Contract Grouping

Implementation Considerations
Contract grouping enables you to link several contracts as lower level contracts to one master
contract so that consistency of data is guaranteed. When you link a contract to a master
contract, data is copied from the master contract into the lower level contract. Changes to the
master contract can be copied directly into the lower level contract.

Note:
The lower level contracts must be assigned to the same sales area as the master
contract.
You can only group contracts under master contracts on one level. Further
hierarchical relationships are not possible.
Prerequisites
Before you can use the contract grouping function, you must define the referencing
requirements in Customizing for Sales and Distribution. Choose Sales Sales Documents
Contracts Master Contract Define Referencing Requirements and then perform the
following activities:
Specify the reference sales document types
Here you define which sales document types can refer to which master contract types.
Define referencing procedure
In the referencing procedure you specify:
Identical fields
These fields must have exactly the same values in the master contract and the lower level
document for the reference to be valid.
Copy fields
The values in these fields are always copied from the master contract into the lower level
document.
Proposal fields
The values in these fields are copied from the master contract into the lower level
document, if the fields had the same values in both documents before the change was
made.
You then assign a referencing procedure to each sales document type which is to use the
contract grouping function.
Process Flow
First of all, you create a master contract in which you enter the data which is to apply for all
lower level contracts.

You can use the master contract type GK which is delivered with the standard SAP
System. If you require additional master contract types, define them in the
Customizing activity Define Sales Document Types.
You then create the contracts and link them to the master contract. You create the
link by entering the number of the master contract in the header of each contract.
You can search for suitable master contracts using a matchcode. Matchcode E
enables you to search by partner.

In Customizing, yoiu can control that the system informs you during contract
creation whether master contracts already exist for the customer. You can branch
from the message dialog box directly into the list of existing master contracts and
select a suitable master contract.
When you link a contract to the master contract, the system ensures the reference is valid by
checking the following:
The lower level contract document type is allowed to refer to the master contract
document type
The identical fields in the master contract and the lower level contract match
If the system determines that the reference is valid, it then copies the data in the copy and
proposal fields in the master contract into the lower level contract header on the basis of the
referencing procedure.

The system determines whether data which is copied into the lower level contract
header should also be copied into the lower level contract items using the standard
application logic. For example, changes to business header data are only copied
into the items if the header and item fields had the same value before the changes
were made.
If the system determines that the reference is not valid because the document types cannot be
linked, it issues an error message. If the identical fields do not match, the system deletes the
reference.
All contracts which refer to a master contract are listed on the overview screen of the master
contract.
Changes to the Lower Level Contract
If you change an identical field in the lower level contract, the system deletes the reference to
the master contract.
If you change a copy field in the lower level contract, the system overwrites the new value with
the value in the master contract.
You can change proposal fields as required.
Changes to the Master Contract
In Customizing for Sales and Distribution, under the Define Sales Document Types activity, you
control whether the system copies changes in the master contract into all the dependent lower
level contracts automatically.
If the update function is activated, a workflow scenario is initiated when the master
contract is changed. The system accesses each dependent lower level contract and
determines on the basis of the referencing procedure whether changes should be copied.
If the update function is not activated, the workflow scenario is initiated when you call a
lower level contract for processing. In this case, the system only updates the contract
which you call for processing.
In both cases, the system proceeds as follows:
If you change an identical or copy field, the system copies the change automatically
into the lower level contract.
If you change a proposal field, the system only copies the change into the lower level
contract if the fields in both contracts had the same value before the master contract was
changed.

You can configure the referencing procedure so that the system issues a message
in the lower level contract informing you of the changes which it will copy into the
lower level contract from the master contract.
When errors occur, the user who changes the master contract receives a work item. When he or
she carries out the work item, two sessions are opened. One session contains a list of all the
changed data and a description of the errors. The lower level contract to be changed is
displayed in change mode in the second session. When the lower level contract is blocked by
another user, the system makes several attempts to access the contract. The work item is not
initiated until the document is accessed.
See also:
Creating Master Contracts
Linking a Contract to a Master Contract