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SAP Flexible Solution Billing

Content

1 SAP Flexible Solution Billing 1.0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2 Changes and New Features in SAP Flexible Solution Billing 1.0. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

3 The Flexible Billing Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

4 Grouping Documents to be Billed Together. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84.1 Working with Invoice Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84.2 Billing Cycles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114.3 Reference Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

5 Controlling the Flexible Billing Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145.1 Working with Invoice Profiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145.2 Roles in Flexible Solution Billing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

6 Invoice Packages and the Parking Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166.1 Working with Invoice Packages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176.2 Working with Parked Invoices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196.3 Combination of Parked Invoices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206.4 Splitting of Parked Invoices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206.5 Cancellation of Parked Invoices and Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216.6 Manual Changes in Parked Invoices and Invoice Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

7 Handling External Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247.1 Uploading External Data to External Due List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257.2 Monitoring External Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257.3 Deleting External Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

8 Review and Approval Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268.1 Automatic Blocking for Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278.2 Approval at Invoice Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278.3 Approval at Item Level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288.4 Handling of Pending and Rejected Invoices and Items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .288.5 Email Approval. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

9 Posting Legal Invoices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

10 Flexible Formatting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3110.1 Access Sequence Structure for Formatting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3110.2 Working with Format Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

2 P U B L I CSAP Flexible Solution Billing

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10.3 Format Settings for Optional Splitting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3310.4 Format Settings for Sorting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3410.5 Format Settings for Print Forms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

11 Output and Additional Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

12 Integration with SAP Convergent Invoicing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3812.1 Process Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3912.2 Single Transfer to SD Invoices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4112.3 Mass Transfer to SD Invoices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4112.4 Transfer by Invoice Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4212.5 Cancellation Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4312.6 Partner Settlement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Single Transfer to Accounts Payable Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Mass Transfer to Accounts Payable Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Accounts Payable Document Reversal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

12.7 Payment by Payment Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

13 Operations Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4913.1 Archiving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4913.2 Application Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

SAP Flexible Solution BillingContent P U B L I C 3

1 SAP Flexible Solution Billing 1.0

Product Information

Table 1:

Product SAP Flexible Solution Billing

Release 1.0

Based On Any one of the enhancement packages:

● SAP enhancement package 6 for SAP ERP 6.0 with SAP NetWeaver 7.31,

● SAP enhancement package 7 for SAP ERP 6.0 with SAP NetWeaver 7.4 or

● SAP enhancement package 8 for SAP ERP 6.0 with SAP NetWeaver 7.5

Documentation Published June 2017

Use

SAP Flexible Solution Billing augments and extends the periodic billing process in SAP Sales and Distribution (SD). The solution provides the means to streamline and consolidate the billing process by creating, to the greatest extent possible, a single invoice for the data to be billed in one billing period. Internal data from SAP SD Billing is gathered and channeled for billing in specified billing cycles. Moreover, billing data from other SAP applications, external SAP systems, and other legacy systems can be integrated into the unified billing process in SAP Flexible Solution Billing. Wherever possible, the solution also combines this internal billing data with external billing data in one legal invoice.

Features

Efficient Bundling of Billing Documents

Invoice groups allow you to automatically group billing documents that are to be billed and combined together in one billing period. Billing documents are assigned to invoice groups on the basis of customer-defined criteria.

Controlling the Flexible Billing Process

In addition to determining which billing documents are to be billed together, you can also specify how these documents are processed. Each invoice group has an invoice profile that controls important aspects of the overall new billing process.


SAP Flexible Solution Billing 1.0

Increased Flexibility with Invoice Parking

The solution allows you to “park” invoices before initiating the creation of legal invoices. This new intermediate step in the billing process makes it possible to combine, as far as possible, invoice data created at different times and originating from different applications or systems. The parking phase also allows you to modify the content and format of invoices before legal invoices are posted. Invoices and their items can still be canceled during this interim phase. When processing has been completed, legal invoices are created as copies of the parked invoices.

Review and Approval Process

The new parking phase in the billing process makes it possible to establish a review or an approval process at invoice or invoice item level or both. Processing can be halted automatically to accommodate any necessary clarifications and corrections before final legal invoices are created. The progress of the approval process can also be centrally monitored.

Flexible Formatting and Additional Documents

You can create format settings for splitting, sorting, and print forms and assign them flexibly based on sales organization, customer, and invoice group, as required. Invoice overviews and invoice itemizations, which are additional, non-legal documents, are available to provide supplemental information about posted invoices.

Integration with SAP Convergent Invoicing

High-volume, aggregated consumption billing data can be transferred from SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) for subsequent invoice processing using standard SAP SD Billing or SAP Flexible Solution Billing which also allows payment card processing for consumption billing data. As a result, you can utilize the pre-processing and billing structures for consumption data that are available in SAP Accounts Receivable and Payable (FI-CA), but then complete the invoicing in SD and the accounting process in Accounts Receivable (FI-AR).

Partner Settlement

Revenue sharing and partner settlement, or simply partner settlement solution allows you to settle the charges with the partner for the use of its products, services, infrastructure and so on by the customer. This settlement amount is a part of the invoice created for the customer. The aggregated consumption billing data for the partner can be transferred from SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) to accounts payable using SAP Flexible Solution Billing. As a result, you can utilize the preprocessing and billing structures for consumption data that are available in SAP Contract Accounts Receivable and Payable (FI-CA) and complete the invoicing and accounting in Accounts Payable

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2 Changes and New Features in SAP Flexible Solution Billing 1.0

This section of SAP Library provides an overview of the changes and new features that have been introduced in SAP Flexible Solution Billing 1.0 and have been made available with the support packages.

Table 2: SAP Flexible Billing Solution 1.0

Change More Information Relevant Support Package

Enhancement of Creating Parked Invoices functionality to allow manual selection of the billable items to be parked from the Universal Billing Due List.

Working with Parked Invoices [page 19]

Support Package 03

Enhancement of Parking of External Data functionality to enable upload, monitoring and deletion of external data.

Uploading External Data to External Due List [page 25]

Monitoring External Data [page 25]

Deleting External Data [page 25]

Support Package 03

Enhancement of Integration with SAP Convergent Invoicing to allow payment card processing for consumption billing data.

Integration with SAP Convergent Invoicing [page 38]

Support Package 03

A new feature to facilitate settlement of charges with the partner for the use of its products, services, infrastructure and so on.

Partner Settlement [page 43] Support Package 03

A new functionality to enable payments using payment cards for Convergent Invoicing (CI) transactions invoiced through Sales and Distribution (SD) billing interface.

Payment by Payment Cards [page 47]

Support Package 03

A new functionality to allow manual selection of the output format of the invoice, overview, or itemization.

Manual Changes in Parked Invoices and Invoice Items [page 22]

Support Package 02

A new feature to facilitate the approver to receive offline or online approval request email to approve or reject the parked invoice.

Email Approval [page 29] Support Package 02


Changes and New Features in SAP Flexible Solution Billing 1.0

3 The Flexible Billing Process

The basic process implemented in SAP Flexible Solution Billing entails the creation of parked invoices on the basis of documents to be billed. These documents can originate in SAP SD Billing, other SAP applications, external SAP systems, or other legacy systems.

Parked invoices are collected in invoice packages that are part of invoice groups. During the parking phase, review, approval, cancellation, and other modifications of the parked invoices can be performed. The parking phase ends on the billing run date for the respective invoice group. This is the date on which legal invoices are created on the basis of the final status of the parked invoices in the invoice package.

The following steps describe this general process in more detail:

1. Each document that is to be billed must receive a reference value. Using these reference values, the documents can be assigned to invoice groups. This makes it possible to group together documents to be processed together.

2. Once documents have been assigned to an invoice group, parked invoices are created.3. Parked invoices are created in the current package for the invoice group. Depending upon such factors as

split criteria, a document to be billed may result in one or several parked invoices. The invoice group’s package is open for additional parked invoices or invoice items until the billing run date for the group.

4. During the parking phase for an invoice package, the following activities can take place:○ Creation and combination of additional parked invoices○ Cancellation of invoices or items or both in parked invoices○ Review of package contents by invoice group owner○ Invoice approval or item approval, or both, as required○ Formatting, such as the manual sorting of items in parked invoices and print form selection○ Print preview of package content at the level of individual invoices, at package level as an overview, or

including detailed information as an itemization5. Legal invoices are posted on the billing run date calculated for the invoice group. The invoice group receives

a new package that is ready to receive documents to be billed for the next billing cycle.

An important aspect of the process in SAP Flexible Solution Billing is the capacity to provide both automated processing and points at which business users can step in and work directly with invoice data. The creation and assignment of parked invoices and the posting of legal invoices can be performed for mass data using scheduled batch jobs that run in the background. In addition to these automated processing steps, the parking phase provides a flexible interim time frame during which it is possible for business users to take a closer look at the invoice content and evaluate it as required.

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4 Grouping Documents to be Billed Together

One of the central features of SAP Flexible Solution Billing is its capability of automatically grouping the documents that are to be billed together within a designated time period. Invoice groups serve as containers for gathering together a set of documents to be processed in a billing cycle. Parked invoices can be created on the basis of internal billing documents from SAP SD Billing, billing data from other SAP applications, other SAP systems, and other legacy systems. The billing documents are assigned to invoice groups by means of reference values.

