Consolidated subcontracting PR for multiple production orders

[ramakanth_sagar]

The requirement is for Production Order operation subcontracting. We have seen the standard SAP operation subcontracting process. In this, one of the operations in the Routing is performed by the external vendor (subcontractor). In SAP for each operation, based on the master data maintained, system will generate a Subcontracting Purchase Requisition. So, there will be one PR each production order.

The client requirement is that there should be only one subcontracting Purchase Requisition created for the several production orders combined.   

Is there any solution for the requirement?

[Lakshmipathi]

By design, SAP’s operation-subcontracting creates one purchase requisition (PR) per production order when you release or confirm the external operation. There is no standard toggle to “group” PRs across independent orders—each order is treated separately. However, you have two practical routes to meet your requirement of a single, consolidated PR:

SAP delivers a Combined Production Order function (often known as DIMP or via tcode MILL_OC) that lets you merge several orders—provided they share the same material, BOM, routing and external‐operation control key—into a single “combined” order. When you release that combined order, SAP will generate one subcontracting PR for the external operation covering the total quantity of all original orders.

How to set it up:

• Enable the Industry Solution “Combined Production Order Processing” in SFW5 (or request activation from SAP for your private-edition tenant).
• In SPRO → Production → Shop Floor Control → Master Data → Administer Selection Profile for Combination, create a profile (e.g. Z_COMB) that allows the orders you want to combine.
• Use tcode MILL_OC (or the Fiori app Combine Production Orders if delivered) to:  Select Plant, Profile Z_COMB and the orders to merge.   Execute to create Combined Order C100123 (for example)
• Release Combined Order C100123 → one PR is generated for the external operation.
• Perform confirmations, GR, and settlement on either the combined order or back‐distribute to originals as needed.

Benefits

• Zero custom code
• Fully supported by SAP
• Single PR covers all quantities

Limitation

• Only works when orders share identical BOM/routing for the external op

If you cannot—or do not want to—combine orders, you can intercept PR creation and funnel all requests into a single, pre‐existing PR. This will require a small ABAP enhancement:

User‐Exit / BAdI Spot

Use the classic MM06E user‐exit EXIT_SAPMM06E_025 (include LMEPOA01) or the class‐based BAdI ME_PROCESS_REQUISITION (Enhancement Spot ME_REQUISITION_REDIST) that fires when a subcontracting PR is generated.

Logic Sketch

• On first PR creation for Vendor V in your time window, let SAP create PR “Z000123.”
• Store Z000123 in a Z-table keyed by Vendor + External Op + Date
• On subsequent triggers for the same Vendor/Op within that window, Suppress the auto‐creation of a new PR • Append the new line item(s) to PR “Z000123” (use BAPI_PR_CREATE or BAPI_REQUISITION_CHANGE). Update the production-order external‐operation tab to reference Z000123.

The result would be all your operation-subcontract quantities flow into one PR instead of many.

Trade-Offs

• Requires ABAP development and thorough testing
• Must handle exception cases (e.g. mixed materials, different delivery dates)
• Ongoing maintenance with upgrades

If the question is which approach to choose?,

• If your orders are homogeneous (same material, same routing), Combined Order is the simplest, zero-code, fully supported SAP solution.
• If you need to keep orders separate but still “pool” PRs, the custom‐enhancement route gives you full control—at the expense of implementation effort.