Objective :
It is possible that an Organization needs to procure external services due to capacity constraints, lack of specialized talents or cost factors
In this case, It can procure external services by creating a Purchase Order or by creating external firm as work centers.
SAP PM external service functionality provides that basic process of procurement of externally performed services.
SAP PM external service can be processed into three different ways
- Individual purchase order
- External firm work center
- Service item with individual purchase order and service specifications and a subsequent service entry
The external assignment is controlled by a control key in the maintenance order level or assigned in a work center of the operation.
There are
3 different types of control keys are as follows :
- PM01 - The work is processed by the Internal Labors or in other words Internal work center
- PM02 - The External Procurement is processed by a PR followed with individual PO
- PM03 - The External assignment is processed by using external operation with service specification and followed by service entry sheet.
Once the goods receipts are done for external operations , the status of the operation is updated to
EOPD (external operations partially delivered) , if you set the final delivery indicator on the GR , the status is updated into
EODL (external operations delivery completed).
External procurement (PM02):
To execute the external service process , create a maintenance order in
IW31 with Control key
PM02.

From the above mentioned screenshot , the control key is mentioned as PM02
In the Operation Level , the control key will appear along with the operation

Select the Line item , and click on the
External button and the Sub contracting check box that has to be checked.

Enter a Rework material for the maintenance in the
Component Tab,

After the check box check and rework material assigning, Release the Maintenance Order and Click
Save icon to save your maintenance order or
CTRL + S to save the created maintenance order.
NOTE : In this scenario, after release of maintenance order the PR will generated.
After saving the maintenance order , go to Change maintenance order
IW32 and check whether PR has generated or not. If yes check the PR number.
Go to the Operations tab and click the
Actual data button to check the PR number.

Create Purchase Order with reference of maintenance order in
ME21N - vendor / supplier known , the following screen will appear like below mentioned screenshot.

Now, open the document overview tab and click on the selected variant icon

and click the Purchase Requisition and then click Adopt

The PR will copied to the Purchase Order with reference to the maintenance order.

Click the check button ,if no error shown , click the save button and the PO will get created. The following message will be created with purchase order number.

Now perform the Goods receipt for this purchase Order.

Press Check button . If no error is shown, click the post button or the save icon. A new material document will be posted.
Once done the Goods Movement, Operation confirmation required for the next process. Go to
IW41 - Tcode for the operation confirmation.
After the Goods movements completion and Operation confirmation, Go back to the order you can able to see the Planned cost and Actual cost.
