Register Login

Top 16 Release Strategy Interview Questions and Answers

Updated May 18, 2018

Release Strategy FAQs

1. Why can I modify a purchase requisition although I set the changeability of the release indicator to '1' ('Cannot be changed')?

The purchase requisition is not modifiable via a purchasing transaction like ME52 or ME52N. But it is possible to change the purchase requisition from any other external application like sales order, planned order, maintenance order or network. The Changeability functionality only concerns the purchasing transactions. This is intended and a new release strategy determination takes place if there is a modification of the data in the external application.

2. Is it possible to modify the overall release status (V_T161-GSFRG) of the document type for a purchase requisition ? Why is the database table field Overall release of purchase requisitions (EBAN-GSFRG) set as overall whereas the item is subject to an item-wise release strategy ?

SAP does not recommend to modify the overall release status (V_T161-GSFRG) of the document type for a purchase requisition (customizing - transaction OMEB). The  risk is to create inconsistencies in database table EBAN. If a purchase requisition is subject to an overall release strategy and you change the document type from overall to item-wise release, the system can determine an item-wise release strategy when you modify one item with ME52. This item is now subject to a single release strategy when all other items are still subject to the former overall release strategy. And the overall release field (EBAN-GSFRG) is still set as overall for all items. If you do the same change with ME52N, the items not modified are no longer subject to the former overall release strategy and EBAN-GSFRG is set as item-wise for all items. But the requisition processing state (EBAN-BANPR) remains in status release completed (05) for the items not modified.

3. Why is the release strategy not reset ? 

A reset of the release strategy only takes place if

  • the changeability of the release indicator is set to '4' in case of a purchase requisition and '4' or '6' in case of another purchasing document (purchase order, request for quotation, contract, scheduling agreement),
  • the document is still subject to the previous release strategy,
  • the new TOTAL NET ORDER VALUE is higher than the old one.

The total net order value is linked to CEKKO-GNETW for a purchase order, CEBAN-GSWRT for a purchase requisition item-wise release and CEBAN-GFWRT for a purchase requisition overall release. If you have maintained a Tolerance for value changes during release (V_161S-TLFAE), the release strategy is reset when the value of the document is higher than the percentage you have specified and if the document is still subject to the previous release strategy.

4. Why is the release strategy not determined ?

Please check the following points:

  • You can not use Release without classification and Release with classification. If there is an entry present in Release Group table (T16FG-FRGOT) only release with classification can be used.
  • If you use version management, the determination of the release strategy starts when the version is completed.
    You complete a version by setting the "version completed" indicator in the version tab.
  • Cost Center values (CEBAN-KOSTL) and Vendor values (CEBAN-LIFNR) in the release strategy characteristics should be entered with leading zeros. This is true for the other structures as well (CEKKO and CESSR). See 52225.
  • For OVERALL RELEASE (purchase order and purchase requisition) the item fields such as Plant and Material Group will be aggregated to header level. For example you use Plant as one of your characteristics. If all items do not belong to the same plant then the relase strategy will not be found unless you have maintained a blank value as one of your allowed values for the characteristic Plant. If all items belong to the same plant then that plant is aggregated to the header; if one or more is different then a blank is aggregated to the header. See 47089.
  • If you use a release user exit to derive the communication structure the following statements must be in the code (see 371667):
  • E_CEBAN = I_CEBAN (EXIT_SAPLEBND_001 and EXIT_SAPBELND_004)
  • E_CEKKO = I_CEKKO (EXIT_SAPLEBND_002)

5. Why is there no release strategy for the quotations (ME47)?

The release strategy determination takes only place when you modify the request of quotation via ME42.

6. Why does the system not display the purchase requisition I double click on with ME55 (scope of list F) ?

If you have previously selected one or several documents the program determines the first document selected and not necessary the one you double click on. The purchase requisitions will be displayed one after the other and to do so each purchase requisition displayed is deselected. On the other hand, if no document is marked, the system displays the document you double click on because the program selects the document according to the position of the cursor and not the mark.

Read Here for SAP MM Forums.

7. Why can I not select several purchase requisitions with ME55 and scope of list ALV grid?

As from release 470, you can use scope of list ALV grid with ME55. This constitutes a new design and was developed in order to achieve accessibility requirements. It was not the aim to guarantee absolute identical functioning as with the other scopes. The behaviour is more user-friendly than with the old scope of list. With scope of list ALV grid it is no longer possible to select several purchase requisitions and release them all together. This was done on purpose and the user should release the documents without the checkbox selection.

8. Why is the database table ekko not updated when I use transaction ME28 to release purchase orders ?

First check that the transaction/event key (vorga) for ME28 in pooled table T160 (SAP Transaction Control, Purchasing) is EF. Then check if a committed work in a user-exit does not interfere with logic of transaction ME28.