Related Information

Working with Invoice Groups [page 8]Billing Cycles [page 11]Reference Values [page 12]Invoice Packages and the Parking Process [page 16]

4.1 Working with Invoice Groups

Invoice groups in SAP Flexible Solution Billing make it possible to organize and consolidate the documents to be invoiced. The way in which you define your invoice groups determines the following:

● Which documents are to be billed together, by using reference values● How documents are processed, by using invoice profiles● When documents are invoiced, by means of billing cycles that determine the time frame and frequency of

the billing process

Reference values are used to assign documents to invoice groups. Reference values can be defined to correspond with the criteria that your organization uses to group together billing documents. Documents to be invoiced in SAP Flexible Solution Billing must have a reference value. The documents are assigned to invoice groups, which in turn have a matching reference value. Using reference values, both internal SD documents and billing data from external systems can be assigned to an invoice group and combined as far as possible to achieve a single legal invoice at the end of processing.

Invoice profiles determine important aspects of the invoice processing itself. Each invoice group has an invoice profile. The profile determines, for example, whether or not invoice approval is required as part of the billing process.

The billing cycle for an invoice group depends upon both the invoice group’s validity period and a date calculation rule. These factors determine the billing run date. This is the date on which legal invoices are created.


Grouping Documents to be Billed Together

Finally, each valid invoice group has an invoice package. The package is where the preliminary, parked invoices are gathered during the invoice group’s billing cycle. On the calculated billing run date, legal invoices are created, and the invoice package is completed. Then the cycle can begin again with a new invoice package in the invoice group for the next set of documents to be billed.

Roles in SAP Flexible Solution Billing are assigned at invoice group level. Each invoice group has at least one invoice group owner. The creator of an invoice group is always automatically assigned as an owner. If approval is required, approvers must also be assigned at invoice group level.

Main Parameters for Invoice Groups

The detailed view of an invoice group provides you with the following important information:

Table 3:

Invoice group number Unique identifying number that is assigned automatically when an invoice group is created.

Invoice profile Identifies the assigned invoice profile. The profile name is shown as a link; choosing this link displays the profile settings.

Validity period The combination of the Valid From and Valid To fields determines the time frame in which the invoice group can be used for the billing process. If an invoice group is no longer valid, preliminary, parked invoices can no longer be created. However, direct processing without the creation of parked invoices is still executed.

Consolidation currency A common currency to be used to display the net value of an invoice package. This is relevant especially if a package contains parked invoices with different document currencies. Note that if no value is displayed, this means that the default setting is in effect.

Billing cycle This consists of the date calculation rule. This may also involve use of offset days or a factory calendar.

Invoice overview A number of fields shown under this heading are relevant only if an invoice overview is required as part of processing. This depends upon settings made in the invoice profile.

Reference values The Reference Values tab shows which reference values are currently assigned to an invoice group and allows to you insert and delete these values.

Roles The Roles tab shows the users who are assigned to an invoice group as owner or approver.

Notes Displays any comments or additional information added by users; notes can also be changed and added at this level.

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Package history The Package History button opens a view of the completed packages for the invoice group. This view also lists the legal invoices that were created for the previous packages.

Current package Using the More button, you can choose the Display Package option to access the current package for an invoice group.

If a package has not yet been created for the invoice group, the More button also includes the option Create Package, and allows you to create a new package manually for the invoice group.

Change history Using the More button, you can choose the Display Changes option. This view lists any modifications made for an invoice group, such as changes in role assignments, assigned reference values, etc. The view also shows who changed the data and when.

Assigned sales documents Using the More button, you can choose the Display Assigned Sales Documents option. This displays a list of the documents that have been assigned to the invoice group on the basis of reference values.

Activities

Creating Invoice Groups

To create an invoice group, choose the Invoice Group entry point and then either the detailed view for creating invoice groups or the main search view for invoice groups in the user interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing. The first option opens a view for entering the required data directly. If you open the main search view, the New button is also available for starting the creation sequence.

NoteYou can also copy invoice groups. Reference values are not copied.

Invoice groups cannot be deleted.

Accessing Invoice Groups

To access invoice groups, choose the Invoice Group entry point and then choose the main search view for invoice groups. The search view provides a range of criteria for filtering the available invoice groups. You can then open a detailed view for a particular invoice group.

NoteYou must be an invoice owner or have the necessary authorizations to edit invoice groups.



Related Information

Reference Values [page 12]Working with Invoice Profiles [page 14]Billing Cycles [page 11]Invoice Packages and the Parking Process [page 16]Roles in Flexible Solution Billing [page 15]

4.2 Billing CyclesUsing invoice groups, SAP Flexible Solution Billing makes it possible to establish recurring billing cycles. A billing cycle consists of the assignment of reference documents to invoice groups using reference values, the creation of parked invoices in a group’s current invoice package, release of the parked invoices for billing, and the final creation of legal invoices as copies of the final versions of the parked invoices.

Billing cycles for invoice groups depend on three main parameters: the validity period of the invoice group, date calculation rules, and the billing date for documents assigned to the group. Using the validity period and a date calculation rule, the system calculates the next billing run date for the invoice group’s invoice package. All billing documents with a billing date that is either earlier than or the same as the package’s billing run date are assigned to the package. The billing run date is the date on which legal invoices are created.

Validity Periods for Invoice Groups

When creating a new invoice group, you must specify a time period within which the group is valid. When this time period has expired, no invoice package can be created for the invoice group.

Date Calculation Rules

As part of Customizing, a set of date calculation rules is configured for use in invoice groups. A date calculation rule defines a recurring cycle for calculating the invoice group’s billing run date. When creating a new invoice group, you must specify a date calculation rule. This determines the interval with which legal invoices should be created within the invoice group’s validity period.

ExampleFor example, for a particular invoice group that is valid for the entire current year, you could decide that the billing run date should always be the last day of the month. In the time period up to the billing run date, parked invoices can be assigned to the invoice group. These preliminary invoices can be modified until the billing run date; this is the date on which legal invoices are created. This cycle repeats for each month for the entire year.

Billing Document Dates

The billing dates for SD documents or external documents assigned to invoice groups also play a role in the billing cycle. If the billing date for a reference document is not on or before the billing run date for an invoice group, the parked invoice is assigned to the group, but not to the group’s current invoice package. After the billing run has completed, the parked invoice is assigned to the next package created for the group.

You can use the report /SOIN/R_ASSIGN_PI_TO_PACK (transaction/SOIN/ASSIGN_PI) to deal with such parked invoices and assign them to the appropriate invoice package once it is available in the invoice group.


Prerequisites

You have made settings in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Basic Configuration Create Date Calculation Rules .

4.3 Reference Values

SAP Flexible Solution Billing uses reference values to assign reference documents to invoice groups. Reference documents can be internal SAP SD documents or documents originating in external SAP applications, SAP systems, or legacy systems. Reference documents that are to be processed using SAP Flexible Solution Billing must have reference values, and the respective reference values must be assigned to an invoice group.

A standard user exit is used to ensure that each reference document receives a reference value. This user exit (USEREXIT_SAVE_DOCUMENT_PREPARE) is part of the User Exits in Sales Document Processing Customizing activity. The activity is available in standard Customizing for Sales and Distribution under System Modifications User Exits User Exits in Sales . In the case of external applications and systems, the reference value is transferred explicitly. In SAP Flexible Solution Billing itself, the reference values must be assigned manually to the appropriate invoice groups.

Defining Reference Values

Reference values can be up to 40 characters long and can consist of a single field value or of concatenated field values, for example, sales organization and sold-to party. You can also establish various types of reference values that are composed of different field value combinations, for example, depending on different sales document categories. However, you should make sure that the resulting reference values are unique.

Reference values can be assigned to invoice groups flexibly. Defining separate reference values does not necessarily mean that they must be assigned to different invoice groups.

For example, assume that you have defined your reference values to consist of the combination of sales organization and sold-to party. You may decide that the reference value resulting for the sales organization 001 and the sold-to party BUYER 01 are to be assigned to invoice group A. The reference value resulting for the sales organization 002 and the same sold-to party, BUYER 02, could be assigned to invoice group B.

On the other hand, you could also decide to assign both of these reference values to the same invoice group. This allows you to take cross-sales organization into account for your billing process. This approach also allows you to decide for which customers you would like to use processing with SAP Flexible Solution Billing.

NoteYou can also exclude certain sales document categories from the assignment of reference values, such as credit memos, for example. As a result, such sales documents are not processed by SAP Flexible Solution Billing.



Implementing Reference Values

The reference values must be filled in the header of the sales documents that are to be processed using SAP Flexible Solution Billing. The user exit runs when a sales document is saved, and automatically fills in the required reference value. Then the document can be assigned to an invoice group. Parked invoices will then be created in the group’s current invoice package for the assigned sales documents.


5 Controlling the Flexible Billing Process

Invoice groups gather reference documents that are to be billed together at a specified point in time according to their assigned reference values. This covers what is to be billed and when, but still leaves open the question of how the billing process should run. You control this aspect of the flexible billing process using invoice profiles.

SAP Flexible Solution Billing also provides roles that make it possible to monitor and control the billing process.

Related Information

Working with Invoice Profiles [page 14]Roles in Flexible Solution Billing [page 15]

5.1 Working with Invoice Profiles

Invoice profiles specify parameters that control the billing process in SAP Flexible Solution Billing. When creating a new invoice group, you must also assign an invoice profile. If you want to change the controlling parameters in effect for the group, you can also assign a different invoice profile to the invoice group at a later point in time.

