Lesson 3 of 6
Spare parts and external services
9 min
Listen to this lesson
Most repairs need parts, and some need outside help. SAP handles both through the order's components and operations, and both reach far outside maintenance: stock parts touch inventory, and non-stock parts and services touch purchasing, receiving and accounts payable.
Stock parts: reservation and goods issue
The bearing and the drive belt are stock items in storage location 171S, Detroit's spare parts store. When Rosa adds them to operation 0010, SAP creates a reservation. SAP's training notes that the reservation is created when the material is assigned, and that at release, at the latest, it becomes relevant: the storeroom can then pick and issue the parts. The goods issue to the order (movement type 261 in standard settings) reduces stock and posts the parts' value to the order as actual cost. The sequence is: assign component, reserve, release the order, print the pick list, issue.
Non-stock parts: the purchase requisition link
The tension sensor is a non-stock item. Adding it to the operation makes SAP create a purchase requisition, account-assigned to the order. Purchasing turns it into a purchase order; when the sensor arrives, the goods receipt posts its cost directly to the order rather than into stock; the invoice follows. The delivery address can be set on the order so the part goes to the Detroit maintenance shop, not the main receiving dock. Contoso's approval thresholds apply to these documents like any other: requisitions over $10,000 need release, purchase orders over $25,000 need approval.
| Step | Stock part (bearing) | Non-stock part (tension sensor) |
|---|---|---|
| Planned on the order | Reservation | Purchase requisition |
| Procured | Already in 171S | Purchase order to the supplier |
| Arrives at the order | Goods issue from stock | Goods receipt straight to the order |
| Cost on the order | At the time of issue | At goods receipt, adjusted by the invoice |
| Evidence | Material document with the order as account assignment | Requisition, PO and receipt linked to the order |
External services
Some work is done by contractors. An operation with an external control key creates a requisition for the work itself. SAP describes two modes: compatibility mode, with external processing (PM02, receipt by goods receipt) and external services (PM03, receipt by service entry), and an enhanced procurement mode for lean services, available in the web apps. Contoso uses Riverbend Facility Services for vibration analysis on line 1, planned as an external operation; Riverbend's work is confirmed through a service entry and invoiced against the PO. The program must decide which mode each order type uses before testing starts, because the evidence differs.
- External operationOperation 0030 vibration analysis, control key for external service
- RequisitionCreated from the order; routed to purchasing
- Purchase orderTo Riverbend Facility Services; approved if over $25,000
- Service entryWork performed is recorded and approved
- InvoiceMatched to the PO and service entry; cost on the order
In testing, the storeroom's view matters as much as the planner's. Contoso's storeroom key user checks that maintenance reservations appear in the pick list for storage location 171S with the order number, the requirement date and the recipient. She also checks what happens when a technician needs one more bearing than planned: an unplanned issue to the order is allowed, but it should be the exception, and SAP's analytics distinguish planned withdrawals (with a reservation) from unplanned ones.
The postings behind spare parts
| Event | Movement or document | Account assignment | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock part issued to the order | Goods issue, movement type 261 | Order 4001250 | Material document lists the order; stock in 171S reduced |
| Issue reversed (wrong part) | Movement type 262 | Order 4001250 | Order cost reduced by the same value |
| Unused part returned to the store | Return to stock against the order (262) | Order 4001250 | Reservation and stock updated |
| Non-stock sensor received | Goods receipt 101 against the PO | Account assignment category F (order) | Cost lands on the order, not in stock |
| Riverbend service accepted | Service entry sheet against the PO | Order operation 0030 | Acceptance recorded before invoice |
Spare parts and service postings, and the evidence each leaves (standard movement types; check your configuration).
- Stock components create reservations; at release, at the latest, they can be issued to the order.
- Non-stock components create purchase requisitions account-assigned to the order; the receipt posts cost to the order.
- External work runs through requisition, PO, goods receipt or service entry, and invoice.
- Approval thresholds and availability checks apply to maintenance purchases too.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. A non-stock spare part on a maintenance order typically creates what?
2. When does a stock reservation on a maintenance order become relevant for withdrawal at the latest?
3. Where does the cost of a non-stock part go when it is received?
4. Riverbend's vibration analysis is an external service operation. How is the work received?