9. What authority check is performed with release transactions ME29N and ME54N ?

With the Release Purchase Order (ME29N) and Release Purchase Requisition (ME54N) transactions, an AUTHORIZED person can display/change the current version of the document and effect release with his release codes. An authority check is performed on object M_EINK_FRG for transaction ME29N and object M_BANF_FRG for transaction ME54N. With the authorization object M_EINK_FRG, you can determine which purchasing documents the user may release via the release group (FRGGR) and which release codes (FRGCO) he may use when doing so. The authorization object M_BANF_FRG enables you to restrict the release of purchase requisitions via the release code (FRGCD).

10. Why do I have to switch to change mode in order to release with transaction ME54N ?

When you select with ME54N a purchase requisition that cannot be released the system switches to display mode and if then you select a releasable purchase requisition the system keeps the display mode due to technical reasons. Consequently, you have to switch to Change mode by clicking on the Change/Display button (F7).

11. Is it possible to create a purchase order with reference to a purchase requisition not yet released? Is it possible to create a purchase order with reference to a request of quotation not yet released ?

It is not possible to create a purchase order if the referenced purchase requisition is not released. But the system allows you to put the purchase order on hold and then release the purchase requisition. On the other hand, you can create a purchase order with reference to an unreleased request of quotation.

Read Next What is SAP MM 

12. Is it possible to cancel a release strategy when the purchase order has been printed out?

With ME29N you cannot cancel a release strategy once the document has been printed out. This behaviour constitutes a new design. Regarding ME28 it has been decided to keep the old behaviour and you can cancel the release if there is at least one message type which has not been printed out.

13. How is the currency converted?

The header currency is converted to local currency (company code currency) and then the local currency is converted to the characteristic currency.

14. Can I use a blank characteristic so that this characteristic will not be considered during the release strategy determination?

Unfortunately, there is no mechanism like entering a blank or * in order to make classification understand this characteristic is not relevant. The characteristic and its values will always been taken into consideration. In case you use a 'non-aggregated' field in your release strategy you need to enter all possible values for the corresponding characteristic (as a range - just in case of numeric characteristics). Example: You use item-wise release strategy for purchase requisitions    and the plant is used in the release strategy (characteristic    CEBAN-WERKS). Release strategy determination will be processed item by item. There will always be just one value for the plant (from the current    item), multiple values and thus aggregation is not possible. In this case you have to enter all possible values for the characteristic CEBAN-WERKS.
In case you use an 'aggregated' field in your release strategy (which is possible for overall release strategy for PRs and release strategy for POs) and multiple values are used for that field on a purchasing document, you can use a blank value for the corresponding characteristic if you'd like the release strategy be applied. Example: You use release strategy for a PO and the plant is one of the    relevant fields (characteristic CEKKO-WERKS).    You enter a first PO item with plant 0001 and a second item with plant    0002.    Since there are multiple values for the plant the system will    'aggregate' to blank value and use blank value for searching for a    release strategy. Since you have maintained a blank value for characteristic    CEKKO-WERKS the system will find the corresponding release strategy. In this case please pay attention to 732566. It causes an error in case blank values are used for release strategies. Even when the long text just talks about process orders the impact of the side effect is more general. Please take care 754178 is implemented, it corrects 732566.

15. Why can I not input more that 999 entries for a characteristic like costcenter (KOSTL) ?

The cost center field ( CEBAN-KOSTL) is defined as a CHAR field and also the reference characteristic for this field has a CHAR format. Therefore you can only assign less than 999 values (see 534226).

16. Why is there no release strategy determination when a program changes in the background a purchasing document which corresponds to the classification of a release strategy?

This is the system design that a release strategy determination can only be triggered by a user action and not by changes made in the background process. If you create a document (e.g. PO, Contract, etc), the determination of the release strategy takes place only in case of a user event like checking or saving the document.


Comments

  • 10 Apr 2008 6:16 am Appala Srinivas
    PO Release strategy in SAP ECC6.00.

    IN SAP 4.6c version we have OMGQ,OMGS AND ML60 transaction codes for PR and PO and SE.Like,
    Any one can suggest transaction codes for PR, PO and SE release strategies in ECC6.00 Versions.
  • 29 Apr 2008 8:18 am Guest
    Good morning,
    I have a question: Why it is not possible to display a purchasing request via the ME55 transaction if we do not have authorization to release it? I think that it should be possible to display the Purchasing Request.

    Thanks for the answer.
  • 27 Jun 2008 1:41 pm Guest
    Good day,

    I want to refernce the values of my chanracteritic Vendor, which is a chanracter on a table. I use the other value check field, but there is not release strategy tab when i create a PO. It works if I remove the characteristic Vendor from my Class.

