SAP S/4HANA Vendor Subrange & Plant Level Data

SAP S/4HANA Vendor Subrange & Plant Level Data

A comprehensive guide to understanding, configuring, and utilizing additional vendor data maintenance levels in S/4HANA

Vendor Data Maintenance Levels in S/4HANA

In SAP S/4HANA, vendor master data management provides flexibility through a hierarchical structure of data maintenance levels. This allows organizations to configure vendor relationships with the appropriate level of granularity to meet business requirements.

Vendor Data Maintenance Levels
Vendor Data Maintenance Levels Hierarchy

Standard Data Maintenance Levels

Before we explore the additional data maintenance levels, let's understand the standard hierarchy in S/4HANA vendor master data:

1. General Data (Business Partner)

Contains basic vendor information that applies across the entire organization, including name, address, identification numbers, and classification data. In S/4HANA, this is maintained at the Business Partner level.

2. Company Code Data

Contains financial and accounting information specific to each company code, including payment terms, reconciliation accounts, and tax information. This data is relevant for financial transactions.

3. Purchasing Organization Data

Contains procurement-related information specific to each purchasing organization, including order currencies, terms of delivery, and incoterms. This data governs how purchasing transactions are handled.

Note: Data Inheritance

The standard hierarchy follows an inheritance model. General data applies to all company codes, and company code data applies to all purchasing organizations within that company code. This allows for efficient data maintenance while providing flexibility when needed.

Additional Data Maintenance Levels

Beyond the standard levels, S/4HANA offers two additional ways to maintain vendor-specific data for more specialized scenarios:

Plant Level Data

Allows you to maintain vendor data specific to individual plants. This extends the standard hierarchy to provide plant-specific settings when vendors interact differently with different plants.

Plant-level data is location-centric, focusing on how vendor relationships vary based on which plant is receiving goods or services.

Vendor Subrange (VSR)

Allows you to maintain data for categories of materials from the same vendor. This enables you to define different settings based on material categories rather than organizational units.

Vendor subrange is material-centric, focusing on how vendor relationships vary based on what types of materials are being sourced.

Important to Understand

Both Plant Level Data and Vendor Subrange (VSR) are optional configurations. They provide additional flexibility for specific business scenarios but are not required for standard procurement processes. They should only be implemented when the standard hierarchy doesn't provide sufficient granularity.

When To Use Additional Data Levels

Understanding when to use each additional data level is crucial for effective vendor master data management:

When to Use Plant Level Data
  • When delivery times differ depending on which plant is receiving the goods
  • When payment terms need to be different based on plant location
  • When orders for different plants need to be sent to different ordering addresses of the same vendor
  • When the currency used for purchasing differs by plant location
  • When minimum order values vary by plant
When to Use Vendor Subrange
  • When a vendor supplies distinct categories of materials with different terms
  • When materials from the same vendor come from different warehouses based on category
  • When payment terms differ based on material category rather than delivery location
  • When you want to organize purchase orders by grouping similar items
  • When you want to apply different discount structures to different material categories

Now that we have a broad understanding of these additional data levels, let's explore each one in detail.

Plant Level Data

Plant Level Data extends the vendor master data hierarchy by allowing you to define plant-specific settings for vendors. This additional level provides more granular control when vendor requirements or specifications vary by plant.

What is Plant Level Data?

Plant Level Data is vendor master information that is maintained specifically for a particular plant. It allows you to define different parameters for the same vendor based on which plant is involved in the transaction.

Think of it as asking: "How does this vendor interact differently with Plant A versus Plant B?"

Why Use Plant Level Data?

There are several scenarios where plant-level data becomes essential for accurate procurement processes:

Different Delivery Times

When a vendor's ability to deliver varies based on the plant location. For example, a vendor might deliver to a nearby plant in 5 days, but require 10 days for a plant in a remote location.

Location-Specific Payment Terms

When payment terms need to vary by region or country where the plant is located. For instance, different banking regulations or currency considerations might necessitate different payment terms.

