Alternative options for proof of delivery in SAP

[Former Member]

We have a busines  requirement  for the possibilities of getting the delivery information from one of our distributors to the final customers in SAP without the usage of SAP standard proof of delivery, has anyone configured any alternative scenario? We have tried to advise the distributor that SAP standard POD will be the safer process to adopt but they want to consider another process

Please help

Cheers!!

[venu_ch8 · Accepted solution]

Dear Mark Ojo

 We have tried to advise the distributor that SAP standard POD will be the safer process to adopt but they want to consider another process

please check this Our Dear Mentor M.R MozzaM Ali explained step by step .. may be helpful please check it

Thanks a lot

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Let me re-phrase what i have added, my company do not use the POD functionality and we dont have any intention of doing so, but our distributor requires this information in SAP for delivery to our final customer, different scenario

[Former Member]

We have now reached a brickwall in the project, the carriers were supposed to send POD messages using xml structures, now they do not have this facility, they only have excel files in CSV format, now the question that was brought up at a meeting was is there any possibility of uploading excel files of this delivery information,( i.e delivery number, date of delivery, time of delivery and consignee) into the delivery document, they will send these files daily, so if anyone has pointers, will be well appreciated

[Jelena]

It's not a brick wall at all. You can write a custom program to read any file (including CSV) and either create an IDoc or just update the delivery (by calling BAPI, FM, etc.). If you had an XML file, it could've been used to create an IDoc directly, but it's not difficult to write a custom program to do the same by using FM IDOC_INBOUND_ASYNCHRONOUS. If you have XI then it might be even easier.

[Former Member]

Thanks for this info, i am not an ABAP expert but we do have resources, i can always ask if this is a possibility

[Former Member]

Hi Guys,

Got a couple of things mixed up and i hope to clarify this now, we are a pharmaceutical company, in our German / Austrian office, we intend to use a distributor to handle shipment of some products to our final customers e.g hospitals, clinics, pharmacy shops as we have some products which should be temparature controlled and this logisitcs company offers the best solution for our requirements.

As far as SAP is concerned and the requirement we have now received, when the goods are ready for shipment, we will do this via EDI to the distributor who will handle the delivery to the customers, the business want to be able to measure the accuracy of the delivery ( sort of POD or IOD) for KPI, management reasons, agreed lead times, we need to be able to capture this within SAP, we do not use the POD functionality in SAP

We now have to map the distributor EDI interface into our interface and we have now received some information regarding this

we plan to use a field in SAP LIKP-LIFEX (External delivery number) this will be the distributor number

What i am confused about is how we can measure these KPIs with regards to agreed lead times without the use of POD functionality

hope this is a bit clear

[former_member182378]

Mark,

To measure KPI lead time -

1. The company has to stipulate the expected Delivery date and time

2. The vendor has to note the actual Delivery date and time (packet handed to the consumer by the distributor)

Comparing expected and actual, you can measure this KPI.

Now technically, both these information has to be in delivery document in SAP.

For 1 - The company warehouse staff can note the expected delivery date and time in the delivery in Header, Tab Shipment, field "Delivery Date" during creation or change of delivery.

For 2 - I assume that when distributor hands over the package to the hospital, the hospital staff will sign and give date and time - on paper, or better in some system. Which then will flow to SAP via the interface (between distributor and customer system SAP).

This actual date and time needs to be populated some where in delivery. This requires ABAP work.

If expected and actual dates are always same, updating only actual time is enough. This can be done in field just below Delivery dates time (Time of delivery - LIKP-LFUHR)

If both date and time are different, and both need to be update then see which field can be used.

TW

[Former Member]

Hi all,

updated requirement list, the business just explained that they need to be able to have a delivery confirmation from the carrier via an inbound IDOC which will update the delivery document in SAP once the goods have been delivered to the customer ( we dont want to use the POD functionality as this is not part of our business process) the logistics carrier sent us a mapping template as they have this functionality, so i guess i need to map their requirements in SAP

So i just need to understand an EDI process or structure( EDI type) that can handle the inbound IDOC from the logistics carrier

Thanks

[former_member182378]

Mark,

This is a helpful document

These type of interfaces are common. The logistic carrier company might have integrated with a customer having SAP, ask them about this. And you can develop in similar lines.

