SAP CO01 Transaction: How to Create a Production Order

01What CO01 does

The SAP CO01 transaction creates a production order in the production planning process. The order can contain the material, plant, order type, quantity, dates, operations, components, and scheduling information required to manufacture a product.

CO01 is generally used when production needs a new order that is not being created automatically from another planning or sales process. The exact fields and defaults depend on the order type, plant configuration, material master, bill of material, and routing.

For a broader reference of SAP transaction codes, see the SAP transaction code list. For a sales-side comparison, the SAP VA01 transaction creates a sales order rather than a production order.

02Before creating the order

Confirm the following information before opening CO01:

• The material number to be produced
• The production plant
• The production order type
• The planned production quantity
• Basic start and finish dates, or the scheduling dates required by the business process
• A valid bill of material and routing when the order should receive components and operations automatically
• Authorization to create production orders for the relevant plant and order type

Material master, bill of material, work center, and routing data should be checked before the order is created. Missing or inactive master data can prevent the order from receiving the expected components, operations, or capacity requirements.

03Create a production order in CO01

1. Start SAP GUI and enter CO01 in the command field.
2. Enter the material number and production plant.
3. Enter the production order type when it is not supplied by a default.
4. Confirm the initial screen to open the order details.
5. Enter or review the order quantity and scheduling dates.
6. Review the generated operations and components.
7. Add or adjust data permitted by the order type and business process.
8. Check the order for errors or missing data.
9. Save the order.

After saving, SAP assigns a production order number. Record that number for subsequent release, confirmation, goods issue, goods receipt, and settlement activities.

The order overview should be checked after creation. Verify that the material, plant, quantity, dates, operations, components, and status match the manufacturing requirement.

04Review scheduling and master data

CO01 can use information from several master data objects. A bill of material supplies component requirements, while a routing supplies operations and work centers. Scheduling uses the order dates, operation durations, floats, and plant settings.

If the order does not contain expected components, inspect the material's bill of material selection and validity. If operations are missing, check the routing selection and validity. If dates or capacity requirements look incorrect, review the scheduling parameters and work center data before releasing the order.

Production orders can also be created or influenced by purchasing and inventory activities. The SAP ME21N transaction is used for purchase orders, which are separate documents from production orders and may support external procurement of required materials.

05Check and release the order

Saving an order does not automatically mean that it is ready for execution. Review the order status and resolve messages that affect material availability, capacity, costing, or scheduling.

Release the order only after the required master data and dates are correct. Depending on system configuration, release may enable confirmations, goods movements, printing, workflow steps, or shop-floor execution.

Use the production order display and change functions available in the system to review later changes. Keep a record of changes that affect quantity, dates, components, operations, or execution status.

06Troubleshoot common CO01 errors

Material or plant cannot be used

Check that the material is extended to the production plant and that the material status permits production. Confirm that the plant entered on the initial screen is the intended manufacturing plant.

No bill of material is selected

Check the bill of material usage, alternative, validity dates, plant assignment, and production version settings. The selected order type and material can influence which bill of material is proposed.

No routing or operations are selected

Check that a valid routing exists for the material and plant. Review the routing status, validity, usage, and selection conditions used by the production order.

Dates are changed during scheduling

Review the order dates, scheduling direction, operation durations, floats, work center capacity, and factory calendar. Scheduling can recalculate dates when the order data is changed or when the order is scheduled again.

Authorization error appears

Record the full message and contact the SAP security or application support team. The required authorization depends on the transaction, order type, plant, and configured authorization objects.

Order cannot be saved

Read all messages in the status area and navigate to the relevant tab or field. Resolve missing required data, invalid master data, quantity issues, date inconsistencies, and configuration-dependent checks before saving again.

07CO01 operational checklist

Use this short checklist when creating a production order:

• Confirm the material and production plant.
• Confirm the order type and planned quantity.
• Verify the proposed dates.
• Review components and operations.
• Check material availability, capacity, and costing messages.
• Save the order and record its number.
• Release the order according to the operating procedure.
• Continue with confirmations and goods movements using the appropriate transactions.