In SAP S/4HANA Sourcing and Procurement, a source of supply is a master data object that defines where a material or service can be procured. The system uses these sources during the source determination process to automatically populate purchasing documents. A Contract is a type of outline agreement, a long-term arrangement with a vendor that serves as a primary source of supply. A Purchase Info Record contains specific information linking a material to a vendor, including pricing conditions and delivery data, making it another key source of supply.

A. Purchase requisition: This is an internal document that initiates the procurement process by stating a requirement; it is a demand signal, not a source of supply.

C. Request for quotation: This is a formal request sent to vendors to solicit bids. It is a tool used to establish a source of supply, but it is not the source itself.

1. SAP S/4HANA Documentation - SAP Help Portal: "Sources of Supply". This document outlines the primary sources of supply available in the system. It explicitly lists "Purchasing info records" and "Contracts" as key sources. It states

"The system uses information from master data records

such as purchasing info records and contracts

to determine the appropriate source of supply for a material." (Accessed for SAP S/4HANA 2023).

2. SAP S/4HANA Documentation - SAP Help Portal: "Purchasing Info Record". This official documentation defines the purchasing info record as a core source of information for procurement

linking materials and suppliers. It details how the info record provides default data for purchase orders. (Accessed for SAP S/4HANA 2023).

3. SAP Learning Hub Course S4500 (Business Processes in SAP S/4HANA Sourcing and Procurement): Unit 3: Sources of Supply & Source Determination

Lesson 1: Describing Sources of Supply. This lesson clearly identifies purchasing info records and outline agreements (which include contracts) as the main sources of supply. It contrasts these with purchase requisitions

which are described as requirement documents.