1. Printing in purchasing 19-05-10
Printing of
purchasing
documents
Version 1.00
(4. March-2002)
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2. Printing in purchasing 19-05-10
Introduction........................................................................................................................3
Documents....................................................................................................................................................3
Processes.......................................................................................................................................................3
Programs.............................................................................................................................3
Creating messages........................................................................................................................................3
Messages for new and changed documents..............................................................................................4
Message determination.............................................................................................................................4
Urging and reminding...............................................................................................................................5
Sending messages.........................................................................................................................................6
Message output.........................................................................................................................................6
The form MEDRUCK.......................................................................................................7
Customizing......................................................................................................................10
Maintain Message Determination Scheme.................................................................................................10
Assign Message Determination Scheme....................................................................................................10
Define message types.................................................................................................................................10
Fine-tune Control........................................................................................................................................11
Define Access-Sequence............................................................................................................................11
Define condition tables...............................................................................................................................12
Condition-/Message Entries............................................................................................12
If a message comes in.......................................................................................................13
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3. Printing in purchasing 19-05-10
Introduction
The printing program does not only confess with the output of purchasing documents on the printer but
with all methods of getting the documents to the vendor. This can be a printout, but also sending a
purchasing document by fax or E-mail.
The same program and form are used for the output of several documents and processes.
Documents
The documents that can be output are:
• Request for quotation
• Purchase Order
• Contract
• Scheduling Agreement Delivery Schedule
Processes
The processes that require the output of a document:
• Creating a new document
• Changing an existing document
• Creating a new delivery schedule for a scheduling agreement
• Urging/reminding a delivery
Programs
Different programs are involved in creating and sending out messages.
Our programs are SAPMM06E, SAPFM06P and the function groups MEPO, MEDRUCK and MEDR.
From basis it is mainly RSNAST00 and RSNASTED(for EDI).
Creating messages
Creating a message simply means to create a new record in the table NAST.
KAPPL EF: PO
EA: RFQ
EV: outline agreement
EL: delivery schedule
OBJKY Document number (EF, EA, EV)
Document + item + scheduling
line (EL)
KSCHL Message Type: NEU, MAHN,...
(new, reminder, ...)
SPRAS Language that should be used for
the output (language dependent
forms)
PARNR Partner (number)
PARVW Partner function
NACHA 1: Print output
2: Fax
5: External Send (E-Mail)
6: EDI
7: SAPoffice and others
VSZTP 1: Send with periodically
scheduled job
2: Send with job, with additional
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4. Printing in purchasing 19-05-10
time specification
3: Send with application own
transaction
4: Send immediately (when
saving the application)
VSTAT 0: Not processed
1: Successfully processed
2: Incorrectly processed
AKTIV Activity flag. If this is set, no
more messages of this type will be
created for the related document
For testing messages it is usually a good idea to set the dispatch-time (VSZTP) to 1 or 3, so that the
message is not directly sent out. Sometimes just changing the dispatch-time from 4 to 3 may solve the
problem. Especially for change messages there is the problem that creating the change-documents on the
database (CDHDR, CDPOS) and the message output both run in update task (V2). The sequence of the
processing is not guaranteed !
Messages for new and changed documents
Messages for new or changed documents are created from within the programs SAPMM06E and the
function-group MEPO (since 4.6).
The routines NACHRICHT_ERZEUGEN and NACHRICHT_MODIFIZIEREN are the most important.
NACHRICHT_ERZEUGEN calls the function ME_MESSAGES_FIND to find out what message has to be
created.
NACHRICHT_MODIFIZIEREN will block or release a message dependent form its input parameter. This
is used for documents in status ‘Hold’ or if a release strategy is involved.
The function ME_MESSAGES_FIND mainly calls the functions MM_PARTNERS_FOR_MESSAGING
and MESSAGING to create the new message. At the end of ME_MESSAGES_FIND the XNAST should
contain the new message.
