SAP PLM training by kmr software services

KMR Software Services Pvt Ltd
www.kmrsoft.com ; Email : kmrss.sap@gmail.com;
Mobile : +91 9966 003349; Skype : KMRSS.SAP ;

TRAINING MATERIAL ON
SAP PLM
Prepared by
KMR Software Services
www.kmrsoft.com
Email : info@kmrsoft.com


Index
An Introduction to SAP ...............................................................................................................................03
SAP Navigations ............................................................................................................................................04
What is PLM?.................................................................................................................................................10
Different PLM Systems ...............................................................................................................................12
Master data ...................................................................................................................................................15
Material Master ............................................................................................................................................17
Bill of Material (BOM) .................................................................................................................................29
Work Center ..................................................................................................................................................44
Routings ..........................................................................................................................................................47
Classification ..................................................................................................................................................53
Engineering Change Management ..........................................................................................................63
Document Management ............................................................................................................................88
SAP Easy Document Management

..............................................................................121

CAD Desktop (CA-CAD) ............................................................................................................................ 128
Collaboration Folders (cFolders) ........................................................................................................... 135
Collaboration Projects (cProjects) ........................................................................................................ 143
Web User Interface of SAP Product Lifecycle Management (PLM-WUI).................................... 159
What is ASAP Methodology.................................................................................................................... 167
Glossary of SAP terms .............................................................................................................................. 179
2

.

An Introduction to SAP


SAP: Systems Applications and Products in Data Process
SAP was founded in 1972 in Walldorf, Germany. It stands for Systems, Applications and Products in
Data Processing. Over the years, it has grown and evolved to become the world premier provider of
client/server business solutions for which it is so well known today. The SAP R/3 enterprise
application suite for open client/server systems has established new standards for providing business
information management solutions.
Advantages of Using SAP R/3 in comparison with other Similar Tools
Technology playing a major role in today's business environment. So many companies and
corporations have adopted information technology on a large scale by using Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) systems to accomplish their business transaction and data processing needs. And in
this technology SAP R/3 plays a significant role when compared with other similar tools.

SAP Modules Overview
Production Planning
Materials Management
Sales & Distribution
Finance & Accounting, etc…

SAP now are moving away from describing their system as a set of SAP Modules, and now are
using the term „solutions‟, which is much better, as follows:








Financials 
Human Resources 
Customer Relationship Management 
Supplier Relationship Management 
Product Lifecycle Management 
Supply Chain Management 
Business Intelligence 


SAP Navigations
Standard Toolbar Buttons

Button

Keyboard
Shortcut Description

Keyboard
Button Shortcut

Description

Enter key

Enter/Continue

Ctrl G

Continue Search

Ctrl S

Save

F1

Help

F3

Back

Ctrl Page Up

Scroll to top of document.

Shift F3

Exit System Task.

Page Up

Scroll up one page.

F12

Cancel

Page Down

Scroll down one pag.e

Ctrl P

Print

Ctrl Page Down Scroll to last page of
document.

Ctrl F

(PC
only)

Find

(PC
only)

Alt F12

None

Create new session.

Customize local
layout.

Application Toolbar and Screen Buttons
Keyboard
Button Shortcut Description

Keyboard

F8

Execute

None

Update/Refresh

F5

Overview

Shift F5

Get variant

Shift F2

Delete

Shift F6

Selection screen help


Navigation Buttons
Keyboard
Button Shortcut

Keyboard
Button Shortcut

Description

Description

Enter

Enter/Continue/Copy

F12

Cancel

F8

Scroll left

Shift F1
Shift F7

Scroll right
Next item

Ctrl Shift F1 Move Favorites Up

Ctrl Shift F2 Move Favorites Down

Ctrl F7

Previous layout

Ctrl F8

Next layout

Ctrl F10

User menu

Ctrl F11

SAP menu

F6

Display Period screen

Matchcode Buttons
Keyboard
F4

Display Matchcode
list.

F6

(Mac)

Button

Insert in personal list.
Click on an item, then
on the button.

Shift F6

Restores the original
Matchcode list.

Keyboard
Shortcut Description

(PC
only)

F4

Display Matchcode list.

Shift F6

(PC)

Display personal value list. After
you create the personal list,
click on the button to end the
list.

Shift F4

Hold list displayed while you
make a selection. Click on the
button, then double-click to
select a value.

Working with Data
Keyboard

Keyboard

Ctrl F1

Select all items on screen.

Ctrl F2

Deselect all items on
screen.

Ctrl F3

Start/end of block. Select the
first item; click the button.

Ctrl F6

Display results.


Select the last item; click the
button.
F7

Display all possible values.

F8

Collapse all levels.

Ctrl Shift
F5

Sort in ascending order:
Change sort order to
descending or ascending
(Fund Analysis rpt)

Ctrl Shift
F4

Sort in descending
order.
Dynamic selections.

Selection options. Choose

F2 Shift F4 Select additional fields values >, <, etc.
for search criteria.
Shift F5

Multiple Selection. Include or
exclude single values or
ranges of values.

Filter; restrict values to
search on Matchcode
list.

None

F5

None

(Mac)

Display -> Change. Switches
from display to change mode.

Replace item back into
workflow in Workflow
Inbox.

Using Transactions (Reqs, JVs, etc.)
Keyboard

Keyboard

F6

Display header details.

F2

Display line item details.

F2

Display additional info for
PO line item.

None

Services for object (Display
JVs, Reqs).

Shift F5
Ctrl F12

General Statistics (Reqs)
PO History

Shift F5

Display delivery schedule for
a PO line item.

Ctrl F11

Display delivery address.

Shift F6

Display conditions for a PO

6


line item.
F7

Display the vendor
address for a PO.

Ctrl Shift
F6

Show release strategy for
PO.

Formatting Text (Reqs, JVs)
Keyboard
Button Shortcut
Shift F2

(PC
only)

Description
Delete selection line.

