How To Fix ME050 - External procurement not defined for material &

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: ME - Purchasing: General Messages

• Message number: 050

• Message text: External procurement not defined for material &

What causes this issue?

External procurement is not defined as the
<GL:procurement_type>procurement type</> for the
<GL:material_master_record>material master record</> you entered.
&WHAT_TO_DO& (system administrator)
Check the <GL:material_type>material type</> in Customizing for
Purchasing. The material type determines whether the material is to be
"made in" (manufactured in-house) or "bought out" (procured externally)
- that is, whether internal or external orders may be issued for the
material.
<DS:SIMG.SIMG_CFMENUOLMSOMS2>Define attributes of material types</>

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message ME050 - External procurement not defined for material & ?

  The SAP error message ME050, which states "External procurement not defined for material &," typically occurs when you attempt to create a purchase order or perform a related procurement activity for a material that is not set up for external procurement in the system. This means that the material is not configured to be sourced from external suppliers.
  Cause:
  
  Material Master Configuration: The material in question may not have been set up with the appropriate procurement type in the material master record. The procurement type must be set to allow for external procurement (e.g., "F" for external procurement).
  Purchasing Info Record: There may not be a purchasing info record for the material and vendor combination, which is necessary for external procurement.
  Plant Settings: The plant associated with the material may not be configured to allow external procurement.
  Material Type Restrictions: The material type may have restrictions that prevent it from being procured externally.
  
  Solution:
  
  
  Check Material Master:
  
  Go to transaction code MM03 (Display Material) and enter the material number.
  Check the "Purchasing" view to ensure that the procurement type is set to allow external procurement (e.g., "F").
  If necessary, use transaction code MM02 (Change Material) to update the procurement type.
  
  
  
  Create or Update Purchasing Info Record:
  
  Use transaction code ME11 (Create Purchasing Info Record) to create a new info record for the material and vendor.
  Ensure that the info record is correctly set up with the necessary details.
  
  
  
  Check Plant Settings:
  
  Ensure that the plant associated with the material is set up to allow external procurement. This can be checked in the material master under the "Plant Data" view.
  
  
  
  Review Material Type:
  
  Check if the material type allows for external procurement. If it does not, you may need to change the material type or create a new material with a type that allows external procurement.
  
  
  
  Consult with Your SAP Administrator:
  
  If you are unsure about making changes or if the issue persists, consult with your SAP administrator or a colleague with expertise in material management.
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Transaction Codes:
  
  MM03: Display Material
  MM02: Change Material
  ME11: Create Purchasing Info Record
  ME12: Change Purchasing Info Record
  
  
  Material Master Views: Ensure you are familiar with the different views of the material master, especially the Purchasing and Plant Data views.
  Documentation: Refer to SAP Help documentation for detailed information on material master data and procurement processes.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the ME050 error and successfully set up external procurement for the material in question.