How to release (and cancel) an inspection lot in SAP QM
how to release inspection lot in sap qm
Also searched as
- sap qm how to release inspection lot
- how to cancel the inspection lot in sap qm
- sap qm inspection lot status CRTD REL
Short answer
Open the lot in QA02, check the system status, and use the Release function so the status moves from CRTD (created) to REL (released); only then can results be recorded in QE01 and a usage decision made in QA11. To cancel a lot, use the cancel function in QA02, which only works while no usage decision exists and no stock posting blocks it.
Applies to: SAP ECC 6.0 and S/4HANA on-premise; menu labels vary slightly by release
Release an inspection lot in QA02
- 1Run QA02 (Change Inspection Lot) and enter the inspection lot number. Find the number first with QA32 (Inspection Lot List) by material, plant and date if you do not have it.
- 2Open the status dialog (the status button or Goto > Header > Status) and confirm the system status shows CRTD and not REL. If it already shows REL, the lot was released automatically and you can go straight to results recording.
- 3From the Inspection Lot menu choose Functions > Release (also available as a Release button on the lot toolbar). The system sets status REL and creates the inspection operations and characteristics for recording.
- 4If the lot has a sample-drawing step, process it next: the sample-drawing or physical-sample procedure will appear on the Inspection Lot screen when the lot has a plan that requires it.
- 5Save. Re-open the status dialog to confirm REL, and check that the characteristics appear in QE51N (Results Recording Worklist) or QE01.
- 6Record results, then make the usage decision in QA11. Stock only moves from quality inspection stock after the usage decision with a stock posting.
- 7To cancel instead: in QA02 use the Functions menu cancel function on a lot that has no usage decision, confirm the dialog, and save. Check the status for the cancelled indicator afterwards.
Why a lot sits in CRTD and does not release itself
An inspection lot is created, for example at goods receipt (inspection type 01) or from a production order (inspection type 03), with system status CRTD. Whether it releases automatically is a customizing decision made per inspection type and lot origin. If your plant requires someone to check the paperwork before inspection starts, lots will stay in CRTD until a person releases them.
In customizing, look under Quality Management > Quality Inspection > Inspection Lot Creation > Maintain Inspection Lot Origin and Inspection Type Setup. The settings named in these nodes decide whether the lot is released on creation, whether it is active, and whether it posts stock to quality inspection. Ask your QM configurator before you change them, because they affect every future lot for that origin.
Do not confuse a lot that is not released with a lot that was never created. If goods receipt was posted and QA32 shows nothing, the problem is upstream: the inspection type is not active in the material master Quality Management view, or no inspection plan was found. That case is covered in the related page on lots not created at goods receipt.
Reading the status before you act
The status dialog shows system statuses and, when the lot has a status profile, user statuses. System statuses you will meet include CRTD (created), REL (released), and the markers that appear once a usage decision is made or the lot is cancelled. Always read the status before pressing anything; the same function can be greyed out for a reason that the status tells you.
Statuses live on the header object of the lot. You can query them in a report by selecting on the status in QA32, or look at the raw data in table QALS (inspection lot header). The related tables are QAMV for characteristic specifications, QAMR for recorded results and QAVE for the usage decision. If QAVE has a row for the lot, a usage decision exists and most of the cancel and change functions are no longer available.
SE16N table QALS fields: PRUEFLOS (lot), MATNR, WERK, ART (inspection type), STAT34 (usage decision made flag)
SE16N table QAVE fields: PRUEFLOS, VCODE (usage decision code)
How to cancel an inspection lot and when it is blocked
Cancelling a lot is allowed while the lot has not been closed with a usage decision. QA02 offers a cancel function in the Functions menu. Cancelling clears the inspection requirement and returns the lot to a state where it is no longer open for inspection. If the lot holds stock in quality inspection, the stock still needs a resolution; cancel does not magically release it, so check with MMBE or MB52 afterwards.
It is blocked in practice when a usage decision has already been made, when a stock posting has been performed from the lot, or when a lock or deletion flag is set. In that case the usual route is to reset the usage decision with QA12 (Change Usage Decision) if your authorizations and customizing allow it, reverse any stock posting, and only then cancel. Where the lot belongs to a goods receipt that is being reversed, reverse the movement with MIGO first; in many setups the inspection lot is then cancelled automatically for the reversal.
A lot cancelled in error cannot simply be reopened. Plan to create a new lot manually with QA01 for the same material and batch, referencing the original goods receipt, and note the reason in the long text.
Authorizations and common role gaps
Release and cancel are controlled by authorization object Q_INSPLOT (inspection lot activities by plant and lot origin) and in some releases by Q_RES_RECG for results. A user who can display lots in QA32 but not change them in QA02 is missing the change activity on Q_INSPLOT for that plant. Run SU53 immediately after the failure to see the failed check rather than guessing.
Try it here, free
SAP QM Inspection Lot Origins Reference
See which business events create inspection lots in SAP QM and what to check when a lot is missing.
Common pitfalls
- !Releasing the wrong lot because QA32 was filtered by date only; always confirm material, batch and plant before pressing Release.
