5 - MRP AREA / SELF-SERVICE PROCUREMENT
1 MRP AREA Changes
1.1 What’s MRP area?
MRP = Right materials in right quantity + on right time + at right place
MRP usually runs at the plant level. In big plants if you have multiple products and production lines for them,
then even the raw materials are stored in separate WHS. E.g. sugar which is stored in SILOs in different WHS
areas (there’re separate receiving docks and separcateate trucks unload it in different areas).
MRP area is one layer below the plant level for which you can run the MRP. You can allocate reorder point, MRP
type, etc. separately for each MRP area.
1.2 What’s new in S4H compared to ECC?
1.2.1 In ECC the planning is on the plant level by default. If you want to run the planning per MRP area, you need
to activate the MRP area, then you’ll be able to generate the MRP areas and do the planning on this level.
By default the planning occurs on MRP area level. No activation of MRP area or planning file for MRP area is
required. As soon as you create a plant, each plant acts as MRP area. In addition, you can create MRP areas
based on storage locations.
1.2.2 In ECC even though you don’t have MRP area, you can exclude storage location from the MRP run. E.g.
area where you put your scrap or quarantine products. You don’t want to consider it as available. There’s a
config available for that. Now with S4H, this config has been removed.
1.2.3 MRP4 view there are MRP parameters on the SLoc level >> see below. > These parameters have been
removed in S4H. Now if you want to use this function, you need to create an MRP area for this material.
1.2.4 In ECC once you maintained your MRP area, a separate window opens and you can maintain parameters in
both MRP level and MRP area level. You’d need to maintain parameters in both levels (whenever the MRP runs).
In S4H , you can extend the material to the MRP area level because you want to plan it on this level. If the
planning parameters should be the same in all MRP areas, then it’s enough to maintain them only on plant
level. S4H will use plant level parameters for MRP area level in this case. This is a master data simplification!
1.3 Why this changes have been done?
This all was done to simplify MRP run. In ECC you had 3 levels of MRP:
plant
MRP area
external SLoc from the master data (2-3 parameters).
The engine was running and for each material it had to check the MRP settings in the master data and change
the MRP algorythm accordingly. The performance of MRP was not that great. Now it’s only one MRP type >>
MRP area. Streamlining the planning and Performance increase.
The upper part of MRP logic (till the step when MRP checks “procurement type” F/X/E >> for this logic please
refer to 4 – Master Data Simplification). Firstly, MRP live in S4H checks
1. Planning file exists . The planning file activation happens automatically. MRP will run if the file exists
2. In MRP run we have certain parameters. MRP checks if there’s any change for this material (Master
data, supply, stocks, demand etc). If there’s any change, then this material will be considered for MRP
planning
3. MRP planning will cascade down from … to FG > SFG > RM
4. MRP planning will split into
a. Classic way > MRP happens in the application layer
b. MRP live way > the logic and the algorythm is on the HANA DB. Completely new logic.
It is triggered through program / transaction, you’re using: MD01 – classic, MD01N – MRP live.
Exceptions: If MRP type is VB, then SAP will automatically push this material to classic MRP. If MRP type
is X0, then planning will be done externaly: IBP or APO. If advanced planning is ticked, then the planning
will be done by PP/DS (production planning /detailed scheduling) run in S4H.
1.4 MRP Config
Production > MRP > Master Data > MRP Areas
03 “Supplier” is used for Subcontractors. For 02 type
can have multiple Slocs assigned to one MRP area! This
is not possible for 01 /03 types.
For 02 type you can have multiple Slocs assigned for one MRP area!
MRP area concept could be used to get the material from e.g. 2 different plants to create STRs (stock transfer
requests from different plants – plant A and plant B).
2 SELF SERVICE PROCUREMENT - Prerequisites
2.1 What is the self service procurement?
Where does the requirement come for procurement?
Manually: Manual purchase Req can be created (some team member creates Preq, manages approves,
then Preq goes to Procurement and is being converted to Purchase Req). This t code ME51N is quite
complex and contains lots of data, which is not needed for the line users. They just want to mention
what? and qty? and maybe price.
From MRP
In Self service procurement SAP offers simpler application for creation of Preqs. This is for INDIRECT
procurement. Indirect procurement are goods/services that are not part of your finished product.
Stationary/ office suppliers > these materials do not normally require material code (free text materials) and
they are purchased from specific vendor and they usually have online catalogue available. So the vendor
catalogues can be linked directly in Fiori via OCM4.0 or via ARIBA (if available, this would be a recommended
solution). In ARIBA, when you onboard the supplier through Ariba, you can see their catalogues straight away. If
you use OCM4.0 approach (indirect way), then you need assistance from basis team, they will need to configure
URLs (basis will open ports and we’ll be able to see online vendor catalogues) + mapping config. Same card
buying options have been gived as in Amazon where they can search products, see pictures and add the
products to the card. As soon as user clicks submit, the app will create PReq.
