Make-to-Order Production (Strategy 20): Sales Order Requirement, Order and Receipt into Sales Order Stock
Production triggered by one sales order item: MRP plans in that order's own segment, the production order is assigned to the sales order, and the finished goods are received into sales order stock (special stock E) so nobody else can use them.
Educational content. SAP behaviour varies by configuration and release. Spotted something off? Report it.
Digital twin
01A sales order creates an order-specific requirement
Sales order 10000180/10 needs 10 EA of FG-2600. The requirement is tied to that item, not to anonymous stock.
Business scenario
Sales order 10000180 asks for 10 custom conveyor frames (FG-2600). Each frame needs 8 EA of RM-1000 and 10 hours on assembly line 1. Nothing is built until the order exists.
All companies, numbers and documents are fictional demo data.
Step-by-step flow
- 01
A sales order creates an order-specific requirement open in twin
Sales order 10000180/10 needs 10 EA of FG-2600. The requirement is tied to that item, not to anonymous stock.
The product only makes sense for this customer, so planning keeps it separate from everything else.
- 02
Plan for the sales order (MD50) open in twin
MD50 plans the sales order segment: planned order 45800 for 10 EA, assigned to 10000180/10.
MD04 shows this segment separately from the plant's anonymous stock.
- 03
Convert and release open in twin
Production order 1000010 inherits the account assignment to 10000180/10 and reserves 80 EA of RM-1000.
That assignment decides where the output is received and how the costs are settled.
- 04
Issue components (261) open in twin
80 EA of RM-1000 from anonymous stock: 300 → 220.
Only the finished product is order-specific in this strategy.
- 05
Confirm the work open in twin
10 frames built in 100 hours: ₹40,000 activity cost to the order.
Conversion cost lands on the order.
- 06
Where do the frames go? open in twin
The 10 frames are finished. Where are they received?
That is how the goods stay reserved for the customer they were built for.
- 07
Anonymous stock for a custom product open in twin
In free stock the custom frames could be sold to anyone, and the sales order's delivery would not find them.
Free stock would break the link between the product and its order.
- 08
Receive into sales order stock (101 E) open in twin
FG-2600: sales order stock 10000180/10 +10 EA, valued ₹1,20,000.
The SD delivery for this order item will consume exactly this stock.
- 09
Settle the order open in twin
Debits ₹1,20,000, credit ₹1,20,000: nothing to settle in this demo.
With non-valuated sales order stock, the order would instead settle its full cost to the sales order item, where it meets the revenue — configuration dependent.
- 10
Built for one customer open in twin
Sales order → planned order → production order → 101 E. SD now delivers from this stock (see the make-to-order sale).
Compare with make-to-stock, where production fills anonymous stock for whoever orders next.
SAP documents
Stock impact
| Step | Plant / SLoc | Stock type | MvT | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue components (261) | 1000 / 0002 | Unrestricted use | 261 | −80 EA |
| Receive into sales order stock (101 E) | 1000 / 0001 | Sales order stock (E) · 10000180/10 | 101 | +10 EA |
Accounting impact
Components consumed by the make-to-order production order
TypicalIssue components (261)
- Dr Consumption — order 1000010 (GBB/VBR)₹80,000
- Cr Inventory — raw materials (BSX)₹80,000
Standard order consumption.
Activity allocation
ConceptualConfirm the work
- Dr Production order 1000010 — machine hours₹40,000
- Cr Cost center CC-4300 — activity allocation₹40,000
Confirmed hours at the work center's activity rate.
Receipt into valuated sales order stock
Configuration dependentReceive into sales order stock (101 E)
- Dr Inventory — sales order stock (BSX)₹1,20,000
- Cr Factory output — order 1000010 (GBB/AUF)₹1,20,000
With valuated sales order stock the receipt credits the order. The valuation price for sales order stock (e.g. from a sales-order cost estimate) is configuration dependent; here it equals actual cost, so no variance arises.
Typical conceptual flow. Actual G/L accounts and posting behaviour depend on material valuation, automatic account determination and system configuration.
Movement type
Produces only against confirmed customer orders, keeping planning, stock and costs separate per sales order item.
Transactions & Fiori apps
- MD50 — MRP — single-item, sales order
- MD04 — Stock/Requirements List
- CO40 — Convert Planned Order
- MIGO — Goods Movements
- CO11N — Confirmation
- KO88 — Settlement
- Manage Production OrdersAvailability depends on release and scope
Differences by SAP version
MD50 for sales-order planning; valuated or non-valuated sales order stock.
MRP Live also plans sales order segments; valuated sales order stock is typical.
Make-to-order scope items through Fiori apps.
Configuration
Strategy group and requirement class
Configuration dependentDecide make-to-order planning, valuation of sales order stock and settlement.
Valuation of sales order stock
Configuration dependentValuated (typical in S/4HANA) or non-valuated with settlement to the sales order.
Prerequisites
- Strategy group 20 (or similar) on the material
- Sales order item with a make-to-order requirement type
- BOM, routing and production version
Master data
- Material master (MRP 3)
- Strategy group.
- BOM and routing
- Copied into the order as usual.
Organizational structure
- Plant 1000
- Work center ASSY-01
Tables
| Table | Description |
|---|---|
| MSKA | Sales order stock |
| AFPO | Order item with sales order assignment |
| PLAF | Planned order in the sales order segment |
Integration
- SDThe sales order item is the requirement and the receiver of the stock.
- COCosts per order, optionally settled to the sales order item.
Common errors
“MRP plans the sales order in anonymous stock”
Likely causes: Wrong strategy group; Requirement type not make-to-order
Where to look: Material MRP 3 view · Sales order item requirement type
“Receipt goes to free stock”
Likely causes: Production order not assigned to the sales order
Where to look: Order header assignment tab
Troubleshooting
Something went wrong? Work through these checks in order. They are diagnostic questions, not configuration instructions — confirm changes with your system owner.
CHECK 1
Planning
- Strategy group 20?
- Requirement type on the order item?
CHECK 2
Receipt
- Is the order assigned to the sales order?
Interview questions
What is planning strategy 20?
Make-to-order production: no forecast; each sales order item creates its own requirement segment, MRP plans it individually, and the produced goods go to sales order stock (special stock E) for that item.
Why is the production order account-assigned to the sales order?
So that its goods receipt goes into the sales order's stock and its costs can be tracked (and, with non-valuated stock, settled) per sales order item.
Quiz
References
- SAP SE — SAP Help Portal: Make-to-Order Production (source)
- SAP SE — SAP Help Portal: Planning Strategies (source)
Explanations are original. They summarize standard behaviour; always validate against your system's release and configuration.
Version history
| Version | Change |
|---|---|
| 1.0.0 | Initial version. |