7.3 Outbound Delivery Creation, Delivery Document Types, and Delivery Item Categories

Outbound Delivery Creation, Delivery Document Types, and Delivery Item Categories

While a sales order represents a commercial agreement, the Outbound Delivery Document (LIKP/LIPS) represents an operational directive to the warehouse floor and shipping docks. The creation of an outbound delivery signals that materials have been confirmed by availability checks, transportation scheduling has reached the planned shipping date, and physical handling (picking, packing, staging, and dispatch) must commence.

In SAP S/4HANA, managing outbound deliveries requires configuring three interrelated components: the Creation Mechanisms that trigger delivery generation, the Delivery Document Types (TVLK) that dictate header-level processing, and the Delivery Item Categories (TVLP) that control warehouse execution rules for individual line items.

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Outbound Delivery Creation: Modes and Transactions

Outbound deliveries can be generated through individual manual entry, interactive collective monitors, or automated background scheduling.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                            MODES OF DELIVERY CREATION                            │
├────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┤
│  Individual Processing │   Collective Processing   │   Automated Batch Jobs     │
│     (Single Order)     │    (Interactive Monitor)  │     (Mass Background)      │
├────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│  VL01N (With Order)    │  VL10A (Sales Orders)     │  Transaction VL10BATCH     │
│  VL01NO (Without Order)│  VL10C (Order Items)      │  Background job variants   │
│                        │  VL06O (Delivery Monitor) │  Background Job SM36       │
└────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────┘

1. Individual Processing with Order Reference (VL01N)

Transaction VL01N is used to create a single outbound delivery referencing an existing predecessor document (typically a Sales Order or Stock Transport Order).

• Mandatory Entry Fields: Shipping Point, Selection Date (the planned goods issue or material availability date), and the Sales Order Number.
• Selection Mechanics: The system queries open confirmed schedule lines up to the specified selection date. If lines are confirmed for future dates beyond the selection date, they are omitted from the delivery.

2. Individual Processing Without Reference (VL01NO)

In specialized logistics scenarios, an enterprise must ship materials without a preceding sales order—such as unsolicited promotional samples, scrap disposal, or non-commercial equipment transfers. Transaction VL01NO creates an orderless delivery using document type LO (Delivery without Reference). In this mode, customer data, shipping points, items, and quantities are entered directly into the delivery document.

3. Interactive Collective Processing (VL10 Series & VL06O)

In medium to large distribution facilities, shipping coordinators do not process orders one by one. Instead, they use the delivery due list, which reads the delivery due index (table VEPVG):

• VL10A (Sales Orders Due for Delivery): Evaluates complete sales orders due for dispatch across plants and shipping points.
• VL10C (Order Items Due for Delivery): Evaluates individual line items due for delivery, enabling selective partial deliveries of prioritized components.
• VL10E (Schedule Lines Due for Delivery): Provides granular filtering down to the schedule line date level.
• VL10B (Purchase Orders Due for Delivery): Evaluates Stock Transport Orders (STOs) due for intercompany or intra-company shipment.
• VL06O (Outbound Delivery Monitor): The unified command cockpit for warehouse operations. It provides role-specific worklists including For Picking, For Packing, For Loading, For Goods Issue, and Distribution Due.

4. Delivery Scenarios, User Roles, and Background Processing

The delivery due list is organized by delivery scenarios. A scenario models a business process, for example delivering sales order items (VL10C) or stock transport orders. Each scenario has a user role (technically a list profile) that controls the selection screen tabs, the active selection criteria, the document types selected, the list display, and whether delivery quantities may be changed. Users can define a personal default scenario with the user parameters LE_VL10_SZENARIO, LE_VL10_PROFIL, and LE_VL10_USER_VARIANT, then start it with transaction VL10.

If shipping criteria such as shipping point, route, and ship-to party match, collective processing can combine several orders into one delivery, provided order combination is allowed. Different shipping criteria in one order split it into several deliveries. The due list does not process documents in priority sequence. For mass processing, collective delivery creation runs as a background job (for example with VL10BATCH), and SAP Notes 113411 and 332276 collect the known issues and consulting advice for VL10.

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Delivery Document Types: Customizing Controls (Transaction OVLK / Table TVLK)

The Delivery Document Type (TVLK) controls the structural, organizational, and functional characteristics of the delivery header (LIKP). Just as Sales Document Types (VOV8) govern sales orders, Delivery Types govern shipping execution.

Standard SAP Delivery Document Types

• LF — Standard Outbound Delivery: Standard outbound shipment with reference to a sales order (e.g., standard order OR).
• LR — Returns Delivery: Inbound delivery created with reference to a customer return order (RE). Goods arrive back at the warehouse for inspection.
• NL — Replenishment Delivery: Used for intra-company Stock Transport Orders (plant-to-plant transfer within the same company code). Does not trigger billing.
• NLCC — Cross-Company Replenishment Delivery: Used for cross-company Stock Transport Orders between different company codes. Triggers intercompany billing (IV).
• LO — Delivery Without Reference: Orderless delivery created via VL01NO.
• BV — Cash Sale Delivery: Generated automatically in the background immediately upon saving a Cash Sale order (BV/CS).

