Same Document number for Proforma and Customer Invoice

[former_member301510]

Hi Expert,

Is it possible to have same document number for Proforma invoice and Customer (Final) invoice?

We have a requirement that Independent, if one or several Proforma invoices generated on a project, the same number needs to be displayed and when proforma invoice is approved, it should only be changed from proforma to final invoice.

In short, there should be same invoice number through out the process.

Above requirement is for normal customer invoices as well as RRB invoices.

Kindly suggest.

Best regards,

Sandeep

[Lakshmipathi]

Do you mean to say, your client would generate proforma invoices from 1 to 5 and finally if 5 is approved, then your commercial invoice should start with 5? Commercial Invoice should always be sequential and if you club proforma number range with commercial invoice, it wont work. For each and every commercial invoice, there will be a gap in number range.

Also in some countries, you need to submit report to statutory authorities showing invoice wise sales details and wherever there is a gap in the invoice number, Business has to give justification and I am not sure, in which country, your client are doing the business.

Still if you want to go with this, you can try with USEREXIT_NUMBER_RANGE

[Jelena · Accepted solution]

In general, both proforma and regular invoice are stored in table VBRK where document number (VBELN) is primary key, so technically it's not feasible to create two documents with the same VBELN. However, as others pointed out, in some countries a different field may be used as a legal document number due to (rather weird, if I may add) requirements the government imposes in those countries.

Unless it's a legal requirement, I believe it's unreasonable to expect such functionality in SAP without turning it into ZSAP. You will not know the "final" invoice number until it's actually generated by the system, so even if you pursued some creative form printing you can't show this number on any other documents in advance.

[former_member301510 · Accepted solution]

Thanks Jelena for your response.

[former_member301510]

Hi all,

I understood your comments and suggestions so I have conveyed same to our client as well.

Thanks for your help.

Best regards,

Sandeep

[Jelena]

The question still shows as "unanswered", so if your question was answered kindly pick an answer and close it. Thank you.

[former_member301510]

Hi Phani,

Hope you are aware about Proforma invoices. The purpose of creating those invoices.

There may be various reasons for creating Proforma invoices. Business is creating Proforma for getting an official approval from his customer.

I know, we can block posting using VOFA but in that case, how will business get an approval from his customer.

I believe, we cannot print the commercial invoices until unless released for Accounting. What if customer's customer is not satisfied and recommended some changes in invoice. In that case, we need to cancel that existing commercial invoice and create another new commercial invoice.

So, in order to avoid those changes also; business creates Proforma invoices.They need Proforma invoices and Commercial invoices numbers same in order to avoid confusion.

But, as suggested by experts here; it is not possible and not advisable also.

Best regards,

Sandeep

[phanikumar_v3]

I don't understand what do you mean *approval of proforma invoice*

May i know why your client creating Proforma invoices prior commercial invoice?

Why cant we do with posting block option at VOFA.

We can not have Same number for proforma & commercial invoices because the object carrying these two is same.

sorry to ask what if 1234 proforma was approved then cancelled??(not clear on your 2:1 ratio)

Phanikumar

[VeselinaPeykova]

As G Lakshmipathi pointed out, the solution depends on the country legislation.

I assume, that there is no localization solution available from SAP for the country you are working on and that this is a new legal requirement.

If this is the case, I don't see why you can't store the official document number in a different field - like a reference number. Of course, you also need to track the proforma status to determine the correct official number. As the assumption is that there is no localized solution by SAP, you will have to build your own legal reports to comply with some regulations.

***Had to re-post/edit/update the answer 4 times until it worked***

[Lakshmipathi]

I presume, you have not gone through my question fully. I have specifically asked how do you expect SAP to function if there is a long number range interval between one commercial invoice to another. Also Proforma Invoice cannot be cancelled but the status can only be changed to "Completed". Also, if you cancel the commercial invoice due to some reason, then still do you want the system to restore the same number range which is not possible. Definitely, this is not a Best Practice I would say. Still if you want to go with this requirement, you can try with the user exit which I already suggested.

[former_member301510]

Dear Lakshmipathi and Veselina,

Thanks for your response.

In case, business is ready managing\dealing with Statuary requirements; is it feasible below thoughts?

Business will create a commercial invoice using posting block. Thus, a corresponding accounting document will not generate and commercial invoice number will be reserved. I assume; those commercial invoices (without posting) also gets stored in database tables.

Is there any user exit which can be used during billing (VF01)? If yes, can we use that exit for displaying those existing commercial invoices numbers to select as desired? Thus, both Proforma invoices and commercial invoices numbers will remain same.

If not user exit, can we create a Z transaction for creating Proforma invoices by selecting same commercial invoice number?

Kindly suggest, if above solution is feasible or advisable.

Best regards,

Sandeep

[former_member301510]

But, as I heard that we cannot assign external number range to any type of billing documents (or invoices); how the system will accept commercial invoice number?

OR can we assign external number range?

Best regards,

Sandeep

[former_member301510]

Thanks Lakshmipathi.

E.g. Proforma invoice created as "1234" and it gets approved by their customer, final commercial invoice must be with the same number "1234".

If Proforma invoice "1234" gets cancelled and they create another new one "5678"; final commercial invoice must be with the same number "5678".

Therefore, Proforma:commercial invoice can be 1:1 or 2:1 with the same number.

Best regards,

Sandeep