Copy control is important functionality to determine data that is copied from one sales document to another. Copy control basically is a program that contains rules that determines data that will be transferred from reference document to target document. In copy control there are several routines that contains ABAP program that declare the logic and rules. The standard system already contains a number of these routines. However, it is possible to generate additional routines to fulfill business requirements not reached within the standard delivered system.

The benefits of setting copy control is such as ensure the continuity of data, copies essential information, avoid manual data input, and reduce the effort of entry data twice.

If you are new in customizing in SD area, for simple explanation is like this: when creating sales order you entry the customer, material, qty, plant, shipping point, pricing, and other business data. All of those data are automatically copied and transfer while creating delivery order and also billing. That is because there is a copy control from sales order document to delivery order, and from delivery order to billing document.

There are several types to control copy control of sales documents:

• VTAA – control for copying from sales order to sales order
• VTLA – control for copying from sales order to delivery
• VTFL – control for copying from delivery to billing doc
• VTAF – control for copying from billing doc to sales order
• VTFA – control for copying from sales order to billing doc
• VTFF – control for copying from billing doc to billing doc

>> Copy Control in Sales Order Documents

In sales application copy control defined as follow:

• Copy control from sales document to sales document (t-code: VTAA)
• Copy control from billing document to sales document (t-code: VTAF)

Copy control from sales order document to another sales order documents is done when you want to copy one sales document data into another sales document such as from an inquiry to an quotation, or a quotation to an order, or quotation to quotation, or an order to an order. All necessary customizes are done here. While copying from billing document to sales document is usually set up in creating debit or credit memo request that referenced from billing document.

By default, system is determined the default standard routine that ready to use. But it is still possible to make changes about the rules which is declared in the routine program. For simple example, it is not possible to copy PO number from quotation to  sales order if routine 101 is used in copying requirements for transferring business data. Thus another routine that is copied from routine 101 is made and little changes in ABAP program is made there so that the transfer of PO number will possible to happen.

Structure of copy control from sales document to sales documents is consist of three level: header level, item level, and schedule line level.

Setting up copy control: Header Data

Copy control header section consist of two main part: overview and details. In header overview section it shows the mapping of reference sales order to the target document. Here you define For example below is copy control (QT) from quotation to sales order (OR). By made this setting thus creation of sales order is can be made from referencing of previous document which is quotation. In the other hand, the header details consist of the routines that will control the flow and rules about data transfer from header data, business data, and others.

Item view of copy control manage the use of item category determination that copied from reference sales document. For every item category assigned, the control of it should be declared by its routine.

The control of copy control is also applied to schedule line data. Here you can define the routine that influence the data transfer process from the referencing document to the target document.

>> Copy Control in Delivery Document

In copy control for delivery order document, the setting is also occurred both in header level and item level. In header level you defined the mapping of reference document which is sales order document to target document, delivery order. The header level setting is for control the copied of reference document that you want to copy to the target document where the data is copied to. In the other hand item level setting is to control the item category that is used in copying the reference document to the target document. For example described in screenshot below for standard sales order (OR) > to delivery order (LF).

>> Copy Control in Billing Document

In billing documents copy control that may possible to occur is identified as follow:

• Copy control from sales document to billing document (t-code: VTFA)
• Copy control from billing document to sales document (t-code: VTAF)
• Copy control from delivery document to billing document (t-code: VTFL)

Diagram below hopefully can give clear explanation of how copy control works.

Detail explanation is described below:

1) Copy control from Sales Order > Delivery Order

T-code: VTLA (IMG > Logistics Execution > Shipping > Copying Control > Specify  Copy Control for Deliveries)

This copy control is to control from sales order document (e.g: OR) to delivery document (e.g: LF). This is normal setting in SD business process, delivery order is created from sales order document. Even for delivery without reference (e.g: LO) or delivery from stock transport order/STO (e.g: LN), you should do setting for this copy control. The sales order type used for customizing purpose, DL/Order Type Sched.Ag.

2) Copy control from Delivery Order > Billing

T-code: VTFL (IMG > Sales and Distribution > Billing > Billing Documents > Maintain  Copying Control for Billing Documents)

Control from delivery order document to billing document is set up here. For example from delivery order (e.g: LF) to billing document (e.g: F2).

3) Copy control from Billing > Sales Order 

T-code: VTAF (IMG > Sales and Distribution > Sales > Maintain Copy Control for Sales Documents )

This copy control is commonly set if the requirement of business process is claim from customer that required billing document as reference document. For example return order (e.g: RE) is created based on previous billing document (e.g: F2).

4) Copy control from Sales Order > Billing

T-code: VTFA (IMG > Sales and Distribution > Billing > Billing Documents > Maintain  Copying Control for Billing Documents)

Copy control in this is created for example business process of credit memo request (e.g: CR) to credit memo (e.g: G2). The other business process is for the creation of billing order related, which is the data billed comes from sales order document.

5) Copy control from Billing > Billing

T-code: VTFF (IMG > Sales and Distribution > Billing > Billing Documents > Maintain  Copying Control for Billing Documents)
Copy control from billing document to billing document is done for example is invoice cancellation process (e.g: F2 > S1).

6) Copy control from Sales Order > Sales Order

T-code: VTAA (IMG > Sales and Distribution > Sales > Maintain copy control for sales document

Sales documents inquiry, quotation, and contract is categorized as sales order document. Thus if sales order creation is referenced from inquiry, quotation, or sales order the setting is set up here.

For detail explanation you can read from SAP Help portal: Basic Function and Master Data in SD Processing.