Different Partner Functions

When orders from different plants need to be sent to different addresses or contacts within the vendor's organization, such as specialized ordering addresses for different regions.

Technical Capabilities

When a vendor has different technical integration capabilities with different plants. For example, EDI connections might be established with one plant but not others.

Real-World Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Different Delivery Times

Vendor V1 supplies materials to two plants:

  • Plant A is located close to the vendor's warehouse. Deliveries typically take 5 days.
  • Plant B is in a different region, far from the vendor's warehouse. Deliveries require 10 days.

By maintaining plant-level data, you can set different planned delivery times for each plant, ensuring accurate scheduling and MRP calculations.

Scenario 2: Regional Payment Terms

Vendor V1 has different payment terms requirements based on plant location:

  • For Plant A in the domestic market, the payment term is Net 30 days.
  • For Plant B in an international location, the payment term is Net 45 days due to international banking processes.

Plant-level data allows you to configure these different payment terms specifically for each plant.

Scenario 3: Different Technical Capabilities

Vendor V1 has established different technical integrations for different plants:

  • For Plant A, the vendor has an EDI connection that enables automated order confirmations, creating Inbound Delivery documents (IBD).
  • For Plant B, there is no EDI connection, so confirmations are handled manually.

Plant-level data enables you to configure the confirmation control settings differently for each plant.

Key Fields Available at Plant Level

S/4HANA allows you to maintain numerous fields at the plant level. Here are some of the most commonly used ones:

Field Description Business Impact
Planned Delivery Time Number of days required for delivery to this plant Affects scheduling, MRP calculations, and delivery date determination
Payment Terms Payment conditions specific to this plant Determines payment scheduling for invoices from this plant
Incoterms Delivery and freight terms for this plant Defines shipping responsibilities and costs
Order Currency Currency used for this plant's orders Especially useful when plants are in different countries
Minimum Order Value Minimum purchase amount for this plant Prevents small orders that may be inefficient for certain locations
GR-Based Invoice Verification Whether invoice verification requires goods receipt for this plant Controls invoice processing workflow
Confirmation Control How order confirmations are handled for this plant Determines if and how confirmations are processed
MRP Controller Person responsible for material planning at this plant Routes planning-related communications

Partner Functions at Plant Level

Beyond purchasing data fields, you can also define different partner functions at the plant level. This is particularly useful when different plants need to interact with different addresses or contacts within the same vendor organization.

Example: Different Ordering Addresses

A vendor has multiple facilities or ordering addresses:

  • Orders for Plant A should use Ordering Address X, which is closer to this plant.
  • Orders for Plant B should use Ordering Address Y, which serves that region better.

By defining partner functions at the plant level, the system automatically selects the correct ordering address based on which plant is creating the purchase order. This eliminates manual selection and reduces errors.

Technical Note: Data Priority

When plant-level data is maintained, the system prioritizes it over data maintained at the purchasing organization level. This means that if both levels have data defined, the plant-level data will take precedence when a transaction involves that specific plant.

Vendor Subrange (VSR)

Vendor Subrange (VSR) provides a different dimension of data maintenance by allowing you to group materials from the same vendor into categories and maintain specific data for each category. This approach is particularly useful when handling vendors who supply various types of products with different terms and conditions.

What is a Vendor Subrange?

A Vendor Subrange (VSR) is a logical grouping of materials from a single vendor that share common attributes, conditions, or business rules. It allows you to define and maintain data for categories of materials rather than for individual plants.

Think of it as asking: "How do the terms differ when we purchase paints versus chemicals from this vendor?"

The concept of Vendor Subrange originated in retail industry applications, but has been expanded for use in any industry where material categories from the same vendor need different handling.

Why Use Vendor Subrange?

There are several compelling reasons to implement Vendor Subrange in your S/4HANA system:

Material Category Differences

When a vendor supplies different categories of materials with different delivery times, pricing, or terms based on the material type rather than delivery location.

Reduced Maintenance Effort

Instead of maintaining data for hundreds of individual materials, you can maintain it once for an entire category, significantly reducing maintenance workload.

