencing the 9ASNPSBC planning book/SUBCONTRACTING data view? This has got the subcon specific KF's to reference.

[Former Member]

No, we do not use that planning book.

We have SAP looking at the issue for us via an OSS call, as it just does not make sense. Everything appears set up.

I will leave this thread open for the time being, and post any update if/when we get something from SAP.

[ravi_malpani]

Hi!

When you create Purchase Requisition by Running APO Heuristics, what is the Document type seen in Preq details in R3?

It would be good if you can specifiy the document types in both the cases mentioned by you.

Regards,
Ravi

[Former Member]

In both cases the document type is ZDMR.

Custom, but the same.

Can you advise if you would normally expect a APO created PurReq to have an L item category on if the procurement type is F, and special procurement type is 30? also we have a PIR and the vendor location CIF'ed to APO.

Would you normally expect that to be enough?

Or, do we need a PDS? (we don't want APO to explode the BOM though, MRP should do that. So I have not created a PDS for it so far.

[ravi_malpani]

Hi!

Yes. It is normal to expect APO to create a Pur Req with Item category L in case of Subcontracting. PDS is not compulsory. Hope your PIR is of Subcontracting type. Consequently, Radio button of Subcontracting should be selected in the "Form of Procurement" in Transportation lane in APO. If not then this is the root cause.

Additionally, check the MRP group maintained in MRP1 tab in R3 Material master. Then check the Document type configured for SC for combination of Plant-MRP Type in transaction OMDT in R3.

Regards,

Ravi

[Former Member]

Hi Ravi,

Document type configured for SC for plant / MRP type combination in OMDT is ZDMR. (as expected)

The translane has the required settings already. (as you described above).

Everything seems as it should be, its just not working as expected.

Any other ideas?

[ravi_malpani]

Well! Other idea is to once again review the complete master data set-up. Make sure following master data exisit for Subcontracting:

Eg. If A is header and B is component

1. Procurement Type F-30 in ECC and X in APO for A

2. Subcontracting type Purchasing Info record (PIR) for A

3. Transportation lane "Subcontractor-->Plant" for A. Type of procurement should be Subcontracting. Also maintain Means of Transport.

4. Manually create T lane "Plant-->Subcontractor" for Product B. Also maintain Means of Transport.

5. PDS / PPM at Subcontractor / Vendor location for Product A.

6. Production version maintained for Product A in ECC

7. Same production version is maintained in PIR

8. All the master data and transaction data Integration models are active

9. Distribution definitions are defined in APO

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_scm70/helpdata/EN/68/f3593b0972fa72e10000000a11402f/content.htm?frameset...

Regards,

Ravi

Message was edited by: Ravi M

[frank_horlacher]

Hi S SB,

Check out the document 'MRP-based Detailed Scheduling and Subcontracting' in SCN.

It is not exactly what you are asking but it has some information on Subcontracting in APO.

-- Frank Horlacher