Lesson 4 of 6
Blocks
10 min
A block is a deliberate stop. Unlike incompletion, which says "data is missing", a block says "someone must decide before this goes further". Contoso uses blocks to hold orders pending a price check, a customer approval, a credit decision or an export check. Each block has a reason, an owner and a way to release it.
Types of block
| Block | Where set | What it stops | Contoso example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery block | Header, or an individual schedule line | Creating a delivery (and, depending on the reason's settings, picking or goods issue) | Awaiting customer confirmation of a changed delivery address |
| Billing block | Header, or an individual item | Billing the order or the delivery | Price under review by the pricing team |
| Credit block | Set automatically by the credit check | Delivery and further processing until released | Order exceeds Great Lakes Fleet Services' credit limit |
| Order rejection (not a block) | Item reason for rejection | The item is closed and will not be delivered or billed | Customer cancelled item 20 |
Delivery and billing blocks are chosen from a list of reasons that configuration defines, and each reason can behave differently. A delivery block reason might stop delivery creation but allow picking for an existing delivery, or stop everything. Testers should know what each reason in Contoso's list is supposed to stop.
Applying and removing blocks
Open the order in change mode (Manage Sales Orders or VA02). A header delivery or billing block is set in the header data; an item billing block on the item; a schedule line delivery block on the schedule line. Select a reason and save. Releasing is the reverse: remove the reason and save. Some projects also use list reports to release many orders at once, such as the SAP GUI list of documents blocked for billing (V23).
- SetMaria sets billing block 'price check' on item 10 because the customer disputed last month's price
- Delivery continuesThe goods ship; the delivery is created and goods issue posted as normal
- Billing heldThe item stays out of the billing due list; revenue is not invoiced
- DecisionThe pricing analyst confirms or corrects the price in the order
- ReleaseAn authorized user removes the block; the item reaches the billing due list
Who may release?
A block is only a control if the wrong people cannot release it. Contoso restricts release by reason through authorizations: inside sales can set a price check block, but only the pricing team can remove it. Credit blocks are released only by the credit controller in SAP Credit Management, never by sales. These rules belong in role design and in role testing.
- Is it a credit block from the credit check?Yes → credit controller, through credit management release · No → next question
- Is it a billing block for price or contract review?Yes → pricing team after the review · No → next question
- Is it a delivery block for customer or export clearance?Yes → the team named for that reason, after clearance · No → check the reason's owner in the block reason list
What would you do?
At month end, Dan finds 14 deliveries from last quarter that were never billed. Each has a billing block 'price check' on the order. The pricing analyst who set them has left. What should happen?
- Blocks stop a process until someone decides; incompletion stops it because data is missing.
- Delivery blocks (header or schedule line), billing blocks (header or item) and credit blocks each stop different steps.
- Block reasons are configured and can stop different functions; know what each reason stops.
- Restrict who can release each reason; credit blocks belong to the credit controller.
- Review aged blocks regularly; a forgotten billing block is lost revenue.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Which block keeps a shipped item out of the billing due list?
2. Where can a delivery block be set apart from the header?
3. Who should release an order blocked by the credit check?
4. Which SAP GUI list shows sales documents blocked for billing?