Regarding Availability Check and Transfer of Requirements

[Former Member]

Hi Team,

I am new to SD module and my question is regarding Material Availability Check (MAC) and Transfer of Requirements (TOR).

Say, the customer asks for 100 pieces of a material on 1st Jan. In the stock, we have only 75 pieces of unrestricted stock. As per my understanding:-

1. After user enters the material and delivery date (which copied from header delivery date or manually entered by user), while creating sales order, first Availability Check happens. The result of this check is :- 75 pieces of this material can be confirmed on 1st Jan. So one schedule line with 75 pieces on 1st Jan is created. Is my understanding is correct ?

2. Still we have a open demand for another 25 pieces. Now TOR steps in. This transfers the requirement to MRP (based on the customization). The result is :- 25 pieces of the stock will be confirmed on 15th Jan (due to Production Order / Purchase requisition). Now the 2nd schedule line with 25 pieces on 15th Jan is created. Am I right?

3. Can you please tell me :- what is "Order confirmation" in this regards. I mean how anyone can differentiate between normal Sales Order and Confirmed Sales Order. Because as per my understanding, all sales order becomes "Confirmed" after Material Availability Check (MAC) and Transfer of Requirements (TOR).

Thanks,

Debi

[Former Member]

Debi,

1. After user enters the material and delivery date (which copied from header delivery date or manually entered by user), while creating sales order, first Availability Check happens. The result of this check is :- 75 pieces of this material can be confirmed on 1st Jan. So one schedule line with 75 pieces on 1st Jan is created. Is my understanding is correct ?

Availability check is optional.  However, assuming you have configured the system to use availability check, and assuming you have not implemented confirmation at lead time, then this statement is true.

2. Still we have a open demand for another 25 pieces. Now TOR steps in. This transfers the requirement to MRP (based on the customization). The result is :- 25 pieces of the stock will be confirmed on 15th Jan (due to Production Order / Purchase requisition). Now the 2nd schedule line with 25 pieces on 15th Jan is created. Am I right?

Not really; transfer of requirements is independent of Availability check.  You can have transfer of requirements without using availability check.  Basically, transfer of requirements happens in order to support planning.  Availability check (which is not part of planning) also makes use of these transferred requirements.

When the sales order is created, and TOR is configured, requirements for the entire item are transferred to the Requirements table (for sales docs the table is VBBE); even if nothing is the sales order is confirmed.  Thus, planning is able to respond to the order, whether or not it is confirmed.  In addition, within this table, the system records whether the requirements are 'confirmed' or are 'not confirmed'.

3. Can you please tell me :- what is "Order confirmation" in this regards. I mean how anyone can differentiate between normal Sales Order and Confirmed Sales Order. Because as per my understanding, all sales order becomes "Confirmed" after Material Availability Check (MAC) and Transfer of Requirements (TOR).

When you view the schedule line in VA02/VA03, you can see a field called 'confirmed quantity'.

No; not all sales order items are confirmed.  They can be fully confirmed (confirmed qty = item qty), they can be partially confirmed (confirmed qty < item qty), or they can be unconfirmed (confirmed qty = 0).

Sales orders can be confirmed during SO creation, SO change, and also using V_V2 (rescheduling).  Planning, however, still sees the entire requirement quantity regardless.

Best Regards,

DB49

[Former Member]

Hi Dogboy49,

Thanks a lot. Most of my queries are answered. Can you please answer below questions please:-

Availability check is optional.  However, assuming you have configured the system to use availability check, and assuming you have not implemented confirmation at lead time, then this statement is true.

I am aware of the configuration steps for Availability Check, But not sure about "Confirmation at lead time". Can you please elaborate with a simple scenario.

Not really; transfer of requirements is independent of Availability check.  You can have transfer of requirements without using availability check.  Basically, transfer of requirements happens in order to support planning.  Availability check (which is not part of planning) also makes use of these transferred requirements.

I got your point. Availability Check (AC) is optional and transfer of requirements (TOR) is independent of AC. Now can you please clarify - Does it mean both AC and TOR are independent of each other or AC depends on TOR ? Because you also mentioned that - AC (which is not part of planning) also makes uses of these transferred requirements. It will be really helpful if you can provide an example / System behavior where (1) only AC is used, (2) only TOR is used, (3) both AC & TOR is used. I am sure, this will definitely help many consultants.

Finally, Your explanation for the Confirmation of Sales Order is to the point and very clear. Now can you tell me under which circumstances, the sales order can be unconfirmed. Because the basic purpose of TOR is to make each Sales order confirmed.

Thanks,

Debi

[Former Member]

Debi,

Rather than rely on me to facilitate your basic training, you would be better served to start searching on your own. I have covered the non-intuitive stuff.  Now you need to get to work and begin to fill your own knowledge gaps.

In addition, you need to log onto a system and actually start to try these things.  An hour working in a sandbox profits you more than sitting through a day of classroom training.  For instance, one of the questions you asked can be easily answered by going into OVZG and performing a simple test.

As always, start with standard SAP online help.

Availability Check - Demand Management (PP-MP-DEM) - SAP Library

For the following link, start at the top and work your way down

Availability Check in Sales and Distribution Proce - Availability Check and Requirements in Sales an...

But not sure about "Confirmation at lead time".....

Read this section:

Types of Availability Check in Sales and Distribut - Availability Check and Requirements in Sales an...

Because the basic purpose of TOR is to make each Sales order confirmed.

Hmmm. That's quite the conclusion. I don't believe that I've ever heard anyone say that before.....

You have already stated that you are '...new to SD module...'  A wise person does not try to reach conclusions until he actually has a good understanding of the topic. I suggest that you first do some homework about the topics mentioned above, then come back with any questions you have that are still unanswered.

Best Regards,

DB49

[Former Member]

Hi Mohanty,

based on your example your 1 and 2 are correct the system will perform same as it is what you have guessed.

3. you are talking confirm order so this case if we will not have the stock and system is confirming the stock based on availability check then mean system will generate production order CO02 in background so through this you can identify

[Former Member]

Hi Vicky,

Thanks for your inputs.

What I wanted to ask is :- while creating sales order itself, system confirm the schedule lines to the customer (based on AC and TOR). That means each and every sales order is a confirmed sales order. Is my understanding correct ?

Or Do we need to confirm a Sales Order ? If Yes, then where can we do this?

And what is a unconfirmed sales order. Because, I think all the sales orders are by default, confirmed.

Thanks,

Debi