Release Distribution Order

Explanation

When a distribution order is released, a customer order line is created on the supply site and a purchase order line is created on the demand site. When you release distribution orders, you have four options:

• Automatically merge lines to the first available customer order and purchase order.
• Manually merge lines to a selected customer order and purchase order.
• Create a new customer order and purchase order for each distribution order.
• Merge the distribution orders into new customer orders and purchase orders created by the release process.

The orders that can be merged must be in the Released or Reserved status, and the values in the distribution order must match the demand site, supply site, order type, delivery address, forwarding agent, language code, ship via, delivery terms, route, automatic receipt and currency. If an appropriate customer order and purchase order does not exist, new customer orders and purchase orders will be automatically created. You can add lines to a selected customer order and purchase order where all the currently released distribution orders have the same values for the demand site, supply site, order type, delivery address, forwarding agent, language code, ship via, delivery terms, route, automatic receipt and currency.

The customer order and purchase order are created in a background process to enable the use of the same reservation, shipment, and receipt processes for the distribution orders as for the customer orders and purchase orders respectively. The reservation, shipment, and receipt processes can be reached from the distribution order. Executing the processes are done in the same way, no matter what kind of order is executed. Note: the internal customer order lines are created with a supply code set to Inventory Order. The supply code will be set to Inventory Order regardless of how the sourcing option is set on the sales part.

By releasing a planned distribution order, the move is no longer planned but definite. At what point a distribution order should be released is an important decision that affects the flexibility in planning distribution orders. Usually, the coordinator is responsible that this becomes a balanced decision. Re-planning is easier for planned distribution orders, because they can be manually or automatically deleted. Released distribution orders cannot be deleted (manual change or cancellation is possible). The supply site (having a certain part lead-time) needs to have the distribution order released at some point or another. How long before the due date the distribution order should be released (i.e. the move becomes definite) depends on the planning environment to which the sites belong.

Depending on the order type and the automatic receipt parameter, the distribution order will be executed more or less automatically. The order type controls how the distribution order will be handled on the supply site, in the reservation, picking, and delivery process. The automatic receipt parameter controls whether the receipt will be done manually on the demand site. If the Automatic Receipt feature is used, the distribution order will be received into the proposed location instantly when the distribution order is delivered from the supply site. By using as much automation as possible, the release operation can get distribution orders delivered from the supply site, and received into stock on the demand site (i.e. Closed status) with only one user operation.

Prerequisites

• Planned distribution order must have been created.
• An internal supplier must be connected to the supply site.

System Effects

• Distribution orders are released with a released customer order line and purchase order line connected to it.
• Distribution orders cannot be deleted.
• Released distribution orders can be reserved or canceled.

Window

Distribution Order 
Distribution Orders
Distribution Allocation
Distribution Allocations

Related Window Descriptions

Distribution Order
Distribution Orders
Distribution Allocation
Distribution Allocations

Procedure

1. In the Distribution Order window or in the Distribution Orders window, display the orders you want to activate by querying for the orders.
2. Right-click and then click Release; the Distribution Order Release dialog box opens.
3. Depending on the conditions, you can choose from the following four options:

• Auto Select and Merge: Automatically merges the distribution orders with the first available customer order and purchase order. If appropriate customer orders and purchase orders do not exist, new ones will be created.
• Create New and Merge: Create new customer orders and purchase orders for the distribution orders to which they are merged. As much as possible, few customer orders and purchase orders are created considering the conditions given on the released distribution orders.
• Merge to CO and PO No: If the distribution orders have the same demand site, supply site, order type, delivery address, forwarding agent, language code, ship via, delivery terms, route, automatic receipt, currency, and also a proper customer order and purchase order exist, they will be possible to merge to the same customer order and purchase order. Select the customer order and purchase order to which you want to add the distribution orders. In the CO No and PO No field, the number of the selected customer order and purchase order will be displayed. Click Merge to CO and PO No.
• Create New: Create a new customer order and purchase order for each released distribution order.

Release distribution order via distribution allocation:

1. Open the Distribution Allocation or the Distribution Allocations window.
2. Select the allocation whose distribution orders you want to release.
3. Right-click and then click Release Planned Distribution Orders.