Topic overview

This article describes actions available in the Purchase order confirmations application that can be used to process a purchase order confirmation. This article is part of the documentation for the Purchase order confirmations application. For a description of the fields and other elements in the application, see the Purchase order confirmations article.

Instructions for handling purchase order confirmations, e.g. how to enter or edit them, can be found in the article Procedures: Purchase order confirmations.

To identify purchase order confirmations and store relevant settings and default values, you can use purchase order types. They are described separately in the Purchase order types article.

The cockpit applications for purchase order confirmations are described in the following articles:

• Cockpit: Purchase order confirmations
• Cockpit: Purchase order confirmations/line items

Definitions of terms

Purchase order confirmation

A purchase order confirmation is an external voucher document with which a partner with the Supplier partner function  confirms or rejects the acceptance of a purchase order document or submits a change recommendation. Purchase order confirmations usually contain data about the ordered items, quantities, prices, terms, and dates.

Purchase order

A purchase order is a request to a supplier to perform services or deliver goods at a specified time. A purchase order may contain information about the item, price, quantity, delivery date, terms of payment and delivery, and the delivery address. Purchase orders can be referenced to purchasing RFQs in the system and therefore be part of a voucher references chain.

Purchase order document

A purchase order document is the voucher document for the purchase order. It is used to inform the supplier about the agreements of the purchase order made.

Purchase order change document

A purchase order change document is a voucher document for the purchase order with which information on the changes to an existing order document already sent can be transmitted to the supplier. Purchase order change documents can also relate to purchase order change documents that have already been sent. Just like purchase order documents, they can be output and transmitted to suppliers on different output media.

Standard actions

The standard actions [Refresh], [Validate], [Save], and [Delete], as well as the interaction between the line item list and the line item editor are described in the article General actions for voucher processing.

[Generate from purchase order document…] action

The [Generate from purchase order document…] action is used to generate a purchase order confirmation that always refers to and is based on a purchase order document. The purchase order confirmation is the supplier’s reporting and can include confirmations, rejections, and change recommendations.

Due to the reference to the purchase order document, there is always a reference to the corresponding purchase order. A number range for the confirmation to be generated is taken from the associated purchase order type.

To generate a purchase order confirmation, no other purchase order confirmation for the same purchase order may be in process.

Preconditions

• The purchase order document/purchase order change document for which the confirmation is to be made has the Completed status. This indicates that it has been completely generated
• No other purchase order confirmation is being processed for the purchase order
• A number range has been entered in the Confirmation number range field for the purchase order type

Generate confirmation from purchase order document dialog window

After you select the action, a dialog window with the following elements opens:

• Purchase order document number – in this field, you can enter the order document or order change document from which the order confirmation is to be generated. The purchase order document is uniquely identified by the purchase order type in the first input field and by the number in the second input field.

Base section

• External voucher number and External voucher date – allow you to enter the identification and date of the confirmation voucher that you received from the supplier for a purchase order document or purchase order change document.
  The data entered in these fields is used for information and search purposes only, e.g. in a cockpit application. They have no further effect in the system.

Defaults for line items section

• Quantity defaults – you can use this function to define a quantity default for those confirmation line items that do not yet have a preceding confirmation line item. In this case, the default quantity can only be adopted from the referenced purchase order document line item into the associated first confirmation line item.
  If the function is activated, the quantity from the associated purchase order document line item is suggested. If the function is deactivated, the suggested quantity is zero (0).
  If there already is a confirmation line item for the referenced purchase order document line item, the quantity already confirmed from the associated preceding confirmation line item is always suggested.