Keyboard
Button Shortcut
(PC
only)

F9

F9

Select. Click in a line item,
then on the button.

Ctrl Shift F2 Copy text (JV line
item).

Ctrl F10
Shift F6

Ctrl Shift F1 Cut text (JV line item).
Paste text into field after you
copy or cut it. Position the
cursor and click the button.

Description

(Mac
only)

Item text (POs)
Detailed text (JVs)

Shift F4

Search and replace
words in the JV text
screen.

F6

Create text (JVs).

Top

7


9


What is PLM?
Product lifecycle management or PLM is an all-encompassing approach for innovation, new product
development and introduction (NPDI) and product information management from ideation to end of
life.
Business Drivers
Innovation and new product development are essential for most companies to sustain future revenue
growth. Customers demand more new products in shorter time intervals, often customized to their
own needs. They want more attractive designs, better performance, better quality, lower prices, and
instant availability. To meet these needs companies have to be able to collaborate closely within their
own organization and with partners and suppliers located in various parts of the world. At the same
time companies have to manage increasing product and manufacturing complexities due to a quickly
growing number of environmental and regulatory rules and requirements.
The Problem
Accelerating innovation and increasing the number of successful new product introductions is a huge
challenge for most organizations today because of their traditionally serial, fragmented, manual, and
paper based processes. The result is that many companies suffer from NPDI practices that are slow,
resource intensive, costly, inflexible, provide little visibility, and are difficult to manage and control.

The Solution – PLM
Through their ability to integrate all product related data and processes and to eliminate boundaries in
the value chain, PLM Systems can significantly reduce non-value added activities and enable
stakeholders to collaborate in real time using a consistent set of information throughout the entire
product lifecycle.
10


As a result, productivity improvements of over 60% in NPDI-related activities have been achieved
through PLM-enabled, enterprise-wide data and process optimization and integration that have
allowed companies to:








Drive innovation 
Accelerate Revenues 
Increase Productivity 
Reduce Costs 
Improve Quality 
Ensure Compliance 
Shorten Time-to-Market 

In today‟s highly competitive, fast-paced and global business environment, well-designed and
implemented PLM practices, processes and technologies that support an organization‟s strategies for
innovation and growth can afford companies a real competitive advantage.

11


Different PLM Systems
Product

Client Focus

Vendor

Accolade

Small-Medium

Sopheon

Agile Advantage

Small-Medium

Oracle/Agile

Agile e6

Medium-Large

Oracle/Agile

Agile 9

Medium-Large

Oracle/Agile

Aras Innovator

Small-Medium

Aras Corp

Arena

Small-Medium

Arena Solutions

Enovia MatrixOne

Medium-Large

Dassault Systemes

Enovia SmarTeam

Small-Medium

Dassault Systemes

BPMplus

Small-Medium

Ingenuus

ProductCenter

Small-Medium

SofTech

SAP PLM

Medium-Large

SAP

Teamcenter Engineering

Medium-Large

Siemens PLM Software

Teamcenter Enterprise

Medium-Large


Teamcenter Express

Small-Medium


Teamcenter Unified

Medium-Large


Windchill

Medium-Large

PTC

Windchill On-Demand

Small-Medium

PTC

1
2

With SAP PLM, you can harness the creativity and expertise of internal resources and external


partners to quickly turn concepts and ideas into successful products. You can manage product
innovation and new product development, production ramp-up, product change management, and
maintenance. And you can transfer, track, and control product and asset information throughout the
extended supply chain to ensure speed, quality, efficiency, and, ultimately, profitability. Thousands of
successful companies use SAP PLM in a wide variety of industries, including high tech, automotive,
consumer products, engineering, and construction. SAP PLM enables companies like yours to do the
following.











Choose product concepts that support your corporate strategy. You can screen and
rationalize new ideas, conduct preliminary assessments, perform detailed analyses leading
into prototype design, and reevaluate and revise the product concept based on early findings. 



Manage product and project portfolios with advanced capabilities for systematic idea
management and concept (or business case) evaluation for fast decision making. SAP PLM
helps you perform project management tasks including project structuring over scheduling,
resource management, and cost management and reporting. The focus is on process
methodologies, deliverables, commitments, and responsibilities - all the things that can make a
difference to your business. Strategic portfolio management allows you to monitor, analyze,
evaluate, and optimize your overall portfolio, including concepts, projects, and products. 



Support the processes along the life cycle of all discrete manufacturing industries. SAP
PLM lets you tightly integrate authoring environments such as mechanical or electronic CAD
systems; product development; web-based collaboration with external business partners;
prototype procurement; production and evaluation; and product structures and configurations
for sales, equipment and technical asset structures, service, and maintenance. 



Support the processes along the life cycle of all process manufacturing industries.
Quality management capabilities, product costing, and multilevel recipe management allow
you to transform enterprise recipes into site-level and plant-level recipes. 
 Collect and store product-related data for the entire life cycle. You can consolidate and
have easy access to technical document management, development and planning, and
service and maintenance. 


Manage corporate services as part of your environmental, health, and safety (EH&S)
audit program. SAP PLM allows you to monitor complex regulations, manage data and
documents, track dangerous materials and products, carry out waste disposal, enhance
employee public safety, and support preventive healthcare. 

The SAP Product Lifecycle Management (SAP PLM) application can help you quickly develop and
deliver the products that drive your business. With SAP PLM, you gain the following benefits:
13



Reduced costs - SAP PLM allows you to outsource tasks and focus on your company's core
competencies while controlling the cost of relationship management. The solution also allows you
to manage the cost of changes and evaluate the progress of projects across product lines. 

 Better business results - With SAP PLM, you can develop innovative products, explore new
market opportunities, gain a higher market share, and increase customer satisfaction. 



Higher product quality - SAP PLM helps you manage product quality and reduce waste
throughout every phase of the product life cycle. 





Faster development - The solution reduces time to market and time to volume by integrating
supply chain management and procurement closely. 