Different Partner Functions

When different material categories from the same vendor come from different warehouse locations or departments, requiring different partner functions.

Organized Purchase Orders

When you want to group similar materials together in purchase orders for better readability and efficiency in order processing.

Real-World Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Different Product Categories

Vendor V1 supplies both paints and chemicals to your company:

  • For paints, delivery typically takes 10 days and they ship from their paint warehouse.
  • For chemicals, delivery takes 15 days and they ship from a separate chemical warehouse with special handling requirements.

Instead of maintaining these differences at the plant level (which wouldn't work if all plants experience the same difference by material type) or maintaining individual info records for hundreds of materials, you can create two vendor subranges: one for paints and one for chemicals.

Scenario 2: Different Payment Terms by Product

Vendor V1 has different payment term requirements based on the type of product:

  • For chemicals, payment terms are Net 90 days due to industry standards.
  • For paints, payment terms are Net 7 days due to faster cash flow requirements.

Vendor subranges allow you to maintain different payment terms based on material category regardless of which plant is ordering.

Scenario 3: Pricing and Discounts

Vendor V1 offers different discount structures for different product categories:

  • For paints, there's a 10% discount due to competitive market conditions.
  • For chemicals, there's a 5% discount based on your volume commitments.

Using vendor subranges, you can define these discount conditions once for each category rather than configuring them for each individual material, significantly reducing maintenance effort.

Key Benefits of Vendor Subrange

Benefit Description Business Impact
Reduced Maintenance Maintain data once for an entire category instead of for each material Lower administrative effort, fewer errors, more consistent data
Material-Specific Terms Define different business rules based on material categories More accurate reflection of vendor relationships by material type
Simplified Pricing Apply pricing conditions at the subrange level Easier maintenance of category-specific discounts and pricing
Purchase Order Organization Group similar materials together in purchase orders More logical organization of items for better vendor processing
Consistency Across Materials Ensure uniform settings for all materials in a category Standardized processes and reduced exceptions

Vendor Subrange Sorting

One additional benefit of vendor subranges is the ability to define sorting criteria for purchase orders through "Sort Numbers". This allows you to control how materials appear in purchase order documents.

Example: Sorting Materials in Purchase Orders

When creating a purchase order with mixed items from different categories, you might want them grouped logically:

  • Without sorting: Paint, Chemical, Paint, Chemical, Paint (in the order they were added)
  • With subrange sorting: Paint, Paint, Paint, Chemical, Chemical (grouped by category)

By assigning sort numbers to your subranges (e.g., Paints = Sort 01, Chemicals = Sort 02), the system will automatically organize the materials in the purchase order document, making it more structured and easier for the vendor to process.

Integration with Purchasing Info Records

Vendor Subranges can be linked to purchasing info records, enabling you to assign materials to specific subranges. This creates the connection between individual materials and their respective categories.

Technical Note: Data Priority

When vendor subrange data is maintained, the system prioritizes it over data maintained at the purchasing organization level. If both plant-level data and subrange data exist, the system typically prioritizes plant-level data first, then subrange data, and finally purchasing organization data.

Comparing Plant Level Data and Vendor Subrange

Understanding the differences between Plant Level Data and Vendor Subrange is crucial for determining which approach to use in specific business scenarios. Let's compare these two additional data maintenance levels across various dimensions.

Aspect Plant Level Data Vendor Subrange (VSR)
Primary Focus Location-specific differences Material category-specific differences
Business Question "How does this vendor work differently with Plant A vs. Plant B?" "How do terms differ for paints vs. chemicals from this vendor?"
Key Identifier Plant (e.g., P1, P2) Subrange ID (e.g., PAINTS, CHEMICALS)
Activation Field Plant Relevant checkbox VSR Relevant checkbox
Best For Different delivery times, payment terms for different plants Different terms for different product categories
Applies To All materials delivered to a specific plant Specific category of materials regardless of plant
Number of Entries One per plant (typically few) One per material category (can be many)
Maintenance Effort Lower (fewer plants than material categories) Higher initially, but saves effort compared to individual info records
Pricing Impact Limited direct impact on pricing Can define conditions and discounts by category

