MM / P2Padvanced

MM Purchase Requisition Part 5: Converting PRs to POs and Troubleshooting Exceptions

Key takeaway

Turn requisitions into orders: manual conversion (ME21N with reference, ME57), automatic conversion (ME59N) prerequisites, Fiori apps for buyers, grouping of PRs into POs, and why conversion fails — no source, not released, blocked supplier, missing data, deletion flags.

Explanation

📌 KEY POINTS
✅ Manual: ME21N with PR reference or ME57 (assign sources and process).
✅ Automatic: ME59N creates POs for released, sourced PRs when the material and supplier allow automatic PO.
✅ PRs are grouped into POs by supplier, purchasing org, document type and other criteria.
✅ Failures: not released, no or ambiguous source, blocked supplier, missing purchasing data, deletion or closed flags.
⚠️ Running ME59N without monitoring leaves skipped PRs unnoticed.

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▶ WHERE WE ARE
Part 4 covered approval. Now conversion.

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▶ 1. MANUAL CONVERSION

ME21N document overview: requisitions as template.
ME57 assign and process.

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▶ 2. AUTOMATIC CONVERSION

ME59N selection; prerequisites: released, source assigned, auto PO indicators (material purchasing view, supplier purchasing data).

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▶ 3. GROUPING

One PO per supplier/purchasing org/document type (options per run).

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▶ 4. FIORI

Manage Purchase Requisitions / Process Purchase Requisitions (names per release).

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▶ 5. EXCEPTIONS

Logs from ME59N; skipped PRs; fix and rerun.

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▶ STEP BY STEP

Set automatic PO flags on material and supplier.
Run ME59N; review log.
Fix a skipped PR and rerun.

✅ CHECKPOINT: no released, sourced PR older than the agreed SLA remains unconverted.

Code example

ABAP Code

===== STEP 1: prerequisites =====Material purchasing view: automatic PO X | supplier purchasing org data: automatic PO XPR released, source assigned (info record/contract) ===== STEP 2: run =====ME59N: purchasing group, supplier, plant → PO per supplier | log of created/skipped ===== STEP 3: exceptions =====Not released | no source / several sources | supplier blocked | missing price/conditions | PR deleted/closed

Real project scenario

A mass conversion job skipped 600 requisitions nightly. The log showed missing automatic PO flags on newly created suppliers and expired info record conditions. Adding the flags to the supplier onboarding template and refreshing conditions brought skipped PRs close to zero, with a daily exception report.

Common mistakes

No review of ME59N logs.
Missing auto PO flags.
Expired conditions.
Converting unreleased PRs manually.
Duplicate POs from PRs.

Best practices

Monitor conversion logs.
Maintain auto PO flags.
Keep conditions current.
Report aging PRs.
Use consistent grouping.

Interview angle

Questions: "How do you convert PRs to POs?", "What are prerequisites for ME59N?", "Why is a PR skipped?"
Strong answer: ME21N/ME57 manual, ME59N automatic with flags/release/source, grouping, Fiori apps, exception causes and monitoring.

Practice this lesson

Quick check

1. A nightly ME59N job skips hundreds of PRs. What is the first step?

2. Which prerequisites must be met for ME59N to convert a PR automatically?

3. Users cannot convert PRs to POs. Which status should be checked first?

Interview questions

1. A user receives SAP message M7 021. How would you diagnose the root cause and resolve it safely?

Answer it in your own words first, then compare.

2. How would you use and troubleshoot MB_DOCUMENT_BADI in a real SAP project?

Answer it in your own words first, then compare.

Practice more with Interview AI →

Reference-verified: the steps are checked against official SAP documentation and tutorials, and object and field names in the sample code are checked for consistency. The code has not been compiled or run on an SAP system by ERPClimb. Syntax marked release-dependent varies by SAP release, so check it in your own system.