 Improved manufacturing operations - SAP PLM enables you to plan, measure, and track
equipment availability, operation, safety, and maintenance. 

 Higher productivity - SAP PLM increases productivity through an easy-to-use, role-based
enterprise portal that delivers all of the necessary content to workers. 

 Better business decisions - SAP PLM supports decision-making at all levels with powerful
analytics covering areas such as portfolio management, occupational health, product safety,
product quality, and maintenance management. 



Lower cost of ownership - SAP PLM can be integrated with operational systems, such as
computer-aided design, ERP, CRM, SRM, and SCM systems. Using a modular approach, you can
implement gradually to meet evolving needs. 

14

Master data
Material Master
Bill of Material
Work Center
Routing


Material Master
Purpose
The material master contains information on all the materials that a company procures or produces,
stores, and sells. It is the company's central source for retrieving material-specific data. This
information is stored in individual material master records.
Integration
The material master is used by all components in the SAP Logistics System. The integration of all
material data in a single database object eliminates redundant data storage. In the SAP Logistics
System, the data contained in the material master is required, for example, for the following functions:


In Purchasing for ordering 



In Inventory Management for goods movement postings and physical inventory 



In Invoice Verification for posting invoices 



In Sales and Distribution for sales order processing 



In Production Planning and Control for material requirements planning, scheduling, and work
scheduling 






Definition
The material master has a hierarchical structure resembling the organizational structure of a
company. Some material data is valid at all organizational levels, while other data is valid only at
certain levels. The organizational units are as follows:








 Client 
 Company Code 
 Plant 
 Storage Location 
 Purchasing Organization 
 Sales Organization 
 Warehouse Number 
 Storage Type 
17


Structure
The client is the top level of the organizational level. Several company codes can be assigned to one
client. In turn, several plants can be assigned to a company code, and several storage locations
assigned to a plant.
Plants must always be consecutively numbered for all company codes. Consequently, plants
assigned to different company codes cannot have the same number. However, the numbers of
storage locations can be repeated, as long as they are assigned to different plants.
Integration
An example of corporate structure is given in the following graphical representation:

Client Definition
In commercial, organizational, and technical terms, a self-contained unit in an SAP system with
separate master records and its own set of tables. A client can, for example, be a corporate group.
18

Integration
General material data applicable to the entire company is stored at client level. This includes, for
example, the material group, base unit of measure, material descriptions, and conversion factors for
alternative units of measure.


Company Code Definition

The smallest organizational unit for which a complete self-contained set of accounts can be drawn up
for purposes of external reporting. This involves recording all relevant transactions and generating all
supporting documents for financial statements such as balance sheets and profit and loss
statements. A company code can, for example, be a company or subsidiary
Integration
All data that is valid for a particular company code, as well as for the plants and storage locations
assigned to it, is stored at company code level. This includes, for example, accounting data and
costing data if valuation is at company code level.
Plant Definition
An organizational unit serving to subdivide an enterprise according to production, procurement,
maintenance, and materials planning aspects. It is a place where either materials are produced or
goods and services provided.
Use
The preferred shipping point for a plant is defined as the default shipping point, which depends on the
shipping condition and the loading condition.
For the placement of materials in storage (stock put-away), a storage location is assigned to a plant.
The storage location depends on the storage condition and the placement situation.
The business area that is responsible for a plant is determined as a function of the division. As a rule,
a valuation area corresponds to a plant.
Structure
A plant can assume a variety of roles:

19



As a maintenance plant, it includes the maintenance objects that are spatially located within
this plant. The maintenance tasks that are to be performed are specified within a maintenance
planning plant. 



As a retail or wholesale site, it makes merchandise available for distribution and sale. 



A plant can be subdivided into storage locations, allowing stocks of materials to be broken down
according to predefined criteria (for example, location and materials planning aspects).


A plant can be subdivided into locations and operational areas. Subdivision into locations takes
geographical criteria into account, whereas subdivision into operational areas reflects responsibilities
for maintenance.
Integration
All data that is valid for a particular plant, as well as for the storage locations belonging to it, is stored
at plant level. This includes, for example, MRP data and forecast data.
Purchasing Organization Definition
An organizational unit subdividing an enterprise according to the requirements of Purchasing. It
procures materials and services, negotiates conditions of purchase with vendors, and is responsible
for such transactions.
Structure
The form of procurement is defined by the assignment of purchasing organizations to company codes
and plants.
The following forms of purchasing exist:


Corporate-group-wide 



A purchasing organization procures for all the company codes belonging to a client. 



Company-specific 



A purchasing organization procures for just one company code. 



Plant-specific 



A purchasing organization procures for a plant. 
20

Mixed forms are possible, which can be replicated in the system by the use of reference purchasing
organizations.
A purchasing organization can utilize the more favorable conditions and contracts of the reference
purchasing organization that has been assigned to it.
Integration
An example of corporate structure with purchasing organization is given in the following graphic
representation:


Sales Organization Definition
An organizational unit subdividing an enterprise according to the requirements of Sales. It is
responsible for selling materials and services.
Structure
A sales organization can be subdivided into several distribution chains which determine the
responsibility for a distribution channel.
Several divisions can be assigned to a sales organization which is responsible for the materials or
services provided.
21

A sales area determines the distribution channel used by a sales organization to sell a division‟s
products.
Integration

A sales organization is always assigned to one company code. The accounting data of the sales
organization is entered for this company code.
A distribution chain can act for several plants. The plants can be assigned to different company
codes. If the sales organization and plant are assigned to different company codes, an internal billing
document is sent between the company codes before the sales transactions are entered for
accounting purposes.


An example of corporate structure with sales organization is given in the following graphic
representation:

Storage Location, Warehouse Number, and Storage Type
Definition
Storage Location
An organizational unit allowing the differentiation of material stocks within a plant. All data referring to
a particular storage location is stored at storage location level. This applies mainly to storage location
stocks.

