SAP Note 20137 - IS-H Treatment deletion flag .

Symptom

In spite of set deletion flag - also called deletion indicator - an object (e.g. a guarantor) can still be used with concrete entry of a key. No warning appears that such a deletion flag exists.
On the other hand, the object is not displayed in the possible entries (F4).

Cause and prerequisites

Not an error! Deletion flag conceptual design.

Solution

If an object may no longer be used, is must be blocked (in the case of the guarantor, the entire business partner). The deletion flag should have no effect on any subsequent functionality whatsoever, for reasons of data integrity.

Here is the conceptual design of the deletion flag in detail, also from a point of view of cancelling and blocking:

Cancelling

Cancelling is understood as 'logical deletion': the deletion can be duplicated, since the object (at first) remains physically in the system. However, the object is at the same time no longer usable in application functions, that is, it is no longer logically available.

Deletion indicator/deletion flag

With the deletion indicator, the user shows that an object is to be deleted. Example: They enter a guarantor by mistake and want to delete it again. However, since not all dependent objects can be checked online (generally for performance reasons) (e.g. insurance data, insurance verifications, forms, billings etc.), the object is initially kept in the system for reasons of consistency, and this is without restrictions on the subsequent functions.

In the transaction in which the object is directly edited (in the above example: Change guarantor) a note appears that the objects has a deletion flag. This can also be reset again here.
In subsequent functions, the deletion indicator is not taken into account at all.
Example: A guarantor for which the deletion indicator is set can nevertheless be used in the insurance relationship or for billing a case. No W or I messages are output however.

However, on F4 lists of dependent functions, an object with a deletion indicator is no longer used, as standard (example: F4 in the insurance screen on the Guarantor field does not show any guarantors flagged for deletion, as standard). But you can also list the objects flagged for deletion via an additional checkbox "Deletion indicator" in the selection screen (in the example: "Guarantor list: Initial screen").

Blocking
With blocking, the user temporarily prevents an object being reused in dependent functions. Example: A station is blocked for a specific period, so that no movements which are created or changed for the affected period can refer to it. However, dependent objects created earlier which are no longer changed are not affected by the blocking. The blocking is thus a creation block. The blocking is always supported by a blocking interval (start date/end date).