Message determination
The message determination uses the same condition technique as it is used in Pricing. Generally speaking a
message type is the same as a condition type, but the term ‘condition type’ is more generic.
Messages serve to send a purchase document or a dunning/reminder of a purchase document to the vendor.
Messages can be created and send for Request for Quotations (RFQ), Purchase Orders (PO), scheduling
agreements, delivery schedules and contracts.
To transmit a message you can use different media like printer, fax, EDI, E-Mail or SAPoffice.
If a message is being sent via E-Mail then there are two possibilities:
1. A PDF-document is attached to the mail. The mail itself does not contain any Purchase data.
2. The content of the message is written as ASCII-text into the mail itself.
To set up the message determination of purchasing documents you have to assign a message scheme to a
Purchasing document.
But, setting up the message determination of purchasing documents is not mandatory.
If no message determination is set, then the system always creates the message type NEU for a purchasing
document. The prerequisite is that a printer can be determined.
To determine a printer, the system checks in the following sequence.
a) Is a printer assigned to a purchasing group?
b) Is a printer maintained in the user defaults?
c) Is a printer maintained in the user parameters?
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If no printer can be found at all, no message will be created. This is the case not only for printers, but for
other media (fax, mail, etc.) as well. Note that this can also happen when the message determination is set
up.
message determination scheme
...
mesage type (e.g. 'NEU') mesage type (e.g. 'MAHN')
access sequence access sequence
1. condition table 1. condition table
2. condition table
2. condition table ...
3. condition table
...
vendor, doc.type,
purch.org.
vendor, doc.type
doc.type
When creating or changing a purchasing document the message determination will be always processed.
The system looks up the message scheme that is assigned to the purchasing document. Each scheme
contains several message types. The message types, themselves, are linked with condition tables, which
contain the condition entries. For each message type there is an access sequence that determines in which
sequence the condition entries for a message type are looked up.
If a valid condition entry is found then the message type of that entry will be chosen, and a message in the
purchasing document will be created. The relevant data of the message will be taken from the condition
entry, e.g. (message) partner, (output) medium, dispatching time.
Urging and reminding
Urging messages/reminders are created by the report RM06ENMA.
It is possible to select the documents that have to be examined. All positions of each selected documents
are tested if a message has to be created.
The messages are created in the routine NACHRICHTEN_ERZEUGEN by using the function
ME_MESSAGES_FIND. With note 369948 an extensive diagnostic output has been added to this report. It
was also changed that the messages are not sent out immediately. Originally messages were created, sent
out (without any feedback whether sending was successful or not) and the counter in the scheduling line
was increased. Now the messages are created, we wait for a feedback and the counter is only increased
when the message was created successful and the message is sent out (function
WFMC_MESSAGE_SINGLE) in a last step.
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Sending messages
The output is usually initiated by one of our programs. If the messages are customized for an immediate
output these are the programs SAPMM06E, RM06ENMA and the function-group MEPO.
If the output is initiated manually (or a batch-job) this is usually the report RM06ENDR(<=4.0) or
RM06ENDR_ALV(>=4.5).
The most important part is the routine USER_COMMAND from where the functions
WFMC_MESSAGE_SINGLE (real output), WFMC_MESSAGE_SINGLE_NO_UPDATE (test, draft) or
WFMC_MESSAGE_SINGLE_SCREEN (preview) are called.
These functions call routines in the standard-report RSNAST00. In this report the routine
PROGRAMM_AUFRUFEN is of special interest as in this routine the name of the printing program and
the form are retrieved from the customizing and then the application and message-specific entry-routine in
the printing program is called:
* don't process locked entries (but don't perform this check
* in preview mode)
if us_screen ne on.
RETURNCODE = 3.
check nast-snddr eq space.
endif.
IF NAST-NACHA = '1' AND
NAST-TDRECEIVER IS INITIAL.
NAST-TDRECEIVER = NAST-USNAM.
ENDIF.