Invoice profiles determine the following aspects of processing in SAP Flexible Solution Billing:

● Activation of an automatic processing block. You can use an automatic block if you want to ensure that an initial review takes place before further processing, such as approval, continues for an invoice package.

● Whether approval is required, and if so, whether at invoice level or invoice item level, or both.● The procedure for dealing with invoices and invoice items that have been rejected or that are still awaiting

approval when legal invoices must be created on the billing run date for an invoice package.● Whether additional documents are necessary as part of processing. This can include an invoice overview,

an invoice itemization, or both.

When you display an invoice group in the user interface, a link provides direct access to detailed information about the assigned invoice profile. Choosing this link, which is displayed as the name of the profile, opens a dialog window that shows the current profile settings.

Prerequisites

Invoice profiles must be created and maintained as part of Customizing under SAP Flexible Solution BillingCreate Invoice Profiles


Controlling the Flexible Billing Process

Related Information

Review and Approval Process [page 26]Output and Additional Documents [page 37]

5.2 Roles in Flexible Solution Billing

The following roles are available for use in SAP Flexible Solution Billing:

● Invoice group ownerThe invoice group owner is responsible for maintaining the group and for monitoring the packages and parked invoices assigned to it. The creator of an invoice group is automatically an owner for the group. Additional owners can also be assigned.Invoice group owners are assigned at invoice group level and are displayed on the Roles tab in the user interface.

● ApproverAn approver must be specified for an invoice group if approval is required as part of the billing process for parked invoices. Settings in the assigned invoice profile determine whether invoice approval is required for a group. More than one approver can be assigned to an invoice group. Users who are approvers have work lists that display only the parked invoices for which they are responsible.Approvers are assigned at invoice group level and are displayed on the Roles tab in the user interface.

● Item approverItem approval may also be required as part of the billing process for parked invoice items. Item approvers are determined using a designated business partner function. This setting is part of Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Basic Configuration Configure Basic Settings .Users who are item approvers have work lists that display only the parked invoice items for which they are responsible.Note that unlike the roles of invoice group owner and approver, the assigned item approvers are only visible in the Roles tab available at invoice package level.

An e-mail address is included as part of the user information for each role. The address is displayed as a link and can be used to access the respective mail system directly in order to create an e-mail message if issues require clarification.

Related Information

Review and Approval Process [page 26]

SAP Flexible Solution BillingControlling the Flexible Billing Process P U B L I C 15

6 Invoice Packages and the Parking Process

Invoice packages are a key feature of the billing process provided by SAP Flexible Solution Billing. As part of invoice groups, packages make it possible to group together parked invoices that have been created, but not yet posted as legal invoices in the current billing run for an invoice group. In addition, during the time period up to the billing run date, it is possible to combine additional items with the parked invoices in a package.

Invoice packages contain parked invoices. The function of parking provides a flexible, interim step in the billing process that precedes the posting of legal invoices. During this intermediate stage in the billing process, it is possible to review and modify the parked invoices. Parked invoices are created on the basis of reference documents from SAP SD Billing (sales orders, deliveries, debit memo requests, etc.) and reference documents from external systems, which can be other SAP applications, SAP systems, or legacy systems. Parked invoices in the invoice package are combined automatically to the greatest extent possible.

Features

● Each valid invoice group has an active invoice package that is ready to receive the parked invoices created on the basis of the documents that have been assigned to the invoice group using reference values.

● Invoice packages go through a lifecycle that is delineated by the following status sequence: In Process, Released for Billing, and Completed.Once a package has been completed, it is added to the invoice group’s package history, which also shows all legal invoices that were posted for the package.

● Processing for an invoice package can be blocked manually as long as the package has not been released or completed.

● Combination of parked invoices is performed in invoice packages that are in processing.● Parked invoices and invoice items can be cancelled in invoice packages that are in processing.● Processing for invoice packages can be blocked automatically and manually, and can also require a manual

release for processing by the invoice group owner.● If approval is required, parked invoices and invoice items can be approved or rejected in the invoice

package before legal invoices are created.● Manual formatting of some aspects is possible in invoice packages, such as the manual sorting of invoice

items and the selection of print forms.

Related Information

Working with Invoice Packages [page 17]Working with Parked Invoices [page 19]Combination of Parked Invoices [page 20]Cancellation of Parked Invoices and Items [page 21]Manual Changes in Parked Invoices and Invoice Items [page 22]


Invoice Packages and the Parking Process

Review and Approval Process [page 26]

6.1 Working with Invoice Packages

Each invoice package belongs to a particular invoice group, but when actually working on the parked invoices to be processed, the package is the main point of administration.

The user interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing allows you to search across all existing invoice packages, independent of their respective invoice group. A tracking indicator in the main overview screens for invoice packages serves as an alert function for the current status of the package in the billing process. A green traffic light indicates that processing is on track, yellow means that processing of the package is blocked, and red means that the billing run date for the package’s invoice group has already passed, and no legal invoices have been created. This function allows invoice owners to monitor the progress of the invoice packages for which they are responsible.

Main Parameters for Invoice Packages

The detailed view of an invoice package provides you with the following important information:

Table 4:

Invoice package number Identifies a package uniquely.

Status Shows whether a package is currently In Process, Released for Billing, or Completed.

Processing block Indicates whether processing of a package has been blocked. This may be a manual block triggered by the invoice owner or an automatic block triggered upon creation of the package.

A processing block prevents further processing of the parked invoices in a package, such as approval, if this is required by the invoice group’s profile. Note that parked invoices can still be created for an invoice package if a processing block is in effect.

Billing run date Specifies the date on which legal invoices shall be created. The billing run date is determined by the invoice group. The billing run date is calculated automatically for the current invoice package based on the date calculation rule for the invoice group.

Net value Shows the net value of all the parked invoices in a package. If a consolidation currency has been specified for the package’s invoice group or in Basic Settings as part of Customizing, this currency is used to show the net value. This provides a consolidated view of the invoice package amount if invoices on the package have differing document currencies.

SAP Flexible Solution BillingInvoice Packages and the Parking Process P U B L I C 17

Parked invoices The Parked Invoices tab lists all parked invoices included in the package and provides additional information at invoice level. The number of each parked invoice is also a link that leads you to additional detailed information about the invoice, such as partners, prices, and notes.

Additional actions can also be performed at this level, such as cancellation of an invoice, preview of print output (invoice, and if applicable, overview or itemization, or both), and split analysis.

You can also access the document flow for each parked invoice. This gives you more information about previous processing of the invoice.

Parked invoice items The Parked Invoice Items tab lists the items included in one parked invoice and provides additional information at item level.

Additional actions can also be performed at this level, such as cancellation of items and the manual sorting of items.

You can also access the corresponding document flow from this level.

Roles The Roles tab shows the relevant roles specified for the package’s invoice group. This identifies the invoice group owner, approver, and item approver, if approval at invoice or item level or both is required.

Notes Displays any comments or additional information created at invoice group level and allows users to add additional notes while working on a package.

Activities

Creating Invoice Packages

Packages can be created manually for an invoice group in the user interface for SAP Flexible Billing Solution or as a batch job using the report /SOIN/R_CREATE_INV_PACK (transaction /SOIN/PACK01). In the user interface, the Create Package command is available as an option for the More button in the detailed view for an invoice group. After a package has been created, this option is no longer available.

Once a package has been created, parked invoices that have a billing date on or before the billing run date for the package invoice group can be assigned to the package. This can also be done manually or in batch processing.

Accessing Invoice Packages

To access invoice packages, choose the Invoice Package entry point. You can then access any of the main views for invoice packages. There is a general search view, and a power list that automatically displays all of the



invoice packages for which you are a designated invoice group owner. This allows you to make sure that processing for your packages is proceeding on schedule.

Related Information

Working with Parked Invoices [page 19]

6.2 Working with Parked Invoices

Once invoice groups have been created with reference values, the reference values are used to assign documents to the groups. After sales documents have been assigned to a group, the next step in the SAP Flexible Solution Billing process is the creation of parked invoices. Parked invoices are created in the current invoice package for an invoice group.

With parked invoices, the solution introduces a type of preliminary invoice that exists only until the creation of legal invoices. Legal invoices are created as copies of the parked invoices on the billing run date that is in effect for their package.

Note the following important aspects of parked invoices:

● Parked invoices are non-legal documents and can be canceled without requiring complex additional processing.

● Parked invoices are not relevant for auditing purposes.● A separate number range exists for parked invoices; this number range is independent of the legal invoices.

Nevertheless, it must be ensured that the number ranges do not overlap.● When a parked invoice is created in SAP Flexible Solution Billing on the basis of an SD document, the

reference document is marked as invoiced. The relationship between the reference document and the parked invoice is shown in the corresponding document flow.

● Parked invoice data is stored in separate tables in the database.● The parking process can be performed as often as necessary within the current billing cycle for an invoice

group.

Activities

Creating Parked Invoices

Parked invoices can be created manually in the user interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing using the Park button for an active package. This process can also be completed as a batch job using the report /SOIN/R_CREATE_PARKED_INV (transaction /SOIN/PARK01).

When the parking process is triggered for an invoice package, all documents that have been assigned by means of reference values to the package’s invoice group are entered into the package at once as parked invoices. You can manually select the billable items to be parked from the Universal Billing Due List in the user interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing.


