In the Supplier Managed Inventory (SMI) process within SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration, releasing a schedule line converts a forecast or planned requirement into a firm commitment for the supplier. This action directly updates the "Firmed Order" key figure on the SMI detail screen. This key figure represents the quantity of items that the buyer has formally committed to purchasing but which have not yet been shipped by the supplier. It serves as a clear signal to the supplier to prepare for fulfillment.

A. In-transit: This key figure is updated only after the supplier has shipped the goods and submitted an Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN), not when the order is initially released.

B. ASN Received: This is updated upon the buyer's system receiving the ASN from the supplier, which occurs post-shipment and is a subsequent step to the order release.

D. Goods Received: This key figure is updated at the final stage of the process, when the buyer physically receives the items and posts a goods receipt confirmation.

1. SAP Ariba Documentation: Product-based forecasting and inventory collaboration guide. In the section "Supplier managed inventory

" the process flow and key figures are detailed. It specifies that "Firmed Order" represents the quantity the buyer has committed to ordering

which corresponds to a released schedule line. The "In Transit" quantity is explicitly linked to the creation of an ASN by the supplier. (Accessed via SAP Help Portal for SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration).

2. SAP Learning Hub Courseware: CARSCC2404 - SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration. Unit on "Inventory Collaboration

" Lesson on "Supplier Managed Inventory." The learning material explains that the SMI dashboard tracks various inventory statuses. The "Firmed Order" metric is defined as the quantity confirmed by the buyer via mechanisms like scheduling agreement releases

while "In-transit" is populated by ASN data.

In the Individual Data Planning detail screen used for Supplier-Managed Inventory, only the planning figures that the supplier must actively propose can be edited. SAP Ariba SCC designates “Net Requirements Quantity” (the supplier’s calculated replenishment need per bucket) and “Planned Shipment Quantity” (the supplier’s intended shipment per bucket) as input-ready fields. Quantities that are calculated by the system (for example, In-Transit) or supplied by the buyer (Gross Demand) are display-only and therefore cannot be entered or changed by the seller.

B. In transit quantity – auto-populated from open ASNs; field is read-only for suppliers.

C. Gross demand – originates from buyer’s forecast/MRP; suppliers have view-only access and cannot edit.

1. SAP Help Portal – “SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration for Buyers

Supplier Managed Inventory Guide” (release 2402)

Section 4.3 “Individual Data Planning”

Table “Editable Columns” (pp. 37-38).

2. SAP Help Portal – “Supplier Guide for Supply Chain Collaboration” (release 2402)

Chap. 5 “Working with SMI”

subsection “Entering Net Requirement and Planned Shipment Quantities” (p. 22).

3. SAP Press

M. Zeller: “Implementing SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration” (2023)

Chap. 9.2 “Supplier Planning Screens”

pp. 266-267.

The cited sections specify that Net Requirements Qty and Planned Shipment Qty are input-enabled

while Gross Demand and In-Transit quantities are system-generated and non-editable.

In a vendor consignment process, the supplier (vendor) retains ownership of the materials even after they are delivered to the buyer's premises. The transfer of ownership, and the corresponding financial liability for the buyer, occurs only when the materials are withdrawn from the special consignment stock. This withdrawal is recorded in the SAP system in two primary ways: by directly consuming the stock (e.g., issuing it to a production order or cost center) or by explicitly transferring the stock from the vendor-owned consignment category to the company's own valuated stock.

A. Invoice from the customer is received by supplier.

This is incorrect. Invoicing is a result of the ownership transfer, not the trigger. The supplier invoices the customer after the goods have been consumed.

B. Goods receipt for consignment stock is posted.

This is incorrect. Posting a goods receipt for consignment stock only acknowledges the physical receipt of materials; they are placed in non-valuated, vendor-owned stock.

1. SAP S/4HANA Documentation - SAP Help Portal

"Consignment":

"The vendor makes material available at your site. The material is still owned by the vendor. The material only becomes the property of your company when you withdraw it from consignment stock. A withdrawal can be a goods issue to a cost center or a transfer posting to your company's own stock." This statement directly supports that both consumption (C) and transfer posting (D) change ownership.