CALL FUNCTION 'NAST_PROTOCOL_INITIALIZE'.
*TNAPR = TNAPR.
* try to perform all routines in TNAPR (RONAM - RONAM5)
DO 5 TIMES VARYING RONAM FROM *TNAPR-RONAM NEXT *TNAPR-RONAM2
VARYING FONAM FROM *TNAPR-FONAM NEXT *TNAPR-FONAM2
VARYING PGNAM FROM *TNAPR-PGNAM NEXT *TNAPR-PGNAM2.
CHECK PGNAM NE SPACE.
TNAPR-RONAM = RONAM.
TNAPR-FONAM = FONAM.
TNAPR-PGNAM = PGNAM.
IF TNAPR-RONAM NE SPACE OR TNAPR-PGNAM NE SPACE.
* initial protocol entry for this processing program call
At this point we can set a breakpoint to check if the fields TNAPR-RONAM, FONAM and PGNAM
contain the correct entries or if the customer uses his own program and form, we can change these data in
the debugger. In the standard, the program should be ‘SAPFM06P’, the routine should be something like
‘ENTRY_NEU’ or ‘ENTRY_MAHN’ (dependent on the message) and the form should be ‘MEDRUCK’.
If a problem only occurs with the customers form and program but not with our standard form and program
-> R€mot€ Con$ulting !
The entry-routines will then start reading the data concerning the current message and output the document.
Until 4.5B the whole logic was located in the program SAPFM06P, from 4.6B on the entry-routines call the
functions ME_READ_PO_FOR_PRINTING and ME_PRINT_PO from the function-group MEDRUCK.
Message output
When one wants to test the output of a message by RM06ENDR_ALV, there are 3 choices:
1. Output message: The message is really processed and sent to the device for which it was created
(fax, printer, …)
2. Display message: A preview window is opened and the message is displayed on the screen.
There is an important difference between the preview from ME21N and ME9F/K/L:
• ME21N: Not all data is already present on the database, so the printout may be incomplete. It
is not possible to print change-messages, as in the ME21N no changes have been written to
the database and so no change-documents (CDHDR, CDPOS) exist.
• ME9x: The document and all related data do exist on the database, so the preview should
show exactly the same data as the printout.
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3. Trial printout: The message is sent to the printer (no matter for what device the message was
created). The status (NAST-VSTAT) is not changed.
The report RM06ENDR_ALV is usually not called directly but by one of the following transactions:
Release <= 3.1I
ME90: Transmit purchasing documents
ME91: Reminding and Urging purchasing documents
ME92: Monitor receipt of order acknowledgement
Release >3.1I
ME9A: Transmission of RFQs
ME91A: Reminding and Urging of RFQs
ME9F: Transmit POs
ME91F: Reminding and Urging POs
ME92F: Monitor receipt of order acknowledgement
ME9L: Transmission of scheduling agreements
ME9E: Transmission of delivery schedules
ME91E: Reminding and Urging of delivery schedules
ME92L: Monitor receipt of order acknowledgement
ME84: Create delivery schedule releases
ME9K: Transmit contracts
ME92K: Monitor receipt of order acknowledgement
Printer and fax settings as well as the dispatching time can be changed before transmitting a purchasing
document. But, it is possible to exclude certain dispatching times for a message type.
Messages of purchasing documents that are subject to release will not be displayed or transmitted.
Special Information for Releases as of 4.6B:
When issuing NEU-messages or change-messages the quantity of the goods receipt will be taken into
account.
Messages already processed can be processed again when using the function ‘Repeat Output’ in the
message overview.
When urging a purchasing document it is not sufficient to create the urging message MAHN manually in
the message overview of the document. Such a message will not be processed.
The urging message has to be created by the appropriate transaction as this is the only possibility to
determine the relevant data.
The form MEDRUCK
The one and only SAPscript form that is used for the output of purchasing documents is the form
MEDRUCK. It can be displayed and modified with the transaction SE71.