Creating Parked Invoices Selectively

In the invoice package screen, all the documents relevant for billing for a particular invoice package are selected and displayed in the Universal Billing Due List pane. This list consists of documents from standard SD, Convergent Invoicing and the ones uploaded to the SAP system.

You can choose one or more items from the list and create parked invoices.

Note the following important aspects of selective parking:

● Selective parking can be done through the dialog process only.● The entire document is parked; item level parking is not supported.● Rejected documents do not appear in the due list.

Deleting Parked Invoices After Billing

You can determine whether parked invoices should be automatically deleted in the database after the billing process has been completed, and legal invoices have been created. This setting can be made in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Basic Configuration Configure Basic Settings .

6.3 Combination of Parked InvoicesThe combination of parked invoices is performed during the parking phase in SAP Flexible Solution Billing, The system combines and consolidates parked invoices to the greatest extent possible. When a new parked invoice is assigned to an invoice package, it is either combined with an existing one or added as a separate parked invoice to the invoice package.

SAP Flexible Solution Billing adds another dimension to the standard combination functionality available in SAP SD Billing. The solution can combine billing items originating internally from SD with billing items originating from external systems, and consolidate them in one invoice.

NoteThis does not affect or overrule restrictions to combination resulting from standard split criteria existing in SAP SD Billing. Mandatory split criteria still apply.

As long as the current invoice package for an invoice group is in processing, any new parked invoices can be combined with the existing ones in the package. There is one possible restriction to this: If approval is required for an invoice package according to the settings in the invoice group’s profile, it is possible to prevent the combination of invoice items after approval has been given. This setting is made in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Create Invoice Profiles . If the Add Items After Approval checkbox is not selected, new parked invoices are created for any late-coming items. They are not combined with existing parked invoices that have already been approved.

6.4 Splitting of Parked InvoicesStandard splitting criteria may make it necessary to split billing items contained in one sales document into several invoices. These criteria also apply for parked invoices created in SAP Flexible Solution Billing. In some



cases, you may also want to implement additional, optional splitting criteria for invoices. The splitting types are described below.

Mandatory Splitting Criteria

The standard mandatory splitting criteria based on header fields and differing header partners also apply for sales documents processed in SAP Flexible Solution Billing.

Optional Splitting Criteria

SAP Flexible Solution Billing also makes it possible to specify optional splitting criteria for parked invoices. The allowed optional split fields are defined by means of the customer include CI_SOIN_VBRK_SPLIT. Once in place, these optional split fields can be selected as part of format settings in the solution. You can also specify value restrictions for the optional split fields. The format settings take effect according to a pre-configured access sequence and corresponding combinations of the parameters sales organization, customer, and invoice group.

Split Analysis

If a split, either mandatory or optional, has been performed for parked invoices in an invoice package, you can find out which field caused the split. The package detail view in the user interface provides a Split Analysis button. When available, selecting this option displays a dialog window with detailed information about the reason for the split.

Related Information

Format Settings for Optional Splitting [page 33]

6.5 Cancellation of Parked Invoices and Items

As parked invoices in an invoice package have not yet been posted as legal invoices, invoices and invoice items can be easily canceled, if necessary. Parked invoices and items can be canceled manually in invoice packages or automatically when legal invoices are to be posted and approval is required. When invoices or items are canceled, they are removed from the package. As a result, the corresponding items can receive a billing block. This prevents the canceled items from entering the SAP Flexible Solution Billing process again until the issue has been clarified, and the billing block has been removed.

NoteBilling blocks can only be set for internal SD documents. This setting is made in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Basic Configuration Configure Basic Settings . Billing blocks cannot be set for documents originating from external sources.


Manual Cancellation

When switching to edit mode in an invoice package, the Cancel Invoice and Cancel Item buttons are available in the corresponding list views of parked invoices and parked invoice items.

Automatic Cancellation

If approval is involved in the billing process it is possible that parked invoices and items may still have an unresolved status when the billing run date for an invoice package comes is due. Parked invoices or items may have been rejected, or they may still be awaiting approval. These issues must be resolved before legal invoices can be created.

Settings in invoice profiles determine how the system should handle such cases. One option is the automatic cancellation of parked invoices or items that have been rejected or are still awaiting approval when the billing run date for the invoice package comes around. For more information, see Handling of Pending and Rejected Invoices and Items [page 28].

6.6 Manual Changes in Parked Invoices and Invoice Items

You can make manual changes in parked invoices and invoice items in SAP Flexible Solution Billing. During the parking phase, it is possible to change certain texts, perform manual sorting for parked invoice items, and determine the print form to be used for invoice, overview, and itemization. Before making manual changes, you select either the list of parked invoices or the corresponding list of parked invoice items and switch to edit mode in the detailed package view.

Changing Texts Manually

You can change the item description text and invoice header text.

Manual Sorting of Parked Invoice Items

You can modify the order of the items in a parked invoice manually. For example, you may want an item that is currently listed last in the parked invoice to be positioned as the first item.

To perform manual sorting of parked invoice items, you must switch to editing mode in an invoice package. When you have selected the list of parked invoice items for a particular parked invoice, you can use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to place an item at the desired position in the list. Once you are satisfied with the sorting order, choose the Apply Sorting button to make your modifications effective. The invoice items are re-numbered accordingly.



NoteIf additional items are added to the parked invoice after you have performed manual sorting, these new parked invoice items are appended to the list. The previous manual sorting remains unchanged.

Note also that manual sorting is not affected by any automatic format settings for sorting. The manual sorting order takes precedence.

Setting Print Forms Manually

You can manually select the print form to be used for invoice, overview, or itemization using the Set Print Form button. This button is available when displaying the list of parked invoices in an invoice package in edit mode. Only the document types that are relevant for the package according to the invoice group’s profile settings are available. You can also use the Preview button to check the appearance of an invoice, overview, or itemization before finalizing your choice.

NoteSelecting a print form for a document type in this way changes the format setting for all future packages for this invoice group (and for the sales organization or customer, or both, if these parameters are also part of the format setting).

Output Determination

You can manually select the output format of the invoice, overview, or itemization using the Output button. This button is available when displaying the list of parked invoices in an invoice package in edit mode. You can also use the Preview button to check the output types before finalizing your choice.


7 Handling External Data

In SAP Flexible Solution Billing, you can also process external business transactions if an appropriate reference value is provided. As a result, parked invoices are created using this data and, if possible, combined with SD internal data. This makes it possible to integrate billing data from other SAP applications (such as SAP Convergent Invoicing), external SAP systems, and other legacy systems into a unified billing process using SAP Flexible Solution Billing.

To create parked invoices for data originating from an external system, the data must first be prepared in a sequential file of a specified format, or a direct connection to the external system must be established.

The external data can be uploaded to the External Due List, monitored and deleted.

Preparing Sequential Files

The sample report /SOIN/R_UPLOAD_SD_BILL_AS supplies the communication structures for the general data, the conditions, and optional texts with data from a sequential file stored on the application server. The report also initiates the parking process. For more information about the file structure, see the documentation for the General Billing Interface as part of SD Billing on SAP Help Portal. In SAP Flexible Solution Billing, the only difference is that you must provide a reference value as an additional field for each general data record.

Combining External Data with Internal Data

If you want to combine parked invoice items created from external data with parked invoice items originating from SD transactions, note the following:

1. Use an appropriate billing type. Do not use the FX billing type for external transactions, as this would lead to a split. The external transactions must have an internal billing category.

2. Make sure that an appropriate document procedure has been assigned the billing type. This is necessary for determining the pricing procedure. For example, no standard pricing procedure exists which allows the combination of sales and service transactions.

3. Make sure that no other mandatory split criteria apply.

Related Information

Uploading External Data to External Due List [page 25]Monitoring External Data [page 25]Deleting External Data [page 25]


Handling External Data

7.1 Uploading External Data to External Due List

In SAP Flexible Solution Billing, external data can be uploaded into the due list tables through the transaction /SOIN/UPLOAD_EXT_AS.

Before uploading, the source data needs to be prepared in a sequential file of a specified format. The sample report /SOIN/R_UPLOAD_EXT_SD_BILL_AS provides the communication structures for the general data, the conditions, and optional texts with data from a sequential file stored on the application server.

Related Information

Handling External Data [page 24]

7.2 Monitoring External Data

The uploaded external data can be monitored through the transaction /SOIN/EXT_DUE_LIST.

You can reject the incorrect records so that they are not included in the billing process. For this purpose, you must implement the Business Add-In (BAdI) Billing Status Sync for External Documents on Rejection (/SOIN/BD_EXT_DAT_BILLSTAT_SYNC).

The rejected records can be re-uploaded after correction in the source system.

7.3 Deleting External Data

Old or redundant external records can be deleted using the transaction /SOIN/DEL_EX_DUE_LIST.

Deletion is governed by the following rules:

● Unbilled documents cannot be deleted.● Rejected documents can be directly deleted.● Billed documents can only be deleted if the corresponding parked invoices no longer exist in the system.

SAP Flexible Solution BillingHandling External Data P U B L I C 25

8 Review and Approval Process

The intermediate step of parking invoices in SAP Flexible Solution Billing makes it possible to review and approve parked invoices and items before they are posted as legal invoices. The optional review and approval processes can be used together or separately.

