Subcontracting Process in SAP

You require the subcontracting process in SAP when a company outsources parts of

its manufacturing to subcontractors.

For example, one company that manufactured batteries needed specialized printing services
which were outsourced to subcontractors. Plastic boxes were provided to subcontractors and they
did required printing on these boxes. Later, the subcontractors returned the boxes back to the
client. The subcontractors charged the company for their services rendered per box.

Another example of the subcontracting process in SAP is when a company provided raw sims and
packaging materials to a subcontractor. The subcontractor converted the raw sims into finished
sims well packed and returned finished product back to the company. They charged the company
for their services rendered.

Steps of Subcontracting Process in SAP

Let’s start with discussing the steps that are involved in the subcontracting process in SAP. They
are summarized below:

 You order the end product using a subcontract order. The components that the vendor needs to
manufacture the end product are specified in the subcontract order.
 The components are posted to the stock of materials provided to the vendor. The components are then
supplied to the vendor.
 The vendor performs its service and delivers the ordered material (the end product). The consumption of
the components is posted.
 If, after the goods receipt has been posted, the vendor informs you that a larger or smaller quantity of
the components was actually consumed than planned in the purchase order, you must make an
adjustment.
 The vendor charges for his or her service. The invoice is posted.

Diagra
m of Subcontracting Process in SAP
Prerequisites

A material BOM needs to be created before any subcontracting order can be placed. The bill of
materials (BOM) is a formally structured list of the components that make up a product. The list
contains the object number of each component, together with the quantity and unit of measure.

Subcontracting Requisition

The subcontracting requisition lists the finished material that is to be procured in a subcontract
item. Against each subcontracted item the system copies the material components that are to be
provided to the vendor from the bill of material (BOM). The bill of material refers to the end product
that the vendor will deliver.

The requisition for subcontracting must contain the item category ‘L’ which is used for
subcontracting in the SAP system.

Subcontracting Purchase Order

Subcontracting materials are sent to vendors for processing finished products. A subcontracting
purchase order is placed by converting the subcontracting requisition into a purchase order. The
system will generate a purchase order number internally.

The rates quoted by the vendor for labour charges are mentioned in the purchase order line items.
If a purchase info record has been maintained, the service charges are defaulted into the
purchase order.

Provision of Components to Vendor for Processing

To receive material against the purchase order, SIM cards and packaging materials need to be
issued to the subcontractor. The materials that are provided to the subcontractor are managed as
stock provided to a vendor. The provision is a transfer posting from the unrestricted use stock to
the stock of material provided to a vendor.

The SIM cards supplier will be instructed to deliver the raw material at the subcontractor’s
premises. When the subcontractor receives the raw SIM cards at his premises, he will inform the
client and a goods receipt will be posted with reference to the purchase order increasing the
subcontractor stock in the system. If the material is already available in the client own stock, it will
be issued from the unrestricted use stock to the vendor. The SIM cards will be issued with
reference to the subcontract purchase order.

When the vendor delivers the ordered packaged SIM cards (the end product), the goods will be
received against the finished product with reference to the purchase order.

At the time of receipt, the raw materials for each order item will be determined and the system will
create a goods issue accounting entry item for each raw material. As a result, the material
document will consists of the following items:

 Goods receipt items for the packaged SIM cards (end product) supplied by the vendor.
 Goods issue items for the SIM cards (components).
The goods receipt will be valuated at the subcontract price plus the value of the SIM cards
consumed.

Subcontracting Invoice

Invoices will be entered in the system against the purchase order. The vendor will be billed only for
items delivered. At the time of invoice receipt a liability is created against the vendor. The liability
created will only be of the amount charged by the vendor for processing and does not include the
material component value.

Example of Subcontracting Process in SAP

Create a Subcontracting Purchase Order

To create a subcontracting purchase order, start the transaction ME21N or navigate to

the following path in SAP menu: Logistics→ Materials Management→ Purchasing→ Purchase
Order→ Create (ME21N).