• Delivery date for line items – in this field, you can define how the delivery date should be suggested for a line item to be added. You can choose between the following options:
  • Preferred date according to purchase order document line item – the confirmation line item will receive the delivery date of the referenced purchase order document line item entered in the Preferred date field
  • Delivery date according to purchase order document line item – the confirmation line item will receive the delivery date of the referenced purchase order document line item entered in the Delivery date field
  • Last confirmation for purchase order line item – the delivery date specified in the associated preceding confirmation line item for the referenced purchase order document line item will be entered as the delivery date for the confirmation line item.
    If there is no preceding confirmation line item for the referenced purchase order document line item, then the option Delivery date according to purchase order document line item will be automatically used.
  • Use specified date – the confirmation line item will receive the date specified in the Delivery date field as the delivery date.
    If you select this option, the Delivery date field in the dialog window becomes editable.

• Delivery date – this field is ready for input if the Use specified date option is set in the Delivery date for line items field. It allows you to enter the delivery date of the confirmation line item to be added.

Line item acceptance section

• Accept base only (parameter) – specifies whether the order confirmation to be generated should only contain the header data.
  If the function is activated, the confirmation is only generated with its header data. Regardless of this, specifications for generating the confirmation from the Defaults for line items section and the Confirmation status field are transferred to the confirmation header and are therefore used for the [Add line items…] action when line items are added to the generated voucher with this action.
  If the function is deactivated, all line items of the referenced purchase order document are accepted in the confirmation to be generated.
• Accept line items using editor (parameter) – specifies whether the line items to be generated should be edited in the line item editor, allowing you to manually transfer them to the line item list and save them.
  If the function is activated, each basic line item to be created is individually transferred to the line item editor as a new line item. The function cannot be activated if the Accept base only function is activated.
  If the function is deactivated, all line items to be created are added directly to the line item table of the confirmation. The voucher is then saved. If the line items cannot be added directly, the system automatically switches to the line item editor for adding line items.
• Confirmation status – allows you to use item statuses in the referenced purchase order document to determine which line items should be created for the purchase order confirmation.
  The following options are available:
  • Not confirmed
  • Confirmed
  • Cancellation confirmed
  • Change recommendation received
  • Rejected
  • Cancellation rejected
  • Confirmed conditions changed – in this case, all purchase order document line items from the selected purchase order document or purchase order change document are accepted into the confirmation during the line item acceptance

Effects

A new purchase order confirmation is generated if no other confirmation for the same purchase order document is in process. Depending on the settings configured, line items can also be generated and saved.

When you accept line items using the line item editor, additional buttons are available on the line item editor’s toolbar for editing the line items. For more information, see the article General actions for voucher processing.

When saving changes, the confirmation status of the accepted purchase order document line items and the status of the purchase order document are updated. In this context, voucher chain relationships between the purchase order, purchase order document, and purchase order confirmation are also created.

[Reschedule delivery date…] action

You can use the [Reschedule delivery date…] action to change the delivery date of voucher line items. You can change the date to a specific date or move it forward or back by a number of business days.

For more information, see the article Actions: Reschedule reminder date, shipping date, delivery date, preferred date.

[Cancel line items…] and [Delete cancellation of the line items…] actions

Purchase order confirmation line items can either confirm the cancellation of a purchase order document line item, reject the cancellation of a purchase order document line item, reject a purchase order document line item that has not been canceled, or basically confirm the delivery of a purchase order document line item. In the latter case, change recommendations may be available for the other data.

Selecting the [Cancel line items…] and [Delete cancellation of the line items…] actions opens a dialog window where you can select relevant line items.

Cancel line items/Delete cancellation of the line items dialog window

Selecting one of the two actions displays a dialog window with the following elements:

• Line item number – displays the line item number
• Confirmed item – displays the item identification
• Delivery date according to confirmation – displays the delivery date according to the confirmation basic line item
• Delivery date according to purchase order document – displays the delivery date according to the purchase order document basic line item
• Preferred date – displays the preferred date according to the purchase order document basic line item
• Confirmed quantity – displays the total quantity according to the confirmation basic line item
• Canceled according to confirmation – indicator for a line item canceled as per confirmation
• Selection – the checkbox in this column allows you to select the line item you want to cancel

[Cancel items…] action

You can cancel individual or all line items that have not been completed using the [Cancel line items…] action under the [Edit delivery dates and status] button. Alternatively, you can set the cancellation indicator in the line item table.