These processes are also associated with the corresponding roles provided in SAP Flexible Solution Billing. The review process is typically the task of invoice group owners, as they are responsible for the content and processing of the invoice packages in their invoice groups. To control this process, it is possible to establish an automatic block of processing that occurs before approval or any other processing for an invoice package takes place. For more information, see Automatic Blocking for Review. [page 27]

The approval process is available in two modes that can be used either together or separately. Settings made in the invoice profile for an invoice group determine whether approval is required for the parked invoices in the group’s invoice package. This means that an approval process can be set up selectively for certain invoice groups.

The two modes are the following:

● Invoice approvalDesignated approvers who are assigned at invoice group level approve parked invoices as a whole.

● Item approvalDesignated item approvers approve single parked invoice items. Item approvers are assigned at sales document level using the appropriate business partner function.

Note that these two approval modes are independent of each other. If the parked invoices in a package require both invoice approval and item approval, these approvals must be provided separately. That is, even if invoice approval has been provided, the approval process is not entirely complete until the required item approval has also been provided.

Prerequisites

To use the approval processes for invoice packages, the following must be in place:

● Invoice profiles must be configured as part of Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Create Invoice Profiles . Here you determine whether an invoice profile entails approval at invoice level, item level, or both.

● For item approval, the appropriate business partner function must be entered in Customizing under Basic Configuration Configure Basic Settings .

● When setting up an approval process, you must also decide how the system should deal with parked invoices and items that are still awaiting approval or that have been rejected and not yet clarified when the billing run date is due.For more information about the options available, see Handling of Pending and Rejected Invoices and Items [page 28].

● You can also choose the channel of approval as Offline Mail Approval or NotificationFor more information about the options available, see Email Approval [page 29].



● If using the approval process, you must also decide how the system should handle parked invoices and items that are assigned to an invoice package after approval has already been given. This setting is made in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Create Invoice Profiles . If the Add Items After Approval checkbox is not selected, new parked invoices are created for any late-coming items. They are not combined with existing parked invoices that have already been approved.

8.1 Automatic Blocking for Review

Independent of the invoice and item approval processes, SAP Flexible Solution Billing allows you to block processing automatically for invoice packages. This makes it possible for an invoice group owner to review the parked invoices in an invoice package before processing continues, in particular approval, if required. When a package is blocked, parked invoices can be created in the package, but no further processing occurs.

This type of processing block is triggered automatically after the package is created, but the block must be released manually by the responsible invoice group owner. If a package is blocked for processing, this status is clearly visible in the Tracking field displayed in the overview screens for invoice packages in the user interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing. A yellow traffic light is shown, indicating that processing has been halted. SAP Flexible Solution Billing also provides a power list showing all invoice packages for which an invoice owner is responsible.

As with invoice approval and item approval, the setting for activating an automatic process block is part of invoice profile configuration in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing. This also means that by assigning the appropriate invoice profile, you can determine for which invoice groups automatic blocking should be performed.

Prerequisites

● You must configure a profile that includes an automatic processing block in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Create Invoice Profiles .

8.2 Approval at Invoice Level

Users who are designated as invoice approvers in SAP Flexible Solution Billing have their own work lists showing the parked invoices for which they are responsible. Approvers are assigned at invoice group level, and must approve all parked invoices in the group’s current invoice package. The work list shows all parked invoices awaiting approval in all invoice packages.

The approvers can access the package, detailed views of the parked invoices and items, and also open a print preview of the invoice, and, if applicable, of the overview or itemization or both.

Settings in the invoice profile assigned to an invoice group determine what happens with rejected invoices that are unresolved and parked invoices that have not yet been approved when the billing run date for an invoice package arrives. For more information, see Handling of Pending and Rejected Invoices and Items [page 28].

SAP Flexible Solution BillingReview and Approval Process P U B L I C 27

8.3 Approval at Item Level

Users who are designated as item approvers in SAP Flexible Solution Billing have their own work lists showing the invoice items for which they are responsible. The work list shows all parked invoice items awaiting approval in all invoice packages for which the user is the designated item approver. The item approvers can access detailed views of the parked invoices and items.

NoteItem approvers are assigned at sales document level using the appropriate business partner function. For more about this, see Roles in Flexible Solution Billing [page 15].

Settings in the invoice profile assigned to an invoice group determine what happens with rejected invoice items that are unresolved and parked items that have not yet been approved when the billing run date for an invoice package arrives. For more information, see Handling of Pending and Rejected Invoices and Items [page 28].

8.4 Handling of Pending and Rejected Invoices and Items

When the billing run date for an invoice package becomes due, all pending and unresolved issues concerning the parked invoices must be clarified before legal invoices can be posted. If you are using an invoice and or item approval process, part of setting up this process is deciding what should occur if such issues are still open when legal invoices must be created. These settings are made in invoice profiles, which can then be assigned to invoice groups.

For pending invoices and items that are still awaiting approval, the following options are available:

● Block ProcessingProcessing of the package stops until the issues concerning the invoices and/or items that are awaiting approval have been resolved.

● Ignore Required ApprovalProcessing continues on the billing run date. Legal invoices are created without the required approval of the invoices and/or items.

● Cancel AutomaticallyThe invoices and/or items that are awaiting approval are canceled automatically. They are removed from the invoice package. Legal invoices are created for the remaining invoices in the package.

For invoices and items that have been rejected, the following options are available:

● Block ProcessingProcessing of the package stops until the rejected invoice or invoice item has been clarified. That is, it must either be removed from the package, or the rejection must be reversed before processing can continue.

● Cancel AutomaticallyThe rejected invoices and/or items are canceled automatically. They are removed from the invoice package. Legal invoices are created for the remaining invoices in the package.



NoteThese processing parameters are only relevant if you are using invoice or item approval as part of your invoice profiles in SAP Flexible Solution Billing. The triggering of these mechanisms constitutes a preparatory step before the posting of legal invoices.

The step can be performed manually for an invoice package using the Prepare button in the user interface, or performed in batch using the report /SOIN/R_PREPARE_BILLING (transaction /SOIN/PREP01).

Activities

You decide about these parameters when configuring the invoice profiles in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Create Invoice Profiles .

8.5 Email Approval

Users who are designated as invoice approvers in SAP Flexible Solution Billing receive offline or online approval request email to approve or reject the parked invoice.

In the offline request, the approver can approve or reject the invoice and also add a comment in the email itself. The comment is visible in the invoice package screen.

In the online request or notification, the approver can approve or reject the parked invoice in the invoice approval screen.

NoteThe approver has to login to the application, using the link received in the email to take an action.

Activities

You set the Approval Channel when configuring the invoice profiles in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Create Invoice Profiles

SAP Flexible Solution BillingReview and Approval Process P U B L I C 29

9 Posting Legal Invoices

Legal invoices are created as copies of the parked invoices in an invoice package. The legal invoices are due to be posted on the billing run date for the package.

Preparing for Posting

If approval is required for the invoice package at invoice level or item level, or both, a preliminary step is necessary before legal invoices can be created. In a preparatory step, a check is made for any invoices and invoice items that are either still awaiting approval or that have been rejected. The system deals with these issues according to settings made in the profile assigned at invoice group level.

This preparatory step can be performed manually in the user interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing using the Prepare button for an active package. This process can also be completed as a batch job using the report /SOIN/R_PREPARE_BILLING (transaction /SOIN/PREP01).

Creating Legal Invoices

Legal invoices can be created manually in the user interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing using the Post button for an active package. This process can also be completed as a batch job using the report /SOIN/R_CREATE_LEGAL_INV (transaction /SOIN/BILL01).

Viewing Legal Invoices

Once the legal invoices have been created, you can access them directly from the user interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing by opening the package history. This view lists the created legal invoices and provides links to open the documents.

You can display this information using the Package History button in the detailed view of an invoice group or in the detailed view of the package itself.

Related Information

Handling of Pending and Rejected Invoices and Items [page 28]


Posting Legal Invoices

10 Flexible Formatting

The final documents of the billing process – the legal invoices – often also require customer-specific formatting with respect to splitting, sorting, and print forms. For example, you may need to use different print formats for legal invoices depending upon who is to receive the invoice. SAP Flexible Solution Billing provides new functions for both pre-configured formatting of invoices on a system-wide basis and for certain formatting adjustments that can be performed manually for individual parked invoices and items.

Any manual changes in formatting are made on parked invoices and items in an invoice package before the posting of legal invoices has occurred. A preview function is always provided, allowing you to check your formatting choices before finalizing them.

Features

● Pre-configured formatting options are available for invoice splitting, automatic sorting of invoice items, and print form selection.

● These flexible formatting options are configured and applied according to the following parameters: sales organization, customer, and invoice group.

● The automatic application of format settings is controlled by an access sequence structure. Once established, this structure ensures that format settings are applied consistently system-wide, and also provides the flexibility to configure format settings as generally or as specifically as necessary.

● Configuration of the format settings is performed in a user interface intended for expert maintenance.● Manual changes in formatting can be made in addition to the pre-configured format settings applied on the

basis of the access sequence structure. For example, even though pre-configured settings for sorting are in place, you can still manually sort the items in a single parked invoice before the posting of legal invoices.

Related Information

Access Sequence Structure for Formatting [page 31]Working with Format Settings [page 33]Format Settings for Optional Splitting [page 33]Format Settings for Sorting [page 34]Format Settings for Print Forms [page 35]

10.1 Access Sequence Structure for Formatting

An underlying access sequence structure governs the automatic application of all three types of format settings available in SAP Flexible Solution Billing: splitting, sorting, and the assignment of print forms. This

SAP Flexible Solution BillingFlexible Formatting P U B L I C 31

access structure is established in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Formatting Configure Access Sequence .

