MM Purchasing

Purpose

The R/3 System consists of a number of components that are completely integrated with one another. This integration allows the various departments and units of an enterprise to share and maintain the same information.

Purchasing is a component of Materials Management (MM). The MM module is fully integrated with other modules in the SAP System. It supports all phases of materials management: materials planning and control, purchasing, goods receiving, inventory management, and invoice verification.

The Purchasing component has the following tasks:

• External procurement of materials and services

• Determination of possible sources of supply for a requirement identified by the materials planning and control system or arising directly within a user department

• Monitoring of deliveries and payments to vendors

Good communication between all participants in the procurement process is necessary for Purchasing to function smoothly.

Integration

Purchasing communicates with other modules in the SAP System to ensure a constant flow of information. For example, it works side by side with the following modules:

• Controlling (CO)

The interface to the cost accounting system (Controlling) can be seen above all in the case of purchase orders for materials intended for direct consumption and for services, since these can be directly assigned to a cost center or a production order.

• Financial Accounting (FI)

Purchasing maintains data on the vendors that are defined in the system jointly with Financial Accounting. Information on each vendor is stored in a vendor master record, which contains both accounting and procurement information. The vendor master record represents the creditor account in financial accounting.

Through PO account assignment, Purchasing can also specify which G/L accounts are to be charged in the financial accounting system.

• Sales and Distribution (SD)

Within the framework of materials planning and control, a requirement that has arisen in the Sales area can be passed on to Purchasing. In addition, when a requisition is created, it can be directly assigned to a sales order.

See also:

Procurement in Materials Management

Organization of an Enterprise in the SAP System

Purchasing Menu

Purchasing Document