Automate Purchasing Approval —

Dos and Don’ts When Designing

and Implementing SAP Release
Strategy

Isaac Mazliach
S.D.M. Israel
© 2007 Wellesley Information Services. All rights reserved.
What We’ll Cover …

• Release Strategy – what is it?

• Classification system: Search, select, and
define parameters
• Which parameters to use and which NOT to use
• A simple Workflow customization
• Wrap-up

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Release Strategy – What is It?
• Release Strategy is SAP’s process to approve purchasing
documents from the early releases of SAP R/3 up to the latest
releases of ECC
• IMG link:
 IMG > Materials Management > Purchasing > Purchase Requisition
> Release Procedure
 IMG > Materials Management > Purchasing > Purchase Order >
Release Procedure for Purchase Orders
 IMG > Materials Management > Purchasing > Contract > Release
Procedure for Contracts
 IMG > Materials Management > External Services
Management > Define release Procedure for Service
Entry Sheet

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Release Strategy Configuration

• Release Strategy is not so difficult to configure – as

long as maintaining it is taken into consideration at the design
phase
• We will talk about:
 Classification in Release Strategy
 Which fields should be used and which ones should not
 How to easily introduce Workflow into the process

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Release Strategy Implementation

• Release Strategy may be implemented for the

following documents:
 Purchase Order
 Purchase Requisition
 Contracts
 Service Entry Sheet

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What We’ll Cover …

• Release Strategy – what is it?

• Classification system: Search, select, and
define parameters
• Which parameters to use and which NOT to use
• A simple Workflow customization
• Wrap-up

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Classification – What is It?

• Classification is a general method in R/3 and ECC to search

and select objects
 It is part of the cross application component
• The classification system allows you to use characteristics to
describe all types of objects and to group similar objects in
classes – to classify objects, so that you can find them easily
• SAP has predefined a number of object types (for example,
materials and equipment)
 The settings for these object types have already been defined
during customization, so you can start to set up your classification
system for these object types without defining further settings

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Steps to Use the Classification Mechanism

• SAP also uses the classification mechanism to define the

parameters of the Release Strategy
 Use characteristics to describe the properties of objects
 Create characteristics centrally in the SAP R/3 system
 Create classes to classify objects
 Classes must be set up

 Assign characteristics to the classes

 Assign objects to the classes you require for classification
 Use the characteristics of the class to describe the objects you

classify

Release Strategy uses class

type = 032
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Communication Structures Characteristics

• Characteristics for Release Strategy use the following

communication structures:
 Purchase Order and Contracts: CEKKO
 Purchase Requisition: CEBAN
 Service Entry Sheet: CESSR

Purchase Order and Contracts use the

same class in Release Strategy. Therefore,
analyze them both when you design the
Warning
characteristics values!

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 Classification – Create Class and Assign Characteristics
• SAP Menu > Cross-Application Components > Classification System >
Master Data > Characteristics

Data type Make sure Enter the table Enter the field name
assigned these name (e.g., (from the table).
from parameters Purchase Order See all table fields in
reference are correct to data = CEKKO) txn SE11.
field data your needs
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Classification – Create Class and Assign
Characteristics (cont.)
• SAP Menu > Cross-Application Components > Classification
System > Master Data > Classes

Class type for

Release
Strategy
must be 032
Assign the
characteristics to
the class

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Classification – User Exit Enhancement

• In the case that the standard fields in CEKKO, CEBAN,

CESSR are not sufficient, use your own logic to enhance
these communication structures with the following
user exits:
 M06B0001: Changes to communication structure for release
of requisitions
 M06B0005: Changes to communication structure for overall release
of purchase requisitions
 M06E0004: Changes to communication structure for release of
purchasing document (Purchase Orders and Contracts)
 SRVREL: Changes to communication structure for release

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Options to Use Release Strategy

• There are two options: With or without classification

 Option 1 – Without classification
 An overly simplified solution

 Includes constant parameters (e.g., price)

 Option 2 – With classification

 Characteristics

 Class (class type 032)

 Allows much more functionality than without classification

 Very flexible

 Allows fine-tuning with user exit

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How Does it Work?

• When one creates a document, SAP checks if it corresponds

to a Release Strategy and applies the Release Strategy to it
automatically
• Assign the authorization M_EINK_FRG to the persons who
are to be involved in the release procedure

Q: What happens when no corresponding

Release Strategy is found?
A: The document is released immediately!

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Purchase Order with Release Strategy

There is a Release
strategy tab; therefore
the Purchase Order
is subject to
Release Strategy

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Purchase Order Without Release Strategy
There is no Release
strategy tab; therefore
the Purchase Order
is released

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Release Strategy – Setup

• The process: Choose

parameters

Create Release Define

Codes characteristics

Define
Create Release class
Indicators
Assign
characteristics
Combine all
to class
above in Release
Strategies
Assign class
to Release
Group
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Important Release Strategy Setup Tips!

