IDOC’S- Intermediate Document- Full Overview explanation for Consultants- SAP MM

IDOC’S- Intermediate Document:

Basic Concepts to learn before learning Partner profile:

·       Concept: 

    IDOC is an intermediate document where many industries will use to transfer their data from one system to other system, it can be SAP to SAP or SAP to Non- SAP.

As an SAP MM consultant, we will work less on IDOC’s, but we should know the concept behind the IDOC for resolving the issues by Monitoring the IDOC.

·       Overview: 

      IDOC is an SAP object where data will be transferred inflow and outflow through electronic message, the main use of IDOC is transfer of data from SAP to Non-SAP through EDI and SAP to SAP through ALE.

Here we have 2 types of flows in SAP, where data will be flowed into SAP and other is data transfer to other tool from SAP through Inbound and Outbound.

·       Inbound: Data that received from other tool to SAP in the form electronic message.

·       Outbound: Data that will be flowed to other systems through SAP in terms of electronic message.

We have 2 IDOC types

·       1.Basic Type- It sends the information to the receiver port as per the mapping fields done by us.

·       2.Extension- When we want any extra information to send to receiving party then we have this IDOC extension.

Conversion Format:

If data is transferring SAP to Non-SAP then data format is required that EDI acts as a data converter, it converts data to XML format and loads the data and sends to another tool respectively.

Mapping of fields has been done as per the size and data fields.

Mapping is same as LSMW method and it will be done by MM technical consultant and as a functional consultant we need check the port number and few major things explained below.

**** we have segments, where fields will be stored in the segments and mapping will be done according to the segments available in the IDOC****

We have Parent segment and Child segment; different fields will be stored in different segments.

Note: IDOC direction explains whether the data is flowing inbound or outbound.

Partner:

We have 3 partners in SAP R/3, where data will get exchanged within this and they are LI-Vendor, KU- Customer, LS- Logical system.

Vendor- Normally we use work with vendor for PO, Order confirmation, Order acknowledgement and Invoice.

Customer- SD side, Sales order

Logical system- we have other department systems, where weight lift measuring tool.

Data flows inside and outside as per the above examples.

Port:

The port we maintain it contain IP address of the source or receiving system and this port number will be provided by Basis Consultant.

Ø Partner Profile maintenance:

Partner profile should be maintained for all business partners where if we want to receive/send information to all the vendors.

T-code to maintain the partner profile is WE20.

Double click on partner and click on LI-vendor, if we are setting partner profile with vendor.

Once we enter on vendor, we can see above screen where we can have options to enter inbound and outbound entries, as I told this will be electronic message where data flows.

We have message type in which we see inbound or outbound and, we can see contact information.

·       Select any of the two – either inbound or outbound

And system will ask for receiver port number and this will be given by Basis consultant and here every filed is mapped and after they will provide the receiver port number to maintain in the below screen.

2.Next tab- Message Control:

If we are sending PO copy, we have message type for PO, insert message type and enter the link code ME10.

Whenever PO copy is created for this message type then IDOC number will be generated and transferred to receiver.

Change message: In message control we can see change message option where if there is any change in document the IDOC will sends the changes automatically for that we need to maintain 1 more line in message control with change indicator.

3.Inbound options- Inbound Parameters:

Here we need to select the trigger by background program, so that it will take the parameters after saving and as per mapping it will send to receiver automatically.

4.Post processing:

Here we will maintain the agent who should receive the notification when EDI processing fails, System will send the log data and reason for failure.

5.Telephone:

 We can enter the telephone number of receivers.

6.EDI standard:

Here we can update the message type as per the purchase order.

Overview Explanation of above everything:

*****

Receiver port means – the receiver IP address or data that is mapped and created a port that is receiver port.

We have IDOC type where it contains the segments in which it mapped all the fields, we will maintain the idoc type in outbound and it should be purchasing/sales

Once we have IDOC type, we had message type where what kind of data that is transferring or mapped it can be purchase order, Acknowledgement, Contract.

Process code – where we have message type and idoc type contains the sending data information, now to process this we need some code that is process code.

By above 3 Idoc will trigger and sent to receiver

. ******

Ø IDOC Structure and records- Monitoring of IDOC:

IDOC structure is divided into 3 records.

1.     Control record

2.     Data record

3.     Status record

1.Control record: 

Control records contain few data like.

