Several points need to know when using condition-based down payment

[alex_zheng]

From Enhancement Package 2 for ERP 6.0, SAP has provided an enhancement of the existing down payment processing: condition-based down payment.

Here I am not going to explain in details about how does condition-based down payment processing look like or how to customize it, as there’re already enough documentations available. For the detailed process flow & customizing regarding the condition-based down payments processing, you may refer to the SAP online help:

Down Payment Processing (Basis: Document Condition)

SAP Note 1788841 also provides the basic info regarding this function.

I’d just like to share with you about one case that I’ve met before, which shows several points that need to pay attention to when making use of this function.

First of all, it must be ensured that the business function SD_01 under ENTERPRISE_BUSINESS_FUNCTIONS is activated via T-cd: SFW5. It’s the technical prerequisite for the condition-based down payment function.



However, in this case, even though customer has activated the business function, after doing the incoming payment for down payment via F-29, the down payment clearing condition AZWB is still not appearing in the subsequent SD billing:



After checking the referenced SO 18903, I noticed AZWB doesn’t appear in the SO at all:



This should not happen, as AZWB is supposed to get determined in SO with value 0.

By taking a look at the document flow again, I noticed the SO was created reference to a quantity contract, after a further check of the copying control settings between Quantity contract -> SO, I’ve figured out why AZWB is missing in the SO.



The pricing type was set as ‘D’ in the copying control, which means there’s no redetermination of AZWB during SO creation.

So now the question comes to why there’s no AZWB got determined in the quantity contract.

The answer can be found from the SAP Note 1788841:

Process flow

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Supported sales documents are quotations, orders, and debit memo requests.

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So contract is not supported for the condition based down payment process. Therefore condition AZWB cannot get determined in the contract.

Technically speaking, this is due to the standard design in the condition value calculation formula 049 (FV64A049) assigned to condition AZWB.

It only works for the document category (VBTYP):
M     Invoice
P      Debit memo
N      Invoice cancellation
B      Quotation
C      Order
L       Debit memo request

This means the condition based down payment functionality was designed only for 'real' sales order documents with VBTYP 'C' (order) or VBTYP 'L'(debit memo requests), but NOT for VBTYP ‘G’ (contract). Due to this standard design, AZWB cannot get determined in contract at all.

As the workaround, I suggested my customer to choose some other pricing type in copying control to re-determine the condition AZWB during SO creation. Alternatively, they can enter condition AZWB manually during sales order creation if they want to keep the setting of pricing type 'D' in copying control.

After changing the pricing type to ‘C’(see SAP Note 24832 regarding different pricing types), retest the whole scenario:





Condition type AZWB is available now in sales order:



Incoming payment of down payment done by T-code: F-29, received down payment got assigned to sales order:



Check the billing document:



Till now AZWB appears in the final billing, but there’s still 1 problem left.

Both AZWA & AZWB should be statistical as explained in the SAP Online help:



Otherwise, there’ll be error occurs in SD/FI interface. In the above example, error VFRR012 gets issued because AZWB is non-statistical and revenue recognition is active.

Additional remarks:

In case that you’re using ERP SD revenue recognition function, it would be ok to make use of the condition based down payment function at the same time. But the down payment condition itself will not be involved in the RR process as they’re statistical.

Please also pay attention to the following points mentioned by note 1788841, here I quote from the note directly:

Function restrictions and important comments

• The combination of sales document items with down payments on the basis of conditions, and sales document items with billing plans in one sales document (mixed types) is not supported.

• It is not possible to integrate the down payments on the basis of conditions with FI-CA (Contract Accounts Receivable and Payable).

• You cannot use down payments on the basis of conditions in returns or credit memo processes, or in invoice corrections.

• A "negative" down payment is not supported. This means that you must not enter a negative condition rate for the condition AZWA.

 

Hope my sharing could help you avoid the similar issues when utilizing condition-based down payment scenario~