    What could be the problem
  • 07 Jul 2008 1:16 pm Guest
    Hi,
    I have release strategy for PO based on characteristics Purchasing group and document type.
    under what circumstances will the release strategy be retriggered again.Will it be triggered after the PO is released and then i change the Purchasing group the PO be reset if only the characteristics value change (as i have only the Purchase group and document type as the characteristics)
    What happens if the quantity changes or value changes?How can the Release Strategy be retriggered then?
    Also can any one please tell me the use of these indicators in the release strategy
    1 Cannot be changed (does it mean that if you set this indicator then no matter what changes you do for your PR or PO the release strategy wont be retriggered once the PO is released?)
    2 Changeable, no new determination of strategy (what does this config do?)
    3 Changeable, new release in case of new strategy (what does this config do?)
    4 Changeable, new release in case of new strat. or val. change What happens if we set this indicator)
    5 Changeable, new release if new strategy/outputted (what does this config do?)
    6 Changeable, new rel. if new strat. or value change/outputted (what does this config do?)
    Changeable, new release in case ohe new strategy (what does this config do?)
  • 06 Oct 2008 10:10 am Guest
    Hi
    How to configure plant wise release stratagy. Send me the path and t code
  • 20 Feb 2009 8:31 pm Guest
    What is the maximum amount of PO release levels that I can create in SAP?
  • 11 May 2009 11:43 pm Guest
    I have checked M_EINK_FRG only used by ME28. I have added this authorisation object to a role and in added the line to the role saying release code and group. However, when i click on the button to see what transaction this is for, it only has ME28 listed.

    I need to make ME29N look at the release code and group that I have in the system.
    Cheers
    Freddie


  • 26 May 2009 8:37 am Guest
    Can we change the approval limit from USD to EUR?
  • 17 Sep 2009 2:49 am Guest
    Hi,

    We need to trigger a release strategy for both scenarios below:-

    1) Multiple material groups within a PR with multiple line items.
    2) Similar material groups within a PR with multiple line items.

    Currently we maintained all material groups within 1 release strategy.
    But by doing this, a PR created with multiple material groups will not
    trigger any release strategy.

    We tried to remove all material groups from the release strategy. As a
    result, a PR with multiple material groups did trigger this release
    strategy.

    But the other effect is a PR with similar material group does not
    triggering any release strategy.

    FYI;
    All PR above are multiple line items PR.
    All PR above should triggering the same release strategy.
  • 13 Nov 2009 2:38 pm Guest
    I have a release strategy for scheduling agreement.But its not determining/starting again Rel. Strategy ,when there is a decrease in value.Its blocking the document when you increase the value,which is correct.I have set the release indicator as '6'.All other parameters are maintained correctly and working.
    Please let me explain with example :if a document has been released at all levels for a value say 3000 EUR,then if I change the value to say 2000 EUR,it should 'Block' the document and release strategy should again trigger from initial level.Is it possible in SAP ECC6.0 ???
    Kindly help!!!!!
    Somu

  • 10 Jun 2010 9:57 am Guest
    I had Created a PR and completed Release Strategy for PR.

    But in ME54 iam geeting an error" Release Strategy is not subjected to Purchse requisition".

    Can anybody help me how to sort out this issue..

    Thanks & Regards,
    Sree.
  • 09 Jul 2010 5:08 am Guest
    how to custmise the release staregy of purchase order in ECC6.0
  • 01 Sep 2010 11:25 am Guest
    Sir,

    How can possiable the release P O change/delete.
    I am use T Code Me22n but note change the PO the erroe mesg. purchasing document has release indicator 2 change not possible.

    Please advice the process.
    sunil
  • 02 Sep 2010 7:09 am Guest
    when doing service PR, how to restrict the cost center in the dialog box only to those relevant to the user?
  • 24 Sep 2010 10:22 am Guest
    Sir,

    How can possiable the release P O change/delete.
    I am use T Code Me22n but note change the PO the erroe mesg. purchasing document has release indicator 2 change not possible.

    Please advice the process.my mail id-sunilsuprya@yahoo.com
    sunil
  • 16 Oct 2010 6:52 pm Guest
    Sir,

    I want make settings in sap mm module like, only one po has to created for single pr.
    system will not allow me to create the po with the same pr..

    how can i make such settings in sap mm module.

    Thanking you in anticipation.
  • 16 Aug 2013 5:54 am Guest
    we need to have a release stratgy for quotation comparison statement which is like an inbuilt screen in SAP itself.

    could anyone please let me know the possibilities to work it out.


    Regards
    Puneeth

×