Decision Framework: When to Use Each Approach

Use Plant Level Data When:
  • The same material has different delivery times depending on which plant is ordering
  • Payment terms differ based on plant location (e.g., domestic vs. international)
  • Different plants need to work with different partner functions for the same vendor
  • Order currencies differ by plant location
  • Only certain plants have EDI or confirmation capabilities with a vendor
  • Minimum order values vary based on plant location or logistics considerations
Use Vendor Subrange When:
  • A vendor supplies distinct categories of materials with different terms
  • You want to reduce maintenance by grouping similar materials
  • You need to apply different discounts or pricing to different material categories
  • You want to organize purchase orders by grouping similar items together
  • Different categories of materials come from different vendor warehouses
  • Payment terms vary based on product type rather than delivery location

Using Both Together

In some complex business scenarios, you might need to use both Plant Level Data and Vendor Subrange together to address different dimensions of variability in vendor relationships.

Combined Scenario Example

Vendor V1 supplies both paints and chemicals to your Plant A and Plant B:

  • You use Plant Level Data to define the different currencies used for each plant (USD for Plant A, EUR for Plant B)
  • You use Vendor Subrange to define the different delivery times (10 days for paints, 15 days for chemicals) and different discounts for each category

This combination gives you the flexibility to handle both location-specific and material-specific variations.

Data Priority in Combined Scenarios

When both Plant Level Data and Vendor Subrange are used, the system typically follows this priority sequence:

  1. Plant Level Data (highest priority)
  2. Vendor Subrange Data
  3. Purchasing Organization Data (lowest priority)

This means that plant-specific settings will override subrange settings, which in turn override purchasing organization settings.

Practical Considerations

When deciding between Plant Level Data and Vendor Subrange (or using both), consider these practical factors:

Data Volume

Consider how many plants versus how many material categories you have. If you have few plants but many material categories, Plant Level Data might be more efficient to maintain.

Business Priorities

Determine whether location-specific or material-specific variations are more critical for your business processes. Focus on the dimension that has the most impact.

Maintenance Resources

Consider who will maintain the data and how frequently it needs to be updated. Choose the approach that aligns with your maintenance capabilities.

System Performance

Be mindful that excessive use of additional data levels can impact system performance. Implement only what is necessary for your business requirements.

Implementation Steps

This section provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for implementing both Plant Level Data and Vendor Subrange in your S/4HANA system.

Setting Up Plant Level Data

1

Enable Plant Relevance

First, you need to mark the vendor as plant-relevant in the general data:

  1. Go to transaction code BP or use the Business Partner app
  2. Enter your vendor (Business Partner) number
  3. Go to the Vendor General Data section
  4. Select the "Plant Relevant" checkbox
  5. Save your changes
2

Access Vendor Subranges Tab

Navigate to the area where you can create plant-specific data:

  1. In the same BP transaction, go to the Purchasing Data section
  2. Select the "Vendor Subranges" tab (both plant data and subrange data are maintained here)
  3. You should now see a "Create" button available

Note that both Plant Level Data and Vendor Subrange are maintained in the same area of the system, under the "Vendor Subranges" tab.

3

Create Plant-Level Entry

Create a new entry for the specific plant:

  1. Click the "Create" button
  2. Enter the plant ID (e.g., SG01)
  3. The system will display a dialog asking whether you want to maintain purchasing data or partner functions
  4. Select "Purchasing Data" to maintain plant-specific purchasing information
4

Maintain Plant-Specific Data

Enter the plant-specific details for this vendor:

  1. Define plant-specific fields like Planned Delivery Time (e.g., 15 days)
  2. Set plant-specific payment terms if needed
  3. Define the order currency for this plant
  4. Set minimum order value if applicable
  5. Configure other plant-specific settings as needed

Only maintain the fields that actually differ for this plant. For other fields, the system will use the values from the standard hierarchy.