22

Warehouse Number
An alphanumeric key defining a complex warehousing system consisting of different organizational
and technical units (storage areas). All material data specific to warehouse management and relating
to a particular warehouse number is stored at warehouse number level. This includes, for example,
data on palletizing, stock placement, and stock removal.
Storage Type
A physical or logical storage area that can be defined for a warehouse in the Warehouse
Management (WM) system. It consists of one or more storage bins.
Storage types differ according to organizational and technical criteria. The following are typical
examples of storage types that can be defined using the WM system:
·
·

Goods receipt area
Goods receipt area


·
·

Picking area
High rack storage area

All material data specific to warehouse management and relating to a particular storage type is stored
at storage type level. This includes, for example, fixed storage bins as well as maximum and
minimum storage bin quantities.
Use
The warehouse number and storage type are of relevance only if your company uses the WM
system.
Material Numbers Definition
Number uniquely identifying a material master record, and thus a material.
Use
For every material that your company uses, you must create a material master record in the material
master. This record is uniquely identified by a material number.
You can assign mnemonic keys or nonmnemonic keys as material numbers, depending on the
method your company prefers. For this reason, you have the following types of number assignment in
the system:
External number assignment

·

If your company uses mnemonic keys (normally alphanumeric), you enter the character string
you want to use as the material number when you create the material master record.
Internal number assignment

23

If your company uses nonmnemonic keys, you do not enter a material number when creating a
material master record. Instead, the system assigns a consecutive number to the material. This
number is visible when you maintain the material master record.
Industry Sectors
Use
When you create a material master record, you are required to classify the material according to
industry sector and material type.
Like material types, industry sectors have control functions in the SAP system. For example, it is a
factor determining the screen sequence and field selection in a material master record. Once you
have assigned an industry sector to a material, you cannot change the industry sector again
afterwards.


Features
The standard system contains the following industry sectors. The ID used to identify the industry
sector internally appears in parentheses.
Plant engineering and construction (A)
Chemical industry (C)
Mechanical engineering (M)
Pharmaceuticals (P)
The other sectors are for retail.
Material Types
Materials with the same basic attributes are grouped together and assigned to a material type. This
allows you to manage different materials in a uniform manner in accordance with your company's
requirements. Examples of material types are given in the graphic below.

24

Integration
When creating a material master record, you must assign the material to a material type. The material
type determines certain attributes of the material and has important control functions. For example, it
is a factor determining the screen sequence and field selection in a material master record.
Features
When you create a material master record, the material type you choose determines:


Whether the material is intended for a specific purpose, for example, as a configurable material
or process material 




Whether the material number can be assigned internally or externally 



The number range from which the material number is taken 



Which screens appear and in what sequence 



Which departmental data you may enter 



What procurement type the material has; that is, whether it is manufactured in-house or
procured externally, or both 






Together with the plant, the material type determines the material's inventory management
requirement; that is:


Whether changes in quantity are updated in the material master record 



Whether changes in value are also updated in the stock accounts in financial accounting 



25

In addition, the accounts affected by a material entering or leaving the warehouse depend on the
material type.
Creating a Material Master Record (T Code : MM01)
Prerequisites
Before you create (not extend) a material master record, check that one does not already exist for this
material. You can check this using the search help or by calling up the materials list.
Check whether a material master record exists for a similar material that you can use as a reference;
that is, whose data you can copy as default values.
Procedure
1. In the Material Master menu, choose one of the following options:
– If you want the data to be available immediately, choose Material _ Create (general) _
Immediately.
– If you want to schedule the material master record, choose Material _ Create (general) _
Schedule.
– If you want to create a material master record of a particular material type, choose Material _
Create (special) _ _ Material type>. This saves you having to enter the material type on the
following screen. However, it is not possible to schedule material master records of this kind.

The initial screen for creating a material master record appears.


2. Enter the following data:
– Material number (only in the case of external number assignment and if allowed by the
material type; otherwise leave this field blank)
– Industry sector
– Material type (unless you have created the material by choosing Material _ Create (special)
_ _ Material type>)
If you want to use another material master record as a reference, enter the number of the
reference material under Copy from.
If you are scheduling the material master record, enter the following data:
26

– Key date from which the material master record is to be valid
– Change number if you want to use engineering change management
If you have entered a key date, the system checks that it does not precede the valid-from date of
the change number. If you have not entered a key date, the system uses the valid-from date of the
change number. In both cases, the date must be in the future.
Choose Enter.
The Select View(s) dialog box appears. The views displayed at this point depend on how the
material type has been configured in Customizing for the Material Master in Define Attributes of
Material Types.
3. Select the views, that is, the user departments, for which you want to enter data and choose
Enter.
The Organizational Levels dialog box appears.
Specify the organizational levels as required and, if appropriate, enter a profile.
If you have specified a reference material, also specify under Copy from the organizational levels
of the reference material whose data is to be copied as default values. If you do not do this, the
system will copy only the data at client level.
Choose Enter.
The data screen for the first user department appears.
4. Enter the material description and the base unit of measure in the appropriate fields (if not already
copied from the reference material). This information is mandatory and identical for all user
departments. Consult with the other users to decide what you are going to enter here.


