It's not just SAP users, this happens to everyone. There's always a couple of
partners who want data on an ASN and/or invoice which are not stored (as
explicit fields, or even with a "place for user data") in the seller's order
processing system.
Some commercial ERP systems provide "capture" files, where one can store inbound
data and retrieve it later. (e.g., Point.man, Macola). When these capture
systems do not exist, I've always ended up creating a capture file myself.
(Here's one: I recently had to create a capture file for "customer part
number/our part number" and build and maintain it based on inbound 850's. Not
too many systems don't have a "customer part number" cross reference).
Some translator systems (e.g., TPPC/32) provide an integral capture facility
provided you specify a "turnaround" document.
But capture systems fail when the customer is not sending 850's (or 830's) - or
worse, the customer usually DOES send 850's, but then phones or faxes an
"emergency" order, and expects the "extra" info on the still-required
ASN/invoice.
I hgave never worked with SAP; but for its ubiquitousness, it's hard to believe
SAP does not provide a "user-defined sales order data" capability. You might ask
SAP support, because they have had to field this question.
Bottom line is, good news-bad news: Bad News is, you'll have to make changes to
some part of your system to accommodate your customers (or live with "text
comments"); Good News is, you're not alone.
Michael C. Mattias
Tal Systems
Racine WI
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message -----
From: Roger Myers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2001 12:43 PM
Subject: EDI & SAP: Partner Specific Data
> A perennial issue, where to put the customer specific data that is not
> regular or reoccuring.
>
> We have a number of trading partners looking for us to return PO data that
> doesn't really fit in within standard SAP sales order fields...
[snip]
> Our CSR's manually enter the data on the sales order and at billing time we
> map it to the 810. Up until now we have been using sales text and sales text
> identifiers to capture and pass the data on the outbound IDOC. This approach
> works but is prone to user error.
>
> I have been reluctant to append the sales data tables and build a user
> interface in our system in order to satisfy a customer's data requirements.
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