Usually the most recent form should be the MEDRUCK in P9C (at the moment) in client 000. This one
should also be same as the form ZMEDRUCK_000 in U9C in client 800.
The form consists of several ‘windows’. To examine them in detail:
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In this window we can see the text-elements, for example:
/E HEADER_TARGET_VALUE
IN &'Target value 'EKKO-KTWRT& &EKKO-WAERS&
This element in the form is printed out, when the following code in MEDRUCK (routine
PRINT_HEADER) is performed:
* Zielwert, wenn vorhanden --------------------------------------------*
IF ekko-ktwrt NE 0 AND nast-kappl NE 'EL'. "311394
CALL FUNCTION 'WRITE_FORM'
EXPORTING
element = 'HEADER_TARGET_VALUE'
EXCEPTIONS
OTHERS = 01.
CLEAR sy-subrc.
ENDIF.
These text elements are the link between the printing program and the form. So if something does not look
right on the form, try to identify the affected text-element, set a breakpoint in the ABAP before the
WRITE_FORM for this text-element and check the content of the variables listed in this text-element in the
form.
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ABAP
select * from xy into table
Read data from database
itab.
Print data into form call function OPEN_FORM
...
loop at itab. SAPscript Form
...
A = itab-a.
call function WRITE_FORM
EXPORTING /E TEXT1
element = 'TEXT1'. IL &'Text A is 'A&
...
* B = itab-b.
call function WRITE_FORM /E TEXT2
EXPORTING IL &'Text B is 'itab-b&
element = 'TEXT2'.
...
endloop.
...
call function CLOSE_FORM
Customizing
The Customizing can be found in transaction OLME under ‘Messages’.
Transactions that make the Customizing easier to use, but do not substitute are: NACE and OMGG.
The subsequent customizing settings can be found in the branch ‘Messages -> Output Control’.
Maintain Message Determination Scheme
Purchasing document Transaction code
RFQ M/32
Purchase Order M/36
Contract M/68
Sched. Agreement/Expeditor M/42
Inbound Delivery VNE7
You can define more than one scheme. But only one scheme can be assigned to one purchasing document
type.
Assign Message Determination Scheme
You can set a dispatching time here as default.
To make sure that the message determination works properly, the flags ‘M’ for message determination
(T161N-NFIND) and ‘P’ for partner determination (T161N-NEUPR) should be set. The flag ‘Rel. mess.’
(T161N-OBJLG) is only relevant for scheduling agreement releases. If this flag is set, the system creates a
new message for each release.
To each purchasing document only one message scheme can be assigned.
Define message types
Purchasing document Transaction code
RFQ M/30
Purchase Order M/34
Contract M/38
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Sched. Agreement/Expeditor M/40
Inbound Delivery VNE3
If a message shall be sent via EDI, in transaction WE20 the message type has to be maintained for the
message partner.
In the details of a message type several settings are available:
General Data:
One message scheme is assigned to the message type. In case a communication strategy shall be used, this
has to be assigned here as well. Make sure that the flags for ‘Access to conditions’ and ‘Multiple issuing’
are set. The flag for ‘Multiple issuing’ allows sending messages multiple times to the same partner  this
is relevant for urgings and reminders.
If the flag for ‘partner-independent output’ is not set, the system allows only certain partner roles for the
message determination.
To create change messages properly, the program FM06AEND and the form CHANGE_FLAG must be
maintained.
In case you want to send a message via Email and provide purchasing-document-specific information in the
title of the Email you need to maintain the area ‘Replacement of text symbols’ with the program
SAPMM06E and form TEXT_SYMBOL_REPLACE.
Default Values:
Here you can maintain the dispatching time and the transmission medium.
‘Processing routines’
In the branch ‘Processing routines’ (in the folder tree on the left) the processing programs, form routines
and forms can be assigned to the different media.