The access sequence structure consists of any number of entries containing an access number and one or more of the following parameters: sales organization, customer, and invoice group. The access number determines in what sequence the system searches for existing format settings, and the parameter combinations determine how specific the format setting is. The lowest access number takes effect first. If no settings are found that meet the expected definition for the first access number, the system moves on to the next access number, and so on, until a format setting is found.

This technique allows you to adjust the scope of your format settings flexibly. Your scope may be very general (a setting at sales organization level alone, for example) or very specific (a setting that applies only for one specific sales organization in combination with a specific customer and a specific invoice group). The access sequence structure applies for all three available format setting types.

ExampleOne possible approach is to structure the access sequences beginning with the most specific combination of parameters. In this case, your access structure in Customizing might look as follows:

Table 5:

Access Number Sales Org Customer Inv Group

10 X X X

20 X - -

30 - - X

40 - - -

When you begin creating format settings, you create them according to this structure. Following the sample structure above, the system first looks for a format setting that specifies a sales organization, customer, and invoice group. As a result, if you create a format setting for Sales Organization 100, Customer B, and Invoice Group 7, the format setting takes effect only for this combination of parameters. In addition, as a result of the access sequence structure, when you create the format setting, it automatically receives the corresponding, lowest access number as specified in the structure. In the above sample structure, the default setting would be system-wide as no sales organization, customer, or invoice group is used in the access key.

For example, if you have a special sorting order that applies only to invoices that have this particular sales organization, customer, and invoice group, you can create the appropriate format setting according to the structure. The setting will take effect only for this combination of the three parameters. The sorting that you have specified in the format setting does not take effect for Invoice Group 8, although sales organization and customer may be the same as for Invoice Group 7. You could continue creating formatting settings as required, from most specific to least specific. This ensures that special requirements are met, while at the same time still allowing you to specify more general format settings at sales organization or customer level. You can establish system-wide settings if you do not specify any values for sales organization, customer, or invoice group.

The formatting settings themselves are created in a separate user interface; however, you can display the access structure maintained in Customizing under Menu Goto Access Sequence . To view, create, and


Flexible Formatting

edit all format setting types, you use the transaction /SOIN/FORMAT_MAINT to access the SAP GUI view of the fields, or you can choose the corresponding entry point in the Web-based interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing.

10.2 Working with Format Settings

The user interface provided for creating pre-configured settings is intended for expert maintenance. You use the transaction /SOIN/FORMAT_MAINT to access the SAP GUI view of the fields, or you can choose the corresponding entry point in the Web-based user interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing.

This overall view displays areas for working with format settings for splitting, sorting, and print forms. Before you begin creating new format settings or editing existing ones, you must first execute a search. If you enter no specific values for the fields Sales Organization, Customer, and Invoice Group, the system displays all format settings that are currently in use. The settings in use are listed with a corresponding access number, as configured in the access sequence as part of Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing. This indicates in what order the settings take effect.

Creating and Editing Format Settings

After you have executed an initial search to display any settings that are already in effect, an additional entry area is shown that allows you to create and edit format settings. Note that when you create new settings, you must keep in mind the access structure that controls the allowed combinations. You can display the access structure under Menu Goto Access Sequence . Your new or modified format settings must be aligned with these pre-configured access keys.

Note that when you have entered the parameters for your new or modified format setting, choosing the Submit button opens a corresponding dialog box in which you can make the actual settings. You can also open an existing setting for editing by double-clicking an entry in the list.

The Status field provides an overview of all of the changes that you have made in one session before saving. This field indicates whether a format setting is new, modified, or marked for deletion. The changes for each setting can be reset individually before saving.

10.3 Format Settings for Optional Splitting

You can create additional, optional split criteria for invoices in SAP Flexible Solution Billing. These split criteria take effect in addition to the standard mandatory split criteria that exist in SAP SD Billing. As with all format settings, you create format settings for invoice splitting in accordance with the access sequence structure that is in place for your system as part of Customizing. On the basis of this access structure, you determine how specific or general your format setting for splitting is to be, based on the allowed combinations of sales organization, customer, and invoice group.


A single format setting can have several splitting fields. As part of your setting, you can also enter a value restriction for a field. For example, assume that you can select the field Material Group as a split criterion for invoices. By entering a value restriction for the field, you determine that the split occurs only if the field in the invoices has the specified value.

The split takes effect when parked invoices are created in their assigned invoice package for an invoice group. At package level, the Analyze Split button makes it possible to see which fields caused the split.

Accessing Format Settings for Splitting

To display the fields used for working with format settings for invoice splits, you can use the transaction /SOIN/FORMAT_MAINT or the transaction /SOIN/FORMAT_SPLIT. The first transaction allows you to work with all available format setting types in one view; the second shows only those for splitting.

Prerequisites

As part of Customizing, the fields that are allowed for use in invoice splits must be specified in the customer include CI_SOIN_VBRK_SPLIT in the invoice header.

Related Information

Working with Format Settings [page 33]Access Sequence Structure for Formatting [page 31]

10.4 Format Settings for Sorting

This type of format setting allows you to determine which fields you would like to use for sorting the items in one invoice. Format settings for sorting can be created for the following document types in SAP Flexible Solution Billing:

● Invoice● Overview● Itemization

For example, you may want to group together all invoice items that refer to a particular service type together on invoices, overviews and/or itemizations. If required, you can also specify intermediate sums for sorting fields and determine the order in which they are to be sorted: ascending or descending.

Note that sorting for the invoice takes effect for the document on the database, while sorting of the overview and itemization is only performed for the output.

As with all format settings, you create format settings for invoice sorting in accordance with the access sequence structure that is in place for your system as part of Customizing. On the basis of this access structure, you determine how specific or general your format setting for sorting is to be, based on the allowed


Flexible Formatting

combinations of sales organization, customer, and invoice group. Within a particular access key, it would also be possible to specify different sorting orders for different document types.

Accessing Format Settings for Sorting

To display the fields used for working with format settings for sorting, you can use the transaction /SOIN/FORMAT_MAINT or the transaction /SOIN/FORMAT_SORT. The first transaction allows you to work with all available format setting types in one view; the second shows only those for sorting.

Prerequisites

The allowed fields for sorting must be specified as part of Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Formatting Specify Allowed Sort Fields .

Related Information


10.5 Format Settings for Print Forms

This type of format setting allows you to determine a smart form or Adobe form to be used. Format settings for print forms can be created for the following document types in SAP Flexible Solution Billing:


For example, you may need to use a different smart form or Adobe form with special characteristics for particular customers.

As with all format settings, you create format settings for print forms in accordance with the access sequence structure that is in place for your system as part of Customizing. On the basis of this access structure, you determine how specific or general your format setting for assigning print forms is to be, based on the allowed combinations of sales organization, customer, and invoice group. Within a particular access key, it would also be possible to specify different print forms for different document types.

Accessing Format Settings for Print Forms

To display the fields used for working with format settings for assigning print forms, you can use the transaction /SOIN/FORMAT_MAINT or the transaction /SOIN/FORMAT_FORM. The first transaction allows you to work with all available format setting types in one view; the second shows only those for assigning print forms.

You can also use the Set Print Form button for invoice packages in the Web-based user interface. The button is available when displaying the list of parked invoices in an invoice package in edit mode. You can set a print form


for invoice, overview, or itemization. Only the document types that are relevant for the package according to the invoice group’s profile settings are available. Note that selecting a print form for a document type in this way changes the format setting for all future packages for this invoice group (and for the sales organization or customer, or both if these parameters are also part of the format setting).

Prerequisites

The allowed print forms must be specified as part of Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Formatting Specify Allowed Print Forms .

Related Information



Flexible Formatting

11 Output and Additional Documents

SAP Flexible Solution Billing provides formatting options for output and additional documents that can be provided as supplements to legal invoices. Using the basic functionality for Output Control in SAP Sales and Distribution, SAP Flexible Solution Billing also allows you to determine print forms for output that are applied automatically according to the format settings for sales organization, customer, and invoice group.

As part of the available formatting options, you can create format settings that determine sorting rules and print forms for the following three document types:


Note that the sorting of an invoice is performed for the invoice business object itself. In the case of invoice overview and itemization, sorting affects only the output.

Invoice overviews and itemizations are additional documents that can be provided as necessary. Profile settings for invoice groups determine which of these documents are required, meaning that you can decide individually for each invoice group whether any of these documents should be used as part of the invoicing process.

You can preview invoices, and if applicable, an overview and itemizations using the Preview button in the detailed view for an invoice package in the user interface for SAP Flexible Solution Billing.

Invoice Overview

An overview is a non-legal document that lists data for all invoices assigned to an invoice package. If an overview is required in the profile assigned to an invoice group, you must specify a receiver for the overview. You can also specify a currency for the overview. This may be helpful if the receiver needs to see invoice data in a currency that differs from the original document currency.

Invoice Itemization

An itemization is an additional document providing detailed information about the items in an invoice. This is especially relevant for consumption-based information originating from SAP Resource Related Billing or SAP Convergent Invoicing. From the detailed package view, you can also transfer the itemization data to a spreadsheet. To do this, choose the Export Itemization button.

