When you use rebate processing, only part of the pricing functions are available. This affects for example:
- Condition exclusion (via groups or exclusion indicator)
- Exclusive indicator
- Formulas
The previous restrictions are caused by the following:
Rebate processing allows subsequent creations or changes of agreements. It is expected that these changes also influence, for example, the amount of the rebate to be payed retroactively. These changes of condition records do not automatically cause the change of existing documents. For this reason, in rebate processing only a restricted interpretation of the relevant documents is available. For performance reasons it does not allow the complete pricing functionality.
New procedure
1. Technical background
As of Release 4.5A, the new procedure for rebate processing is available. The difference between this procedure and the previous is that in the new procedure all affected billing documents are updated with changes which are relevant for rebate. In this procedure the options of the pricing functions (for example, condition exclusion) are also available.
However, you should only use the new procedure after consulting a TeamSAP consultant and if you thoroughly learned and checked the effects described in this note.
2. Activation of the new procedure
You can activate the new procedure by activating standard statistics structure S136 (Transaction OMO1). You must set the update to 'Synchronous updating (1)'.
3. Update of the billing documents
You can use program SDBONT06 to update the affected billing documents.
How does program SDBONT06 work ?
First the program determines (depending on its pamameters) a number of billing documents. For these billing documents it performs a new pricing (with a pricing type which only determines those rebate conditions again, which have not yet been fully settled).
- If the program determines a different result concerning rebate conditions, the rebate conditions are updated.
- If these changes affect accruals, an additional accounting document is created for the specified posting date which adjusts the provisions.
- If changes occurred, statistical data (S060) is also adjusted. This occurs for the date of services rendered that is in the same period which was also posted before.
- If errors occur during pricing, the billing document cannot be updated (see error log).
- If the net value of a billing document changes (for example, when you enter a rebate condition which excludes a non-rebate condition retroactively), the billing document is also not updated.
What effect do the parameters of the program have ?
- Agreements
You can restrict processing to certain agreements or agreement intervals. - Posting date
You can specify the posting date for the document corrections. This date is, for example, used for the transfer to Financial Accounting. However, for the update of the statistics (S060) the date of services rendered is used. - Test
If you set these parameters, the system neither changes billing documents nor creates accounting documents. - Log
You can use this parameter to control whether a log should be issued or not. - Changed agreements
You can use this option to control whether the program should only take billing documents for changed agreements into account.
How does the program recognize whether changes were performed concerning an agreement?
If you maintain rebate agreements or change the corresponding conditions, when you change data which may affect documents, the system indicates the respective condition records (field KONP-KSPAE). This is performed when you create retroactively valid agreements or change the following fields:
- Validity period
- Condition exclusion indicator
- Deletion indicator
- Accruals amount
If the update of all billing documents for the condition records of an agreement was performed successfully, the indication is then cancelled and as a result, when these condition records are passed through later, they are no longer taken into account.
You can recognize whether an agreement was marked as changed when during the call of the agreement or when data for the agreement is output the system displays message:
VK780 "The sales volumes for agreement & is not current".
How shall I use parameter 'Changed agreements'?
Normally, you should set this parameter, since an improved runtime is achieved with a restriction to changed agreements.
You should only deactivate the parameter if changes which are relevant for rebate occurred outside rebate agreement maintenance. These are, for example:
- Relevance for rebate
Sales organization
Payer
Document types - Pricing procedure
Add/delete rebate condition types
Formulas/requirements for rebate condition types
Reference step of a volume rebate condition type - Access sequences
Add/change/delete accesses
Requirements
Exclusive indicator
Condition type
Condition exclusion indicator - Condition exclusion groups for rebate conditions
If parameter 'Changed agreements' is not set, in this case you should attempt to restrict the agreements manually as much as possible.
Also consider that for the above changes you may have to set up the rebate index (VBOX) again, no matter if you use the new rebate procedure or not. Thus, the previous process has not been changed concerning this point.
When should I use the program for the update?
Basically you should always update billing documents when you change data which is relevant for rebate.
You should note, however, that depending on the data volume the program may require considerable runtimes. You should find a compromise with which the update is performed often enough, however, not too often.
What must I consider for the final settlement of a rebate agreement?
Basically agreements can only be settled if their condition records are not marked as changed (field KONP-KSPAE). Otherwise, no final settlement can be performed and the system displays message
VK780 "The sales volume for agreement & is not current".
In this case, you should update the billing documents at least for this agreement. In general, you should perform the update of the billing documents as early as possible that is, for example, when you create a retrospective agreement. Otherwise, you may find at the time of the settlement that you must perform the update and as a consequence, the rebate payment is delayed.
In addition, note that you cannot update conditions for settled agreements with program SDBONT06. Consequently, before you settle an agreement, make sure that the update of the billing documents is also performed for all agreements which may affect the agreement to be settled (for example, by exclusion).
Which problems can occur during the update of the billing documents?
You may not be able to update a document. For example, the following errors may occur:
- Pricing error
- The billing document is blocked
- The net value of the billing document would change
- Error during the transfer to accounting
- and others
In this case you must first correct the error situation (for example, correct the settings) and then perform the update again.
1. Restrictions and risks
- During the final settlement of rebate agreements, the system first checks whether the agreement is indicated as changed. In this case, no final settlement is possible. You must update the billing documents first.
- The most critical factor when you use the new rebate procedure is the runtime of the document update. You should always be aware of the fact that changes ot agreements require an update of the billing documents (in particular before the final settlement).
- Depending on the situation, table S136 may become quite large. In it, the system creates an entry for each determined condition record and for each billing document.
- The system cannot check whether changes were performed outside agreement maintenance. In this case, before the final settlement you should check whether the billing documents must be updated (see the remarks concerning parameter 'Changed Agreements').
- Problems may occur if the update of the billing documents is not possible for one of the above reasons.
Since it may be difficult to solve error situations, you should avoid this. For example, when you perform changes in the system (for example, to the calculation schema or to account determination) you should always be aware that this may affect the update of billing documents in the system.
If you are not able to solve the respective error situation, as a last option you can cancel the billing document and bill the preceding document again.
In particular, you should avoid rebate conditions influencing (for example, excluding) other non-rebate conditions (for example, Immediate discounts). In this constellation, documents could never be updated if the net value would change. If such dependencies are used, the new rebate procedure cannot be used. - Since the billing documents relevant for the sales volume are updated when you use the new rebate procedure and if necessary, accruals are adjusted, you no longer have to create rebate correction documents (B2).
- In addition, you should note that the statistics update is client-specific. To avoid confusion the procedure should be activated in all used clients.
2. Use of the procedure for existing data
Basically you can also use the new procedure for existing data. In this process, consider the following:
- When you activated statistics structure S136, you must set it up again for existing billing documents. You can do this via the standard function for the statistical setup of billing documents (Transaction OLI9). 'Redetermination of the update group' and 'Update documents' are not required.Then copy the set up version to version '000' (Transaction OLIX).
- For the already existing agreements there should be no rebate correction documents (B2) which already performed an accruals correction. Otherwise, the accruals would be updated again during the following update run of the billing documents and as a result would be corrected more than once (the update run does not take existing rebate correction documents into account!).
You may have to cancel existing rebate correction documents.