5

Save the Configuration

Save your plant-specific data:

  1. Review all the plant-specific settings
  2. Click "Save" to store the plant-level configuration
  3. The system will now use these settings when this plant orders from this vendor

Setting Up Partner Functions at Plant Level

1

Access Vendor Subranges Tab

Navigate to the Vendor Subranges area as before

2

Create Plant-Level Entry

Create a new entry for the specific plant:

  1. Click the "Create" button
  2. Enter the plant ID (e.g., SG01)
  3. This time, select "Partner Function" to maintain plant-specific partner functions
3

Define Partner Functions

Specify which partner functions should be used for this plant:

  1. Define the appropriate partner functions (e.g., Ordering Address)
  2. Select the specific partner (e.g., Ordering Address X)
  3. Configure additional partner functions if needed
4

Save the Configuration

Save your plant-specific partner functions:

  1. Review all the partner function assignments
  2. Click "Save" to store the configuration
  3. The system will now use these partner functions when this plant creates purchase orders for this vendor

Setting Up Vendor Subrange

1

Enable VSR Relevance

First, mark the vendor as VSR-relevant in the general data:

  1. Go to transaction code BP or use the Business Partner app
  2. Enter your vendor (Business Partner) number
  3. Go to the Vendor General Data section
  4. Select the "VSR Relevant" checkbox
  5. Save your changes
2

Access Vendor Subranges Tab

Navigate to the vendor subranges area:

  1. In the same BP transaction, go to the Purchasing Data section
  2. Select the "Vendor Subranges" tab
  3. You should now see a "Create" button available
3

Create Vendor Subrange

Create a new subrange for a category of materials:

  1. Click the "Create" button
  2. Enter a subrange ID (e.g., ZSR1 for "Paints")
  3. Choose whether you want to maintain purchasing data or partner functions (or both)
  4. Select "Purchasing Data" to maintain subrange-specific purchasing information

Choose meaningful subrange IDs that clearly indicate the material category (e.g., PAINTS, CHEM) to make maintenance easier.

4

Maintain Subrange-Specific Data

Enter the data specific to this material category:

  1. Define subrange-specific fields like Planned Delivery Time (e.g., 10 days for paints)
  2. Set subrange-specific payment terms if needed
  3. Configure other subrange-specific settings as needed

Only maintain the fields that actually differ for this material category. For other fields, the system will use the values from the standard hierarchy.

5

Save the Configuration

Save your subrange-specific data:

  1. Review all the subrange-specific settings
  2. Click "Save" to store the subrange configuration

Assigning Vendor Subrange to Info Records

After creating vendor subranges, you need to assign materials to these subranges through info records.

1

Access Info Record Maintenance

Go to the purchasing info record:

  1. Use transaction ME12 to change an existing info record
  2. Enter the info record number
2

Assign Subrange to Info Record

Link the info record to the appropriate vendor subrange:

  1. In the info record details, locate the "Supplier Subrange" field
  2. Enter the subrange ID that you created earlier (e.g., ZSR1)
  3. Optionally, enter a "Sort Number" if you want to control the sorting of items in purchase orders
3

Save the Info Record

Save your changes to the info record:

  1. Review the subrange assignment
  2. Click "Save" to store the configuration
  3. The system will now associate this material with the specified subrange and apply the relevant settings

Mass Maintenance Considerations

If you need to assign many materials to vendor subranges, consider using mass maintenance tools or creating a custom program to update multiple info records. Manually updating each info record can be time-consuming for large material portfolios.

Best Practices

Implementing Plant Level Data and Vendor Subrange effectively requires careful planning and adherence to best practices. Here are recommendations to maximize the value of these features in your S/4HANA environment.

General Best Practices

Implement Selectively

Use plant level data and vendor subranges only when the standard data maintenance levels aren't sufficient for your needs. Unnecessary complexity can lead to maintenance challenges.

Document Your Configuration

Maintain clear documentation of which vendors use plant level data or subranges and why. This ensures consistent application and helps with knowledge transfer.

