Objective and Scope

The scope of this procedure is to explain how to handle and process Solvay Group Company requests, named Intragroup requests.

The support is provided by APDM team and by Edmundo Fernandes (RtR team). 

The maintenance of the intragroup data base (vendors, customers) it is the responsibility of the DATA team (Lisbon) - worldwide.

Intragroup requests

When handling Intragroup requests, it is necessary to gather and analyse inputs which exists data in the system, concerning the Solvay Group customers and vendors. This data can be collected from the existing information already inserted in SAP, using transaction ZPRC, in order to complete and confirm the information given by the requesters.

These can submit requests to update Vendors or Customers, using the HQ mailbox (brussels.codifhq@solvay.com) or through the Freshdesk ticket service. In any case, the information given has to be accurate and in compliance with the rules mentioned in this procedure.

• ZPRC

Via transaction ZPRC it is possible to check the existing inputs for all the Solvay Group companies.

Once inside the transaction, it is possible to select the necessary data according to the given inputs (e.g. country, corporate group number, trading partner, company name, among others):

You can analyse all the establishments linked to the company needed by selecting the line and clicking in DISPLAY:

Then click in "All establishments" or "Valid establishments":

Note: For Intragroups, the Search Term corresponds to the ‘Abbreviat.’ of the plant. 

To enter an establishment, double click on it. It is possible to detect in this area, the information concerning which of them is defined as the prime Establishment: marked as ‘PRI’ and is the establishment which corresponds to the Payer (Z**1) or (Z**4)+(Z**8). We can have two Z**1 but the main payer should have the main Credit, if the credit is not the same for the two payers than we need to split and create one Z**1 and other Z**4 (any doubts please ask for help APDM team).

Finally, it is also possible to determine which one has the feature of ‘Administrator’ (‘ADM’).

Some plants are not available in this transaction. In this situations you can see them in the table T001W.

Any relevant input(s) for this company can be collected in this area (if communicated):

By clicking in the field Address you will be able to see the companies address, complete search term and contacts:

• SE16

Table T001 - will provide the company codes information (local view)

Table T001W - will provide the plant codes information (local view) 

The companies which provide services as external party (or external storage) can only be found in the Plants Table. In this type of situations the information retrieved during the creation/modification cannot be performed using the ZPRC .

Master data creation

All the information received of the company must be checked in the transaction ZPRC.

Then, a check of the data base must be performed to avoid duplications. It is used the transaction SE16_LFA1:

If a new Company is created, you have to create at least a vendor and a customer (payer) corresponding to the head office (depending on the company structure) - type of account group Z**1.

An important rule concerning the Payer is that only one payer can exist for a legal company.

If a new Establishment is created for an existing company to send separated invoices from a working unit - type of account group Z**5.

If a new Establishment is created for an existing company, a vendor and a customer have to be created with the address of the new establishment - type of account group Z**8.

If a new External Storage is created a new vendor or/and customer can be created with the Name 1 field equal to the SOLVAY company name and in the Name 2 field "C/O + Name of the storage". The address will be from the Storage. The Bank account will be from the CICC bank.

If a new Ship-To (Z**2) is created the vendor creation is not needed.

To create you will use the transactions XK01 (for the vendor) and XD01 (for the customer):

NOTE 1: For European Vendors, the VAT number is mandatory (even if the vendor has to be used in an American Company).

NOTE 2: Trading partner can never be changed, even if the company is sold to another Group.

EXCEPTION: external party companies the creation is based in the information received. This customers can only be created as Z*8. It is only checked by the team if a Plant with the same data already exists.

NOTE: An external party company can exist in the system as intragroup and as a standard vendor (it is not considered duplication).  

All the creations must be transported to the system DF1 (BD14: Z_CRE_ERP - ERP Vendor Master distribution).

Master data update

When it is processed a Name or Address update a check of the data base must be performed to avoid duplications. It is used the transaction SE16_LFA1. The update must reflect the information available in the ZPRC table. 

VERY IMPORTANT: every change performed in the vendor master data must be reflected in the customers master data. 

If a Company is deleted, you have to mark for deletion all the vendors and customers already created .

If a company changes of location, the new address must be entered in all the vendors and customers concerned.

CUSTOMER Account Group change

This update is performed only in PF1_020. The change can only be performed to the same level or to a below level. A customer Z101 can be changed to a Z1B1, from Z1B8 to Z1B2 is also accepted, from Z1B8 to Z1B1 it is not accepted.

