In the SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition Sell from Stock (BD9) process, the sales order is the central document that confirms a customer's intention to buy. It is a contractual agreement between the sales organization and the customer that formalizes the purchase of specific products in agreed-upon quantities for a set price. The creation of the sales order is the trigger for all subsequent logistics and fulfillment activities, such as checking material availability, scheduling delivery, and ultimately, shipping the goods.

A. Sales quotation: This is a legally binding offer made by the seller to the customer. It does not confirm the customer's intent to buy until it is accepted and referenced in a sales order.

B. Outbound delivery: This document is created after the sales order to manage the shipping and goods issue process. It is a fulfillment step, not the initial confirmation of purchase intent.

C. Sales inquiry: This is a customer's non-binding request for information about products and pricing. It carries no obligation to purchase and precedes a quotation or order.

1. SAP Best Practices Explorer: Scope Item "Sell from Stock (BD9)" for SAP S/4HANA Cloud. The official process flow diagram shows that "Create Sales Order" is the step that represents the customer's firm request and initiates the fulfillment process. The description states

"The process starts with the creation of a customer's standard sales order."

Source: SAP Best Practices Explorer

SAP S/4HANA Cloud

Scope Item BD9

Process Flow section.

2. SAP Help Portal: The documentation for Sales Order Management in SAP S/4HANA Cloud defines a sales order as the primary document for a sales transaction. "A sales order is a contractual agreement between a sales organization and a sold-to party..." This definition confirms its role as the document solidifying the customer's intention.

Source: SAP Help Portal

SAP S/4HANA Cloud

"Sales Orders".

3. SAP Learning Hub: The course S4C30 (SAP S/4HANA Cloud

public edition - Sales) explains the sales process flow. In the "Sales Document Processing" unit

it clearly distinguishes pre-sales documents (inquiry

quotation) from the sales order

which is the legally binding document that confirms the sale and triggers logistics.

Source: SAP Learning Hub

Course S4C30

Unit: "Sales Document Processing".