The Inquiry/Rework feature in purchase order, provides approvers with an option to send back the purchase orders to purchaser (purchase order creator) for rework. Purchasers can then make the required changes in the purchase order and resubmit the purchase order for approval (order after edit or resubmit from inbox without editing PO).

This blog post briefly outlines the various configurations and steps involved in the inquiry/ rework process of a purchase order.

Let us now see an example of how this feature works for the scenario Release of Purchase Order:

Inquiry workflow feature is available with the business function Activate Inquiry Workflow for Purchase Order.
The business function can be switched ON using the configuration step Activate Inquiry Workflow for Purchase Order (SSCUI ID: 105959), and is an irreversible switch. Once switched on, it cannot be turned off.

Configurations in the app Manage Workflows for Purchase Orders:

While defining a workflow step, choose the step type as ‘Release of Reworkable Purchase Order’.

This step type provides the option ‘Request Rework’ to the approver for inquiry.

In the section Exception Handling,

For Rework Requested Exception select the required action as Rework Purchase Order and choose an Action Result.

Note:

You must choose the required action for the exceptions as follows:

Rework Requested – choose the required action as Rework Purchase Order.

Rejected – choose the required action as Do Nothing.

While configuring the step, choose the Role as Determined automatically. As the recipients in this case are the purchaser (creator(s) of the purchase order) who need to perform the rework, the recipients are determined internally.

Note:

Selection of any other combination will lead to an error and activation of the workflow will not be possible.

Now when a purchase order subjected to flexible workflow picks up a workflow which is configured for rework. The approver of the purchase order will have an additional decision option “Request Rework” for the work item in the My Inbox app.

In case the approver wants the purchaser to make some changes to the purchase order, this option can be used to send back the purchase order to the purchaser for corrections.

It is mandatory for the approver to provide comments while performing this action.

The purchaser will receive a rework work item in the My Inbox app. Either the purchaser can directly navigate to the Manage Purchase Orders app from the My Inbox using the smart link or use the Manage Purchase Orders app from the Fiori launchpad.

In the Manage Purchase Orders, in the list page, purchaser views a Rework Required indicator for the purchase orders for which rework is requested.

Once the purchaser navigates into the purchase order, they can see a new section called Rework which displays the comments provided by the approver.

Note:
These two fields are with character limit 1666 char. But the complete comments can be seen in the Approval Details section.

Purchaser can view the workflow related details in the Approval Details section.

In the below image,

Workflow Step 4 indicates the rework work item for the purchaser to act on.

Workflow Step 5 indicates that once the rework is completed, step-3 will be repeated as exception handling is configured as ‘Repeat’.

The purchaser then makes the changes, enters the rework comments, and complete the purchase order.

This completes the rework step, and the approver once again receives a work item in the My Inbox to act upon.

Note: In case the purchaser makes a change in the purchase order that is restart relevant, then the workflow will get restarted.

For any queries or support related to the rework process in purchase order please post a question here.

For frequently asked questions on flexible workflow in purchase order, please check this blog post from Yamuna Mathew, where she summarized some of the frequently asked questions.

If you have any questions or thoughts, please feel free to post in the comments section.