SD / O2Cintermediate

SD Copy Control Part 2: Configuring Header, Item and Schedule Line Controls

Key takeaway

The fields that matter in copy control: header data transfer and complete reference, item-level copying requirement, positive/negative quantity update, copy quantity, pricing type (A, B, C, D, G), update document flow, and in billing copy control billing quantity, price source and cost handling.

Explanation

📌 KEY POINTS
✅ Pricing type decides what happens to prices: B = new pricing, C = copy manual conditions and redetermine others, D = copy unchanged, G = copy unchanged but redetermine taxes, A = copy with scale/price redetermination.
✅ Pos./neg. quantity (+, −, blank) decides how the target updates the referenced quantity in the source (e.g. orders reduce the open quantity of a quotation or contract).
✅ Update document flow controls whether VBFA links are written.
✅ In VTFL, billing quantity (e.g. delivery quantity less already billed) and price source decide what is invoiced and at which price.
⚠️ A wrong pricing type is the most common cause of "prices changed between quotation and order" and "invoice price differs from order".

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▶ WHERE WE ARE
Part 1 explained the flows. Now the fields you configure.

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▶ 1. HEADER LEVEL

Copying requirement (e.g. 001 header, same sold-to).
Data transfer: header (VBAK), business data (VBKD), partners.
Copy item number, complete reference (all items must be copied), determine business data.

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▶ 2. ITEM LEVEL (SALES)

Copying requirement (e.g. 301/303 item conditions).
Data transfer: item (VBAP), business data, partners, conditions.
Pos./neg. quantity, copy quantity (order qty or confirmed qty), pricing type, update document flow, reference configuration.

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▶ 3. SCHEDULE LINE LEVEL

Copying requirement and data transfer for schedule lines (e.g. contract → order).

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▶ 4. DELIVERY AND BILLING

VTLA: order requirements (e.g. 001), item requirement (e.g. 101 item), data transfer to LIPS.
VTFL item: copying requirement 004 (delivery-related item), billing quantity, pricing type, price source, cumulate cost.
VTFA: order-related billing requirements (e.g. 002 order-related header, 012 item).

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▶ 5. PRICING TYPES IN PRACTICE

Quotation → order with negotiated prices: C or D.
Order → invoice where prices may change daily: B or A per business rule.
Invoice → credit memo: D (copy unchanged).

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▶ STEP BY STEP

Decide per flow what must be copied and what redetermined.
Set pricing type and quantity fields at item level.
Set billing quantity and price source in VTFL.
Test price and quantity behavior in each step.

✅ CHECKPOINT: a quotation's manual discount survives into the order and the invoice uses the order price.

Code example

ABAP Code

===== STEP 1: VTAA QT → OR, item AGN =====Copying requirement   303  (always copy conditions) / 301 itemData transfer VBAP    151  | Business data 002 | Partners 002 | Conditions –Pos./neg. quantity    +     (reduces open quotation quantity)Copy quantity         –     (order quantity)Pricing type          C     (copy manual pricing elements, redetermine others)Update document flow  X ===== STEP 2: VTFL LF → F2, item TAN =====Copying requirement   004  (delivery-related item)Billing quantity      option for "delivery quantity less invoiced quantity" (check F4 values)Pricing type          G    (copy unchanged, redetermine taxes)Price source          orderCumulate cost         X ===== STEP 3: pricing types =====A copy price components and redetermine scales | B carry out new pricingC copy manual pricing elements, redetermine others | D copy pricing elements unchangedG copy pricing elements unchanged, redetermine taxes | H/others per release documentation

Real project scenario

Customers complained that invoices showed higher prices than the agreed quotations. Analysis: VTAA QT → OR used pricing type C correctly, but VTFL LF → F2 used B (new pricing), so price increases valid on the billing date overrode the order price. The business rule was "price at order date". The team switched VTFL to pricing type G (copy unchanged, redetermine taxes) with price source order, and documented the pricing-type decision per flow.

Common mistakes

Using pricing type B everywhere by default.
Not setting pos./neg. quantity, so contracts/quotations are never consumed.
Forgetting price source in VTFL.
Turning off document flow update to "improve performance".
Changing pricing type without informing finance and sales.

Best practices

Decide the pricing rule per flow with sales and finance and document it.
Set quantity controls deliberately for quotations and contracts.
Keep document flow updated for traceability.
Test price behavior with date changes in between.
Review copy control after pricing procedure changes.

Interview angle

Questions: "What pricing types exist and when do you use them?", "What does pos./neg. quantity do?", "Where do you control the invoice quantity?"
Strong answer: pricing types A/B/C/D/G with use cases; pos./neg. quantity updates referenced quantities; billing quantity and price source in VTFL; copying requirements and data transfer routines per level; document flow update.

Practice this lesson

Quick check

1. In VTAA item copy control, what does the "Pos./neg. quantity" field control?

2. In copy control at item level, what is the primary purpose of the 'Pricing type' field?

3. Which VTFL item-level setting mainly decides the quantity invoiced from a delivery?

Interview questions

1. A quotation is copied into a sales order, and the document flow shows correct linkage, but the order's pricing does not match what was quoted despite copy control being configured. How would you investigate this using copy control settings?

Answer it in your own words first, then compare.

2. Quotation prices negotiated manually are lost when orders are created, while invoices show prices different from the orders. Explain the causes and the configuration you would set.