IMPORTANT is to understand what information you need from the carrier and where in SAP you want that information to populate.

Once you know what you want, then you convey that to the carrier.

Next step of which IDOC to use (standard or customized), which segments and fields to use will all follow.

In transaction code WE60, check out basic type DELVRY03

TW

[Former Member]

Thanks for the info, we have also decided to set up an inbound partner profile in WE20 for message STPPOD and use process code DPOD to acknowledge receipt and update our delivery in SAP, have asked our PI specialist if they have any templates for mapping this idoc message

[former_member182378]

Good Mark!

What is the basic type for this IDOC?

As suggested, does this IDOC contain the fields for which you need information to update your delivery in SAP ECC?

added: How will the carrier sent the information to SAP PI? (text file, xml or....)

Have you discussed with the carrier about the information your business needs?

In turn PI will create an IDOC and send to SAP ECC.

TW

Message was edited by: TW Typewriter

[Former Member]

Thanks for your prompt reply! Typewriter

we are still in discussions with the carrier at this stage, just trying to gather requirments, making sure i understand the full scope of what the business requires, like i said earlier, the business needs a conformation from the carrier once goods are delivered, i have discussed this with the carrier last week and they already have an EDI in place for this process which they call a return of shipment status , the basic type for our proposed IDOC will be DELVRY03, still checking this to see if this fufills our needs or else a basic extension will have to be created

[former_member182378]

Mark,

In WE60, you can see detail documentation, at field level. Read about DELVRY03, using this transaction code.

Also, ask business, where in delivery do they want to see these updates from the carrier?

I have suggested few fields, in one of my previous posts.

TW

[Former Member]

HI Typewriter,

I have already asked the business for this information, where they expect to see the updates from the carrier, since it was finance that made this requirement, i was actually thinking about a new tab in the delivery document which will require an ABAP colleague,since what we are trying to achieve without the full POD functionality is not SAP standard

[Jelena]

Mark, as already pointed out, you might want to clarify your requirements. Not sure how anyone could answer whether they've implemented something similar to what is still unclear several posts later.

As also pointed out, many things can be achieved with output in SAP, but it'd be your role to convert the business requirements into the SAP terms. I find it always leads to a more productive discussion when OP posts the specific options being explored. Surely you must already have at least some ideas at this point, so why not share them to benefit the discussion?

[moazzam_ali]

Hi

For POD Venu has already shared a document in which I have explained that how we can enter just POD date directly in invoice without using standard POD and I hope you have gone through that document.

From your post I feel like you are talking about secondary sales. Comapny invoices the material to dealer/distributor and they sell the material to end customer. Your company wants to capture the secondary sale. Am I right? If this is the requirement then there is no any standard functionality in SAP and you have to go for ABAP development. Search for the text secondary sales in SAP SD.

Thank$

[Former Member]

To make our business requirement as clear as possible, our distributor needs to be able to send delivery information to the final customer without the use of POD, proof of delivery

[venu_ch8]

Dear Mark Ojo

In this case You can use IDOC Process ...Concern with ABAPERS

[Lakshmipathi]

Can you explain how currently your client are doing business from SAP point of view?  That is are they stock transferring to their distributor, who in turn, would despatch to end customer?  In SAP, if these two process are captured, then you need to explore the output email functionality.

G. Lakshmipathi

[Former Member]

have you got any idea how we can propose something to the customer, just trying to rack my brain to this complex scenario since we dont use POD functionality, i guess the distributor needs this information for statistical reasons, also measuring KPIs as well and maybe tracking of goods within SAP

[Former Member]

Hi Lakshmipathi,

That is the process how we do trade with this customer today via a distributor, they have sent some information of their EDI interface which we hope to map into SAP to achieve this, all without the POD functionality in SAP, has anyone had to implement a similar requirement at their clients?