[Delete cancellation of the line items…] action

You can use the [Delete cancellation of the line items…] action under the [Edit delivery dates and status] button to remove the canceled status for individual or all line items.

[Change pseudo item descriptions…] action

You can store different descriptions for pseudo items included in line items. The following actions are available for this purpose:

• [Change pseudo item descriptions…] under the [Actions] button on the standard toolbar
• [Change pseudo item description…] under the [Actions] button on the toolbar of the line item editor

For more information, see the article Actions: Change pseudo item description(s).

[Prepare completion] action

This action helps you to complete the purchase order confirmation regarding the Change order on completion setting in the header and line item.

Preconditions

• All the desired data is included in the purchase order confirmation
• The voucher has been saved and the application is in Display mode
• The purchase order confirmation is not completed

Effects

The action compares the data in the order confirmation header with the data in the referenced order document header and with the current data in the purchase order header and informs you of any deviations. If the data is identical, the system automatically sets the option No in the Change order on completion field in the header.

The action also compares each order confirmation basic line item that is missing the specification for the Change order on completion setting with the corresponding purchase order basic line item. If these are not identical when all sub-items are taken into account, an info message is output for the confirmation basic line item. The following situations are distinguished and identified with their own message texts:

• The canceled confirmation line item for the purchase order document line item does not exist in the purchase order
• The confirmation line item for the purchase order document line item does not exist in the purchase order
• The order line item deviates from the confirmation line item. The order line item matches the purchase order document line item
• The order line item deviates from the confirmation line item and the purchase order document line item
• The additional confirmation line item for the purchase order document line item already exists with deviating data in the purchase order

If all the confirmation basic line items in a line item group (the same purchase order basic line item) are identical according to the comparison, then an undefined (blank) entry for the Change order on completion setting is automatically set to No because no changes to the order are required with regard to the confirmation.

Thus, the only line items for which an entry is missing for the Change order on completion setting are those for which you have to make a decision manually. The info messages are designed to help you with this decision.

[Change order change specification…] action

The action [Change order change specification…] allows you to define an entry for both the header and the line items for the Change order on completion setting. Selecting the action opens a dialog window where you can select the line items and define the setting.

Preconditions

• The voucher has been saved and the application is in Display mode
• The order confirmation has not been completed.

Change order change specification dialog window

After you select the action, a dialog window with the following elements opens:

• Order change specification of base – displays which entry is set in the Change order on completion field in the header of the order confirmation
• Order change specification of line item – specifies which line items are displayed in the line item list. The definition refers to the line-item-specific setting in the Change order on completion column in the order confirmation’s line item list.
  The following options are available:
  • Yes
  • No
  • (Other) – corresponding to the empty (blank) entry

Line item list:

• Line item number – displays the line item number

• Item – displays the identification of the item
• Delivery date according to purchase order document – displays the delivery date according to the order document basic line item
• Delivery date according to confirmation – displays the delivery date according to the confirmation basic line item
• Ordered quantity – displays the total quantity according to the order document basic line item
• Confirmed quantity – displays the total quantity according to the confirmation basic line item
• Canceled according to purchase order document (parameter) – uses a checkbox to indicate whether the order document basic line item has been canceled
• Canceled according to confirmation (parameter) – uses a checkbox to indicate whether the confirmation basic line item has been canceled
• Order change specification of line item – displays which option in the Change order on completion column in the order confirmation’s line item list is set for a particular line item.
  The following options can be displayed:
  • Yes
  • No

If no option is set, the column is empty.

• Selection (parameter) – you can use the checkbox in this column to select the line item that you want to take into account with regard to the order change

Stipulation section

• Specification for order change – allows you to specify which entry is to be accepted in the header (see the field Accept order change specification of base) and for the line items selected in the item list.
  You can choose between the following options:
  • Yes
  • No
  • (No selection)

• Accept order change specification of base – allows you to determine whether the option selected in the Specification for order change field should be accepted for the confirmation header.

