3569034 - Follow-up activity 'Ship to supplier' fails for Advance Returns Management

Advanced returns management is being used to manage customer returns. In the process, there are 2 plants involved. The returns order is created with the follow-up activity '0004' (Ship to Other Plant) and next follow-up activity '0005' (Ship to Supplier).

Therefore, when returning the goods it should go to the 1st plant, then it should be send to the 2nd plant via a return stock transport order. Once the goods are available in the 2nd plant, it needs to be sent back to the supplier.

Everything works well until the executing of the last follow-up activity: 'Ship to supplier'. The purchase document can't be created as following error is raised: "Purchasing doc. type not allowed for creating returns purchase order" (Message no. CX_MSR_TRC152)

SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition

1. Create an ARM-CBAR sales order in sales area XXXX/XX/XX
   1. Material: XXXXXXXX
   2. Plant = XXXX
   3. Item category = RENV
   4. Order reason: 009 Standard return
   5. Return reason 002
   6. Follow-up act: 0004 'Ship to Other Plant' (next plant XXXX)
   7. Next follow-up: 0005 'Ship to Supplier'
   8. Refund type: Credit Memo
   9. Refund Control: P Create Credit Memo Request
2. Perform put-away and goods receipt for the relevant outbound delivery.
3. Use the app 'Enter Inspection Results - From Warehouse' to enter inspection results.
   1. Enter order number and execute.
   2. Go to items tab.
   3. Enter inspection code = OK.
   4. Press 'Save and confirm';
4. Outbound delivery for STO (automatically created after inspection).
   1. Pick.
   2. Post Goods Issue.
5. Inbound Delivery (automatically created).
   1. Put away.
   2. Post goods receipt.
6. Material inspection (app 'Enter inspection results – from warehouse') based on inbound delivery.
   1. Go to items tab.
   2. Enter inspection code = OK.
   3. Enter supplier in 'logistical follow up' = XXXXXXX.
   4. Press 'Save and confirm'..
7. Go to Returns overview.
8. Error: "Purchasing doc. type  not allowed for creating returns purchase order" (Message no. CX_MSR_TRC152).

Currently, in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, it's not supported to maintain the "Follow-Up Activity" as 0004 (Ship to Other Plant) when creating a return order.

Therefore, this is currently a missing functionality. A feature request was already raised in our Customer Influence portal, it received many votes and it's already acknowledged by the responsible team.

Follow the request to receive any updates on it. 338569 - It is not supported to create a return PO when shipping via a plant (004) in SAP Public Cloud ARM

There's a workaround available for this scenario:

1. First, use the Follow-up Act '0001' (Receive into plant) – instead of '0004' (Ship to Other Plant) – to receive the materials into the local plant.
2. Then change the plant in the item level to local plant. Now, the returns delivery has been generated. 
3. Post Goods Receipt and receive the return delivery. 
4. Then use '0015' (Move to target plant) as the Follow-up Activity. Fill in the required plant into the target plant.
5. Finally, manually create a return purchase order (RPO) with type NB2 and send the products back to the supplier.

This is the general process, for specific process refer to scope item BKP.

Customer Returns (BKP)

advanced returns management, ARM, customer returns, BKP, follow-up activity, ship to supplier, 0005, ship to Other Plant, 0004, receive into plant, 0001, NB2, purchase order type, return purchase order, return stock transfer order , KBA , LO-ARM-SD-2CL , Sales (Public Cloud) , Problem