Train Users Properly

Ensure that materials management and procurement teams understand the concepts and know when to apply plant level data versus vendor subranges.

Periodic Review

Regularly review your plant level and subrange configurations to ensure they still align with your business processes and vendor relationships.

Plant Level Data Best Practices

When to Implement Plant Level Data
  • Clear Plant Differences: Only implement when there are clear, consistent differences in how a vendor works with different plants
  • Multiple Plants: Most valuable when you have multiple plants ordering from the same vendor
  • Geographical Considerations: Particularly useful when plants are in different regions or countries

Implementation Tips for Plant Level Data

  • Consistent Application: Apply plant relevance consistently for all vendors where plant-specific differences exist
  • Start with Key Fields: Focus on configuring the most impactful fields like delivery time, payment terms, and partner functions
  • Validate with Business: Confirm plant-specific settings with plant managers and local procurement teams
  • Consider MRP Impact: Remember that plant-specific delivery times will affect MRP planning
  • Document Exceptions: Clearly document why certain plants have different settings to ensure business continuity

Vendor Subrange Best Practices

When to Implement Vendor Subrange
  • Material Category Differences: Implement when a vendor has distinct categories of materials with different terms or conditions
  • High Material Volume: Most valuable when a vendor supplies many materials that can be logically grouped
  • Maintenance Efficiency: Use when maintaining individual info records would be too cumbersome
  • Category-Based Pricing: Particularly useful when discount structures vary by material category

Implementation Tips for Vendor Subrange

  • Logical Grouping: Create subranges that align with natural material categories (e.g., by material type, product line, or commodity)
  • Meaningful IDs: Use descriptive subrange IDs that clearly indicate the material category (e.g., PAINTS, CHEM)
  • Consistent Assignment: Ensure all relevant info records are assigned to the appropriate subrange
  • Use Sort Numbers: Take advantage of sort numbers to organize purchase orders logically
  • Consider Pricing Integration: Align subranges with pricing strategy if implementing category-specific discounts

Combining Plant Level Data and Vendor Subranges

Strategic Implementation

When using both features together, be strategic about which data to maintain at each level. Avoid unnecessary duplication or complexity that could lead to maintenance challenges.

Recommended Approach for Combined Implementation
  • Plant Level for Location-Specific Data: Use plant level data for truly plant-specific information like currencies, incoterms, and plant-specific partner functions
  • Subranges for Material Category Data: Use subranges for material category-specific information like delivery times, quality parameters, and category-specific discounts
  • Clear Data Ownership: Establish clear guidelines for which data elements are maintained at which level to avoid conflicts
  • Test Thoroughly: When implementing both features, test extensively to ensure the system correctly prioritizes and applies the data

System Performance Considerations

While plant level data and vendor subranges provide valuable flexibility, they can impact system performance if not implemented carefully:

Avoid Excessive Configuration

Creating too many plant-specific entries or subranges can increase data volume and potentially impact performance. Implement only where there is clear business value.

Regular Data Cleanup

Periodically review and remove unused or outdated plant level data and subranges to maintain optimal system performance.

Monitor Data Growth

Keep track of how many vendors use plant level data and subranges, and monitor the growth of this data over time to ensure it remains manageable.

Consider Archiving Strategy

Include plant level data and subrange configurations in your archiving strategy for vendor master data to manage data volume over time.

Change Management

Implementing additional data levels requires effective change management to ensure successful adoption:

Change Management Recommendations

  • Stakeholder Involvement: Involve procurement, plant management, and finance teams in the design and implementation process
  • Clear Communication: Clearly communicate the purpose and benefits of plant level data and vendor subranges to all stakeholders
  • Comprehensive Training: Provide training on when and how to use these features, including maintenance responsibilities
  • Phased Implementation: Consider a phased approach, starting with key vendors or critical material categories
  • Feedback Mechanism: Establish a process for collecting and addressing user feedback during and after implementation

SAP S/4HANA Vendor Subrange & Plant Level Data Guide - Comprehensive Reference

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