Effects

The selected setting is adopted for the header and for the line items in the open purchase order confirmation and the voucher is saved.

[Complete purchase order confirmation…] action

You can use the [Complete purchase order confirmation…] action to complete purchase order confirmations and change their status to Completed.

Please note that there can only be one purchase order confirmation for a purchase order. As long as it is not completed, no further purchase order confirmation can be created. Furthermore, it is not possible to create a purchase order change document for the referenced purchase order.

Preconditions

• All the desired data is included in the purchase order confirmation
• The voucher has been saved and the application is in Display mode
• The purchase order confirmation is not completed

Complete purchase order confirmation dialog window

After you select the action, a dialog window with the following elements opens:

• Automatically confirm warnings (parameter) – allows you to specify whether warnings that may occur during the execution of the action should be confirmed automatically. If the function is activated, the action is executed successfully even if warnings occur, provided that no error messages prevent the execution.
  If the function is deactivated, the action will be aborted if warnings occur. This does not affect the warnings for which it has been explicitly specified, using the Automatically confirm warnings application, that they should be automatically confirmed.

Effects

The following is verified and defined first:

1. If the Change order on completion setting has been left empty for the header or for a line item, and if the confirmation header or the respective basic line items of a line item group (same basic line item) incl. all sub-items have not been changed compared to the order or purchase order document, then the option No is automatically set for the Change order on completion setting (see also the chapter Prepare completion).

2. Among other things, the system then checks whether an option for the setting Change order on completion is defined for both the confirmation header and all confirmation line items. If these entries are missing, the action is canceled.

The following is also carried out:

• The order confirmation header receives the status Invalid from the system, which visibly indicates that the system has started the completion action
• The referenced order’s header is changed if the corresponding option is defined in the confirmation header for the Change order on completion setting
• The following is done for each confirmation line item that does not have the general status Completed:
  • The order is changed to match the confirmation line item (basic line item incl. all sub-items and incl. all apportionings), provided that the corresponding option in the confirmation basic line item is set for the Change order on completion setting. If necessary, sub-items are removed or new line items are created.
    If it is not possible to change the order, the action for the current line item block is canceled. Line items that have not yet been completed can be processed further in the purchase order confirmation. In particular, the option for the Change order on completion setting can also be changed so that it is possible to complete the action even if the cause of the error that triggered it cannot be resolved.
    
    Note

    If a new order line item is created for a subdivided line item, the order line item reference of the confirmation line item still refers to the order line item for the original purchase order document line item and not to the newly created order line item (including the voucher references chain).
    
    
    Note

    If the order is changed, the delivery date of the confirmation line item is only copied into the delivery date of the order line item. The preferred date is not changed.
    
    
    Note

    New order line items receive the preferred date of the original purchase order document line item as their preferred date.
  • The confirmation status of the purchase order line item and, if applicable, the order header is updated
  • The purchase order confirmation line items receive the status Completed
• If necessary, the values in the purchase order are recalculated
• The confirmation header is given the status Completed, which visibly indicates that the completion action is finished

[Add line items…] action (line item list)

The [Add line items…] action allows you to add missing line items from the associated purchase order document to the confirmation. Selecting the action button opens a dialog window for selecting the relevant line items. Only the line items that were ordered with the referenced voucher and that are not listed in the confirmation are offered for selection.

Preconditions

• The voucher has been saved and the application is in Display mode
• The purchase order confirmation is not completed

Add line items dialog window

The Add line items dialog window lists only the basic line items that belong to the referenced order document and are not included in the order confirmation. You can use the query fields in the dialog window to optimize the results list. Further settings allow you to control suggested quantities and delivery dates.

