Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Configuration ................................................................................................................................................ 2
Define incompleteness procedure ............................................................................................................ 2
Define Status Groups ............................................................................................................................ 5
Assign incompleteness procedure ............................................................................................................ 6
System Demo ................................................................................................................................................ 7
How to find fields that are incomplete in a sales order................................................................................ 9
Can I have an error message if the document is incomplete? ................................................................... 10



Introduction
Incompleteness procedure in SAP is a very popular functionality used by every SAP customer to avoid
user mistakes of not maintaining certain fields during sales order entry.
Using this functionality you can define set of fields in the sales document which can be checked for
incompleteness. Below options are available in SAP for incompleteness check.
Sales document header data
Sales document item data
Sales document schedule line data
Sales activity data
Partner data in sales documents, deliveries and sales activities
Delivery header data
Delivery item data
Now let's see how you can configure your own incompleteness procedure and check certain set of fields
for incompleteness.
Configuration
For demonstration purpose I will create a new incompleteness procedure for sales document header
fields.
Define incompleteness procedure
IMG Path:

First select which group you want to check for incompleteness. In my example it is "Sales -
Header" as I want to check fields in the sales document header

Highlight it and double click on the node,
Now you can see SAP standard delivered incompleteness procedures for sales document header

As you see above, we have different procedures for inquiry, sales order, credit memo, etc. This is
because we need to check different fields for different scenarios.
Click on button to create your own procedure or copy a standard procedure and
do the changes required
Give a ID and a name for your procedure

Now highlight your procedure and double click on the node
Add all fields which you need to check for incompleteness check. Always use the search (F4) to
find fields

Here you need to maintain the table and the field no together with the screen. By looking at the search
help (F4) in the field "Screen"; you should be able to find which screen to be used.
"Status" field is used to define how the incompleteness of each field effects to overall flow of the sales
document. Later in this document I will explain you on how to create a new status and the use of each
filed.
If you want system to issue a warning message, if user not maintained any value, then mark the filed
"Warning"
During sales order saving with incompleteness, system gives a message with all fields that are
incomplete. You can use the sequence field to define your own sequence for that message.
Once you complete adding all fields required for incompleteness check, save your configuration
Same manner you can define your own incompleteness procedures for above mentioned document
sections. (Header / Item / Schedule line, etc)
Define Status Groups
Under below IMG path, you can define how system considers incompleteness of each field for overall
document flow. For example, if pricing is missing you can say; do not allow goods issue, do not allow
billing creation, etc.
IMG Path:

These status groups are used to define blocks for each step in the sales document cycle.
Before creating a new status group, please check whether SAP standard status groups can be used or
not.

Tick in each column means, respective sales document is incomplete for that action.
For example, if you mark "Delivery" column in a status group, then if the respective field is not filled in
the sales document, it is considered as incomplete for delivery creation.
As I described in the previous step, you need to assign this status group to each field in your
incompletion procedure.
Assign incompleteness procedure
Under this IMD path you have to assign your incompleteness procedure to respective document type.
IMG Path:


Go in to the respective node. For my example I have to go in to "Assign procedures to the sales
document types"
Assign your incompletion procedure for the document type

If you mark the field "IC-dialog" then system will issue a popup message during sales document saving if
the document is incomplete.
System Demo
Now let's create a sales document with the document type "OR" and see the behavior.
I will keep the "customer purchase order number" field blank as it was in my incompleteness procedure
Let's go back to configuration and see how this field should behave.

This field is assigned to status group 01. Now let's see how status group 1 is configured.

As per above configuration, if my purchase order number field is blank, system considers it as a general
incomplete document.
When I try to save the sales order (Without customer Purchase order no field) below pop up appears.

If you press save button, then system saves the sales document with the status "Incomplete"
If you go back to the sales document / Header / Status tab, you can see the header data are incomplete.

If you press the button , then you can view all fields that are not completed but
are part of the incompletion procedure assigned to your sales document type.

By double selecting the field and clicking on button, system allows you to navigate to the
exact field. This navigation happens based on the screen you have assigned to the filed in the
incompleteness procedure.

How to find fields that are incomplete in a sales order
Let's say user has saved a sales order with the status incomplete. Using below menu option you can
always find which fields are relevant for incomplete.
Go to your sales document in the transaction VA02
Go to below menu option

You will see the same incompleteness log

User can complete the sales document using button
Can I have an error message if the document is incomplete?
As you see in the above example, still system is allowing you to save a sales order with the
incompleteness status.
Some businesses do not want users to save sales orders if they are incomplete. Therefore it is a very
common question within SAP community to issue an error message if the sales document is incomplete.
But this is not possible in SAP.
But you have an alternative solution for such a requirement. In the below IMG path, mark the tick box,
"IC-dialog" for your respective sales document type.

IMG Path:


Mark the below highlighted field

Alternatively you can do same under sales document type customizing.
IMG Path:

Go in to your sales document type and mark the field

Once you configure your sales document type in the above manner, you will not get the below
incomplete popup message anymore.

Instead of that you will always jump in to incompletion log. See below.

You will not be able to save the sales document without completing it. System will always give
the above log whenever user tries to save an incomplete sales order.

Author: Anupa Wijesinghe
E-Mail: anupaw@gmail.com / anupaw@learnsaptips.com
Website: www.learnsaptips.com
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