<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://dc.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=296796&amp;fmt=gif">
SAP Tier'd Pricing Calculations in Billing Workbench (BWB)

SAP Service Contract Billing Tier'd Pricing Solution

Tier'd Billing Requirement

If you sell airplanes, heavy equipment such as bulldozers, or medical equipment such as sub-zero freezers, then you may have service contracts whose prices vary with the amount of usage. In this case usage is defined as tiers.

 

What is a Tier?   

A tier is a typically a price band that includes an upper and a lower limit. Another way to say that, is for example the following:

  • Tier-1  $100 per hour,  the first 100 hours. 
  • Tier-2  $200 per hour for the next 250 hours. 

Tier-1 is for flight hours between 0 and 100 hours. Each hour flown will cost the customer $100.00

Tier-2 is for hours flown between 101 and 350 hours, which get billed at $200 per those hours. 

Usage Data Capture  

 Over time, the aircraft is flown: On a monthly basis, flight hours are collected via a data communication link interchange, or manually reported and keyed into the system. We know how many hours each aircraft has been flown. 

 

SD Pricing Gap for Tier'd Pricing   

Now, let's define the current limitation in SAP standard SD pricing

Tier Pricing requirement will calculate correctly, until the order quantity exceeds the threshold of the tier.  

For example, suppose there are two tiers:

  • Tier-1:
      $100 per hour,  the first 100 hours. 
  • Tier-2:
      $200 per hour for the next 250 hours. 

Let's suppose several months of usage-type billings:

1st month:

Suppose, aircraft is flown 80 hours, then the invoice for that month will be: 

80 hrs x $100 = $8,000. 

SAP SD pricing calculates the first invoice of 80 hours correctly. 

2nd month:

Suppose, aircraft is flown 30 hours. If you think of our tiers, Tier-1 still has 20 hours to go, hence 10 hours will overflow into Tier-2. The system is calculating

20 x $100 = $1,000 that is correct, plus 10 x $0 = $0

as that overflow quantity went over the threshold of the 1st tier and 2nd tier isn't yet considered by SAP SD pricing. Within the standard setup a line item can only reference one tier. 

3rd month:

Suppose a third month's flight hours is another 50 hours.  

Creating a third invoice for quantity 50, the system correctly calculates that price at the tier-2 rate

50 x $200 = $10,000. 

4th month:

Flight hours flown in a hypothetical 4th month, consuming all remaining hours in tier-2 will price correctly: 

Suppose a third month's flight hours is another 210 hours.  

This will get us 10 hours past the tier-2 threshold. 

200 x $200 = $40,000

With that last invoice, both tier's thresholds are reached, time buckets are consumed. 

You can see the SAP SD pricing gap exists when usage goes over tier-thresholds.  By not invoicing the overflow hours,- the gap would have cost the business 10 un-billed hours of Tier-2: 

$2,000 in billings.  

Now that we have defined the gap, let's talk solution. 

Tier'd Pricing Solution

Long story short, this is a very complex requirement, a gap in SAP SD, discussed from many angles in Michael Romaniello's blog on SAP Cumulative Graduated Pricing and Discounts. For our Service Contract Billing Workbench (BWB) we implemented a fantastic and flexible solution to this problem.

Do you know if you have a tier'd pricing requirement within your enterprise?

Many of our customers do that is why we built this solution. 

Need to discuss tier'd pricing?  

Book a meeting using the link below:

 

Book a Meeting

 

 

 

Soren Detering

My name is Soren. I am the founder of Detering Consulting. I began the company in 2003 because I wanted to provide more value for SAP customers. I knew that many of them were missing out on all the great benefits that could be obtained from the software. Before establishing Detering Consulting, I completed my education by obtaining a Master’s in Computer Science. After that, I worked at SAP in Germany and SAP Labs in North America for 10 years. My extensive background in solution management, project planning and -management, implementation services and leadership includes experience in: Automotive, A&D, High Tech, Medical Equipment, and Manufacturing Industries.
Me and my teams have successfully assisted many customers with their SAP ERP software, completed several full life cycle implementation projects, and carried out over 30 projects in SAP ECC and S/4 Hana. My experience has given me the unique ability to scope out ERP solutions in a very short amount of time. I have a knack for finding untapped money-making opportunities and discovering areas where customers could be saving money. I currently live and work in Palo Alto, CA just 10 minutes away from the SAP office. I dedicate myself to helping our clients with our SAP consulting services. In my spare time, I enjoy sailing, kickboxing, and spending time with my family and our two Taiwanese Mountain dogs.

View All Articles by Soren Detering
Have a Comment or a Question? Please Use The Form Below to Tell Us What You Think About This Blog Post

Detering Consulting Blog

Subscribe to our blog and receive updates about SAP Consulting, Warranty Management, Service Contract Management, Analytics and SAP Consulting Best Practices and ideas delivered right to your email.