Topic overview

This article describes the procedures for using the Supplier contracts application. The procedures contain instruction steps, e.g. how to enter or edit a supplier contract. You are also informed about possible preconditions and effects.

The description of the fields in the Supplier contracts application can be found in the article Supplier contracts.

The actions for processing a supplier contract are described in the article Supplier contracts: Actions.

Actions for processing

Standard actions

The procedures for the standard actions [New], [Duplicate header], [Refresh], [Validate], [Save], [Delete] and the interaction between the line item table and the line item editor are described in the article Procedures: Voucher applications.

[Generate from quotation…] action

You can generate a supplier contract from a supplier quotation using the new action [Generate from quotation…].

Preconditions

• Supplier contract type
• Supplier quotation

This action is not available for the contract category Consignment.

Kits, discounts in kind and pseudo items cannot be used in supplier contracts. Such items are excluded after confirmation of a corresponding warning.

Instructions

1. Open the Supplier contracts application

2. If required, select the purchasing organization in the title bar for which you want to enter the voucher

3. Enter the identification of a supplier contract type in the first part of the two-part Number field

4. Select the [Generate from quotation…] action in the standard toolbar under the [New] button

• A dialog window will open. You can find further information on the dialog window in the chapter Generate contract from quotation dialog window.

5. In the dialog window, enter the type and number of the desired quotation on the basis of which the supplier contract is to be created. If necessary, change the status according to which the quotation line items to be accepted should be determined and the setting Complete quotation line items. If you do not want to accept all relevant quotation line items or want to change them, activate the Accept line items using editor parameter.

6. Press the [OK] button

• The system will create the new supplier contact based on the entered quotation identification. The supplier and the currency in the contract header, as well as the contract line items, will be transferred from the quotation. Missing data will be suggested based on the supplier contract type and the supplier or item master data. The organization selected in the title bar is accepted as the purchasing organization.
• If you have not activated the Accept line items using editor parameter and no errors occur, the supplier contract will be saved automatically

7. Change and add to the default values as required

8. Change or add to the contract line items in the line item editor as required. For example, enter or change the prices.

9. Click the [Save] button in the standard toolbar.

• The contract will be saved
• Voucher chain relationships between the supplier quotation and the supplier contract will be created

Generate contract from quotation dialog window

If you have selected the [Generate from quotation…] action, the Generate contract from quotation dialog window opens. You can make the following settings here:

• Quotation – in these fields, enter the identification of the supplier quotation from which a supplier contract is to be created. The supplier quotation is uniquely identified by the supplier quotation type in the first input field and by the supplier quotation number in the second input field.
• Line item status – if required, select the status of the quotation line items to be accepted in this field. Only corresponding line items are added according to the selected status. This allows you, for example, to prevent quotation line items that have already been completed or not yet released from being added to the contract.
• Complete quotation line items (parameter) – if you activate this parameter, each accepted quotation line item is completed manually when the contract is saved.

• Accept line items using editor (parameter) – if you activate this parameter, each quotation line item is transferred individually to the line item editor as a new contract line item and can be edited before being transferred to the line item table. If the function is deactivated, line items are only transferred to the line item editor if an error occurs. Otherwise, they are automatically transferred to the line item table and saved.

Effects

The system creates a new supplier contract based on the selected quotation. The supplier and the currency are transferred from the quotation to the contract header and the line items are transferred to the line item table. Missing data is taken from the supplier contract type and the supplier or item master data.

When transferring the quotation line items to the supplier contract, you can choose between individual transfer and total transfer:

• Individual transfer – you activate the individual transfer using the Accept line items using editor function. If it is activated, the quotation line item is first transferred to the line item editor as a new contract line item. You can edit it and must transfer it to the line item table of the supplier contract.
  When transferring items individually, there are additional buttons available in the line item editor for editing the line items. You can find further information in the article General actions for voucher processing.
• Overall transfer – if the Accept line items using editor function is not activated, the overall transfer is carried out. All quotation line items are transferred to the contract as new line items in the line item table in one step and the contract is saved immediately. After this, certain data, such as the item identification, can no longer be changed. If an error occurs during transfer, the system automatically switches to the individual transfer mode.

A voucher chain relationship is created between the contract header and the quotation header and between the quotation line items and the corresponding contract line items.

Changing the general status

The description of the actions [Release], [Release line items…], [Block], [Block line items…] and [Complete line items…] under the [Actions] button in the standard toolbar can be found in the article Actions: Release, block, and complete voucher or line items.

This article also describes the [Release] and [Block] actions under the [Actions] button in the line item editor toolbar.

[Find and add line items…] action

The description of the [Find and add line items…] action can be found in the article Action: Find and add line items.

[Find and add item…] action

The description of the [Find and add item…] action can be found in the article Action: Find and add items.

[Find and add variant item for reference item…] action

The description of the action [Find and add variant item for reference item…] can be found in the article Action: Find and add variant item for reference item.