This can also be done with the following transactions:
Purchasing document Transaction code
RFQ OMFD
Purchase Order OMFE
Contract OMFF
Sched. Agreement/Expeditor OMFG
Fine-tune Control
Defines which message type shall be used for which print operation (new print, change print, urging letter,
expediter). For the message type NEU the print operations 1 (new print) and 2 (change print) should be
always maintained. In case scheduling agreements are used, the flag ‘Update print-dependent data’
(T161M-DRUAB) should be selected. This flag controls whether print-dependent data should be updated
when printing messages in case of scheduling agreement releases.
Please note that when transmitting several message types, e.g. LPH1 and LPJ2, the flag should be set only
for the last one.
Purchasing document Transaction code
RFQ OMQK
Purchase Order OMQN
Contract OMQO
Sched. Agreement/Expeditor OMQP
Inbound Delivery VNE3
Define Access-Sequence
This is a cross-client setting
Purchasing document Transaction code
RFQ M/48
Purchase Order M/50
Contract M/52
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Sched. Agreement/Expeditor M/54
Inbound Delivery VNE4
The access sequence is assigned to the message type. Assigned can be only one access sequence. The
access sequence serves as key combination for the creation of condition-/message entries. The access
sequence orders the condition tables in a certain sequence. Tables with the smallest sequence number will
be looked up first. The tables should be sorted from specific to unspecific. In this case the most specific
condition table will be looked up first.
The flag ‘Exclusive’ prevents the system to look up subsequent tables in case one table was already
matched. This prevents that more than one message will be created.
Define condition tables
Purchasing document Transaction code
RFQ M/58
Purchase Order M/61
Contract M/67
Sched. Agreement/Expeditor M/64
Inbound Delivery VNE2
The condition tables contain those fields for which a purchasing document will be checked when
determining the message.
In the standard the tables delivered contain the following fields:
Table name Fields
025 Purch. Org./Vendor for EDI
026 Doc.Type/Purch.Org/Vendor
027 Document Type
Communication strategy: (>= 4.6B)
Menu Path: SPRO -> Basis Components -> Basis Services -> Message Control
For each message type a communication strategy can be maintained. The communication strategy
determines the sequence in which the system looks up the communication type (Email, Fax, Printer…) of a
partner. SAPConnect must support the communication types. The first communication type that has a valid
entry will be used.
The advantage of a communication strategy is that you, for example, can send a message primarily by
Email. All partners without an Email-address shall receive their messages by fax. All partners without
Email and fax shall receive the message by mail (Printer).
Condition-/Message Entries
After having set up the customizing it is mandatory to fill the condition tables. As long as the condition
tables are not filled there will be no message determination!
Menu path: Logistics -> Materials Management -> Purchasing -> Master Data -> Messages
Purchasing document Transaction code
RFQ MN01 – MN03
Purchase Order MN04 – MN06
Contract MN07 – MN09
Sched. Agreement/Expeditor MN10 – MN12
Service Entry Sheet MN13 – MN15
Inbound Delivery MN24 – MN26
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In the condition entry at the latest, a transmission medium has to be maintained. Otherwise a message will
not be created. The settings in the condition entry always override all other settings that might have been
maintained in other parts of the customizing.
Via the determination analysis, which can be found within the message overview of a purchasing
document, it is possible to identify why a message was created or not.
When using FAX or Email as transmission medium please make sure, that a valid fax number or Email-
address in the vendor’s master data is maintained.
In case a message should be transmitted immediately, the flag ‘Print immediately’ in the communication
data should be set. Otherwise the message is send to the spool and the transmission has to be continued
from there, e.g. via a job.
When ‘holding’ a faulty purchase order in ME21N, no message will be created. The message determination
will wait until the purchase order is no longer faulty.
If a message comes in
If a customer is having problems, the following things should be checked:
• Does the problem appear with standard program and form ?
• Are partners correctly determined ?
• Is a message created automatically ? (make sure that the dispatch time is set to 3)
• Is it possible to enter a message manually and send it out ?
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