SAP MM Interview Questions and Answers by SIDDU

PURCHASE ORDER

Create Purchase Order

Definition:-  

Purchase order is an agreement between the vendor and a company to supply the goods at
an agreed rate and at an agreed duration of interval.  

Purchase order is a legal document between a vendor and a company. It covers the
payment terms and terms of delivery also.  

Menu Path:-  

Logistics  Materials Management   Purchasing   Purchase
Order   Create  ME21N – Vendor/Supplying Plant known  

  §  

Double
Click
ME21N  

§Enter
vendor number. E.g. IND6-1  

Click §  

Enter Purchase organization, purchasing group and company code details as shown
below  

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SAP MM Interview Questions and Answers by SIDDU

§  

Click §  

Click § to view the

item over view  

Enter Material, PO
quantity and Plant
where it is to be
received as shown
below.  

§Click the tab screens one by one in the item detail screen. Maintain the appropriate
entries.  

Click §  

§ Click §  

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§ Click §  

Click §  

Click §  

§
Note: - If material master is set with the QM inspection type 01, then stock type will be
QM stock. QA control key from the material master will be copied here into the PO.

Click §  

Ensure § check box is ticked to have

GR based Invoice.  

Enter the tax code.  

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§ 

Click §  

§ 

Click §

Click §  

§ 

Click § to scroll down the screen  

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§ 

Click §  

Click § to maintain Payment terms  

§ 

Note: - To send the message at the

time of GR to the person who
created the PO, click the check box §  

Click §  

§ 

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SAP MM Interview Questions and Answers by SIDDU

Click §  

§ 

Note: - Text can be maintained here.  

Click §  

§ 

Click §  

Message § will
appear at the
bottom

Purchase Order and Answer’s

1. What are the documents you can reference for creating a PO?

A: The following documents are referred for creating a PO:

 Another PO
 An Request for quotation ( RFQ)
 A purchase requisition
 An outline agreement ( only contract)

2. What types of conditions are used in PO? Can you use the same types of
conditions in contract also?

A: Time-independent conditions are used in PO. You can not use the same type
conditions in contract because the conditions in contract are always time-
dependent.

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SAP MM Interview Questions and Answers by SIDDU

3. How do you create a PO without material?

A: To create a PO without material you need to enter the followings:

 Short text of the material
 Material group
 Account assignment
 Price

4. What is GR message in PO?

A: GR message in PO is an indicator to specify that the system is to issue an

appropriate message to the buyer following each goods receipt in respect of
particular PO.

5. How do you create non valuated PO?

A: The creation of non valuated PO is just similar to the creation of valuated PO. But
here you have to give account assignment category and you have to set GR-Non
valuated indicator at the delivery tab of item detail for the particular item.

6. What determines whether you can change the “GR”, “GR non valuated” and “IR”
in the purchase order?

A: GR: This indicator specifies whether a goods receipt is linked to purchase order or
not.
GR-Non valuated: This indicator specifies that the goods receipt for the particular
item is not valuated. This indicator is used for non valuated materials and for
multiple account assignment.
IR: This indicator specifies whether an invoice receipt is linked to the purchase
order item. If this indicator is not set then the goods are to be delivered free of
charge.

7. At which level the PO history is kept?

A: At item level the PO history is kept.

8. At what tab in PO item details the latest acceptable goods receipt is mentioned?

A: At “Delivery tab” of item details the latest acceptable goods receipt is mentioned.

9. What is meant by scales? Can scales be used in standard PO?

A: Scale is a schema which determines particular price, surcharge or discount or

another condition depending on values, quantities, volumes, weight or points.
Scales can not be used in standard PO.

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SAP MM Interview Questions and Answers by SIDDU

10. How are free items managed in PO?

A: The free items are managed in PO by setting the “Free of charge” indicator in the
item overview of PO.

11. What is the script used in PO?

A: Medruck

12. How will you cancel the PO? Will it be deleted from the database?

A: PO is cancelled putting block indicator to all the items of the PO. It will not be
deleted from the data base until it is archived.

13. How will you make PO for samples? ( free goods)

A: The PO for samples is made by setting the “Free of charge” indicator in the item
overview of PO. Then the system will cancel the IR indicator in the invoice tab of
item details of PO. The system will not accept any incoming invoices relating to
this PO.

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14. How are the document type and item category linked in a PO?

A: In the IMG settings you can link document type and item category for each
document types of PO.
IMG→ Materials Management → Purchasing → Purchase Order → Define
Document Types

15. What control parameters are located at the item level of purchasing document?

A: The control parameters located at the item level of purchasing document are:
 Material data
 Conditions
 Invoice
 Delivery
 Account assignment
 Quantity/Weights
 Delivery schedule
 Acceptance period

16. How can you assign different delivery dates to a purchasing item? Why may this
be advisable?

A: At “Delivery Schedule” tab of item details you can assign different delivery dates
to a PO.

