Classification Tools for Variant
Configuration
Unit Overview
This unit explains the various classification tools available for variant configuration. It also explains how to maintain characteristics and classes in variant configuration.
Unit Objectives
After completing this unit, you will be able to: • Maintain characteristics
• Identify the special features of characteristics maintenance for variant configuration
• Create characteristics with reference to master data fields • Create variant classes and class nodes
• Assign objects to classes and find objects in classes
• Identify the special features of class maintenance for variant configuration
Unit Contents
Lesson: Characteristics Maintenance ... 24 Exercise 2: Characteristics Maintenance ... 33 Lesson: Class Maintenance ... 39 Exercise 3: Class Maintenance ... 47
Lesson: Characteristics Maintenance
Lesson Overview
This lesson explains how to create and maintain characteristics. It also identifies the special features of characteristics maintenance.
Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to: • Maintain characteristics
• Identify the special features of characteristics maintenance for variant configuration
• Create characteristics with reference to master data fields
Business Example
ABC Motors is an automobile manufacturing company. It manufactures various models of cars. To maintain every possible end-product variant, the company has decided to implement SAP R/3 Enterprise variant configuration solution. The basic foundation for this solution rests in SAP R/3 Enterprise classification. As the Product Manager of the company, you need to define characteristics, their values, and assign these characteristics to classes.
Introduction to Characteristics
Figure 11: Variant Configuration Knowledge Base for Materials
Characteristics and values and at least one variant class (class type 300) must be created in SAP R/3 Enterprise classification.
Figure 12: Screens: Characteristics
Naming conventions
Letters, figures, underscores, and hyphens Characteristic names must start with a letter.
Characteristic names with a hyphen require the use of a keyword when used in dependencies. If you use a characteristic whose name contains a hyphen, you must use the expression SKEY to address the characteristic in dependencies. You enter the characteristic name in single quote marks: SKEY “EXTERNAL-COLOR“.
You can rename characteristics, provided that they are not addressed in dependencies. Technically, they are stored under an internal number.
Figure 13: Characteristic Status
You can define additional statuses in Customizing for classification, if required.
Entry and Format of Characteristics
Figure 14: Entry/Format
Exponent 0: No exponent 1: Standard 1, ... E-xx
2: Predefined exponent 0, ... E- (enter exponent) 3: Scientific ---,-- E-xx
Formats DATE, TIME, and CURR cannot be used in variant configuration. You use the Entry Required indicator to define whether it is mandatory to assign a value to a characteristic.
If a characteristic is not yet used in a class, you can change the data type and the format data of a characteristic.
Figure 15: Allowed Values – Value Assignment Type for Characteristics
Intervals can be restricted, unrestricted, closed, half open, or open. For example:
100 - 200 , >100 , <= 100 , >100 - <200.
The allowed values and allowed intervals that you define are binding for value assignment, unless you define that additional values are also allowed. However, you can restrict intervals.
You can overwrite characteristic values for a specific class. Indicators: Single-value, Multiple values, and Restrictable
The Single-value indicator means that only one value can be assigned to an object. If you assign a class or other hierarchy node to a class, you can assign more than one value. This serves to restrict the allowed values. The Multiple values indicator means that you can assign more than one value during value assignment.
The Restrictable indicator is for a special kind of single-value characteristic, which can only be used in constraints.
Other Options for Characteristics Maintenance
Figure 16: Other Options for Characteristics Maintenance
In addition to constants and intervals, you can also enter characteristic values in the form of a hierarchy, in order to structure the entry of characteristic values.
You can create a long text for a characteristic by choosing “Documentation“. On the “Values“ tab you can create a long text for values of CHAR
characteristics.
If you have defined a default value for a characteristic, you see this characteristic value immediately in value assignment functions. You can decide whether to accept the default value or select a different value. Characteristics list: you can use this function to produce a list of objects that have a specific characteristic value. For example, you might want to delete a value, but you are not allowed, because the value has already been assigned to objects.
From the classification menu, choose Environment→Reporting→ Characteristics List.
Reference Characteristics
Figure 17: Reference Characteristic
Reference characteristics are characteristics that refer to table fields. You need reference characteristics in configuration if you want to refer to the values of table fields in object dependencies.