Mass Output of Documents

You can also use a report to create all of the related documents for one or many invoice packages at once. You can use the report /SOIN/R_MASS_OUT_INV_PACK in dialog or schedule it as a batch job to run in the background. You can also start the report directly using the transaction /SOIN/MASS_OUTPUT.

Related Information

Flexible Formatting [page 31]

SAP Flexible Solution BillingOutput and Additional Documents P U B L I C 37

12 Integration with SAP Convergent Invoicing

In SAP Flexible Solution Billing, it is also possible to process consumption billing data originating from SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) and it also allows payment card processing for consumption billing data. As a result of this integration, you can create single, combined invoices for sales, service, and consumption in Billing in SAP Sales and Distribution (SD) and post the revenue in Accounts Receivable (FI-AR).

Additionally, in the cases where partner settlement is involved; it is possible to invoice and post the revenue in Accounts Payable

This integrative approach uses the BIT (billable item) management and pre-billing processes available in Billing in Contract Accounts Receivable and Payable (FI-CA-BI). You can decide whether further invoice processing should continue in standard SD Billing or in SAP Flexible Solution Billing. The mode involving standard processing in SD Billing creates legal invoices directly. The mode involving SAP Flexible Solution Billing allows you to use invoice parking, review and approval, and flexible format settings for splitting, sorting, and print forms.

This comprehensive invoice integration enables you to implement your business process from the priced consumption of a service, through billing, up to the final dispatching of invoices to customers.

Features

● Invoicing for aggregated consumption data using SD Billing● Optimization for mass and parallel processing● Creation of collective invoices for consumption, service, and sales using SAP Flexible Solution Billing

Activities

Before you can use the integration of SD Billing with SAP Convergent Invoicing, you must activate the business function /SOIN/CI_SD. As a prerequisite, the business function set FICAX must also be activated.

Before you can perform invoicing of consumption data with SD, you must complete the Customizing activities under Integration with Convergent Invoicing in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing. In particular, as part of Customizing, you must decide which mode of integration you want to use: standard SD Billing or SAP Flexible Solution Billing. If you want to use SAP Flexible Solution Billing, then you must also complete the Customizing activities associated with this mode.



Constraints

Some constraints apply for the integration of Convergent Invoicing. For more details, see the Master Guide for SAP Flexible Solution Billing.

Related Information

Process Overview [page 39]Single Transfer to SD Invoices [page 41]Mass Transfer to SD Invoices [page 41]Transfer by Invoice Group [page 42]Cancellation Process [page 43]Partner Settlement [page 43]

12.1 Process Overview

The basic process for integrating SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) with SAP Sales and Distribution (SD) entails the transfer of pre-billing documents in CI into invoices in SD and the performance of additional data mapping and enrichment.

NoteIntegration of CI billing data with SD billing data and the related features in SAP Flexible Solution Billing are dependent on the features which are part of SAP Solution Sales and Billing.When working in an integrated scenario with SAP Solution Sales and Billing, you must do the following:

● Activate the CI SD Integration and related features via business function /SOIN/CI_SD which is available in SAP Solution Sales and Billing.

● Set up your SAP ERP, SAP CRM, and SAP Convergent Charging systems in such a way that provider contracts are successfully replicated from your CRM system to your ERP system and to Convergent Charging.

● Make sure that master data such as products, business partners or customers, and contract accounts are replicated consistently among all systems.

These features are only available for SAP Hybris Billing or SAP S/4HANA for Subscription Billing, Sales and Distribution Option customers.

SAP Flexible Solution BillingIntegration with SAP Convergent Invoicing P U B L I C 39

Process

As a prerequisite for starting the invoicing process, invoicing orders must exist. Invoicing orders are created when a billing document is created. They are used for billing documents that have not yet been processed. The related invoicing order is deleted when a billing document is invoiced successfully.

The process steps for transferring data from CI to SD are as follows:

1. Data selection○ When you select the invoicing orders for the invoice integration process, all invoicing orders created

until that point in time are taken into account.○ Billing documents are selected from the invoicing orders in CI. These billing documents in CI contain

the aggregated rated consumption data in the Billing component in Contract Accounts Receivable and Payable (FI-CA-BI). These billing documents are source documents for the integration with SD Billing using SAP Flexible Solution Billing.

2. Data mapping○ Billing document items originating in CI are mapped to the communication structure for the SD billing

interface for external data.Depending on settings made in Customizing, CI billing documents may contain only one item or multiple items. If billing documents contain multiple items, a single CI billing document containing aggregated data is mapped as one main item and its corresponding subitems in SD. For more details, see the Make Default Settings for Data Mapping activity in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Integration with Convergent Invoicing.

○ If processing is to continue using SAP Flexible Solution Billing, you must use reference values in order to assign billing documents to invoice groups for further processing. When working in an integrated scenario with SAP Solution Sales and Billing, a reference value can be specified directly in the provider contract. For this purpose, you must implement the Business Add-In (BAdI) Adjust Contract Data During Contract Replication (FICA_CONTRACT_COL_MAINTAIN). If reference values shall not be stored in the provider contract for any reason, then the BAdI Integration of CI with SD (/SOIN/BD_CI_SD_INTERFACE_EXT) can be used at this point to set reference values for the billing documents.

3. Creation of invoices in SD BillingDepending upon the integration mode selected, either legal invoices in SD Billing are created directly or parked invoices are created in SAP Flexible Solution Billing. This depends on settings made in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Integration with Convergent Invoicing Specify Mode for Integrating CI with SD Billing .

4. UpdateThe system writes the created invoices to the database, deletes invoicing orders, and creates document flow entries.

You can perform invoice creation in SD for single CI billing documents, for mass data, or by assigned invoice group.

Related Information

Single Transfer to SD Invoices [page 41]Mass Transfer to SD Invoices [page 41]



Transfer by Invoice Group [page 42]

12.2 Single Transfer to SD Invoices

Using the transaction /SOIN/CI_SD_SINGLE, you can create an SD invoice for one individual billing document originating from SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI).

You can analyze invoicing orders before running the transaction. To do this in the SAP Easy Access screen under Contract Accounts Receivable and Payable, choose Invoicing Monitoring Invoicing Orders .

Activities

To transfer a single billing document from CI to SD Billing, proceed as follows:

1. Use the transaction /SOIN/CI_SD_SINGLE.2. Enter a CI billing document number.3. Run the program.4. An application log is displayed showing all of the messages that occurred during the transfer.

Depending upon the integration mode selected as part of Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Integration with Convergent Invoicing Specify Mode for Integration CI with SD Billing , this either results

directly in a legal invoice in SD Billing or in a parked invoice as part of SAP Flexible Solution Billing. In the case of a parked invoice, additional processing such as review and approval may occur before the final legal invoice is created in SD Billing.

You can also run the SD invoice creation for a single CI billing document in simulation mode. To do this, select the Simulation Mode checkbox.

12.3 Mass Transfer to SD Invoices

Using the transaction /SOIN/CI_SD_TRANS_MA, you can create SD invoices for mass amounts of billing documents originating from SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) in a parallel run. Parallel processing is always possible. The invoice creation run uses the mass activity functionality available in FI-CA to reduce the processing time.

You can analyze invoicing orders before running the transaction. To do this in the SAP Easy Access screen under Contract Accounts Receivable and Payable, choose Invoicing Monitoring Invoicing Orders .


Activities

To transfer billing documents from CI to SD Billing, proceed as follows:

1. Use the transaction /SOIN/CI_SD_TRANS_MA.2. Enter a date and identification. If required, you can maintain a variant in technical settings for

parallelization settings.3. Select the desired business partners (optional).4. Save the mass run.5. Run the program.6. An application log is displayed showing all of the messages that occurred during the transfer.

Depending upon the mode selected as part of Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Integration with Convergent Invoicing Specify Mode for Integration CI with SD Billing , the invoice creation run either results directly in legal invoices in SD Billing or parked invoices as part of SAP Flexible Solution Billing. In the case of parked invoices, additional processing such as review and approval may occur before the final legal invoice is created in SD Billing.

You can also run the invoice creation for mass transfer of documents in simulation mode. To do this, select the Simulation Mode checkbox.

For more general information, see the relevant documentation about data processing in mass runs for Contract Accounts Payable and Receivable (FI-CA) on SAP Help Portal.

12.4 Transfer by Invoice Group

Using the transaction /SOIN/CI_SD_GROUP, you can create parked invoices for all billing documents originating from SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) that are assigned to a particular invoice group.

Prerequisites

This function is only relevant if the following prerequisites are met:

● You must be using SAP Flexible Solution Billing to integrate CI with SD Billing.This setting is made in the Specify Mode for Integrating CI with SD Billing Customizing activity.

● The reference values used to assign billing documents to invoice groups must be stored in provider contracts.This setting is made in the Make Default Settings for Data Mapping Customizing activity.

The relevant activities are all part of Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Integration with Convergent Invoicing .



Activities

To transfer billing documents from CI to SD Billing, proceed as follows:

1. Use the transaction /SOIN/CI_SD_GROUP.2. Enter the identifier for an invoice group.3. Run the program.4. An application log is displayed showing all messages that occurred during the transfer.

The creation of invoices results in parked invoices as part of SAP Flexible Solution Billing. Additional processing such as review or approval may take place before the final legal invoice is created in SD Billing.

