Lesson 4 of 6
Exceptions and blocks
8 min
Listen to this lesson
The happy path posts itself. Accounts payable earns its keep on the exceptions: invoices that do not match the purchase order or the goods receipt, that reference nothing, or that SAP cannot post at all. With EDI, exceptions show up in two different places, and Ana needs to know both.
| Exception | Where it shows up | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| No tax code, no company code, unknown PO | IDoc status 51; no invoice document | Integration team with AP; fix setup or ask the supplier |
| Price or quantity variance beyond tolerance | Invoice document exists, blocked for payment or saved for background verification | Ana releases or contacts the buyer |
| PO item blocked | IDoc status 51 (EDI cannot post to blocked items) | Buyer unblocks or AP asks for a credit |
| Duplicate invoice number | Duplicate invoice check message; IDoc status 51 if set to error | Ana confirms and closes the IDoc |
Variances: posted and blocked, or parked for review
When an EDI invoice contains variances, SAP's documentation says the invoice document is saved for background verification rather than posted outright, and the program parameters for the partner decide how strictly variances are treated. Variances that exceed the tolerance limits in company code 1710 (tolerance keys such as price and quantity variance) lead to a blocked invoice: it posts, so liabilities are complete in the ledger, but carries a payment block until someone releases it. Released invoices flow into the payment run; the release is done with MRBR (release blocked invoices) or the corresponding app.
Invoices that cannot post
An IDoc in status 51 has created no accounting document, so the liability is not in the ledger. That matters at month-end: Dan, the finance process owner, wants the 51 queue for inbound invoices empty or explained before closing. Typical causes and fixes:
| Long text points to | Typical cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Tax code not determined | Missing entry in EDI tax code assignment for the partner's rate or code | Add the conversion in CMD, transport, reprocess |
| Company code not determined | Supplier sent a new recipient identifier, or the assignment is missing | Agree the identifier, maintain the assignment, reprocess |
| PO or item not found | Supplier invoiced without Contoso's PO reference or with a wrong item | Ask the supplier for a corrected invoice; close the IDoc |
| No goods receipt for GR-based IV | Invoice arrived before the receipt was posted | Post the receipt if the goods are there, then reprocess |
| PO item blocked | Buyer blocked the item | Buyer decides; reprocess or ask the supplier for a credit |
Status 51 causes for inbound supplier invoices.
Invoice reduction and corrections
In manual entry, an AP clerk can reduce an invoice in MIRO when the supplier charged more than was ordered or received, which posts the accepted amount and creates a credit for the difference. With EDI, Contoso prefers a cleaner audit trail: the supplier's electronic invoice stays as sent, the variance blocks it, and Lakeside sends an electronic credit memo. Invoice reduction stays available for the cases where a supplier cannot or will not issue a credit, and those are documented individually.
- Is there an invoice document?No → it is an IDoc 51: read the long text and route to the owner · Yes → next question
- Is the variance confirmed by the buyer as correct?Yes → release the block in MRBR · No → next question
- Will the supplier send an EDI credit memo?Yes → wait for it, then release · No → invoice reduction in MIRO, documented
What would you do?
Ana finds a Lakeside INVOIC IDoc in status 51: the invoice references PO 4500002288 item 10, but the goods receipt has not been posted. Marcus confirms the rotors arrived at the dock yesterday, but no goods receipt was posted. What should happen?
- Variances within tolerance post; beyond tolerance the invoice posts with a payment block or is saved for background verification.
- IDocs in 51 have no accounting document; empty or explain the 51 queue before month-end close.
- Release blocked invoices with MRBR once the buyer confirms the price or a credit memo arrives.
- Prefer supplier credit memos by EDI over invoice reduction for a clean audit trail.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. An EDI invoice exceeds the price tolerance. What is the usual outcome?
2. Why does Dan want the inbound invoice 51 queue empty or explained at month-end?
3. Which transaction releases supplier invoices blocked for variances?