Release Procedure or Release Strategy in SAP MM

Approval process of expenditure is termed as Release Procedure in SAP.

or                                 

The release process for the procurement of material & services, rather than relying for manual signatures.

 

We can define Release procedure in two ways.

1. with Classification

    Used for Header level and Item Level releases.

    PR, PO are release both Header level and Item Level.

2. without Classification

           Used for Item Level releases.

         PR only can release Item Level.

CLASSIFICATION:

                                         Classes allow you to classify materials with the same characteristics. Classification data allows you to search for materials on the basis of the characteristic values entered into the classes. A material can be assigned to one or more classes. Classification data is valid for the whole company.

                                      This feature is very useful when the customer wants to search for a particular vendor and particular batches.

Eg: Maruthi is manufacturing cars.

Note: we can use multiple parameters for classification

Some areas where classification is used:

Material   Classification 001      Equipment Classification 002

Batch Classification 023              Release Procedure 032                             

Variant Configuration 300

Release Procedure  {Plant, value} ---Multiple parameters 

Terminologies for Release Procedure

1. Release Conditions: -
Identifies the release strategy
For e.g.
• If the price ranges from 1 to 1000, It is approved by AA, BB, and CC
• If the ranges from1001 to 1Lac then it is approved by AA, BB, CC, and DD

2.Release Strategy

Process of approving   the document in a sequence is called as Release Strategy. Guides how to release the document. Guides who has to release the document.

 It is a unique set of conditions, sequence and level of release.
It is a 2 digit code e.g. S1, S2, S3etc.
The Release Strategy contains the following: -
• Release Group
• Release Codes
• Release Indicators

• Release Prerequisite

Maximum release codes in a strategy are eight.
3.Release Group:-
It is a 2-digit code, grouping of approving authorities for the purpose of releasing the document. There could be any no. of releasing authorities in a group.

4. Release Codes: -
It is a 2digit code, which identifies the department or responsible person for
the approval process & release process.
E.g. AA - Manager
BB - Sr. Manager
CC - Vice President
DD - Managing Director

5.Release Indicator: -
It is a Code that represents the release status. If the proper approval
process is performed that the release Strategy has to be release if it is not
performed than the Release Strategy is blocked
R – Release
B – Blocked

6.Release Prerequisite
It will informs the system which RS has to be take place in the PO CEKKO is
a communication structure where it displays the field names & field lengths to
create characteristics i.e. we maintain characteristics in customizing by selecting
the field names from this communication structure for all external documents.
CEBAN is used for the purchasing requisition.

7. Alternate Release

Parallel authorities

 Eg: Manager says approving may be done by   either Mahi or Siri