Message Entering Text, Printing and Transmitting Documents MM

Definition

In MM Purchasing, the term "message" is used within the context of communication between a buying entity and its vendors. A message is a document in output format, allowing transmission of the information contained therein to vendors via various media (printer, e-mail, EDI, or fax, for example). (This type of message should not be confused with error, warning, or informatory messages issued by the SAP system in response to user activities, which are properly termed "system messages".)

Printout of a purchase order or RFQ, or either document as a fax or in EDI format.

Use

Each time you create an RFQ, a PO, a contract, a scheduling agreement, a scheduling agreement release, or a standard delivery schedule issued under a scheduling agreement, the system creates a message for the relevant document. This message is placed in the message queue. The message queue contains all the messages that have not yet been transmitted to the vendor.

Messages for reminders or expediters (including acknowledgment expediters) are created manually.

The following options are available for outputting messages (e.g. as printout or fax, or via EDI) from the message queue:

• Immediate output
  The system outputs the message from the queue directly the document is saved.
• Later output
  You can either schedule a background job (RSNAST00), which processes the message queue at predefined intervals, or initiate outputting directly via the Purchasing menu. As a rule, you will use the background job to output messages and only use the manual output facility in exceptional cases (e.g. rush orders).

You can also optically archive purchasing documents at the time of output. For more information on this topic, refer to the documentation BC Storing Outgoing Purchasing Documents (MM-PUR).

Structure

A message contains information such as the following:

· Transmission medium (e.g. printer, EDI, or telematic services (fax, telex, or teletex)).

· Transmission time-spot

You can define one of the following times for outputting from the message queue:

Time-spot	Meaning
1	Output next time program RSNAST00 is run.
2	Output next time program RSNAST00 is run. You can enter a date and time.
3	Manual output via the Purchasing menu Messages ® Print/transmit.
4	Immediate output upon saving the document.

· Number of the purchasing document to which the message relates.

· Processing status (not yet processed, successfully or unsuccessfully processed).

· Partner to whom the message is to be sent.

· User who created the message.

See also:

CA Message Control