- !Assuming cancel returns stock to unrestricted use. The stock stays in quality inspection until you post it with a usage decision or a transfer posting.
- !Resetting a usage decision in QA12 when stock was already posted from it; that creates a mismatch between lot and stock that someone must correct manually.
- !Changing the inspection type setup in customizing to force auto-release without understanding the impact on every lot origin that uses it.
- !Cancelling a lot instead of correcting the inspection plan, which means the next goods receipt creates the same bad lot again.
How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this
Status questions are a good fit for a grounded assistant: it can read QALS, QAVE and the status text for a lot you name and tell you why the Release or Cancel function is unavailable, with the exact table values shown. On an on-prem setup the model runs on your own hardware and queries read-only, so quality data never leaves the plant network. Any status change is left to a person to execute and approve.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CRTD and REL on an inspection lot?
CRTD means the lot has been created but not released for inspection, so results cannot yet be recorded. REL means the lot is released and its inspection characteristics are open for results recording and the usage decision. Release moves it from one to the other.
Which transaction releases an inspection lot?
QA02, Change Inspection Lot. Open the lot and choose the release function from the Functions menu or the toolbar. QA32 lists lots so you can find the number, but release is done in the change transaction.
Can I cancel an inspection lot after the usage decision?
Not directly. Once a usage decision is made the cancel function is normally unavailable. You would reset the decision with QA12 if allowed, reverse any stock posting made from it, and then cancel, or reverse the originating goods receipt.
Why is the Release button greyed out?
Usually because the lot is already released, because a usage decision exists, or because the user lacks change authorization on Q_INSPLOT for the plant. Check the status dialog first, then run SU53 to look for a failed authorization check.
Related
SAP QM: Inspection Lot Not Created at Goods Receipt
An inspection lot is created only when QM is active for the plant, the material has an active inspection type for the goods movement, and the material carries a QM control key. Check the Quality Management view in MM02, confirm inspection type 01 (purchase order) or 04 (production order) is active, then check QM activation in the plant and the goods movement used.
How-toSAP QA11 Usage Decision: Make It and Post Stock Correctly
The usage decision (UD) in QA11 closes an inspection lot, assigns a quality score and a UD code such as accepted or rejected, and posts the lot quantity from quality inspection stock to unrestricted use, blocked stock, scrap or return to vendor. The UD is blocked until required inspection characteristics are closed and results are recorded.
How-toSAP QM inspection results report: which tcode shows what
Use QA32 for the list of inspection lots, QE51N or QE03 for recorded results, the QM information system (for example QM12) and QGC2 for evaluations of characteristics over time, and QA11 or QAVE for usage decisions. If none fits, read the tables QALS, QAMV, QAMR and QAVE directly.
How-toHow to create an inspection plan in SAP QM (QP01)
Use QP01 to create the plan: enter the material and plant, fill the header (usage, status), add an operation with a work center, assign inspection characteristics, set the sampling procedure and save. The plan is only found at goods receipt when it is assigned to the material and the material has an active inspection type.
Error fixSAP M7 021: Deficit of SL Stock Quantity
M7 021 fires during a goods issue, delivery, or confirmation when SAP checks the unrestricted-use (SL) stock for the exact plant, storage location and batch combination and finds less than what you are trying to post out. Fix the entry (batch, storage location, quantity) first; only enable negative stock or downgrade the message to a warning if the business genuinely needs to post ahead of a receipt.
Error fixSAP IDoc Status 51: Application Document Not Posted
Status 51 tells you the IDoc reached the application layer and failed to post, but the status text itself is not the error - the real cause sits in the status record's long text or the linked application log. Fix the underlying data or configuration, then reprocess the IDoc through BD87 rather than editing the status.
AI for ERPAI for SAP Quality Management: Notifications, 8D, and CAPA Without the Manual Drafting
AI grounded on SAP QM data that triages notifications, drafts 8D and CAPA reports, and summarizes inspection trends, deployed on-prem for full traceability.
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Keep exploring
Free tools
- SAP QM Inspection Lot Origins ReferenceSee which business events create inspection lots in SAP QM and what to check when a lot is missing.
- SAP QM Usage Decision Codes WorksheetPlan usage decision code groups and codes, with valuation, stock posting and quality score, before you configure them in SAP QM.
- SAP QM Inspection Lot ABAP SELECT GeneratorFill in plant, inspection type and date range and get a ready ABAP SELECT joining the inspection lot table QALS to the usage decision table QAVE.
ERP fixes and how-tos
- How to Cancel a Usage Decision in SAP QMReverse or change a usage decision in SAP QM with QA12: prerequisites, effect on stock postings and the reasons the system blocks the change.
- How to Reverse a Usage Decision in SAP QMHow to reverse or change a usage decision in SAP QM with QA12: the conditions, what happens to the stock posting, and the manual fallback when reset is blocked.
- How to Reverse or Cancel a Usage Decision (UD) in SAP QMHow to reverse or cancel a usage decision (UD) in SAP QM: QA12 changes, what blocks it after stock posting, follow-up actions, authorizations and the safe fallback.