IDOC number

Direction of IDOC

IDOC Status

Basic type

Receipt information

Sender information

Port number

2.Data record: Contains data that flows through EDI

Data record will have segment and child segments

Each segment will have some data with fields and as per segment the data will flow to receiver.

3.Status record: 

we can find the status of IDOC processing:

We can find the PO’s processed with help of IDOC, whether its inbound or outbound.

For outbound idocs- 16 is the number for success

For inbound idocs- 53 is the number for success

---if we get error then want to find the idoc number in PO, then go to attachment tab in PO and click on relationship.

Tickets and Questions related to IDOC’s

How to monitor the IDOC?

Answer:

T-codes IDOC

WE31- Create IDOC Segment

WE30- IDOC Type

WE20- Partner Profile

               For this partner what type of information we are sending to receiver.

WE02- Monitor the IDOC

WE05- List of IDOC’s

WE21- Delete the IDOC

WE19- Testing of IDOC

Customized T-code- Status change.

Manual processing of IDOC – BD87

WE09- Searching for specific information like PO

45.1 Why do you reprocess IDOC?

All failed IDOCs should be reprocessed for the confirmation of output messages to vendor

We have own tcode for reprocessing the IDOC

IDOC Statuses?

1-     50 will represent the outbound status

03- IDOC has been triggered

16-Succesfully generated successfully

51- 78 will represent the inbound status

        53- Successfully posted inbound

59- IDOC error

All Error Status:

02- Error transferring data to port

04- Error in EDI information

05- Error during conversion

45.2 Frequent IDOC errors.

1. When the receiving info mapping has required fields and sending info is missed that data, then IDOC failure will happen.

2.When they edit PO and reprocessing the IDOC, then IDOC will gets failed as IDOC will trigger automatically.

3.Failed to transfer data to port, its error from BASIS side, where data is not able to reach the port.

4.when there is an application type mistake was happened then also EL is for contract and EF is for Purchase order.

For all IDOC errors we need to change the status manually to status 30- ready for shipment- We have customized tcode for changing the status.

5.with the same order number IDOC receivers one more output then IDOC will gets failed with status 59.

What is IDOC? Explanation for Interview Purpose

What is IDOC? Explanation for Interview Purpose:

Overview Explanation for Interview purpose

Question: What is IDOC?

IDOC is an Intermediate document, where data will be transferred and received into the receiver system with the help of EDI.

OR     

Data exchange between two systems can takes place with the help of IDOC as per the  requirements

We have 2 methodologies in IDOC, one is ALE IDOC and other is EDI IDOC.

ALE IDOC will be data transfer between SAP to SAP system.

EDI IDOC is data transfer between SAP to NON -SAP System

• Explain the setup of IDOC- Inbound or Outbound:

We will setup the IDOC, as once we get confirmation that with whom data transfer is going on.

1.vendor- LI

2.Customer-KU

3.Logical system- LS

Any data that transferring out of our system to other system is called outbound

Any data that transferring into our system to other system is called Inbound

·       Setup of IDOC for Vendor:

WE20- we will select the vendor and enter the vendor number and few fields will fetch automatically like partner type and agent.

We can see 2 options Inbound and Outbound, select the respective one and enter the partner role and message type.

Now system will allow us to maintain the receiving port number, which will be given by Basis consultant and enter pack size and basic type of IDOC and extension

1.     What is Port number

Port number contains the receiver details where we are sending the information to the partner, Port number contains the IP address of the receiving partner to flow of data.

2.     What is Basic type

Basic type contains the data where it should flow to receiver and data will flow with the help of segments.

3.     What are Segments

Segments are the part of IDOC, where all the fields mapping will be done like item details and header details wrt receiver system, in which every segment like few fields and it will help to analyze the data also.

4.What is Extension:

In Basic type we are sending data as per the mapping done in segments, few cases we have some customizing fields that needs to be transferred to receiver then it should be done by extension field.

·       Once we complete the above details, we have message options to setup, here we are mentioning application and message type along with process code

1.     What is Application

Its code where we will select as per the purchasing document, EF for purchase order

2.     What is message type:

It explains what type of message we are sending to the receiving partner, like we will send PO, Invoice, OC and Acknowledgement

3.     What is Process code:

It’s a piece of code, where we have mentioned segments for fields and sending PO through electronic message and now ABAP team will prepare a code for that message.

·       Once we are done with this now, we need to maintain the agent number- Respective buyer number in post processing, where IDOC status will be generated and flowed to buyer and he will analyze the OCR.