SAP Menu Path to ME21N Transaction

In ME21N transaction, you need to select a Document Type and provide a Vendor as shown on
the below screenshot:

Create
a Subcontracting Purchase Order – Select a Document Type and Provide a Vendor

In the Item Overview screen, you need to use Item Category ‘L’ which is used for subcontracting
documents. Also, you need to provide Material, Quantity, Delivery Date, Plant, and Price.

Enter
Information about Items of Subcontracting Order

Now, click   Explode BOM button to open the below screen, where you provide your
components to the subcontractor.
 Compo
nents of Subcontracted Product

If there are any additional charges required, you input them in the Conditions tab as shown on the
screenshot below. Finally, you save the subcontracting purchase order.

Pricing
Conditions in a Subcontracting Purchase Order

Create a Transfer Posting

Use transaction MIGO to provide components to the subcontractor. In MIGO, use Transfer

Posting document type against Other, and movement type 541 as highlighted on the screenshot
below.
 Create
a Transfer Posting in MIGO Transaction

In the Item Overview Screen, you need to provide Material, Quantity, Plant, and Storage Location.
If the material is managed with batches, a batch number will be shown as well.

Item
Overview Screen of Transfer Posting

Now, click on Detail Data button.

Detail Data Button

It will open the screenshot shown below. Here in the highlighted box you provide the number of
your subcontractor.

Enter the Number

of Subcontractor

Next, click on Check button to check whether the document is OK. Finally, click on Post button to
post the document.

Check and Post Material Document

Now, when the subcontractor returned the materials after performing the work you need to enter
the received finished material back into the SAP system by using the transaction MIGO. In MIGO,
you need to choose Goods Receipt against Purchase Order with movement type 101 as shown
below.

Goods
Receipt in Transaction MIGO

Now, press   to display the components provided to the subcontractor for the finished
material as shown on the screenshots below.

Display Components Provided to the Subcontractor

Components Provided to the

Subcontractor

Next, click OK checkboxes as shown below. The first line corresponds to the goods receipt of the
final product, whereas the second two lines correspond to the issue of components which you
provided to the subcontractor earlier. The good receipt and the goods issue will be done
simultaneously by the SAP system.

Click OK Checkboxes

Finally, it is necessary to click Post button to save the document.

 Click
Post Button to Save Transfer Posting

Now, let’s display the document that we have just created. It can also be done through
via MIGO transaction. Start it and select Display against Material Document while inputting
the document number as shown below and click Enter.

Display Material Document

(Transfer Posting)

Please note the movement types used: 101 for Goods Receipt and 543 for Issue of Components.

Items
of Material Document

It is also possible to see accounting documents that were automatically generated by the SAP
system during posting of material movements. To do it, click on Doc. Info button.

Doc. Info Tab

Next, click on FI Documents button to display FI document created for goods receipt and

goods issue.

Click FI Documents Button

The system will open a window with the list of documents in accounting. Double click
on Accounting Document.

List of Documents in Accounting

Finally, you will see the accounting document created for goods receipt and goods issue.

SAP FI
Document Corresponding to Transfer Posting

Post Invoice Receipt

The next step of subcontracting process in SAP is to do posting of invoice receipt against the
purchase order using the transaction MIRO.

Start MIRO Transaction

On the start screen of MIRO choose Invoice transaction, enter Invoice Date and Purchase Order

number and click Enter on the keyboard.
 MIRO Transaction: Enter Incoming Invoice

Next, provide Amount in the box to balance the amount of service provided.

MIRO Transaction:
Enter Details and Amount

Click on Simulate button which will notify you of any errors. If none, a green light will turn on
near Balancefield and the SAP system will show you accounting document which will be created.

Click
Simulate Button
 The
Results of Simulation of Invoice Posting

Finally, click on Post button to save the invoice receipt (IR).

Post Invoice Receipt