Critical Customizing Settings of the Delivery Type

Delivery Item Categories: Customizing Controls (Table TVLP)

While the delivery type defines header rules, the delivery item category controls the warehouse behavior of each item in the delivery (LIPS): whether it is relevant for picking, whether it needs a storage location, which quantity checks apply, and how it can be packed.

Where the Delivery Item Category Comes From

The official course stresses one point: for delivery items that reference a sales order, the item category is copied from the order item. For each sales item category there is a delivery item category with the same key, so TAN in the order becomes TAN in the delivery. Delivery item category determination (transaction 0184, table T184L) is needed only for items without an order reference, such as items added manually to a delivery without order reference, inbound deliveries, or deliveries for stock transport orders. Its key is:

$$\mathbf{\text{Delivery Type}} + \mathbf{\text{Item Category Group}} + \mathbf{\text{Usage}} + \mathbf{\text{Higher-Level Item Category}} \Longrightarrow \mathbf{\text{Delivery Item Category}}$$

Usages are set internally by the program: PACK for packing items, CHSP for batch split items, PSEL for product selection, and V for inbound deliveries for purchase orders and for deliveries in stock transport processes. Usage determination is hard-coded, so changing it requires a modification. A usage maintained in the customer-material info record is considered only in the sales document, not in the delivery.

The material master offers two item category groups. The general item category group (client level) is used for inbound deliveries; the item category group of the sales organization and distribution channel is used when the delivery carries a sales organization and distribution channel, as an outbound delivery for a sales order does.

Determination Examples in Transaction 0184

Shipping-Relevant Prerequisites in Sales Customizing

• Every delivery item category must also exist as a sales item category, even categories never used in sales documents (such as DLN or ELN).
• A schedule line category must be determined for every delivery item category whose SD document category is not 7, because the goods issue movement type comes from the schedule line category. Delivery item categories with document category 7 (such as ELN for inbound deliveries) carry their movement type themselves.
• For deliveries without order reference, the delivery type needs a default order type, and the corresponding order item category decides billing relevance; schedule lines must be allowed so that a movement type can be found.
• When you create a delivery, you can enter a different delivery type in Predefine Delivery Type, but copying control must allow it.

Critical Customizing Settings of the Delivery Item Category

Copy Control from Sales Order to Delivery (Transaction VTLA)

Data does not magically migrate from the sales order to the outbound delivery. The entire transition is orchestrated by Copy Control for Deliveries (transaction VTLA). Copy control defines the validation routines, data transfer logic, and quantity conversion rules connecting a source sales document type (VBAK) to a target delivery document type (TVLK).

           SALES ORDER (VBAK / VBAP)                     OUTBOUND DELIVERY (LIKP / LIPS)
  ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐            ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
  │ Header: Order Type OR                 │            │ Header: Delivery Type LF              │
  │ Sold-to, Ship-to, Dates, Incoterms    │            │ Shipping Point, Ship-to, Route, Dates │
  └───────────────────┬───────────────────┘            └───────────────────▲───────────────────┘
                      │                                                    │
                      │  VTLA Header Copying Requirement: Routine 001       │
                      │  (Credit status, delivery block, incompletion)      │
                      ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
                      │                                                    │
                      │  VTLA Item Copying Requirement: Routine 101         │
                      │  (Check Confirmed Qty, Rejection Status, Open ATP)  │
                      │                                                    │
  ┌───────────────────▼───────────────────┐            ┌───────────────────┴───────────────────┐
  │ Item: Item Category TAN               │            │ Item: Delivery Item Category TAN      │
  │ Material, Quantity, Plant, Ship Point │───────────>│ Picking Qty, Storage Loc, Movement 601│
  └───────────────────────────────────────┘            └───────────────────────────────────────┘

Header-Level Copy Control (VTLA Header)

At the header level (Source Sales Document Type OR $\rightarrow$ Target Delivery Type LF), customizing specifies:

• Order-to-Delivery Copying Requirements (e.g., Routine 001):
  • Checks whether the sales order is blocked for credit (overall credit status VBAK-CMGST = 'B'). If credit is blocked, delivery creation is blocked.
  • Checks whether an overall delivery block exists at the order header (VBAK-LIFSK).
  • Verifies that the order header incompletion status is fully satisfied.
• Data Transfer Routines:
  • Governs how partner functions (Sold-to, Ship-to, Forwarding Agent) are copied to LIKP.
  • Transfers header text objects, customer PO numbers, and Incoterms.

Item-Level Copy Control (VTLA Item)

At the item level (Source Item Category TAN $\rightarrow$ Target Delivery Item Category TAN), customizing controls granular line behavior:

• Item Copying Requirements (e.g., Routine 101):
  • Verifies that the item has a confirmed schedule line quantity (VBEP-BMENG $> 0$).
  • Confirms that the item is not rejected with a Reason for Rejection (VBAP-ABGRU).
  • Checks schedule-line delivery blocks (VBEP-LIFSP).
• Delivery Quantity Determination Switch:
  • Dictates how the system calculates the proposed delivery quantity (LIPS-LFIMG). In standard configuration, it copies the Confirmed Schedule Line Quantity due up to the selection date, rather than the raw requested order quantity.
• Routines in the Customer Namespace:
  • Copying requirements and data transfer routines are FORM routines maintained with VOFM. Numbers 001-599 are reserved for SAP; customer routines use 600-999.