How do you Monitor an IDOC?

WE02- we will search for the IDOC and we see the records maintained for that IDOC.

1. Control record

2. Data record

3. Status record

Control record: Control record contains the information of IDOC number, who is the receiver/Sender and IDOC created on and few more basic details

Data record: It contains the segments, where we mapped few fields and if any field in not popping up, then we will check in this record and ask ABAP team to add those fields.

Status record: Where we can see all documents processed for that IDOC, we can check PO number and we can see access sequence number wise.

We can have number like 53 for successful outbound and 13 for successful inbound.

Manual Processing:

We can have selection like whenever PO is saved IDOC will get generated, if not we can mention as collective IDOC and send those manually by T-code BD87

Failure IDOC:

We can have few failure messages through IDOC,

We have 2 separate programs, where IDOCs will be processed again.

Test IDOC:

If we want to test and edit the IDOC, then we have test IDOC, where we ca copy by tcode WE19 and edit and test the IDOC- Only for testing.

We can use BD87 also for this testing.

Important Table in SAP-MM- Reporting SE16N

Important Table Names in SAP-MM

·      Material Master:

MATNR-Material Number

MARA- Material master General Data

MARC-Material master plant data

MARD-Material master storage location data

MAKT-Material master description

MARM-Material master UOM

MBEW-Material Valuation

MVKE-Sales data for material

STKO-BOM Header details

STOP-BOM Item details

MAST- Material to BOM link

T023- Material Groups

WERKS- Plant

·      Vendor Mater:

LFA1-vendor master general selection

LFB1-Vendor master Company code data

LFC1-Vendor master transaction figures

LFBK-Vendor master Bank details

LFM1-vendor master purchasing organization data

LFM2-Vendor master purchasing data

WYT1-Vendor Sub-range

WYT1T- Vendor Sub-range description

WYT5-Changes to vendor master record

·      PIR-Purchase Info record:

EINA-Purchase info record-general data

EINE-PIR-purchase organization data

EIPA-PIR-price history

KONP-Condition Item

KONH-Condition Header

QINF-QM Infor record for Material/vendor

DRAT-Texts-Info record

·      Source list

EORD- Source list

·       Purchase requisition

EBAN- Purchase requisition

EBKN- Purchase requisition account assinmentt report

·      Purchase Order

EKKO – PO Header report

EKPO – PO Item report

EKKN- PO Account assignment report

EKBE- History for the PO

KONV- Condition value storage

EKO- PO delivery dates

·      Quota Arrangement

EQUK- Quota arrangement header data

EQUP- Quota arrangement Item data

Important T-codes

MEQ1- Create Quota

MEQ2- Change Quota

MEQ3-Display Quota

MEQ4-Chnages done in Quota

MEQ6- Analyze Quota

MEQ7- Delete Quota

MEQ8- Monitoring Quota

·      Inventory Management tables

MSEG- Material document

MKPF- Material document header information

MARD- Material stock

MBEW- Material stock valuation

MSKA- stock balance for sales

MKOL- Special stocks like consignment

·      Invoice tables

RBKP- Invoice document header

RSEG- Invoice document item

ASAP Methodology process for SAP Consultants- ALL Modules mandatory concept

                        ASAP Methodology

Concept:

ASAP stands for Accelerated SAP methodology, where it’s an important SDLC (Software development life cycle) software to be used to implementation of projects.

who ever is using SAP they should follow the ASAP methodology process for the implementation process, its an SAP own and best methodology to follow to cutdown the costs.

SAP implementation process takes long time and it requires many department manpower along with lot of efforts to understand the AS-IS and TO-BE process to implement and satisfy the clients.

It will be very risky if the proper plan is not determined to implement, as this purpose starting all the managers and department heads will involve making sure everything is I proper way by following ASAP methodology process.

ASAP methodology is a roadmap for the process, where consultant/managers should follow there guidelines as per ASAP methodology, Project management team will be taking care of smooth functionality of the process by updating to clients. ASAP methodology consists several phases that included in SDLC as mentioned above, here it divides the ASAP methodology phases and marks time for each phase and it divides the work as per the modules (SD/MM/PP/QM)

Each phase will be called as Milestone and every milestone needs documents that we have done and gets that approved from clients accordingly.

ASAP methodology provides guidelines and roadmap for implementation/Enhancement /Customization that requires as per the project support.

