Customer
- Amelia Witka (Unlicensed)
A consumer or organization that has a business relationship with your company that involves the sale of vehicles, services, or parts.
In the automotive dealer industry, you work with different types of customers, for example consumers or fleet customers. For both customer types, the following business processes are possible:
- Sell new or used vehicles
- Trade in used vehicles
- Service vehicles (inspect vehicle and sell parts)
The system represents a customer who sells a vehicle as a vendor.
VSS uses Customer/Vendor Integration (CVI) to create Sales and Distribution (SD) and Financial Accounting (FI) customer/vendor roles for SAP Business Partners. In order to work with VSS order processes, you must create customer or vendor roles for business partners.
SAP Business Management uses the business partner concept. You can create the following customer types:
- Person
You can use this customer type for individuals who purchase goods or services.
- Organization
You can use this customer type for organizations that you do business with, for example fleet customers.
The system automatically assigns the Business Partner (General) role to any new customer. You can assign additional business partner roles to customers.
The following business partner roles are relevant for VSS:
Business Partner Role | Explanation |
Business Partner (General) | The general business partner role, created for customers. This role contains general information about the customer, for example address and contact information. |
Customer | This customer role supports the sales process. If you assign the Customer role to a customer, the system automatically creates the SD customer master (for the selected organizational unit). |
FI Customer | If you assign the FI Customer role to a customer, the system enhances the SD customer master with sales and accounting data. This means that the system creates company code data for the SD customer. |
Vendor | This vendor role supports the purchasing process. If you assign the Vendor role to a customer, the system automatically creates the vendor master. |
FI Vendor | The system enhances the vendor master with financial data. This means that the system creates company code data for the vendor. |
The VSS Customer Cockpit (transaction /DBE/BP) allows you to view all customer information in one central workcenter. You can use the customer cockpit to update the customer database, to manage customer visits, and trigger VSS quotations and follow-up processes.
You use the Customer Cockpit for a complete, 360-degree view of a customer. The customer cockpit contains all customer relevant information. The customer cockpit views depend on the business partner role assigned to the customer, and can include the following:
General Data
You can access the General Data view from all business partner roles.
You use the General Data view to access and update general information for a customer. This general information includes address and contact and communication information.
Sales and Distribution relevant Data
To work with the Sales and Distribution view, you assign the Customer role to the customer.
You use the Sales and Distribution view to access and update information relevant for the sales processes in VSS, for example a VSS order.
The Sales and Distribution view includes the following tabs:
Tab | Description |
Orders | You can view the information that is relevant for sales orders, for example sales district and currency. |
Billing | You can view the terms of payment. |
Partner Functions | You can view the various partner functions, for example bill-to party and ship-to party. |
VSS Collective Billing | You can use a collective invoice for orders, for example for fleet customers |
Company Code relevant Data
You use the Company Code view for financial processes, for example order billing.
To work with the Company Code view, you assign role FI Customer or FI Vendor to the customer.
Purchasing
To access the Purchasing view, you assign the Vendor role to the customer.
You use the Purchasing view to access and update purchasing information for vendors.
The Purchasing view includes the following tabs:
Tab | Description |
Purchasing Data | You can view important purchasing information such as the order currency and the terms of payment. |
Partner Functions | You can view the various partner functions, for example bill-to party and ship-to party. |
VSS
You use the VSS view to access all VSS relevant information about the customer and to execute the most important processes and functions from one central location.
The VSS view contains the following tabs:
Tab | Description |
Last Contacts | You can view any previous visits (orders and notification activities) made by the customer. For each visit, you can navigate to the relevant documents. |
Order History | You can view the details of any orders for the customer. You can navigate directly to the orders. You can also create orders. |
Vehicles | You can view all vehicles assigned to the customer. You can navigate directly to the vehicle master record. You can also create a new vehicle, and trigger follow-up processes. |
Activities and Complaints | You can quickly create notifications, navigate to the details, and update notifications. |
Fact Sheet | You can view concise and clear information about customers (for example, customer vehicles, VSS orders, and open items). |
Relationships
A business partner relationship maps the business-relevant connection between two business partners.