Output management for changed documents in SAP S/4 HANA.

[saideep_bondili]

Dear SAP colleagues,

In this blog I would like to provide you an overview of how Output management works in case of changed/ Updated documents.

So, let's jump in.

• What's OPD?
  There are many blogs which will explain what is OPD (Output Parameter Determination) and how we can setup the prerequisites in SPRO and how we can setup the same in OPD transaction with respect to the various determination steps.

Using OPD approach is that we can control the way the output will behave for the transactional documents.

• Scenarios for OPD:

Consider a scenario where the customer has requested a quote for a product with 100 EA and the "confirmation" note has been sent to the customer using the OPD setup.

The customer can "change" the quantity/negotiate the price, or add product level specific instructions as per his requirement.

In this case we have to send the new output with the "changed/updated" details to the customer again. This goes on till the customer "confirms" a quotation.

So the key users/end users have to add the new output details manually in the "Display output request" whenever something has been changed in the document. This is time consuming.

Thanks to the SAP S/4 Output control config for the changed documents for making the end users life easier.

• So, what's SAP S/4 HANA output control for changed documents:

SAP has provided an automatic way of "retriggering" the outputs whenever there's something that has been changed in the transactional document.

Of course, as a functional consultant we have to configure the relevant parameters on which the change output should trigger.

Using this, we can send the output to the customer automatically whenever there's an update to the document.

Let's get started with the configurations. 🙂

• Configuration for changed documents:
  
  
  
  • Path for navigation to the Output for changed documents:
    SPRO-->Sales & Distribution-->SAP S/4 HANA output control-->Output control for    sales documents-->Output for changed documents.
    
  
  
  
  

• Let's try to understand the significance of each of the activity:
  
  
  
  • Assign output types for changed documents:
    
    Here we have to assign what "changed output type" the system must pick for what type of actual output types.
  
  
  
  

SAP has already provided the standard changed document output types to be used for relevant source document types.

In the above screenshot we have mapped the changed document output type "ORDER_CONFIRMATION_CHANGE" to "ORDER_CONFIRMATION" & "SALES_QUOTATION_CHANGE" to "SALES_QUOTATION".

So, every time a order confirmation (sales order) is changed the relevant changed document output type will be determined "automatically".

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  • Define Output Texts:
    We have to define here what text needs to be shown for the relevant updates which include, Delete, Insert, Update.
    
    For example, If Line item has been updated with the new quantity then we have to choose the update indicator as "update" and enter the Text in output as "Line-item details have been updated".
  
  
  
  

We can define as many Text ID's as we want without any naming convention. However, SAP recommends to use something as &XXXX&

You can enter all the details based on the requirements or you can leave it blank.

There are many other options like Group Indicator, Default language, Placeholders etc. which are not relevant.
If business is not expecting to show any text, then we can create a text ID and leave it as blank. Why..? Please read further.

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  • Assign output types to Text data:
    This is the heart of the config where we have to assign the defined Text ID to the fields. Lot to understand here. One at a time.
    
    Every transactional data will be stored in table. Of course, everyone knows it. Header details-->VBAK, Item details-->VBAP, Schedule line--> VBEP, Business data-->VBKD.
    So every time a table data is changed in the transaction the relevant "changed Output type", will be determined automatically with the "text ID" that has been assigned. Here the Text ID is mandatory. We have to define the Text ID in the previous configuration and assign it here. SAP has the below tables for the changed documents.
    We can also choose the fields which will result in the retriggering of the output type. If we leave it blank, then if any field changes the output type will be determined with the relevant text ID.
  
  
  
  

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  • Assign output texts to business partner data:
    
    We can also configure if the data belonging to any partner function in the transaction changes, the changed output type to trigger.
    
    We can understand from the above screenshot that if any partner function's field name changes in the order confirmation, then the relevant output types will be determined automatically. Also, with the relevant Text IDs.
  
  
  
  

It's up to the business to choose which data needs to be chosen to retrigger the output.

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  • Assign output texts to Document text type:
    We can choose if any texts have been changed in the documents to act as a root cause to retrigger the output. This is shown in the below screenshot.
    
    So every time a Text ID 0001 for example changes in Sales document header, then the Text ID &VBAK& will be determined.
  
  
  
  

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  • So, these are the configurations that needs to be done in SAP GUI. We should also setup the OPD parameters using the transaction OPD.
    The "rules" for the changed documents in OPD transaction will be same like the way we setup the source output types.
    We have to add all the relevant rules to determine when the above configurations needs to be worked.
    Similarly we have to define rules for all the relevant parameters like output relevance, Channel, Receiver etc. for the changed documents.
  
  
  
  

• Once all the settings are done, we are good to go. WAITTTT…. 
  
  There are certain points we have to remember while triggering the changed output types.

• The status of the source output type should always be completed/ Error. If the status is "In Preparation" or "To be Output" the system won't determine the changed output type. However, the changes will be updated automatically in the initial source as the output is "still not sent" to the customer.

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  • Output relevance is very important and needs to be setup properly. Then the status changes to "completed" else it will always be in preparation.
  
  
  
  

• Practical examples in SAP:
  
  
  
  • Initial creation of sales order:
    
  
  
  
  

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  • Output screen:
    Please observe that the status of the sales order is completed.
  
  
  
  

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  • Change the sales order details for example Quantity.
     
  
  
  
  

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  • Output Screen (no need to save the documents):
    You can see that the New output type "ORDER_CONFIRMATION_CHANGE" has been determined automatically. Also please observe it has a tick mark.
    This indicates the change indicator. Meaning the output was triggered because something has changed for "Completed document".
  
  
  
  

Please note that if all Header level, Item level, Partner level and Text level details are changed at a time then it will trigger only a single change output type but not one per level.

Also this process shouldn't be done for the billing documents. Because we wont change the invoices often. 😜

Thanks for coming all the way through. Hope you have understood the concept of changed output types. Kindly let me know if there are any queries regarding the topic. Happy to discuss… Please ignore the grammatical mistakes if any. 😛

Reference Links:

New output management determination in billing documents

BRF+ Output Management

2391603 - Output Management in S/4HANA for Changed Document Output Default Customizations

 

Stay safe.. Stay Healthy…

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Thanks and Regards,

Saideep Bondili.