Enter the data for your user department as required.
Choose Enter to access the data screen for the next user department and enter your data for the
other user departments selected in the Select View(s) dialog box. The system issues a message
telling you when you have reached the data screen for the last user department selected.
If you want to enter data for a user department that you did not select in the Select View(s) dialog
box, you can access the user department direct by choosing it, but only if you are
27

authorized to process data for this user department and if the user department is allowed by
the material type.
5. Save your data.
The initial screen appears, where you can start to create the next material master record
Important Transaction codes for Material Master in SAP

Function
Create
Change
Display
Flag for Deletion
Display Changes
Mass Maintenance
Change Material type
Material list

T code
MM01
MM02
MM03
MM06
MM04
MM17
MMAM
MM60


Bill of Material (BOM)
Definition
A formally structured list of the components that make up a product or assembly. The list contains the
object number of each component, together with the quantity and unit of measure.
BOMs are used in their different forms in various situations where a finished product is assembled
from several component parts or materials. Depending on the industry sector, they can also be called
recipes or lists of ingredients and so on.
They contain important basic data for numerous areas of a company, for example:





MRP 

Material provisions for production 

Product costing 

Plant maintenance 

You can create the following BOMs in the SAP system:







Material BOMs 

Equipment BOMs 

Functional location BOMs 

Document structures 

Order BOM 

Work breakdown structure (WBS) BOM 

Selection Criteria
Selection is necessary if you plan production in the system or if you want to maintain BOMs for
technical objects from the area plant maintenance. If very large documents about BOMs are to be
cumulated in the document management system (DMS), you also have to select these components.
Bills of Material in Production Planning
Bills of material (BOMs) and routings contain essential master data for integrated materials
management and production control. In the design department, a new product is designed such that it
is suitable for production and for its intended purpose. The result of this product phase is drawings
and a list of all the parts required to produce the product. This list is the bill of material.
German standard (DIN) number 199, part 2, number 51, defines a bill of material as follows:
A bill of material is a complete, formally structured list of the components that make up a
product or assembly. The list contains the object number of each component, together with
the quantity and unit of measure.
A bill of material can only refer to a quantity of at least 1 of an object.
The graphic below shows some components of a bicycle that are included in a BOM.

29


Bills of material are used in their different forms in various situations where a finished product is
assembled from several component parts or materials. Depending on the industry sector, they may
also be called recipes or lists of ingredients. The structure of the product determines whether the bill
of material is simple or very complex.
How are Bills of Material Used in PP?
The data stored in bills of material serves as a basis for production planning activities such as:
 A design department (working with CAD) can base its work on bills of material. You can also
create a BOM in the SAP system from your CAD program, via the SAP-CAD interface. 

 A material requirements planning (MRP) department explodes bills of material on a certain date
to calculate cost-effective order quantities for materials. 

 A work scheduling department uses bills of material as a basis for operation planning and
production control. 

 A production order management department, uses bills of material to plan the provision of
materials. 
The data stored in bills of material is also used in other activities in a company such as:





Sales orders 
 As an aid to data entry. You can also create and maintain a BOM specifically for a sales order
(variant configuration). 
Reservation and goods issue 
 As an aid to data entry 
Product costing 
To calculate the costs of materials required for a specific product 

30

This simultaneous use of BOM data in different areas of a company illustrates the advantage of a
system based on integrated application components. Links between application components facilitate
continuous data exchange between different application areas, giving all users access to the latest
data at all times.


Single-Level BOMs

You can break down large and complex product structures into a number of related units. Each unit
can be represented by a BOM, referred to in this documentation as a single-level BOM.
A single-level BOM describes one or more assemblies by means of component quantities. In the
following, the term single-level BOM will be shortened to BOM.
In practice, a single-level BOM is often a collection of standardized assemblies. A single-level BOM
can be either a complete machine or an individual part.
You can use single-level BOMs to define one-time solutions for recurring tasks. Once you have
defined your solution in the form of a single- level BOM, you can use it whenever you need it and
combine it with other BOMs as required.
The graphic below shows single-level BOMs for a men‟s racing bicycle for different levels of the
production process.

Assemblies
A group of semi-finished products or parts that are assembled together and form either a finished
product or a component of a finished product is known as an assembly.
An assembly is identified by a material number and generally functions as a single unit.
The graphic below shows the assembly " GEARS" , a Derailleur gear system that is made up of four
components.
31


A product defined as an assembly, such as the Derailleur gear system in the graphic above , can in
turn be used as a component in another assembly, such as MRB01 Men’s racing bicycle (see
graphic in topic Single-Level BOMs).
The term "assembly" comes from material BOM applications. In document structures (in document
management applications) this term refers to a coherent grouping of a quantity of documents and
texts.
Phantom Assemblies
A phantom assembly is a logical (rather than functional) grouping of materials.


From the design point of view, these materials are grouped together to form an assembly. The
components of a phantom assembly are grouped together to be built into the assembly on the
next level up the product structure. 



From the production point of view, these materials are not actually assembled to form a
physical unit. 



Assembling a pair of gearwheels
Engineering/design view: one assembly
Assembly view:
Gearwheel 1 goes into the driving gear
Gearwheel 2 goes into the output gear
You can define the special procurement key phantom assembly in the material requirements planning
(MRP) data of the material master record for a material.

32


Dependent requirements for the superior assembly are passed directly down to the components of
the phantom assembly, skipping the phantom assembly. Planned orders and purchase requisitions
are also produced only for the components of the phantom assembly.
Validity
In the standard system, validity areas and periods are used to define the precise conditions under
which a bill of material is valid in different areas of a company.
Area of Validity
Material BOMs can be valid on different organizational levels:
You can use a material BOM to manage data that applies directly to production. This is why
the area of validity is the plant. The plant is the location where all necessary workscheduling procedures are organized, such as MRP and creating,routings. In this case, you
create a plant-specific BOM.
However, you can also create a group BOM, without reference to a plant. For example, a
designer maintains a group BOM during the design phase of a product, then the BOM is
allocated to one or more plants for production purposes.
You can extend the area of validity of a BOM by allocating the same BOM to a material in
different plants.
Group BOM
If you create a material BOM without reference to a plant, the BOM is valid throughout your
company. To do this, you leave the Plant field blank. The system checks whether material masters
exist. There are no system checks for plant data.
Plant-Specific Material BOM
If you create a material BOM with reference to a plant, the system makes a number of checks. A
material master record with plant data for the relevant plant must exist for the BOM header material.
When you enter items, the system checks whether plant data exists for the material components (see
Extending the Area of Validity).
The following graphic shows the checks for creating a material item in a plant-specific BOM. First, the
system checks whether the material master record exists. Then the system checks the plant-specific
material data. If these checks are successful, the system accepts the material in the material BOM.


