A preliminary document posting allows you to enter and store incomplete documents without carrying out extensive entry checks and parked document is a type of preliminary document. A parked document is a type of preliminary posting.

Parking documents do not update any data in the system, such as transactional figures (except for cash management).  However, you can evaluate parked documents since preliminary postings are linked to the reporting functions in financial accounting. Parked documents can be completed, checked, and then posted at a later date, even by a different entry clerk.

So,  What types of data can you park? You can park data for customer, vendor, general ledger and asset accounts.

Differences between parked documents and held documents

Parked Documents

•    Assigned a document number
•    Can be viewed by any other user
•    Can be viewed through line item display
•    Documents linked to accounts even though amounts do not update balances

Held Documents

• Temporary document number controlled by the user ID
• Can only be viewed by the creator
• Cannot view through line item display
• Can only be viewed during document entry through “Open Held Doc”

The approval process for parked documents.

An important use of parked documents is to allow for an approval process before a document can be posted.  When a clerk parks a document for his manager’s approval, the clerk must manually notify his manager of the parked document.

SAP workflow may be used to automate the approval process of preliminary postings. When a parked document is posted, the number is simply transferred over as the newly posted document number.