Sales and Distribution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 27

Sales and Distribution - Essay Example The customer creation process also reveals how the SAP system handles the creation of unique customer IDs for new customers. The deep integration of customer data becomes evident as one goes through the process. For instance, the processing of a sales order from a customer involves linking back to a customer quotation that also includes discount data. Entering the quotation number in the system results in the quotation data populating the fields in the sales order screen. It thus becomes apparent that the entire order to cash cycle builds step to step as one proceeds through it. This gives the user an intuitive feel too for how the data is built at the back, and how the data is then re-used and made the basis for subsequent steps. It then also becomes apparent that getting the data right at every step of the process is crucial, because subsequent steps, in this case, the creation of a sales order, relies on accurate data from the quotation step in SAP that preceded it. Moreover, the process also involves integration with the inventory database and this is understood in the following step involving checking the status of the stock. This gives the user an idea of the level of integration of the data on inventories, production and other aspects of the supply chain further up and away from the perspective of processing an order. The cash to order process steps relies on the successful completion of previous steps, moreover, and the SAP system tracks successful completion. The successful delivery then is a prerequisite to the instigation of a successful billing procedure all the way to the creation of the invoice. Moreover, the integration of the data sets is evident in the way a user can track the accounting implications of an order after the creation of an invoice, and the posting of the receipt of payment.