You create equipment BOMs for a specific maintenance planning plant. However,
equipments are managed at client (group) level, not at plant level. Usually, the system
checks plant data for a BOM item, but there is a special item category for BOM items that
are relevant to plant maintenance, so the system does not check plant data for these
items.
Extending the Area of Validity
You can extend the area of validity (plant or group) that was defined when a BOM was created. To do
this, you allocate the same bill of material to a material in different plants.


 You can allocate a BOM created in a specific plant (such as 0001) to additional plants (such as
0002 and 0003) or to the entire group (blank). 

You can allocate a group BOM to individual plants. 

These related BOMs are identified by a common internal BOM number in the standard
SAP system. This internal BOM number is displayed on all screens for plant allocations.
Before you can allocate the same BOM to a material in different plants, the following must apply:
The material whose BOM you want to allocate to an additional plant must have a material
master record in the new plant. All material items in the BOM must have valid material
master records in the new plant.
If the BOM is only relevant to plant maintenance, you can allocate the BOM to plants
where no plant data exists.


 the unit of issue is maintained in a BOM item, this unit must be the same in all plants. 
If
 the BOM contains a non-stock item that has a cost element, the system checks the account. 
If

If the cost element is for primary costs, the system checks whether the G/L account exists for
the company code. The system uses the valuation area and the plant to which the BOM is
allocated to determine the company code.
Secondary costs are only maintained in cost accounting.
Before you can allocate a BOM to one or more additional plants, authorization object BOM
plant authorization in your user profile must contain the required values.
The following graphic shows how the same BOM is allocated to a material in different plants.


If you want to allocate the BOM for a material to a plant where the material already has a
multiple BOM (identified by the same internal BOM number), you can only allocate one
alternative from this BOM group to the material in this plant.
Plant allocations are also supported for equipment BOMs and functional location BOMs.
Validity Period
In the standard system, the effectivity of a BOM header or BOM item is defined by time, using the
Valid-from date. For example, a BOM has 4 items instead of 3 as of December 12, 1999.
The validity period is the time during which the BOM header or BOM item is valid. This period is
delimited by the following data in the BOM header and BOM item:


Valid-from dates 



When you create a BOM, this date determines the point in time at which this BOM becomes
effective. 
If you create or change a BOM using a change number, the system takes the valid-from date
from the change master record. 





Valid-to dates 

This date determines the end of the validity period of the BOM. The system default is
December 31, 9999. If you change a BOM using a change number, the system determines the
valid-to date dynamically.
If you change a BOM using a change number with a valid-from date, the pre-change validity
period of the BOM header or BOM item ends at exactly 00.00 hours on this valid-from date.
If you change a BOM header or a BOM item with a change number, you generate 2 validity periods,
as shown in the following example.
In a BOM, you replace component A with component B using a change number with a specific validfrom date (d1). The system saves both the status of the BOM before the change with the old
component A and the status of the BOM after the change with the new component B.


You can assign a revision level to these validity periods. In overviews, you can display all validity
periods of the BOM headers or BOM items.
Under certain circumstances, the sequence of validity periods can change.
Technical Types
When you first create a BOM for a material, the system automatically creates the first alternative. The
technical type of the BOM is not yet defined, so the technical type is " " (blank). The following graphic
shows the structure of a "simple" BOM.
Some companies produce many similar products that have a lot of common parts. To reduce the
workload for creating BOMs, you can extend a simple BOM to create a composite BOM, known as a
"BOM group".
Which Technical Types Exist?
The system supports two technical types of BOM to represent similar product variants and production
alternatives:
Variant BOMs
A variant BOM groups together several BOMs that describe different objects (for example,
products) with a high proportion of identical parts.
A variant BOM describes the specific product variant for each product, with all its components
and assemblies.
Multiple BOMs
A multiple BOM groups together several BOMs that describe one object (for example, a
product) with different combinations of materials for different processing methods.


The system does not define the technical type until you create either an additional
alternative for a BOM or a different variant for an existing BOM.
If you already know which technical type you want when you create a BOM, you can
define the technical type using a special function.
When do I Create a Variant BOM?
The term "variant" refers to changes to the basic model of a product. These changes occur when
components are left out or added.
If you are producing several similar products that have a lot of common parts, you can describe these
products using a variant BOM. This is the case, for example, if you replace one material component
with another to make a different product. Variants can also differ by containing different quantities of
a component. You create the new BOM as a variant of an existing BOM.
You can only create a variant BOM from a simple material BOM. No multiple BOM can exist for the
material. A multiple BOM cannot be converted to a variant BOM.
The following graphic shows two products, which are represented by a variant BOM. The variant
BOM contains components, which are only used in one of the variants, and one component, which is
used in both variants.

Variant BOMs are supported for the following BOM categories:


Material BOMs 



Document structures 



Equipment BOMs 



Functional location BOMs 





Several products that are created as variants of one variant BOM are stored as a BOM group under
one internal BOM number.
You can enter a description to describe all the variants of a variant BOM. You enter this description in
the BOM group (BOM header).



As soon as you process one variant of a variant BOM, all the other variants are locked for
processing. 



As soon as you process one variant using a change number, you must use a change number
to process all the variants in the BOM group. 



When do I Create a Multiple BOM?
One product can be manufactured from alternative combinations of materials depending on the
quantity to be produced (lot size). The product is represented by a number of alternative BOMs
(alternatives). The differences between the alternative BOMs are only small. Usually the only
difference is in the quantity of individual components.
Multiple BOMs are only supported for material BOMs.
The following graphic shows how a product is produced from different components or different
quantities using different production procedures.
The multiple BOM contains components, which are only used in one of the alternatives, and one
component, which is used in both alternatives.

All alternatives of a multiple BOM are stored as a BOM group under one internal BOM number. You
can enter a description to describe all the alternatives of a multiple BOM. You enter this description in
the BOM group (BOM header).


As soon as you process one alternative in a multiple BOM, all the other alternatives are locked
for processing. 



