Flexible purchase order processing

You can automate the processing of purchase orders. For each activity that is linked to an order type, you can specify its execution mode: automatic or manual.

The execution of the order procedure activities can start when a user approves the order. After approval of an order, all automatic activities are executed successively until an activity is defined as nonautomatic. After you manually executed the nonautomatic activity, LN executes the next automatic activity, etc.

To enable flexible order processing, you must first specify this data:

Purchase order types and purchase order type activities.
Default devices to which (error) reports for a user are printed.

Purchase order types and activities

Specify purchase order types and link activities to the order types in the Purchase Order Type (tdpur0694m000) session. By selecting or clearing the Automatic check box for an activity, you can specify its execution mode.

Important!

Ensure that the list of activities that is linked to an order type is extensive enough to cover all processes that can apply during execution of the order procedure. If an activity is not applicable for the order type, LN automatically skips/removes this activity.

You can view the activities that are linked to the purchase order line (detail) and the status of the activities in these sessions:

Mandatory activities

When you create an order type in the Purchase Order Type - Activities (tdpur0560m000) session, LN automatically links several mandatory activities to the order type, such as:

Generate Supply Orders for Subcontracting (tdpur4216m000). This activity is available and mandatory only for the subcontracting order type.
Release Purchase Orders to Warehousing (tdpur4246m000).
Purchase Receipts (tdpur4106m000).
Update Sales / Service Order with Delivery Information (tdpur4222m000). This activity is available and mandatory only for the direct delivery order type.
Process Delivered Purchase Orders (tdpur4223m000).

Note

For the consignment payment order type, the activities Release Purchase Orders to Warehousing (tdpur4246m000) and Purchase Receipts (tdpur4106m000) are not linked.
For the direct delivery order type, the activity Release Purchase Orders to Warehousing (tdpur4246m000) is not linked.

Optional activities

Various optional activities are also automatically added to the Purchase Order Type - Activities (tdpur0560m000) session, such as:

Print Purchase Orders (tdpur4401m000)
Generate Freight Orders (tdpur4220m000)
Print Claims (tdpur4420m000)
Print Return Notes (tdpur4411m000)
Print Purchase Invoices (tdpur4404m000)

You can remove the optional activities from the order type, if required.

Execution of activities

The actual execution of the activities that are linked to the order type is determined during the order procedure.

For example, although Release Purchase Orders to Warehousing (tdpur4246m000) and Purchase Receipts (tdpur4106m000) can both be linked as a mandatory activity to the order type, either the Release Purchase Orders to Warehousing (tdpur4246m000) activity or the Purchase Receipts (tdpur4106m000) activity is executed during the order procedure. This applies to purchase orders with a cost or service item. A purchase order is released to Warehousing if the Release to Warehousing check box is selected in the Items - Purchase (tdipu0101m000) session for the cost or service item. If the Release to Warehousing check box is cleared, you must manually maintain the receipts for the purchase order in the Purchase Receipts (tdpur4106m000) session.

Default devices

Specify a default device to which reports are printed for the user in the Purchase User Profiles (tdpur0143m000) session.

When you insert a user profile in the Purchase User Profiles (tdpur0143m000) session, these printing sessions are automatically inserted in the Default Devices by User (tdpur0140m000) session:

Print Requests for Quotation (tdpur1401m000).
Print RFQ Reminders (tdpur1402m000).
Print Letter for Unsuccessful Bidders (tdpur1410m000).
Print Purchase Contract Acknowledgments (tdpur3405m000).
Print Purchase Contract Termination Letters (tdpur3406m000).
Print Purchase Orders (tdpur4401m000).
Print Return Notes (tdpur4411m000).
Print Claims (tdpur4420m000).

For each printing session, you can define the device that is used for printing in the Default Devices by User (tdpur0140m000) session. You can start this session by clicking Default Devices by User on the appropriate menu in the Purchase User Profiles (tdpur0143m000) session. The Device in the Default Devices by User (tdpur0140m000) session is defaulted from the Device in the Purchase User Profiles (tdpur0143m000) session, but can be overwritten in the Default Devices by User (tdpur0140m000) session.

The device search path for printing external documents:

From the Default Devices by User (tdpur0140m000) session.
From the Purchase Order Type - Activities (tdpur0560m000) session.
If no device can be found, you must select a device from a pop-up screen.

The device search path for printing internal documents:

From the Purchase User Profiles (tdpur0143m000) session.
From the Purchase Order Type - Activities (tdpur0560m000) session.
If no device can be found, you must select a device from a pop-up screen.

Note

If an error report is printed, LN always uses the device specified in the Device field of the Purchase User Profiles (tdpur0143m000) session. If no device is specified, you must select a device.
For automatically executed activities, no process reports are printed.

Purchase order status and flexible purchase order processing

Flexible purchase order processing starts when a purchase order receives the Approved status.

When a line (detail) of an approved purchase order is modified, the order header status changes to Modified. The modified purchase order line is now excluded from the automatic execution of order activities. You must re-approve the purchase order.

Example

Order type sequence	Activity	Automatic
1	Print Purchase Orders (tdpur4401m000)	Yes
2	Release Purchase Orders to Warehousing (tdpur4246m000)	Yes
4	Process Delivered Purchase Orders (tdpur4223m000)	No

Because Print Purchase Orders (tdpur4401m000) is an automatic activity, the purchase order is printed after it is approved. Next, LN automatically executes the activity Release Purchase Orders to Warehousing (tdpur4246m000). You must manually process the purchase order in the Process Delivered Purchase Orders (tdpur4223m000) session.