The output for SAP will be always PReq.
2.2 Self Service Procurement – Pre-request
The requisitioner creators must be created as employee in SAP (HR Data. It’s not necessary to run the payrol in
SAP, but they need to have employee ID) > and each employee must have SAP User ID. > this linkage between
employee ID and SAP user ID must be recorded in the Business Partner (role BUP003) > this is not a manual
creation, but only an automatic (post-processing) creation based on Config!
In this case you are able to do the following new Fiori features:
Self service procurement
Flexible Fiori workflow
Activity Management
Category Management
Questionnaire
Employee data (if HR module is external) can be created in SAP only for the relevant users manually or via the
interface.
2.3 Demo using Fiori apps
“Manage Workflow for purchase orders”. In the workflow step, let’s go to users and see what users are available
for selection
If you go to “Manage Business Partner Master data” and select your name, you’ll find you as emplyee with role
BUP003
Alternatively, you can view all your employees with role = BUP003.
Let’s maintain an employee in the app “Maintain Employee V2” It’s important to note that there’s no CREATE
button in this app , if HCM integration is active!!! As per Note 2570961 - Simplification item S4TWL - Business
User Management - SAP for Me
HCM is activated because of this flag HRALX/HRAC = X in t code OO_CENTRAL_PERSON
In SU01 you can see BP # for SAP User ID.
And also in the t code BP, you can see in Identification > Employee Data the linkage between BP and SAP User ID.
2.4 Config for HR mini-master to create Employee in PA30 + BP in the background
Config that is required for HR mini-master if you create a new plant/ new CC, you may need to go to SPRO >
Enterprise Structure > Definition > HR Management > Personnel Areas and Personnel Subareas … add your new
plant to it
e.g. A010
Now let’s assign this personnel Area to our Company Code A000:
In SPRO you can check this documentation:
Reconciliation account is needed because for BP employee, SAP will also create a vendor Partner role and the
default reconciliation account is needed.
Please also check “Group Personnel Subareas
for the Work schedule (Best practices content)”
and “Define Reconciliation Acounts for
Employees in Role FI supplier”
Let’s check CVI configurations: Vendor account group, Number range for vendor account group, BP grouping as
mentioned in Integration setting, Link BP grouping with Vendor Acc Group.
Number range for EMPL: BP
Let’s check BP number range in Cross-Application components > SAP Business Partner
To check the link between BP grouping and Vendor account group, go to Cross-Application components > SAP
Business Partner
2.5 Create Org Unit and Positions PPOCE
T code PPOCE to create Organizational unit and a position under it
Now after org unit has been created, let’s create a position under it
2.6 Create HR mini master using PA30
To create a new personnel No, select “Actions” and click on Create
No need to maintain anything here
Address must be fully maintained (otherwise the sync can fail)
Now when address is maintained, we can step out and come back again to add 0105 Communication info type
BP was created > check SU01
If the integration synchronization between HR Minimaster and BP does not work, you can check SLG1
This note is very important for error handling occurred during synchronization.
If you corrected the errors/missing config and you want to retrigger synchronization manually, you can manually
run /SHCM/RH_SYNC_BUPA_FROM_EMPL or /SHCM/RH_SYNC_BUPA_EMPL_SINGLE for selected employees.
then you can again check SLG1 log
3 SELF SERVICE PROCUREMENT PROCESS DEMO
Business role for Self service procurement (Employee Self Services): SAP_BR_EMPLOYEE
SAP_BR_EMPLOYEE_PROCUREMENT
This “Create PurchReq” is for self-service, not for purch department. Also the ordinary users can do the receipt
for these materials (not in the warehouse). Also the users could upload the supplier invoice, if needed. This all is
for indirect materials! (PC, phone, stationary).
3.1 Create Purchase requisition
Let’s start with creation of Purch Req. It’s a good idea to set up default parameters for the user. Go to user token,
default settings for Users > see below
Once the default settings are saved, then we can create an item. There’re no catalogues assigned for our user.
Otherwise, they will be displayed here.
You can create a material
or a service
Source is optional
Then you can put this data into the cart. This card is only in the frontend.
After you pressed “Order”, then the
actual will be saved to the data base
Also if you save the req to the cart (before pressing order) and then display the saved document, you’ll see all
sections incl. delivery address, acc assignment and item details
3.2 View PReq list
Purchasing dep will create a purchase order:
3.3 Confirm receipt of goods
In the PReq list, you’ll see that the follow on document is created. You can create your GR directly from there by
clicking on “CONFIRM”.
Otherwise, you can go to App “Confirm receipt of goods” and there you can receipt it with re to PO no:
Now in the PReq list you can view the whole workflow
3.4 Upload invoice
You just load the pdf or image and this is a trigger for AP to create an invoice in SAP.