Essential data, such as format and length, is copied from the table field in SAP R/3 Enterprise repository to the characteristic.
Reference characteristics can fulfill two functions: • Read-only access to table fields in conditions • Changes to field contents with object dependencies
You create reference characteristics in the Additional data in characteristics maintenance. Enter the table field to which you want the characteristic to refer. If you want to refer to a table field in several tables, you can enter several tables. However, the format of the field must be the same in all tables.
Figure 18: Reference Characteristics – Write Access
In table SDCOM, field VKOND, you maintain variant conditions for determining surcharges and discounts during value assignment, by entering reference characteristics that refer to these fields in dependencies, or a link in characteristics maintenance.
In purchasing, field VKOND in table MMCOM is used for maintaining variant conditions.
In table PLPO, not all fields can be changed. Structure PLPO_CFMOD defines which fields can be changed.
You can use reference characteristics to refer to these sales order tables. However, dependencies have read-only access to fields in these tables. You cannot use dependencies to change field values.
Exercise 2: Characteristics Maintenance
Exercise Objectives
After completing this exercise, you will be able to:
• Create characteristics for variant configuration and assign them to a variant class
Business Example
AA Computers is a PC manufacturing company. It manufactures various models of PCs. The company is implementing SAP R/3 Enterprise to optimize its storage inventories to maintain every possible end-product variant. A basic requirement when implementing variant configuration is the creation of the required characteristics and their values. As the Product Manager of the company, you have to create the required characteristics and their values.
Task:
Create characteristics with the data provided. 1. Characteristic:T_CAS_##
Description: PC Casing Chars Group: T-## Status: Released
Format: Character Format (2 characters) Characteristic Values: TW Tower
2. Characteristic: T_CPU_## Description: CPU of PC Chars Group: T-## Status: Released
Format: Character Format (2 characters) Entry required
Characteristic Values: 01 Standard
02 Medium 03 Fast
3. Characteristic: T_EXT_## Description: Extras for PC Chars Group: T-##
Status: Released
Format: Character Format (2 characters) Multiple Values
Display all allowed values on the value assignment interface Characteristic Values: 01 Mouse
02 Modem 03 Keyboard
Hint: Double-check that you have allowed multiple values. This feature will be used in a subsequent exercise.
Solution 2: Characteristics Maintenance
Task:
Create characteristics with the data provided. 1. Characteristic:T_CAS_##
Description: PC Casing Chars Group: T-## Status: Released
Format: Character Format (2 characters) Characteristic Values: TW Tower
a) Create characteristics:
CT04 =User Menu→Classification→Master Data→Characteristics or SAP Menu→Cross-Application Components→Classification System→Master Data→Characteristics
Characteristic: T_CAS_##→Create Description: PC Casing
Chars Group: T-## Status: Released
Format: Character Format Number of Chars: (2)
→Values tab
Characteristic values: TW Tower MT Minitower DT Desktop→Save 2. Characteristic: T_CPU_## Description: CPU of PC Chars Group: T-## Status: Released
Format: Character Format (2 characters) Entry required
Characteristic Values:
01 Standard 02 Medium 03 Fast
a) Characteristic: T_CPU_##→Create Description: CPU of PC
Chars Group:T-## Status:Released
Format: Character Format Number of Chars:(2)
(Indicator: Entry required)→Values tab Characteristic values: 01 Standard 02 Medium 03 Fast →Save 3. Characteristic: T_EXT_## Description: Extras for PC Chars Group: T-##
Status: Released
Format: Character Format (2 characters) Multiple Values
Display all allowed values on the value assignment interface Characteristic Values: 01 Mouse
03 Keyboard
Hint: Double-check that you have allowed multiple values. This feature will be used in a subsequent exercise.
a) Characteristic: T_EXT_##
→Create
Description: Extras for PC Chars Group: T-##
Status: Released
Format: Character Format Number of Chars: (2)
(Indicator: Multiple Values)
→Additional data tab
Indicator: Display Allowed Values→Values tab Characteristic values: 01 Mouse
02 Modem 03 Keyboard
Lesson Summary
You should now be able to: • Maintain characteristics
• Identify the special features of characteristics maintenance for variant configuration
Lesson: Class Maintenance
Lesson Overview
This lesson explains how to create and maintain classes. It also identifies the special features of class maintenance.
Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to: • Create variant classes and class nodes
• Assign objects to classes and find objects in classes
• Identify the special features of class maintenance for variant configuration
Business Example
ABC Motors is an automobile manufacturing company. It manufactures various models of cars. The company has decided to implement SAP R/3 Enterprise variant configuration solution to maintain end-product variants. SAP R/3 Enterprise classification is the primary step to implement variant configuration solution. As the Product Manager of the company, you need to create variant classes, assign objects to classes, and identify the special features of class maintenance.
Introduction to Classes
• Variant class
Classes of type 300 or similar class types collect and manage the characteristics for specifying a precise component in the BOM. • Class node
Classes of type 200 or similar class types collect and manage the characteristics for specifying a precise component in the BOM. A class type is defined as a class type for variants or for class nodes in the control parameters of Customizing.
In the standard system, you can define an existing class type for class nodes by setting an indicator.
Figure 20: Screens: Classes
Basic Data: You can set the status of a class. In the standard system, the class statuses for all class types are:
0 = In preparation; only class maintenance allowed 1 = Released; no restrictions
2 = Locked; no classification allowed Characteristics:
You can assign characteristics to your class. The sequence of the characteristics in the class is also the sequence of characteristics that is displayed during configuration. The characteristics describe the objects that you classify in your class.
Additional Data:
You can maintain data for using the class as a BOM item for a configurable material (class node).
Figure 21: Class Type
The class type has central control functions in class maintenance. You cannot change the class type once you have created a class. You can define additional class types with different features in Customizing, if required.
Class statuses, classification statuses, organizational areas, text types, functions, and filters are all defined per class type.
Figure 22: Classification Functions
2. Maintain class, assigning characteristics to class
3. Classify objects, that is, create objects, then from either master data or classification system, assign objects to class and assign values
4. Find objects
Classification of Objects
Figure 23: How to Classify Objects
The following functions are supported for classifying an object in a class: • You can assign an object to one or more classes. To do this, you can use either the Object to Classes assignment function, or classify the object from a master record maintenance function.
• You can assign a configurable material to a variant class in the variant configuration menu when maintaining a configuration profile.
• You can assign several objects to a class at once by using the Objects to Class assignment function.
Figure 24: Class Node: Class Maintenance
Required component If this flag is set:
It does not affect low-level configuration.
It only affects high-level configuration if a BOM or configuration structure is exploded. In other words, not in sales, or in the sales view of the planned/production order scenario without BOM explosion, or in the order BOM scenario. You see an inconsistency message if the system has not found any component in its attempt to replace the class node. The configuration can only be saved with a status other than “Released“. Multiple selection
If this flag is not set:
It does not affect low-level configuration.
It only affects high-level configuration if a BOM or configuration structure is exploded, and the scenario used is either “sales order“ with manual changes allowed, or “order BOM“. You see an inconsistency message if the system has found more than one component in its attempt to replace the class node. The configuration can only be saved with a status other than “Released“.
The inconsistency on the result screen can be resolved either in sales order maintenance that is sales order scenario with manual changes, or in technical post-processing (order BOM scenario), by starting the search for an object by classification.
The “Multiple selection“ flag should not be used. No inconsistency message would be generated, and the configuration could be saved with status “Released“. You can really only replace a class node with one material component.
Figure 25: Class-Specific Changes to Characteristics
You define the characteristics to be assigned to a class in characteristics maintenance functions. However, there are cases where this central definition of characteristics is not enough. In these cases, you can overwrite the characteristics of a class for the specific class. These changes only apply to the characteristic in this class.
You can overwrite the indicators shown in the graphic. You can also change the allowed values of a characteristic for a specific class. You can assign class-specific object dependencies or link class-specific documents to a characteristic.
Figure 26: Two Ways to Set Up a Class Hierarchy
The classification functions in mySAP PLM Lifecycle Data Management let you set up a hierarchy of classes made up of several superior and subordinate classes.
Using the Objects to Class assignment function, you can assign one or more subordinate classes to a superior class.
Using the Class to Classes assignment function, you can assign one class to one or more superior classes.
You can link a document from the document management functions of mySAP PLM Lifecycle Data Management to a class, characteristic, or characteristic value.
