Release Procedure for Purchase Order

In this blog, we share the set up the release (approval) procedures for Purchase Order

There are two Release procedure are available for Purchase Order
- Release Procedure without Classification
- Release Procedure with Classification

Release Procedure with Classification:

This release procedure for external purchasing documents RFQ, Purchase Order, Contract, Scheduling Agreement and Service Entry Sheet.

This release procedure can be configured for header.

For External Purchasing Documents – release is possible only at Header Level
Here we are defining steps of the Release Procedure for Purchase Order at Header Level.

Following steps to be configured for Release Strategy for Purchase Order:

Step 1 - Create Characteristics

In this step, we define the characteristics – specify the conditions to trigger the Release Strategy for Purchase Order. The inputs to be decide by the client, which condition to be defined
Characteristics: PO Doc. Type, Plant, Purch. Org and Value

Go to Transaction CT04
OR
Menu Path – SPRO -> SAP Ref. IMG. -> Materials Management -> Purchase Order -> Release Procedure for Purchase Oder -> Edit Characteristics

Characteristic 1- ZPO_VALUE
In Basic Data, Description – PO Value, Status – Released
Data Type – CURR (Currency) 13 Dec. - 2, Value Assignment – Multiple Values
In Addnl. Data, Table – CEKKO Field Name –GNETW
In Value Tab, maintain < 10,000.00 INR, 10,000.00 - 100,000.00 INR and < 10,000.00 INR

Characteristic 2 – ZPO_PLANT
In Basic Data, Description – PR Plant, Status – Released
Data Type – CHAR (Characters) 4, Value Assignment – Multiple Values
In Addnl. Data, Table – CEKKO Field Name – WERKS
In Value Tab, maintain 1000 and 1001

Characteristic 3 – ZPO_DOC TYPE
In Basic Data, Description – PR Doc. Type, Status – Released
Data Type – CHAR (Characters) 4, Value Assignment – Multiple Values
In Addnl. Data, Table – CEKKO Field Name – BSART
In Value Tab, maintain NB and FO

Characteristic 4 – ZPO_PURORG
In Basic Data, Description – Purch. Org., Status – Released
Data Type – CHAR (Characters) 4, Value Assignment – Multiple Values
In Addnl. Data, Table – CEKKO Field Name – EKORG
In Value Tab, maintain 1000 and 1001


Step 2 – Create Class

Here we define the Class for the Release Purchase Order and assign all the Characteristics defined above to the Class so that release strategy to be triggered when all the condition are met.
The default Class Type – “032” for Release Strategy

Go to Transaction CL02
OR
Menu Path – SPRO -> SAP Ref. IMG. -> Materials Management -> Purchase Order -> Release Procedure for Purchase Oder -> Edit Class

Provide the Class Name – ZPO_REL_STR
Class Type – 032 (Release Strategy)

In Basic Data, Description – PO Release Strategy
Status – Released
Valid From – 01.01.2018 Valid To – 31.12.2018
Same Classification – Do not check/ Warning Message
And then assign Characteristic in the Characteristic Tab – ZPO_VALUE, ZPO_PLANT, ZPO_DOC TYPE, ZPO_PURORG

Step 3 – Define Release Procedure for Purchase Orders

Menu Path – SPRO -> SAP Ref. IMG. -> Materials Management -> Purchase Order -> Release Procedure for Purchase Oder -> Define Release Procedure for Purchase Orders

i. Release Group
ii. Release Codes
iii. Release Indicator
iv. Release Strategies

Release Group:
Default Release Object 2 for Purchase Order
Define the Release Group and assign the created Class - ZPO_REL_STR
Rel . Grp. - P1
Rel.Obj. - 2
Class – ZPO_REL_STR
Description – PO Release Strategy

Release Codes:
In this step, we assign Release Codes to Release Group
Type for User Release Code
Creator R1
Checker         R2
Approver         R3

Rel. Grp Rel. Code Workflow Description
P1         R1                 Creator
P1        R2                 Checker
P1        R3                Approver

Release Indicators:
Release Indicator shows the status of a Purchase Order
Release ID Released Changeable %Value Chng Description
B 4/6 Blocked
R X 1 Released

1 Cannot be changed
2 Changeable, no new determination of strategy
3 Changeable, new release in case of new strategy
4 Changeable, new release in case of new strat. or val. change
5 Changeable, new release if new strategy/outputted
6 Changeable, new rel. if new strat. or value change/outputted
Changeable, new release in case of new strategy

Release Strategies:
It defines the approval process of Purchase Order. Here we define the order in which individuals or departments release the PR in sequence.

Rel. Grp. Rel. Str. Description
P1 A1 PR Release Strategy

Release Codes
R1 Creator
R2 Checker
R3 Approver

Now click on push button “Release Prerequisites” and tick the check box in ascending order and press Continue
Click on push button “Release Statuses” and check the release statuses and press Continue
Click on push button “Classification” and define the values in the characteristic or can define the values in the Transaction Code CL20N or CL24N
Click on push button “Release Simulation” and check whether release is getting affected for configured release codes or not.

Now create the Purchase Order with T. Code – ME21N with the above condition define in the Characteristic and click on Check button, this will activate the Release Strategy tab in the Header Level of the Purchase Order

For Individual Release – ME29N

For Collective Release – ME28