You can also run this transaction in simulation mode. To do this, select the Simulation Mode checkbox.

12.5 Cancellation Process

You can also cancel SD invoices that have been created as part of the integration of SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) with SD Billing.

When you cancel invoices or invoice items that originated from billing documents in CI, the following steps are performed:

1. All invoice items related to a single billing document in CI are canceled together.2. New invoicing orders are re-created for the relevant CI billing documents.

The CI billing documents can then be included in the next transfer of data from CI to SD Billing for invoice creation.

3. The document flow between the CI billing document and the SD billing document is deleted.

The cancellation process is the same for preliminary parked invoices and items in SAP Flexible Solution Billing and for legal invoices created directly in SD Billing without parking.

The cancellation process described here does not affect the standard reversal process for Billing in Convergent Invoicing.

12.6 Partner Settlement

The basic process for integrating SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) with Accounts Payable (AP) entails the transfer of pre-billing documents for partner in CI into invoicing and accounting in Accounts Payable and the performance of additional data mapping and enrichment.

You can view the accounting document in the SAP Easy Access screen, for this, choose AccountingFinancial Accounting Accounts Payable Document Display


NoteWhen working in an integrated scenario with SAP Solution Sales and Billing, you must do the following:

● Set up your SAP ERP, SAP CRM, and SAP Convergent Charging systems in such a way that provider contracts are successfully replicated from your CRM system to your ERP system and to Convergent Charging.

● Make sure that master data such as products, business partners or customers, and contract accounts are replicated consistently among all.

Process

As a prerequisite for starting the invoicing process, invoicing orders must exist. Invoicing orders are created when a billing document is created. They are used for billing documents that have not yet been processed. The related invoicing order is deleted when a billing document is invoiced successfully.

The billing document must have a partner agreement as the predecessor for the integration of CI with AP to work.

The process steps for transferring data from CI to AP are as follows:

1. Data Selection○ When you select the invoicing orders for the invoice integration process, all invoicing orders created

until that point in time are taken into account.○ Billing documents are selected from the invoicing orders in CI. These billing documents in CI contain

the aggregated rated consumption data in the Billing component in Contract Accounts Receivable and Payable (FI-CA-BI). These billing documents are source documents for the integration with AP using SAP Flexible Solution Billing.

○ Only those billing documents which have the related contract category as partner agreement will be transferred to Accounts Payable

2. Data Mapping○ Billing document items originating in CI are mapped to the communication structure for the

Accounting interface for external data. If the billing documents contain multiple items, the total amount from the CI billing document items is calculated and the vendor line item is created. There will be multiple GL line items which will correspond to a one to one mapping with the CI billing document items. The CI billing document and the related AP document created will have one to one mapping. The accounting document type is determined based on the billing process and sub process.

○ The GL account is determined based on the company code, billing process, sub process, invoice item type which can be maintained in Customizing for SAP Flexible Solution Billing under Integration with Convergent Invoicing Assign Subprocesses at Item Level for AP

3. Creation of accounting documentDepending upon the accounting document type maintained, the accounting document is created in Accounts Payable.

4. UpdateThe system writes the created invoices to the database, deletes invoicing orders, and creates document flow entries.

5. Navigation to the source CI billing document.



6. You can see the source CI billing document for the AP document using the Original document option7. Invoicing History

You can view the corresponding accounting document created for the partner CI billing document in the Invoicing History tab of partner CI billing document. You can also navigate to the accounting document displayed in the invoicing history tab.

You can perform accounting document creation for single CI billing documents and for multiple CI billing documents using mass activity.

Related Information

Single Transfer to Accounts Payable Document [page 45]Mass Transfer to Accounts Payable Document [page 46]Accounts Payable Document Reversal [page 47]

12.6.1 Single Transfer to Accounts Payable Document

Using the transaction/SOIN/CI_SD_SINGLE, you can create an Accounts Payable document for one individual partner billing document originating from SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI).

Context

You can analyze invoicing orders before running the transaction. To do this in the SAP Easy Access screen under Contract Accounts Receivable and Payable, choose Invoicing Monitoring Invoicing Orders

Procedure

To transfer a single billing document from CI to AP, proceed as follows:1. Use the transaction /SOIN/CI_SD_SINGLE.

2. Enter a partner CI billing document number.3. Run the program.4. An application log is displayed showing all of the messages that occurred during the CI-AP transfer.

For the partner CI billing document entered, a single AP document is created with reference transaction as/SOIN.

You can also run the SD invoice creation for a single CI billing document in simulation mode. To do this, choose the Simulation Mode checkbox.


12.6.2 Mass Transfer to Accounts Payable Document

Using the transaction /SOIN/CI_SD_TRANS_MA, you can create an Accounts Payable document for mass amounts of partner billing documents originating from SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) in a parallel run. Parallel processing is always possible. The AP document creation run uses the mass activity functionality available in FI-CA to reduce the processing time.

Context

You can analyze invoicing orders before running the transaction. To do this in the SAP Easy Access screen under Contract Accounts Receivable and Payable, choose Invoicing Monitoring Invoicing Orders

Procedure

To transfer billing documents from CI to AP, proceed as follows:1. Use the transaction /SOIN/CI_SD_TRANS_MA.

2. Enter a date and identification. If required, you can maintain a variant in technical settings for parallelization settings.

3. Select the desired business partners (optional).4. Choose the Custom Selection button and choose the desired billing process, sub process, contract, Invoice

From, in case if you further wish to filter the CI billing document selection. It is not mandatory to choose the values for these options available.

5. Save the mass run.6. Run the program.7. An application log is displayed showing all of the messages that occurred during the transfer.

For each partner CI billing document, a follow up AP document is created.

You can also run the invoice creation for mass transfer of documents in simulation mode. To do this, select theSimulation Mode checkbox.

For more general information, see the relevant documentation about data processing in mass runs for Contract Accounts Payable and Receivable (FI-CA) on SAP Help Portal.



12.6.3 Accounts Payable Document Reversal

You can reverse Accounts Payable document that has been created as part of the integration of SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) with Accounts Payable.

Context

When you reverse AP document that originated from the partner billing document in CI, the following steps are performed:

1. The whole AP document is reversed and a reverse AP document is also created.2. New invoicing orders are re-created for the relevant CI billing documents.

The CI billing documents can then be included in the next transfer of data from CI to AP.3. The document flow between the CI billing document and the AP document is deleted.

CautionAP documents with reference transaction /SOIN, which are created using SAP Flexible Solution Billing cannot be reversed using the standard transaction FB08

Similarly, you cannot reverse the AP Documents created using standard transaction using SAP Flexible Solution Billing.

Procedure

The cancellation process described here does not affect the standard reversal process for Billing in Convergent Invoicing1. Use transaction /SOIN/CI_AP_REVERSE2. Enter the AP document number, fiscal year, company code and the reason for reversal.3. Run the program.4. An application log is displayed showing all messages that occurred during the reversal.

12.7 Payment by Payment Cards

In SAP Flexible Solution Billing, payments using payment cards is enabled for Convergent Invoicing (CI) transactions invoiced through Sales and Distribution (SD) billing interface.

Payment cards assigned to a business partner can be used to process payments for subscription or consumption related data coming from Convergent Invoicing being invoiced with SD Billing. In an integrated scenario with CRM, the payment card can be assigned to the corresponding order or solution quote. During the


invoicing process in ERP, the payment information is assigned to the SD invoice including an authorization process so that the card data can be taken into account during the settlement process.

For an end to end scenario on payment cards, refer to Extended Payment Cards Functions.



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13 Operations Information

13.1 Archiving

To reduce the load of your database, you can archive data that you no longer need operatively. SAP Flexible Solution Billing supports the archiving of invoice groups and invoice packages. As part of the integration of SAP Convergent Invoicing (CI) with Billing in SAP Sales and Distribution (SD), you can also archive the document flow between CI billing documents and invoices. Archiving in SAP Flexible Solution Billing is based on SAP Data Archiving (CA-ARC).

Archiving takes place using the following archiving objects:

● /SOIN/GRPAllows you to archive invoice groups. Note that you can only archive invoice groups that are no longer valid. In addition, the last invoice package for the group must have reached the status Completed.

● /SOIN/PACKAllows you to archive invoice packages. Note that only invoice packages with the status Completed can be archived.

● /SOIN/CISDAllows you to archive the document flow relating to the integration of CI with SD Billing. Note that as a prerequisite for archiving, the billing document must already be archived and deleted from the database.

You archive (and also delete) using the SAP standard tool for archiving, the Archive Development Kit. You can use archive administration (transaction SARA).

Note the following constraints for archiving in SAP Flexible Solution Billing:

● Residence times are not used.● Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) is enabled for archiving objects /SOIN/GRP and SOIN/PACK.

13.2 Application Log

In SAP Flexible Solution Billing, you can display the created application logs directly together with the corresponding environment information.

Application logs for the reports used in SAP Flexible Solution Billing are only created if the reports have run in background. You can determine the scope of the application logs displayed by selecting a particular process step, such as the creation of parked invoices and by entering dates to specify a time period.

You can access this function directly using the transaction /SOIN/SLG1.

SAP Flexible Solution BillingOperations Information P U B L I C 49

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SAP Flexible Solution BillingImportant Disclaimers and Legal Information P U B L I C 51

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SAP Flexible Solution Billing - SAP Help Portal · PDF file1 SAP Flexible Solution Billing 1.0...

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