2. SAP S/4HANA Documentation - SAP Help Portal

"Goods Receipt for Consignment Stock":

"When you post the goods receipt

the consignment stock of the material increases. The material is managed as part of your inventory but remains the property of the vendor. Since the material still belongs to the vendor

the goods receipt is not valuated." This confirms that the initial goods receipt (B) does not transfer ownership.

3. SAP Learning Hub

Course S4500 (Sourcing and Procurement in SAP S/4HANA)

Unit: Special Procurement Processes:

The course material outlines the consignment process flow

explicitly stating that liability and ownership transfer occur upon "Goods Issue from Consignment Stock" or "Transfer Posting from Consignment to Own Stock." The settlement process (related to invoicing

A) is a subsequent step performed periodically (e.g.

using transaction MRKO) based on these consumption postings.

In an SAP ERP system, a purchase order line item is identified as a return primarily by the "Returns Item" flag being set in the item details. This is the most direct and standard system indicator (field EKPO-RETPO). Activating this flag informs the system to process subsequent goods movements as a return to the vendor (e.g., using movement type 161) and to expect a credit memo.

Additionally, a specific confirmation control key is often used to manage the logistics of the returns process. While the key itself does not have a "returns" setting, a key can be configured and assigned to monitor the return shipment or track the subsequent replacement delivery from the vendor, thus serving as a process-level indicator.

C. The Negative Net amount is shown at the line item detail level.

The net price on a returns PO item represents the expected credit and is entered as a positive value. The negative financial posting occurs during invoice verification (credit memo).

D. The Confirmation Control is required at the line item detail level.

While useful for managing returns logistics, assigning a confirmation control key is not a mandatory system requirement for every returns purchase order item.

1. SAP Help Portal

SAP S/4HANA

Creating a Returns Purchase Order Item: "On the item detail screen

set the Returns Item indicator. The system can then

at the time of goods receipt

post the items back into stock." This documentation directly supports that the "Returns Item" flag (Answer B) is the primary indicator.

2. SAP Help Portal

SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Supplier Returns (BKP)

Key Process Steps: "Create returns purchase order... In the returns purchase order

you can use a confirmation control key to monitor the return process." This source confirms that a confirmation control key is a tool used within the returns process (supporting Answer A).

3. SAP Help Portal

SAP S/4HANA

Advanced Returns Management for Supplier Returns: "The system uses the confirmation control key that you enter in the returns purchase order item to determine whether it must create an inbound delivery as the warehouse request." This further validates the role of the confirmation control key (Answer A) in managing the logistics associated with a return.

When a supplier receives a purchase order through the SAP Business Network, they create an Order Confirmation to communicate their fulfillment intentions to the buyer. The system provides three primary actions: the supplier can Confirm Entire Order if they can fulfill it as requested, Reject Entire Order if they cannot fulfill it at all, or Update Line Items to propose changes to details like quantities, delivery dates, or prices. These options facilitate clear and efficient collaboration between the buyer and supplier before the fulfillment process begins.

A. Deliver Line Item: This action is associated with creating a Ship Notice (Advanced Shipping Notice - ASN) to inform the buyer that goods have been dispatched, which is a separate process that occurs after order confirmation.

E. Approve Entire Order: "Approve" is a term for a buyer-side action, such as approving a purchase requisition or an invoice. A supplier's corresponding action for a purchase order is to "confirm" or "reject".

1. SAP Business Network for Suppliers Documentation

"Creating and managing order confirmations": "When you receive a new purchase order from a customer

you can create an order confirmation to let them know whether you will be fulfilling the order. You can confirm the entire order

update line items (for example

if you need to backorder items)

or reject the entire order." (Accessed via SAP Help Portal for SAP Business Network).

2. SAP Ariba Sourcing and Procurement Learning Material (relevant to CARSCC2404 curriculum): The module on "Purchase Order Collaboration" in the S4C80 - SAP Ariba Cloud Integration and Extensibility courseware details the supplier's workflow. It explicitly shows the user interface options for suppliers to confirm

reject

or propose line-item level changes (backorders

quantity/price updates) on an order confirmation. This aligns with the options to Confirm

Reject

and Update.