SD-Get Invoice number at the time of SO creation

[Former Member]

Dear Experts,

I am in a situation where i have to map this requirement,

The scenario is like, sales order will be created and for that production order will be generated and it will take 20 days to complete. Those goods will be shipped to different countries through ships and shipping is arranged by external agency.

Now, after SO created, client will send the SO details to shipping agency, they will take 15 days to arrange for ships and others. Requirement is, at time of sending the SO details to shipping agency "invoice number " also should be sent, but in our system after creating delivery document only we will raise invoice. Client needs upcoming invoice number in prior. Because that registered agency will cross verify weather invoice number sent to them and raised to customers both are same or not.

Is there any way to achieve this. Please suggest me your solutions.

Regards,

Prabhu.

[moazzam_ali · Accepted solution]

Hi

You can use proforma invoice here which we use in export for such requirements. Search on this. If document number range is really a critical issue then you can use external number range. Check these two possibilities and update.

Thank$

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Dear Moazzam,

If i am going for proforma means i can generate and send to agency by specifying the proforma number on SO copy. Again on that same number i cannot create original invoice also.

With external number range i can do this anyhow.

but is there any way to achieve this through development ??

regards,

prabhu.

[moazzam_ali · Accepted solution]

Hi

When there is solution in standard then why do you want to go for development?

If you really want to go for development then you have to take help of an expert ABAPER and ask him to use number range userexit and object and assign same number to original invoice which you have assigned to proforma invoice. Here you have to maintain a Z table because system won't save duplicate numbers in VBRK.

My suggestion is to use external number range and assign same numbers to proforma and original invoice.

Another option could be to generate invoice when you create order. Post this invoice for blocking and when you need to create original invoice you post this previously created invoice in FI with VF02 green flag.

Thank$

[former_member184771 · Accepted solution]

Dear Prabhu,

With development also it will be difficult, but if you use some codification for final invoice no. ex: FNXXXXXXX and for Performa Invoice  no.: ex: PNXXXXXXX, then probably with the help of external no. same can be achieved.

Thanks.

SS

[former_member182378]

Prabhu,

Basically the agency wants to match document sent to them with the bill sent to customer, this you want to do with the real billing document no.

Use PO number, this is the number of the order given by the customer. This number can be printed on the proforma and sent to the agency. And it can be printed in the real bill. So the agency will match this PO number in both the documents (proforma and the real bill).

NOTE: This PO number should be unique for each sales order.

TW

[Former Member]

Thank you typewriter sir. i will suggest your suggestion to client and come back to you for your comments.

[former_member182378]

Prabhu,

If you get a chance to discuss with your client, ask him/her what is the business need?

Not how to fulfill it. e.g.invoice no. to be same in proforma and invoice - forget this....what do you want? do you want to match......? why?

Then you will know the need and give the design in SAP to fulfill that need.

TW

[Jelena]

All billing documents are stored in VBRK table and document number is primary key so, naturally, we can't have two different documents with the same exact document number. But why is this even a requirement? Proformas have been used in the export scenarios for ages. The "real" invoice gets generated at later time. None of the freight agencies I'm aware of had any problems with them and none had this odd "invoice matching" requirement. Has anyone asked the freight agent what is this for and why?

[Former Member]

Dear jelena,

Here our client is following this way for more than 20+ years, In their legacy system they have a provision to get the same, so they are expecting the same in sap also. Forwarding agent also creates his own invoice in his system with the same invoice number sent by our client.

Regards,

Prabhu.

[Jelena]

But that's the exact purpose of SAP implementation to get the customers off their old processes and implement "best practices". If company was doing something for 20 years it does not necessarily make it good. Dragging the old stuff from legacy system to SAP is one of the worst mistakes one can make in their SAP implementation. And it should be the consultant's job to advice the customer on the best practices.

I'm still not sure why your billing to the customer is of any concern to the freight agent. Why/how would they even get access to your final invoice? You create the delivery, create a proforma, give them the goods, they deliver them, end of story. You send the invoice to the customer as you please. If freight agent needs to send an invoice to you, they can put delivery or proforma number there. There is no requirement whatsoever in SAP to have any other document on their invoice (it's for your reference only anyway).

We deal with many shipping agencies and most either use delivery number or their own reference (like tracking number). This never came up as an issue.

This business requirement is clearly in need of further investigation IMHO.

[Former Member]

Hi Prabhu,

                 I am sharing a screen shot of the TSCM60 work on these lines I think it should be helpful

Regards

Anwer Suleman

[Former Member]

Hi Prabhu,

                    you mentioned that,

Because that registered agency will cross verify weather invoice number sent to them and raised to customers both are same or not.

So you would need to generate an actual invoice and send it to the customer. Please Update, give more detail please about verification process.

Regards

Anwer Suleman

[Former Member]

Dear Anwer,

All i need is, Before creating invoice client will send SO copy with invoice number to shipping department containing all material, quantity details. Now say after 20 days client will raise original invoice and send to the customer through shipping department. That time they will verify SO copy and Invoice copy details matches or what. But in standard sap at the time of SO creation we will not come to know invoice number know. is there any way to get that is my requirement.

Regards,

Prabhu