MS Word : Unexpected symbol in word documents

If you see any unexpected symbol like  [ ¶ ] in the word documents just press Ctrl+Shift+8 (not F8). This shall clear off the symbols.  

Regards,
[V]

SAP : View EDI Segment Qualfiers and Actions (QUALF/ACTION)

The EDI segment documentation was very descriptive in SAP 4.6C where the segment 'Qualifiers' and 'Actions' functions were provided in the segment definition. In the later versions this data was missing and I happened to explore a way. My fellow consultants around the globe might have been using this trick but I liked to write on this one and see below for steps.

1. Execute TCode: SE11
2. Select the 'Data Type'  radio button and input the Segment name for instance E1EDP01.
3. Click the display and you can view the Component and the Component type details
4. Double click on the Component type respective to the QUALF or ACTION elements.
5. This displays the Domain as many of you know.
6. Once again double click on the Domain and go to the value range tab to view the details,

Regards,
[V]

SAP : ERROR: Program not registered

Issue: We had the 'Connection Test' failure when trying to ping to the EDI subsystem from the TCode SM59 and further the IDOC also fails with the below error. There are several causes and solutions that have been discussed on SDN but this one solution worked for us. I am not a BASIS consultant but this was and input from one of them and thought it would be of help to someone somewhere.

Logon Connection Error
Error Details Error when opening an RFC connection
Error Details ERROR: program <pid> not registered
Error Details LOCATION: SAP-Gateway on host xxxxxxxxx / sapgwxx
Error Details DETAIL: TP <PID> not registered
Error Details COMPONENT: SAP-Gateway
Error Details COUNTER: 266693
Error Details MODULE: gwr3cpic.c
Error Details LINE: 1812
Error Details RETURN CODE: 679
Error Details SUBRC: 0
Error Details RELEASE: 700
Error Details TIME: Mon Sept 14 10:54:21 2012
Error Details VERSION: 2

Solution: Execute TCode RZ11, enter Parameter Name : gw/acl_mode and click display and later change the current value to 0 from 1. The related note was 1480644.


Regards,
[V]

SAP Special Pricing Functions – Sales deals & Price books

This special pricing concept is amongst one of SAP’s robust functions that have not been or very explored limitedly. There is this concept of ‘Data Determination in Access’ as part of the special pricing functions in SAP SD module further divided into

• Determination using communication structure KOMPAZD
• Data determination using routines
• Data Determination for Sales Deals
• Price Books

Out of these four functions the ‘Price books’ embed the all three functions of Determination using communication structure KOMPAZD , Data determination using routines and Data determination for Sales deals. The only reason of me writing this blog is for spreading the knowledge of this functionality and the details are provided in the SAP help and you have the time and patience you could check in the pricing procedure RVAA02 in SAP.     

Sales Deals

The sales deals provide a greater flexibility of maintaining prices. I believe an example should explain this better, though this example might not be used in real time but helps explain the concept.Let’s say we are using the standard RVAA01 pricing procedure which has PR00 condition type to maintain prices. If we have 10 customers and 10 materials and the prices are to be maintained at Customer/Material combination. This would create 100 entries for a condition records.

With the use of the sales deals concept, as it’s a combination of two condition types, generally one for the customer and another for the material with rate. In this occasion we could input 10 customers in the condition type-1 and the 10 materials with amount/rate in the condition type-2, which is only 20 condition records. The combination of routines and the access sequence does the magic.

On the other hand if we have a new customer with all the materials eligible, then we have to input around 10 records to the PR00 condition type, but using the sales deal concept we could just add the customer to condition type-1.

Price Books

As I mentioned the price books work in conjunction with sales deals and taking the same example from above, we could have the condition type-2 in the sales deal to be a % rather than an amount. In that base we could have a condition type with a Initial price which has an Amount specified and the calculated price could be a % of the base value.

• Initial Price = $100.00
• Customer = C1
• Material =  M1-90%
• Calculate Price = 90% of 100 

Source: SAP Help

Regards,

[V]

SAP Availability check against Product Allocation

Folks,

I have been trying to understand SAP Product Allocation and this is what I think happens. Any experts reading this blog can correct me and post comments and I shall add to this.

Product Allocation
During normal ATP process, the quantities in the order are confirmed against unrestricted stock, but in case of product allocation, the quantities allocated for order is based on a pre-determined criteria and allows you to manage the supply of products to customers so that each customer receives an allocated amount.

Process flow
For product allocation to be performed an LIS table (S140 in standard SAP) is configured and during order processing the quantities are checked against the quantities in LIS. The LIS is maintained based on some standard characteristics like Product Allocation Object, Sales org, DC, Division along with the Allocated Qty.

The same LIS is updated with the order quantity once the order is saved and open allocated quantity is calculated from the difference of the Allocated quantity minus the Order quantity. If the order quantity is greater than the allocated quantity only the order is confirmed only for the allocated quantity.

Primarily the Product Allocation Object acts as a liaison between the product allocation procedure/schema assigned to the Material Master and the LIS table also with some other key configuration steps. This is a high level understanding of Product Allocation.


Click link for configuration steps

Regards,

[V]

SAP Special Pricing Functions with Promotions and Sales Deals

I have been longing to write this since a few years and finally I am. In SAP, apart from the regular pricing using the PR00 condition type for price maintenance and K00X condition types for discounts maintenance, SAP has a unique pricing functionality called special pricing functions.

The special pricing functions are used for carrying marketing plans during particular promotional events for the organization with what is called the Promotions and Sales Deals in SAP.

Promotion: A promotion is typically a plan to be executed for a group of materials/customer or any certain criteria based on the organizational requirement. In SAP this promotion is a virtual representation of a plan with just a few control parameters like it has a number, validity period, payment terms and some text maintenance with the master data residing in what is known as the Sales Deals.

Sales Deals: Sales deals as mentioned is actual representation of a promotion with multiple sales deals tied to a promotion. The sales deal could be unique per each product line or per each customer group etc. A sales deal in SAP is defined as a group of two or more condition types executed during the order processing for the promotional period. The actual master data for the condition record data resides in the sales deal via the condition type combination.

Both the Promotions and Sales Deals are referred to as Agreement Types from a configuration stand point and a key in the Agreement type differentiates a promotion from a sales deal. A hierarchical representation of a promotion, Sales Deal and Condition type is show below and the details of the configuration will be posted in the subsequent blog. In the mean time to check the details, use transaction code VB31 for promotion (0030) and VB21 for sales deal (0020).

P.S - Source: SAP Help


Regards,
[V]

Windows 7 - Icon images missing

During installation of certain programs or a Windows Update, it happens that the icon images go missing and you see a common image for Word or Excel or power point and certain other programs. The resolution I found was to rebuild the Icon Cache, which I learned worked for many but for me. 

The re-installation of the program, for example the Skype icon went missing and after the re-install the icon was restored. 

But the same did not work for Microsoft Office and the re-installing/setup did not work for some unknown reason or a corrupted registry. 

The solutions I found was to use the Microsoft 'Fix it'.Use the below link
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301. 
http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall

This program restores the registry and a re-installation of the Office word, restored the missing icons. Use the same program to restore any other failing installations where an .msi file goes missing.
 

Regards,
[V]