As soon as you process an alternative using a change number, you must use a change
number to process all the alternatives in the BOM group. 



Structure of a BOM
The wide range of BOM data is managed in a structured form.



The BOM header contains data that applies to the entire BOM. 

The BOM item contains data that only applies to a specific component of the BOM. 

Subitems contain data on the different installation points for partial quantities of an item. 




Structure of a BOM

BOM Header
In the BOM header, you maintain data that refers to the entire object:
 For a multiple BOM, this means one of the alternative BOMs for an object (for example, a
product) 



 a variant BOM, this means one of the variants 
For

This data is maintained on various header details screens. On each detail screen, you see the header
data that identifies the BOM uniquely in the system.
BOM Items
BOM items are the component parts of a product. Item data applies to only one actual item in a BOM.
Some data has to be entered for all item categories as soon as you create an item. Other specific
data can be completed in the application areas (such as design and purchasing) for all item
categories.
This section describes the data required for creating items of all item categories.
Sub-Items
Partial quantities of a BOM item may be installed at different points. Sub-items are used to describe
the different installation points of these partial quantities.





In Customizing for Production, you define for each item category whether sub-items are
supported by choosing Bill of material _ Item Data _ Define item categories. For example, in
the standard system, sub-items are supported for Stock items and Variable-size items. 
 In the standard system, changes to sub-item data are not recorded by engineering change
management. 


In Customizing for bills of material, under Define modification parameters, you can define
whether the old change state of a sub-item is retained after you change the sub-item. 
If at least one values of the sub-item is changed with changed effectivity parameters, the
system creates a new item record for the new change state.


You can maintain the sub-item quantity and a description for each sub-item. 
Sub-items have no operational function in the BOM. They are not copied to the
production order. However, you can use sub-items to help you create programs for your
company (for example, automatic assembly programs).
In the production of printed circuit boards, the resistors of a printed circuit are installed
in different positions. Information on the installation point, precise coordinates,
installation method, and instructions for the automatic assembly machines is stored as
independent programs.

Create Material BOM (T code: CS01)
1. In the SAP Easy Access Menu choose Logistics Production Master Data Bills of Material Bill of
material _ Material BOM Create.
The Create Material BOM: initial screen screen appears. On this screen, you maintain data
that identifies the bill of material, as well effectivity data.
2. In the Material field, enter the material for which you want to create the BOM.
- If you do not know the material number, you can look for the material using the entry help
(F4).
- If the material for which you want to create a BOM has a material type that cannot be used in
combination with the BOM usage you have entered, you see an error message.
3. Enter a Plant.
– If you want the BOM to be effective in a specific plant, enter the plant. You can allocate the
BOM to additional plants later on under certain circumstances (Create allocation of BOM to
plant).
– If you want to create a group BOM, do not enter a plant.
4. Enter a usage.
If a parameter is defined in your user master record as a default value for the Usage field, the
system enters this default.
41

When you select a BOM usage, you define the maximum range of item statuses that can be


assigned to all items in the BOM. For each usage, you can only maintain certain item status
indicators.
You cannot change the usage at a later date. However, you can create other BOMs for the material
(in the selected plant) with different usages.
5. The Alternative field is used to identify one BOM in a BOM group (multiple BOM).
When you create a simple BOM, you do not need to enter an alternative.
– If you do not make an entry when you first create a BOM, the system automatically creates
alternative 01.
– If you already know when you first create a BOM that you want to extend the BOM to make a
multiple BOM, and that this alternative is not alternative 01, enter an alphanumeric value.
Maintain the data on the effectivity period:
6. Enter a change number if required.
– If you want to create the BOM without a change number , do not make an entry in the
Change number field. Enter the date on which the BOM is to become valid in the system in the
Valid from field.
– Enter a Change number if you want the BOM to have a history requirement as soon as it is
created. If you enter a change number, you must enter a valid change number each time you
want to change or extend the BOM. Usually, you only process a BOM with a change number
once the BOM has been released for production.
When you select a change number, you need to consider the following points:
– Which object types (for example, BOMs or task lists) can be processed with this change number
– Which effectivity period will the change number give the BOM (valid-from date)
– The reason for the change
The system copies the valid-from date from the change master record into the Valid from field.
7. You may want to assign a revision level to a specific stage of development of the material for
which you want to create a BOM. This revision level is assigned with reference to a change
number.
– If you want to create a BOM for the material at a certain revision level, enter the revision
level.
If you display the possible entries, you see a list of all revision levels for the material. The
change numbers with their valid-from dates are assigned to these revision levels.


– Copy the revision level you require by double clicking.
The system enters the valid-from date from the change master record in the Valid from field.
8. Confirm your entries by clicking

.

The system makes a series of checks. For example, the system checks whether the material
master record exists in the selected plant and whether the material type can be used in
combination with the BOM usage.

Important Transaction codes for Bill of Mateial in SAP

Function
Create
Change
Display
Plant Assignment
BOM Explosion
BOM Explosion
BOM Explosion

T code
CS01
CS02
CS03
CS07
CS11
CS12
CS13

43


Work Center
Definition
Operations are carried out at a work center. In the SAP system work centers are business objects
that can represent the following real work centers, for example:





Machines, machine groups 

Production lines 

Assembly work centers 


Employees, groups of employees 

Use
Together with bills of material and routings, work centers belong to the most important master data in
the production planning and control system. Work centers are used in task list operations and work
orders. Task lists are for example routings, maintenance task lists, inspection plans and standard
networks. Work orders are created for production, quality assurance, plant maintenance and for the
Project System as networks.
Data in work centers is used for
Scheduling
Operating times and formulas are entered in the work center, so that the duration of an
operation can be calculated.
Costing
Formulas are entered in the work center, so that the costs of an operation can be calculated. A
work center is also assigned to a cost center.
Capacity planning
The available capacity and formulas for calculating capacity requirements are entered in the
work center.
Simplifying operation maintenance
Various default values for operations can be entered in the work center.
The following graphic illustrates the use of work center data.


