Customer Can not be Mapped as it does not have Sales Area

Reproducing the Issue

1. Open vendor in T-code BP.
2. Choose role FLVN01.
3. Select the Purchasing screen.
4. Navigate to the Purchasing Data tab.
5. Check the Returns Vendor checkbox.
6. Save.
7. The following *error is raised: "Customer && can not be mapped as it does not have sales area &&" (Message no. VMD_API175)

Cause:

When setting the "Return Supplier" flag, customer master records will be created for all sales areas belonging to plants that are connected with the purchasing organization.
 
A plant is assigned to a purchasing organization (material management) and also to a sales area (sales and distribution).
 
So there is a link between the purchasing org. and the sales area through the plant.
 
This above logic works as follows when it comes to the determination of sales area: 
* From the purchasing Org , all the plant gets determined from field T024W-WERKS, T024W being the table name
* From the plant fetched from the above scenario, the sales area gets determined  in table T001W for all plants above
* From the sales area from the above step, the reference sales area is then determined in table TVTA.
 
So for the sales area/areas to which the customer has not been extended, the error will be issued.

Resolution

• Assign the relevant Sales Area to the Customer within the Sales and Dsitribution screen of the effected Business Partner.
• Alternatively the standard determination logic for mandatory sales area can be changed with Badi MAINTAIN_IMPLICIT_SALESAREA