• Classification data is treated in SAP as Master Data

 Therefore it is not transferred with Transport Request – Use
Application Link Enabling (ALE) for that purpose
 Use the following paths:

 BD91 - SAP Menu > Tools > ALE > Master Data Distribution
> Logistics > Classification >
Characteristic > Send
 BD92 - SAP Menu > Tools > ALE > Master Data Distribution
> Logistics > Classification > Class > Send
 BD93 - SAP Menu > Tools > ALE > Master Data Distribution
> Logistics > Classification >
Classification > Send

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Release Strategy – Classification Setup

• 1.1 – Define
Characteristics
(txn CT04)

• 1.2 – Define Class and

assign Characteristics
(txn CL02)

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1.3 in IMG for Release Group

• Assign the class you created

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1.4 Create Release Codes

• A 2-digit identifier of a person to release a document

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1.5 Create Release Indicator

• 1-digit identifier
of the release status
(e.g., not released,
partially released,
released)

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1.6 Create Release Strategies

• Combine all of the previous Release Strategies:

 List the Release Codes per specific Release Strategy
 Create the Release Sequence
 Per each Release, define its relevant Release Indicator
 Assign the values of the assigned characteristics
(e.g., value 0  $10,000)

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Release Prerequisite and Status

Release statuses:
Release prerequisite: • These settings mean that if
• These settings mean that not released, the indicator
the order of release is MR, will be “2”
then SM, and last MN • If MR released, the indicator
will be “4” and so on
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Release Strategy Classification

These settings mean that MR, SM,

and MN will release the orders
that have the characteristics:
• Company code = 1000
• Order type: NB
• Purchasing organization =
1000
• Order value > $200,000
• Purchasing group = 101

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What We’ll Cover …

• Release Strategy – what is it?

• Classification system: Search, select, and
define parameters
• Which parameters to use and which NOT to use
• A simple Workflow customization
• Wrap-up

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Which Parameters to Use
• The following points should be considered when deciding
which parameters to use:
 Parameters needed by the organization’s rules
 Mostly document value (price × quantity) is used
 Use range
 Do not override values
 Make sure no ranges are missed (e.g., 0-100, > 100)
 If both contracts and POs are implemented – use document type or
document category as one of the parameters
 Add parameters that do not change often, such as plant, company
code, account assignment category, item
category, etc.
 Why? Because when the parameter changes – the release strategy
will have to be modified.

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Which Parameters NOT to Use

• Consider the following points when deciding on parameters

not to use:
 Do not use parameters that may change too often, such as cost
center, purchasing group, material group, etc.
 Why? If a release strategy is not found – the document is
immediately released.
 For example: A cost center is used, and a new cost center is

added – the new requisition to this cost center may be released

immediately!

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What We’ll Cover …

• Release Strategy – what is it?

• Classification system: Search, select, and
define parameters
• Which parameters to use and which NOT to use
• A simple Workflow customization
• Wrap-up

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Release Strategy or Workflow?

• Release Strategy
 Works on “pull” strategy, i.e., the user should enter a transaction,
enter his/her Release Code, and receive a list of the appointed
documents waiting to be released
• Workflow
 Works on the “push” strategy, i.e., a document that is waiting to be
released is sent via email to the person’s mailbox. After releasing the
document, it is sent to the next person’s mailbox.

Important
Workflow is built on the ground of the
Release Strategy; first you create
the Release Strategy, then you add the Workflow to it
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Workflow – is it Complicated?

• Many SAP customers think that Workflow is very difficult to

configure and set
• It may be true only if Workflow is implemented from
scratch ... this process may take a few months
BUT …
• SAP provides a simple Workflow in Release Strategy to
be used without any programming
• This Workflow may be implemented faster and easier!

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Workflow Activation

• Before implementing the Release Strategy Workflow,

Workflow must be activated
 Txn SWU3

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Workflow Activation (cont.)

• Txn SWETYPV
 For PO – enable (activate) event BUS2012
 For PR – enable (activate) event BUS2009

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Workflow Activation (cont.)

• Txn PFTC
 Task type: Workflow template
 Task (PO release): 20000075  display

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Use the Following Link (e.g., Purchase Order)

• IMG > Materials Management > Purchase Order > Release

Procedure for Purchase Order > Define …
• In the opened window – choose Release Codes and enter “1”
in the “Workflow” field

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Use the Following Link (e.g., Purchase Order) (cont.)

• IMG > Materials Management > Purchase Order > Release

Procedure for Purchase Order > Define …
• In the opened window, choose Workflow and enter the
relationship between a Release Code and an SAP user
• Result: All releases will be directed to the user email

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What We’ll Cover …

• Release Strategy – what is it?

• Classification system: Search, select, and
define parameters
• Which parameters to use and which NOT to use
• A simple Workflow customization
• Wrap-up

37
Resources

• www.workflowbook.com
 Assign agent to task
 Activate events

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7 Key Points to Take Home

• Release Strategy uses the “pull” strategy as opposed to

Workflow, which uses the “push” strategy
• Select parameters that do not have too many values or
change too often – this will reduce your maintenance
• If a purchasing document did not “find” a suitable Release
Strategy – it will be released automatically
• When “standard” parameters are not enough – use user exits
to enhance your release selection options

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7 Key Points to Take Home (cont.)

• Make sure there are no redundancies – you may end up with

unexpected results
• Avoid going live with Workflow. Use Release Strategy first,
allow the system to be stabilized, and then introduce
Workflow.
• Design is the key. Good design will reduce your maintenance
efforts long into the future.

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Your Turn!

How to contact me:

Isaac Mazliach
[email protected]
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