Query pane:

• Ordered item – allows you to enter one or more items as search characteristics using the corresponding item identifications
• Delivery date – allows you to enter a point in time or a period as a search characteristic for the delivery date of the order document basic line items you are looking for
• Confirmation status – allows you to select the confirmation status(es) as a characteristic for the order document basic line items you are looking for. Available statuses include:
  • Not confirmed
  • Confirmed
  • Cancellation confirmed
  • Change recommendation received
  • Rejected
  • Cancellation rejected
  • Confirmed conditions changed
• Preferred date – allows you to enter a time or period as a search characteristic for the preferred date of the order document basic line items you are looking for

Purchase order document line items:

• Line item according to purchase order document – displays the number of the order document basic line item
• Ordered item – displays the identification of the item according to the order document basic line item
• Delivery date according to purchase order document – displays the delivery date according to the order document basic line item
• Ordered quantity – displays the total quantity according to the order document basic line item
• Gross price according to purchase order document – displays the gross price of the order document basic line item
• Canceled according to purchase order document – using a checkbox, it indicates whether the order document basic line item has been canceled
• Confirmation status – displays the confirmation status of the order document basic line item
• Selection – you can use the checkbox in this column to select the item you want to add

Line item acceptance section

• Delivery date for line items – allows you to specify how the delivery date should be suggested for a line item to be added. You can choose from the following options:
  • Preferred date according to purchase order document line item – the confirmation line item will receive the delivery date of the referenced purchase order document line item entered in the Preferred date field
  • Delivery date according to purchase order document line item – the confirmation line item will receive the delivery date of the referenced purchase order document line item entered in the Delivery date field.
  • Last confirmation for purchase order line item – the delivery date specified in the associated preceding confirmation line item for the referenced order document line item will be entered as the delivery date for the confirmation line item.
    If there is no preceding confirmation line item for the referenced order document line item, the option Delivery date according to purchase order document line item will be automatically used.
  • Use specified date – the confirmation line item will receive the date specified in the Delivery date field as the delivery date.
    If you select this option, the Delivery date field in the dialog window will become editable.
• Quantity defaults – allows you to define a quantity default for those confirmation line items that do not yet have a preceding confirmation line item. In this case, the default quantity can only be adopted from the referenced purchase order document line item into the associated first confirmation line item.
  If the function is activated, the quantity from the associated purchase order document line item is suggested. If the function is deactivated, the suggested quantity is zero (0).
  If there is already a confirmation line item for the referenced purchase order document line item, the already confirmed quantity from the associated preceding confirmation line item is always suggested.
• Delivery date – available if the Use specified date option is set in the Delivery date for line items field. It allows you to enter the delivery date of the confirmation line item to be added.

Available buttons:

• [Accept all selected] – transfers all selected line items directly to the confirmation line item table. The voucher is then saved. If the line items cannot be transferred directly, the system automatically switches to transfer via the line item editor.
• [Accept individually] – transfers each selected line item individually into the line item editor as a new line item. You can then edit the data there. After that, you must accept the line item into the line item list.
• [Cancel] – cancels the action and closes the dialog window without any further effects

Effects

The system adds the selected line items to the voucher.

With the [Accept individually] action, the new line items are transferred one after the other to the line item editor and can be processed there.

With the [Accept all selected] action, the line items are transferred in one step and the target voucher is saved immediately. If errors occur, the system automatically switches to the [Accept individually] option.

[Sub-items] button

You can use the [Sub-items] button to show or hide any sub-items that may be present. Please note that this function is only available for saved vouchers.

[Create new detail line item] action

For a confirmation basic line item, you can use the [Create new detail line item] action on the line item editor’s toolbar to create a new sub-item. You can use a sub-item to add items that differ from the purchase order document. As soon as the sub-item is saved, you can no longer change the item.

When you create a new sub-item, you can also use the actions [Change pseudo item description…] (see the chapter [Change pseudo item descriptions…] action) and [Alternative variant…] (see the chapter [Alternative variant…] action (line item editor)) under the [Actions] button on the line item editor’s toolbar.

[Alternative variant…] action (line item editor)

When entering a new sub-item, you can use the [Alternative variant…] action under the [Actions] button on the line item editor toolbar to select a suitable variant item for reference items entered in the Item field.

For more details, see the article Action: Select variant item for reference item.