Purchase return orders

A return order is a purchase order for which returned shipments are reported. A return order can include only negative amounts. With a purchase return order, you can return inventory units or rejected goods to the supplier. Usually, these goods are rejected during inspection.

Return order master data

To use return orders, you must:

Step 1. Specify purchase order types for return orders

Specify purchase order types for return orders in the Purchase Order Type (tdpur0694m000) session.

For the Return Order field in the Purchase Order Type (tdpur0694m000) session, you can specify these return order types:

  • Return Inventory, used to return inventory.
  • Return Rejects, used to return rejects from quarantine inventory.

If the Direct Delivery check box is selected for the order type, you can only specify Return Inventory in the Return Order field.

Step 2. Link a warehousing order type to the purchase order type

Link a warehousing order type to the return order type in the Warehousing Order Type field of the Purchase Order Type (tdpur0694m000) session. The warehousing order type's Inventory Transaction Type must be set to Issue in the Warehousing Order Types (whinh0110m000) session.

If the received goods must be inspected, you must select a warehousing order type with a linked inspection procedure.

If the Direct Delivery check box is selected for the purchase order type, you cannot specify a warehousing order type.

Step 3. Link activities to the return order type

Link activities to the order type in the Purchase Order Type (tdpur0694m000) session.

LN links the following mandatory activities to the return order type:

  • Release Purchase Orders to Warehousing (tdpur4246m000)
  • Purchase Receipts (tdpur4106m000)
  • Process Delivered Purchase Orders (tdpur4223m000)
Step 4. Link order type and series for Return Rejects to the purchase order parameters

To generate Return Rejects purchase orders, in the Order Type for Return Rejection and Order Series for Return Rejection fields in the Purchase Order Parameters (tdpur0100m400) session, select the order type and series that you specified in the Purchase Order Type (tdpur0694m000) session.

Return Inventory procedure
  1. Purchase Orders (tdpur4100m000)

    Using the Purchase Orders (tdpur4100m000) session:

    1. Create a purchase order header with the purchase order type Return Inventory.
    2. Specify the Original Document Type.
    3. Specify the Original Document Number.
    4. Specify the return reason for the return order in the Return Reason field. The reason type must be set to Return of Goods.
    5. After you create a link between a return order and an original document number, click Copy from Original Document on the appropriate menu. A session is started from which you can copy lines to the return order. The lines that are added to the purchase order have a negative quantity and a negative amount. Optionally, you modify the data of these lines. You can also manually add purchase order lines to the return order.
  2. Release Purchase Orders to Warehousing (tdpur4246m000)

    After the purchase return order is approved, release the order to Warehousing. The status of the purchase order is set to In Process and the activity status is set to Awaiting Shipment in the Purchase Order Line Status (tdpur4534m000) session.

  3. Generate Outbound Advice (whinh4201m000)

    If the Include Return Orders check box is selected in this session, LN generates an outbound and shipment advice for the quantity that must be returned.

  4. Process Delivered Purchase Orders (tdpur4223m000)

    After the shipping process is executed by Warehousing, the purchase order status continues to be In Process, but the activity status is set to Process Purchase Orders in the Purchase Order Line Status (tdpur4534m000) session. Consequently, you must process the return order in the Process Delivered Purchase Orders (tdpur4223m000) session.

Pegging

Specific conditions are applicable for returning pegged inventory.

If a return order line is linked to an original document, the linked peg distribution is defaulted. If a return order line is not linked to an original document, you can manually specify a peg distribution for the return order line.

You can manually update the defaulted peg distribution. The return order line's pegs can differ from the pegs on the original document.

If two purchase return order lines are linked to a specific original schedule line/schedule receipt line, for both order lines, the same return order quantity and peg distribution are defaulted. As a result, you must manually decrease the return order quantity and update the peg distribution.

Return Rejects procedure

To return production material to buy-from and ship-from business partners, you can generate purchase return orders from quarantine inventory in the Quarantine Inventory Disposition (whwmd2172m000) session. These orders can be linked to an original purchase document, but this is not mandatory.

To return the quarantine inventory, set the Disposition field to Return to Vendor in the Quarantine Inventory Disposition (whwmd2172m000) session. Select the disposition lines, and click Process on the appropriate menu of the Quarantine Inventory Disposition (whwmd2172m000) session, to generate a purchase return order of the type Return Rejects in the Purchase Order (tdpur4100m900) session.

If the return order cannot be linked to an original document, LN verifies whether the combination of item, and buy-from/ship-from business partner of the disposition line(s) is available in the purchase order actual or history data. If not, a warning message is displayed.

After a return order is generated, the generated return order number is displayed on the Disposition Order tab in the Quarantine Inventory Disposition (whwmd2172m000) session.

You must approve the purchase return order to start the (regular) outbound procedure.

For more information, refer to Process quarantine inventory - return to vendor.

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