3769804 - Unable to Add Approval Note or Internal Comment to Purchase Order – Error "Party Approver with ID obsolete"

When trying to add an Approval Note or Internal Comment to a Purchase Order, the system does not allow the action and throws the following error messages:

• Party Approver with ID obsolete. 
• Save failed.
• Document not submitted for approval; inconsistencies exist.

SAP Business ByDesign

1. Go to Purchase Requests and Orders work center.
2. Go to Purchase Orders view.
3. Search for Purchase Order ABC. (ABC represents the Purchase Order ID)
4. Select Edit.
5. Go to Notes tab and Add Row.
6. Select Note Type as Approval Note or Internal Comment.
7. Add a comment under Details.
8. Select Save.

Now the system blocks the action and shows the following errors,

• Party Approver with ID obsolete. 
• Save failed.
• Document not submitted for approval; inconsistencies exist.

The issue occurs when a Purchase Order contains an approver with Partner type Service Agent who was set to Obsolete after the approval process was completed.

When the Purchase Order is later modified, for example by adding an Approval Note or Internal Comment and performing a consistency check, the system raises the Error message "Party Approver with ID obsolete".

After upgraded to SAP Business ByDesign release 2602, the message severity changed from an information message to an error message. As a result, the system prevents the modification and saving of the Purchase Order, whereas in earlier releases the message was displayed only as information and did not block the action.

This is a current system limitation and this requirement has been added to the Product Backlog in order to enhance the functionality with this feature in one of the future product releases.

Purchase order; Approval Note; Internal Comment; obsolete approver; Service agent obsolete; Notes Tab , KBA , SRD-SRM-PRO , Purchase Requests and Orders , Product Enhancement