[Determine price…] action

You can use the [Determine price…] action to have the system determine a price for a line item opened in the line item editor.

Preconditions

• An existing line item is open in the line item editor or a new line item is entered
• For the system to be able to determine a price for a line item, at least one price listing and one price list must exist in the system to which the following applies:
  • Data is included for the line item concerned
  • The supplier and the currency correspond to the data entered in the contract (contract partner, invoicing party’s currency)

Instructions

1. Open the Supplier contracts application

2. Enter the identification of the supplier contract for which you want to have a price determined for a line item and click the [Refresh] button in the standard toolbar, for example, to open the supplier contract.

• The supplier contract will be opened

3. Open the contract line item for which you want to have a price determined in the line item editor or enter a new line item

4. Select the [Determine price…] action under the [Actions] button in the line item editor toolbar

• The Determine price from price list dialog window will open. You can find further information about the dialog window in the chapter Determine price from price list dialog window.
• Default values from the supplier master data will already be transferred by the system

5. Change or add to the data for price determination as required

6. Press the [OK] button

• The system will determine a price for the entered quantity of the item of the open contract line item and will transfer it to the Price field in the line item editor

Determine price from price list dialog window

If you have selected the action, a dialog window opens before execution in which you can define settings for price determination.

The fields in detail:

• Partner – when determining the price, the system uses the prices stored for this partner.
  If Invoicing party is defined as the partner usage for the purchasing organization of the contract in the Customizing application, Purchasing function, Prices sub-function and the Invoicing party field of the contract is filled, then the invoicing party is proposed. Otherwise, the contract partner is suggested in this field.
  You can define a different partner for the Supplier role in relation to the purchasing organization.
  You can find further information on the Supplier partner role in the article Partners, Supplier view.
• Price listing – the price determination is based on the price listing entered in this field.
  The price listing stored in the supplier master data of the contract partner entered in the Partner field is proposed. You can enter a different price listing if required.
• Calculation time point – the date and time entered in this field determine which calculation time point the system uses for price determination. You can also enter a calculation time point in the past to obtain the price information valid at that time. If the prices for a validity period have been changed several times, the entries that were valid at the exact time specified will be taken into account when calculating the prices.
  The price listing is determined by the date entered in the Reference date for price determination field.
  The current date is proposed for the calculation date.
• Reference date for price determination – the date entered in this field determines the date to which the price calculation refers. The prices for the same items may differ on different dates, as prices in price lists have a validity period.
  The current date is suggested.
• Price type – specify what the price calculation should refer to. You can choose between these entries:
  • Gross price
  • Net price

Effects

The system determines a price for the entered quantity of the item in the contract line item opened in the line item editor. The system uses the stored price listing, including the price lists contained therein, and searches for a valid item price on the reference date and at the calculation time for the specified partner.

Result of the price determination:

• Price has been determined – the price determined is transferred to the Price field of the contract line item.
• Price has not been determined – if the system cannot determine a price for the item on the basis of the data entered, a corresponding message is issued. This is the case, for example, if the price lists assigned to the selected price listing do not contain an entry for the item.

Further information can be found in the article Introduction: Purchasing prices.

[Output contract confirmation…] action

Using the [Output contract confirmation…] action you output the Contract confirmation voucher document.

Instructions

1. Open the Supplier contracts application

2. Enter the identification of the supplier contract for which you want to output the Contract confirmation voucher document and click the [Refresh] button in the standard toolbar, for example, to open the supplier contract

• The supplier contract will be opened

3. Select the [Output contract confirmation…] action in the standard toolbar under the [Actions] button

• The Output contract confirmations dialog window will open

4. Change the date for the voucher output under the Parameters tab in the open dialog window if required

5. Change the background settings and output settings if required

5. Press one of the output buttons – [Output] or [Display]

• The system will generate the Contract confirmation voucher document immediately or with a delay
• The system will output the contract confirmation on the output medium determined or defined according to the contract and with the format according to the voucher document template stored or selected in the contract

Effects

The Contract confirmation voucher document is generated by the system and issued in the correspondence language of the contract partner.

Completing schedule contracts

The Completed status is not automatically assigned by the system to schedule contracts. The user can use this batch application to trigger a system check if required. The system compares the date of all open line items of all schedule contracts with the current date and then assigns the status Completed if the term has already expired.

Preconditions

Only available for these contract categories:

• Fixed date
• Consignment
• Quantity/date
• Value/date

Instructions

1. Open the application Schedule contract completion

• A dialog window will open

2. Depending on the desired processing, enter the necessary processing data

3. Press one of the buttons for processing – [In background] or [Immediately]

• The system will check the date of all supplier contract line items with a delay or immediately and assign the general status Completed if necessary. The general status of the document head will be also set to Completed for contracts for which all line items have been completed as a result.