SAP S/4HANA for Product Compliance: Doubt/Confusion on Purchase Orders (in SAP GUI)

[Paulo_Pinto]

Dear Community, 

During tests, when creating a Purchase Order for a material containing a controlled/regulated substance - a drug percursor with "not compliant" marketability status (see image 1 below) - from an approved supplier, in the Product Compliance tab of the PO ( SAP GUI ) the field "Product Marketability Status" displays the message "OK - Not Relevant" (see image 2, below).

This is created a deal of confusion with the customer's users.

I'm asking for some clarification: is this because it's a purchase process and not a production and/or sales process?

Thank you in advance!

Image 1:

Image 2:

[christoph_bergemann]

Hello

the new "Product Compliance" is not easy to understand. First you need a very good understanding about "basics" (Purpose, Compliance Requirement etc.) and then regarding "processes" (integration of the new solution to purchase process, Selling process, Producing etc.

Here the new concept is important to understand (IS SOLD, IS TRANSPORTED etc.)

My current understanding is this:

1.) You are using a "purchase order"

2.) for a purchase order different checks are used in comparison to a "sales order"

3.) the focus here is mainly on the "Supplier" (but there is more (either now or in the future)

4.) Therefore: in your screen we can see a "ok" for the supplier check. for the "material/CCI/supplier combination) there is no issued and you can go on with the process (PS: in a different thread i have asked: "Who is the supplier". Never received an answer. The Supplier can be the "good supplier", "the supplier"..

The "online help" does not help here.

5.) If you now would try to "sell" the product, the story is different

So: based on best knowledeg on my side: for a "purchase order" there is no need to check "marketability" (as you are not selling it).

BUT (on long term) more checks will be applied in this piece of process.

E.g. Is the process "SVT" relevant and is there a "threshold" limit exceeded. Based on best knowledge: the "follower" of the "NOTICHECK" process should run,

Example: if you try to buy a material from DE => US but the material is not allowed (e.g. because of TSCA or other regulations) you should get a "block" 

I need to check the current version 2023 if this kind of "NOTICHECK" is still available (in purchase process).  Not sure

Wish you the best

C.B.

[Paulo_Pinto]

Hello @christoph_bergemann 

Thanks again for taking your time to answer my questions and doubts. 

This is indeed a case of purchasing (with intent to sell but that, as you very well stated, is a whole different story). Your answer actually clears a lot about this issue in specific. 

About the "basics", I believe I'm starting to have a good grasp on it, but this SAP solution is proving to be quite challenging, mainly because of the lack of quality documentation and I believe, a somewhat limited market implementation when comparing with the classic tools. 

"4.) Therefore: in your screen we can see a "ok" for the supplier check. for the "material/CCI/supplier combination) there is no issued and you can go on with the process (PS: in a different thread i have asked: "Who is the supplier". Never received an answer. The Supplier can be the "good supplier", "the supplier".." .

I'm not sure if it was in one of my threads, if that's the case, I'm really sorry for not responding in a timely manner. Let's say that, in general, for this customer, almost all the suppliers can be "graded" as "good", but I'll to get to that pretty soon 🙂.

This customer, who is a medium size conglomerate of chemical companies mainly operating as traders,  but with some degree of production (mainly repackaging and formulations, but one of the companies does have transformation processes) never did implement the classic solution(s) and bought both EHS and PC (I implemented IM and have almost everything ready to go forth with the rest of workplace safety modules, but I digress), and of course it wants them up and running. 

Now, about SVT... This customer has been operating mainly within EU and GB space, but it is expanding its markets. I know regulations regarding dangerous substances are not exactly uniform between countries (or even regions, for that matter), and that this solution does not yet cover all the necessary business processes, especially when considering buying and selling within your own country - as far as I understand (at this point, anyhow). But I think I can consider a sale to Spain or Poland, for example, as an export. I'm not quite sure yet on how to make it work (I've been following BP's as a guide), but I hope that with some help from this community I can succeed (and in my turn help others).

Again, thank you for your time and consideration.

[christoph_bergemann]

Hello Paulo

for the supplier part: this the thread/question: https://community.sap.com/t5/enterprise-resource-planning-q-a/product-compliance-who-is-the-quot-sup...

Coming to this part:

Now, about SVT... This customer has been operating mainly within EU and GB space, but it is expanding its markets. I know regulations regarding dangerous substances are not exactly uniform between countries (or even regions, for that matter), and that this solution does not yet cover all the necessary business processes, especially when considering buying and selling within your own country - as far as I understand (at this point, anyhow). But I think I can consider a sale to Spain or Poland, for example, as an export. I'm not quite sure yet on how to make it work (I've been following BP's as a guide), but I hope that with some help from this community I can succeed (and in my turn help others).

Still assuming that we talk about "Product Compliance" and "SVT".. this is the complexity to look at:

What is the "source country" (of material)... e.g. "GB"

What is the destination country? E.g. Spain or Poland

This would be a "REACH, EU" case. For the other direction: it would be a "REACH, UK" case

SAP is on track to create a new SVT solution in Product Compliance for the many regulations out there to consider. So we know: we will get a solution. Regarding the "date" to get the solution: Please check "Roadmap" of Product Compliance. KEEP IN MIND: Cloud solution comes FIRST !

For On Premise: we have now to wait 1 1/2 year (rougly november 2025) to get the new "Product Compliance" version

Hope this helps

C.B.