Procedure to link a document to a class:
On the initial screen of class maintenance, choose Document or Goto→
Document. Enter the key of the document you want to link to the class.
You can use this document to store information on the class and the objects assigned to it. By linking a drawing or graphic to the document, you can make this information available to the class.
Exercise 3: Class Maintenance
Exercise Objectives
After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • Create variant classes and display class nodes
Business Example
AA Computers is a PC manufacturing company. It manufactures various models of PCs. The company is implementing SAP R/3 Enterprise to optimize its storage inventories and maintain every possible end-product variant. You are the Product Manager of the company. To implement the configuration task of modeling the PC, you need to maintain the relevant variant classes and class nodes.
Task 1:
Create variant class for the value assignment interface of your PC. 1. Create variant class T_VPC_## for the value assignment interface
of your PC.
Class type: 300(= Variants) Description: Class for T-VPC## Status: Released
Group: T-##
Valid: From: and To: (Use default values here) Assign the characteristics you created to this class. T_CAS_##
T_CPU_## T_EXT_##
Task 2:
For a subsequent exercise, you need a class node for selecting the color component required. This class node, T_VPC_COLOR, describing colors, has already been defined. Please note that this class node is used by all course participants.
Caution: Do not make any changes to this class node.
1. Display the Additional data screen. 1. Can this class be used in BOMs?
2. What is the unit of measure for the resulting components? 3. Which item category is used for the resulting component in the bill of material?
2. Display the Characteristics tab page.
1. Which characteristics are assigned to the class node? 2. Which values can these characteristics have?
3. Exit the class. From the classification menu, find all materials that are assigned to this class node.
1. Display all the assigned materials with their assigned values. 2. Are values assigned to all characteristics of the class node for all materials?
Solution 3: Class Maintenance
Task 1:
Create variant class for the value assignment interface of your PC. 1. Create variant class T_VPC_## for the value assignment interface
of your PC.
Class type: 300(= Variants) Description: Class for T-VPC## Status: Released
Group: T-##
Valid: From: and To: (Use default values here) Assign the characteristics you created to this class. T_CAS_##
T_CPU_##
T_EXT_##
a) Create class: CL02 =
User Menu→Classification→Master Data→Classes or SAP Menu→Cross-Application Components→Classification System→Master Data→Classes
Class: T_VPC_## Class type:300
→Create
Maintain description, status, and group only.
Do not change anything else. For example, the class is valid from today’s date until December 31 9999.
→Characteristics
Add the three characteristics.
Hint: You can use the F4 help and search using characteristics group T-##. Keep the search result by choosing the drawing-pin button.
Before copying a characteristic, the cursor must be on the relevant field in class maintenance.
Task 2:
For a subsequent exercise, you need a class node for selecting the color component required. This class node, T_VPC_COLOR, describing colors, has already been defined. Please note that this class node is used by all course participants.
3. Which item category is used for the resulting component in the bill of material?
a) Display class node:
CL02 = User Menu→Classification→Master Data→Classes
Class:T_VPC_COLOR (Class Group T-00) Class type: 200
→Display
Caution: Display the Additional data tab page.
1. Can this class be used in BOMs? Yes
2. What is the unit of measure for the resulting components? Liter
3. Which item category is used for the resulting component? L (stock item)
2. Display the Characteristics tab page.
1. Which characteristics are assigned to the class node? 2. Which values can these characteristics have?
a) 1. Which characteristics are assigned to the class node? T_COL_00 and T_GLO_00
2. Which values can these characteristics have? Cursor on characteristic→Pushbutton “Display values”
(01 - red, 02 - blue, 03 - yellow) , (0 - without gloss, 1 - with gloss) 3. Exit the class. From the classification menu, find all materials that
are assigned to this class node.
1. Display all the assigned materials with their assigned values. 2. Are values assigned to all characteristics of the class node for all materials?
3. Are there assigned materials for all value combinations? a) Find objects in class node:
CL30N = User Menu→Classification→Find→Find Objects in Classes
Class:T_VPC_COLOR Class type:200→Enter 1. →Find in initial class
⇒ all the assigned materials with their assigned values
2. Are values assigned to all characteristics of the class node for all materials? Yes