What Is a Purchasing Document Type?
A Purchasing Document Type is an identifier allowing differentiation between the various kinds of purchasing document in the SAP system. The document type is the first field selected when creating any purchasing document, it determines what the document can contain and how it is numbered.
Standard SAP Purchasing Document Types
What Is Configured per Document Type
How are Purchasing Documents Numbered?
Each document is assigned a unique number (the “number” may also be an alphanumeric code). This number can be assigned internally or externally, depending on the policy of your enterprise. Internal number assignment means that the system assigns the number. External number assignment means that the person creating the document must supply it or provided by an external system, subject to the configured number range and validation rules.
Alphanumeric assignment is only possible in the latter case.
Why Purchasing Document Types Matter
Proper purchasing document type configuration provides several business benefits:
- Standardizes procurement processes across the organization.
- Reduces manual errors during document creation.
- Enforces purchasing policies through controlled document behavior.
- Supports automation of procurement activities.
- Improves reporting and document traceability.
- Enables different procurement scenarios without requiring custom development.
Best Practices
To maximize the effectiveness of purchasing document types:
- Use separate document types for distinct procurement processes.
- Configure meaningful descriptions that are easily understood by end users.
- Maintain consistent number ranges for easier tracking.
- Restrict item categories to only those required for each document type.
- Validate Purchase Requisition-to-purchasing document mappings to ensure correct follow-on document creation.
- Periodically review document type configurations as business processes evolve.