To avoid duplications first it is used the transaction SE16_KNA1 (PF1_050). Then in the local system it is used the transaction XD07:

First it is inserted the customers code, then ENTER and then ENTER. To chose the new account group click in the button -  :

Select and save.

The change have also to be performed in the PF1_050. It is used one more time the transaction XD07.

Company, Purchasing and Plant view

The creation at Company Level and Purchasing level is performed with the data provided. If not it can be created with a reference vendor/customer.

The intragroup vendors must be marked with the code ZCCY inside the Company code:

And when not created the Reconciliation Account the ticket must be passed to the RtR team (RtR Intercompany Group).

The link with the Plant is performed for the vendor code at a Purchasing level with the transaction XK02:

Bank data maintenance

The Intragroup bank accounts are maintained in the SOLIA portal:

• Solvay Treasury North America Online
• Solvay Treasury Online

All this bank account can be inserted in an intragroup vendor/customer (do not need confirmation).

When the new bank account is not available in the SOLIA portal a confirmation by the Company Accounting Manager is needed. The persons name can be found in the Purchasing Services Line.

• Example: company 0001
  

The bank account is inserted according to the country rules (see EMEA - VENDORS Bank data maintenance).

Bank Keys creation

The creation of a bank key is performed in the PF1_050 system using the transaction FI01.

The mandatory fields are:

• Bank Name (Name of the bank);
• Bank Number (Bank identification used in the IBAN codification);
• SWIFT Code (International bank code that identifies particular banks worldwide. It’s also known as a Bank Identifier Code (BIC) - consists of 8 or 11 characters).
  • Format: Bank code (4) + Country Code (2) + Location code (2) + Branch code (optional + 3). 
  • The code must be confirmed using the website - https://www2.swift.com/bsl/index.faces .
    
    

To transport the data to other systems it is used the FI08:

The update is performed using the transaction FI02.

A complete new Bank Name normally reflects a new swift. Special attention should be paid to these situations. Cases like the Netherlands and Great Britain bank accounts the SWIFT impacts the Bank Key and the IBAN. Before changing the bank key an extraction needs to be performed through the transaction SQ00. All the vendors using the Bank key (that will be changed) need to be analysed and amended if needed.

Customer Sales view

The link between a Customer code and a Sales area is performed at a local system.

The information can be provided by the requester or it can be retrieved from the SE16_KNVV (to use a customer as reference).

The link is performed using the XD01:

When informing the requester of the conclusion of the request it must be mentioned which customer was used as a reference.

In situations where the link is not possible due to a red error message, the operator must pass the ticket to the APDM team (SBS-APDM group).

Useful information

Definitions

• Payer (Z*1 and Z*4): customer who is invoiced. It does not mean that he will necessarily receive the invoice or that he will make the payment himself, but that he is legally responsible for the payment.
• Payer-bis (Z*3 and Z*5): It is a payer linked to the Payer (legal responsible) through the Credit Limit. It is created when the customer wants the invoices separated from a working unit, but still belonging to the same Credit Control Limit. So, it is linked to the Payer as it uses its Credit limit.
• Sold-to-party (Z*8): customer who orders. It must be part of the same legal company as the payer. He must have the same VAT code than the Payer he is linked to.
• Ship-to-party (Z*2): customer who received the goods. Only one ship-to-party can be created per company/address. Only exists at General Level. Does not need a Payer.

• External Storage: store not belonging to SOLVAY companies. Example: SOLVAY MEXICANA S. DE R.L. DE C.V C/O BRENNTAG MEXICO S.A. DE C.V. (customer 2501106).
• Automatic Interco: "Automatic Interco” vendor codes are used to create purchase orders from which you can directly create outbound delivery from the supplying plant. The PO is created automatically with reference to Material and Price.
• Non-Automatic Interco: "Non-automatic Interco” vendor codes are used for intercompany flows between plants but with standard purchase order (receiving plant side), and standard sales order from supplying plant. And also the difference in the purchase order when using auto or non-auto vendor code is in the price determination which is not the same.
  
  
  

Intragroup invoices - are handled by RtR team. The tickets needs to be send to the Freshdesk Group RtR Intercompany.

SOLIA services portal / intragroup bank accounts - support can be provided by Ana Rita Cunha.

ZPRC table - maintained by Philippe Van Loeij