17. Where do you set default document types for purchasing documents?

A: In customizing you can set default document type for purchasing documents. The
path: IMG – Materials Management – Purchasing – Define default values for
document type

18. What do you mean by Hold, Delete and Cancel a purchasing document?

A: Cancel: If you have ordered certain quantities of item in a purchase order item,
but after taking a delivery of a part of these items you no longer wish to have the
remainder, then in that case you can cancel the PO item.
Hold: If you want to save the purchasing document in its current state then you
will go for Hold option. You can use HOLD function to store faulty or incomplete
purchase orders. A PO that is on HOLD is not transmitted to the vendor also
against this PO that is on HOLD it is not possible to post GR and an invoice.

19. What is the table where PO history is stored?

A: EKBE

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SAP MM Interview Questions and Answers by SIDDU

20. What are the different item categories available in purchasing? Can you create a
new one copying from two of the existing ones?

A: Different types of item categories in purchasing:

 Standard ( )
 Consignment (K)
 Subcontracting (L)
 Third party (S)
 Service (D)
 Limit (B)

21. Can you name some transparent tables related to purchasing?

A: The followings are the transparent tables related to purchasing:

 KONP (time – dependent)
 KONH (header conditions)
 KONM (quantity scale)
 KNOW (value scale)

22. In Enjoy PO display, will you see the PO history tab for a line item, if there was
no follow on transaction for the PO line item?

A: No, you can not see the PO history tab for a line item for which there is no follow
on transaction.

23. Define item category and account assignment category?

A: The item category determines whether the material defined in a purchase order
item:
 Requires a material number
 Requires an account assignment
 Is to be managed as a stock item
 Requires a goods receipt (GR) and/or an invoice receipt (IR)
Account assignment category: Specification of the objects (e.g. cost center, sales
order, and project) that are charged in the case of a purchase order for a material
that is intended for direct usage or consumption.

The account assignment category determines:

 The nature of the account assignment (cost center, sales order, and so on)
 Which accounts are to be charged when the incoming invoice or goods
receipt is posted
 Which account assignment data you must provide.

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SAP MM Interview Questions and Answers by SIDDU

24. Explain the tolerance limits in PO? Detailed with examples?

A: Tolerance limits in PO will allows you to check at the time of goods receipt
whether the goods receipt varies from the purchase order. There are two types of
tolerance limits you can maintain in PO. They are “Under delivery tolerance
limit” and “Over delivery tolerance limits”.
Under delivery tolerance: In the standard system, under deliveries are allowed.
The system interprets the quantity received as a partial delivery and accepts it as
such. The system issues a warning message indicating that there has been an
under delivery.
It is also possible to enter an under delivery tolerance percentage in the order
item. When a quantity of goods is received that lies within the under delivery
tolerance range, the quantity is interpreted as a partial delivery and is accepted as
such. The system does not issue a warning message. If the quantity of goods
received lies below the under delivery tolerance, the system issues a warning
message.
Over delivery tolerance: In the standard, over deliveries are not allowed. In the
event of an over delivery, the system issues an error message.
If over deliveries are to be allowed, you can specify the following data in the
purchase order:
 Unlimited indicator: If this indicator is set, over deliveries of any size are
allowed. The system does not issue any message.
 Over delivery tolerance: You can enter a percentage over delivery
tolerance in the purchase order. If a quantity of goods is received that is
larger than the order quantity plus the over delivery tolerance, it is not
accepted by the system.

25. How do you go about when you want to take a print of a PO?

A: To take a print out of a PO first go to ME9F, and then give the document type as
NB and other controlling parameters. After this execute that one. After the
execution select your desired PO and go to Output message.

26. How to automate PO printing? For print, e-mail, fax simultaneously?

A: To automate PO printing we have to carry out message determination process for

PO through following IMG settings.
 IMG – Materials Management – Purchasing – Messages – Out put
control – Condition Tables - Define Condition Table for Purchase
Order
 IMG – Materials Management – Purchasing – Messages – Out put
control – Access Sequences – Define Access Sequence for Purchase
Order
 IMG – Materials Management – Purchasing – Messages – Out put
control – Message Types – Define Message Types for Purchase Order

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 IMG – Materials Management – Purchasing – Messages – Out put

control – Message Determination Schemas – Define Message Schema
for Purchase Order
 IMG – Materials Management – Purchasing – Messages –Assign
Output Devices to Purchasing Groups

27. What level are the partner functions held/maintained at on a purchasing

document?

A: Header level.

28. Name three things that a purchasing document controls?

A: Purchasing document controls:

 The type of number assignment (Internal or External)
 Field selection
 Intervals and sub intervals for numbering items in the document
 Which item categories can be used?

29. Name three factors that influence field selection on a purchasing document?

A: The SAP transaction, Document type, Item category and Account assignment
category.

30. What are the three basic types of reports that can be produced in purchasing?

A: List Display, General Analysis and Order Value Analysis.

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