Phases of ASAP Methodology:

1.Project Preparation

2.Business Blueprint

3.Realization

4.Final Preparation

5.Go Live

6.Production support/Post-production

We have all the 6 phases, which are important to implement as per the process, we are discuss in detail of all the phases.

Introduction to client and bidding for project:

Before all these 6 phases, whoever is interested to move to SAP software, then they will be approaching the software company directly to buy the software.

Note: Once they have bought the software after that client use to bid for the project implementation with several companies, bidding happens in terms of price and time taking to finish the project.

Note 2: There will be one more bidding with service companies for production support, here Implementation and production support clients are different by 90%, because of some privacy and quality purpose 2 biddings and 2 clients will get selected and given the project as per that.

1.Project Preparation:

Once the client has been decided on this implementation partner, this 1^st phase will start and here they will decide on Landscape requirements first.

Kick of meetings, Scope and out of scope modules will be discussed for implementation.

Maintain on server Information like how many servers required and how many test clients required in each server like we have unit test and integration testing.

Even in quality and production we can have different clients as per the requirements, suppose big MNC company they may have 6 production clients in production server and accordingly they will have 6 clients in development server, so that independent requirements can be enabled as per the client and no need to depend on other clients.

Project cost and resources required from how many modules are there for your requirements and each module contains members to complete the whole process.

All the above requirements will be discussed by the higher management (managers and business members) where few from client and few from organization who is implementing.

Project management team (PM) will studies the organization requirements with respect to interfaces, how many interfaces required and present process and requirement of interfaces. Here we will study all possible things and their process called as AS-IS.

Timeline will be for this process in 2-3 Months

2.Business Blueprint

This is very important phase in the business, where functional consultants will take care of gaps by finding as-is process to to-be process and complications that is possible with SAP if not interacting with ABAP to develop those configurations, so all these things are handled in this phase.

If any requirement is not possible with SAP then ABAP’er will try to do enhancement and this scenario will be in GAP analysis, same like this there will be many cases where GAP analysis will come into picture to fill the process and mention the client that this is the gap between your process and to-be process.

What are the integrations required with other departments like with MM-FI, MM-SD, MM-PP and MM-QM

Interfaces/what kind of interfaces is present, so as per that what methodology should be used for processing.

Functional consultants will work first with all functional requirements and once this is done then if any gaps and development required the technical consultant will come into picture.

Testing team will be testing all the configurations prepared.

Based on As-Is and To-be documents we will create BBP document and get it signed from clients.

This phase will take 2-3 months.

Example: in the old process, if you are Oracle tool then there will be price indicator increase or decrease option shown by the system but in SAP we don’t have that functionality.

So, this will be maintained in as GAP and mentioned in the BBP document and gets signed that -by ABAP we will do this customization (Refer FRICWE concept)

3.Realization phase:

This is phase where all functional consultants carry out there customization and even development also done if required for customization, so all the customizations/integrations/interfaces are completed- all back end SPRO settings and everything will be moved to quality server by basis team- All testing’s for the TR’s will be done in Quality server.

All the integration testing and unit testing takes place in this phase.

BPP -Business process procedure has been created in this phase

UAT will be taken from superuser with signed.

This phase will take 2 months.

4.Final Preparation phase:

Final preparation is the phase where we will move all the TR’s will be moved to production and user manuals are created by taking UAT from super users and cut over activities like master data uploading for material and vendor and initial entry of stock in inventory.

UAT-User acceptance test- which will be done by power users like is it working, or any issues related to configuration.

Training to the end users related to the process.

After the final preparation phase, we should make sure only production activities running smoothly without major interruptions.

Testing of every phase and UAT manuals/ cut over plans needs to be approved in this phase where data uploading by using LSMW and BAPI

Knowledge transfer and documentation of all process with UAT documents.

This phase will take 2-3 months

5.Pre-Golive Phase:

Legacy system should be stopped to use in this phase

Preparing all the data and ensuring all the data has been migrated and if anything, pending from LSMW to BAPI, should be completed and inventory data and defining class/characteristics for release procedure, number ranges for the document types and everything will be done in production server.

Ensure all the TR’s are moved to production and interfaces are working properly for the monitoring purpose.

This will take 1-2 months to complete

6.Postproduction support:

In this phase we will be resolving queries related to purchasing and if required giving trainings to end users.

This Completes the ASAP methodology and any doubts please comment in the comment areas to respond back.

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