Use of work center data
Structure
A work center is created for a plant and is identified by a key. The work center category, which you
define in Customizing the work center, determines which data can be maintained in the work center.
The data is grouped thematically together in screens and screen groups. Examples of such screen or
screen groups are:








Basic Data 

Assignments (to cost centers, Human Resource Management System (HR)) 

Capacities 

Scheduling 

Default values 

Hierarchy 

Technical data 
45

Integration
Task Lists
Work centers are assigned to operations in task lists. If you change default values in a work center,
the changes are effective in the task list if a reference indicator has been set for the default value.
Work Center Hierarchies
Work centers can be arranged in hierarchies. These are important in capacity planning. You use


hierarchies to cumulate available capacities and capacity requirements in a hierarchy work center.
Important Transaction codes for Work Center in SAP

Function
Create
Change
Display

T code
CR01
CR02
CR03

46

Routings
Definition
A routing is a description of which operations (process steps) have to be carried out and in which
order to produce a material (product). As well as information about the operations and the order in
which they are carried out, a routing also contains details about the work centers at which they are
carried out as well as about the required production resources and tools (includes jigs and
fixtures). Standard values for the execution of individual operations are also saved in routings.
Routings (generic) consist of the following objects:









Routing 
Rate routing 
Reference operation set 
Reference rate routing 

Use
A routing is used as a source for creating a production order or a run schedule header by copying.
Structure
A routing is composed of a header and one or more sequences. The header contains data that is
valid for the whole routing. A sequence is a series of operations. Operations describe individual
process steps, which are carried out during production (see Routing graphic)
A routing is identified by its group and group counter.

47


Group and Group counter
Routings within a group are distinguished by their group counter.
In the graphic the three routings in group A are identified by their group counter 1,2 or 3.

48

Group


Assignment of a material to be produced to a routing
Before you can produce a material with a routing, you have to assign the material to the routing. The
routing and the material can exist in different plants.
According to the task list type, a routing can


Have one or more materials to be produced assigned to it. 



(This is relevant for normal routings and rate routing that are used directly for producing a
material.) 


You do not have to assign a material to a routing. However, you cannot use the routing (rate
routing) in a production order or run schedule header, until you have done so. 



Have no material to be produced assigned to it 



This applies to reference operation sets and reference rate routings that can only be used as
part of a routing or rate routing. 

49

Assignment of material components to operations
If a bill of material (BOM) has been assigned to a routing, you can assign its components to the
routing operations. In general the BOM assigned to a routing is the material BOM for the material to
be produced by the routing (see Assignment of Materials graphic)You can also assign BOMs to
reference operation sets or reference rate routings.


Assignment of Materials to be Produced and Material Components
Routing Structure and Navigation
According to how detailed the data in the routing is, it is assigned to different levels in the structure.
There are clear and uniform navigation routes, with which you can arrive at any screen.
The following graphic illustrates the navigation levels and some of the navigation routes for routings.

50

The individual data can be found on the following levels:




On the initial screen you enter data that is required to identify or select routings. 
On the header overview the routings in a group are displayed. 
The header contains data that is valid for the whole routing. For instance, information about 
o
o

The status and use of the routing
General parameters for quality checks during production

o

The validity period

You can call up the following information from the header:
o
o


Details about assignments of material component to the routing. That is, about the
materials that are produced by the routing.
A long text for a more detailed description of the routing

The sequence overview contains, for instance, 


o
o



The sequences, that are a group of process steps in a routing
The sequence category, whether the sequence is a standard sequence, a parallel
sequence or an alternative sequence.

The operation overview contains, for instance, 
51

o
o
o

Operations and sub-operation, which describe the process steps in the routing
The work center where they are carried out
A short description of the process step

The operation overview is the central screen for routing maintenance. From here you can
branch to the header, the detail screens for operations and sub-operations as well as other
overviews for routings.


On the detail screens for operations and sub-operations you can find data that is relevant to
individual operations or sub-operations, such as, 
o
o
o



Details about external processing or personnel qualifications
Standard values and other information for scheduling
Parameters for quality checks during production

Further overview screens exist for the assignments and assignments to each operation or suboperation. An overview is presented of the following objects that are relevant for a process
step: 


o
o
o
o
o


Material components
Work centers
Production Resources/Tools
Inspection characteristics
Trigger points

The additional information for each assignment or assignment is contained on the relevant
detail screen. This could be scheduling data for work centers or control indicators for
inspection characteristics. 

Important Transaction codes for Routing in SAP
Function
Create

T code
CA01


Change
Display

CA02
CA03

52

Classification
Purpose
The classification system allows you to use characteristics to describe all types of objects, and to
group similar objects in classes – to classify objects, in other words, so that you can find them more
easily later.
You then use the classes to help you to find objects more easily, using the characteristics defined in
them as search criteria. This ensures that you can find objects with similar or identical characteristics
as quickly as possible.
Integration
The classification system allows you to classify all types of object. First, you must define certain
settings in Customizing for the classification system. For more information, see Customizing for the
Classification System.
SAP has predefined a number of object types (for example, materials, and equipment). The settings
for these object types have already been defined in Customizing, so you can start to set up your
classification system for these object types without defining further settings.
Features
Before you can use classification functions, you need to set up your classification system.
The there are three steps to setting up a classification system:
1. Defining the Properties of Objects
You use characteristics to describe the properties of objects. You create characteristics centrally
in the system.
2. Creating Classes
You need classes to classify objects. These classes must be set up. During set up you must
assign characteristics to the classes.
3. Assigning Objects


Once you have created the classes you require for classification, you can assign objects to
these classes. You use the characteristics of the class to describe the objects you classify.
This completes the data you require to use your classification system. You can then use your
classification system to find objects that match the criteria you require.
For hints on setting up your classification system so as to optimize system performance for finding
objects, see System Performance.
53


Once you have set up the classification system you can use it to find certain objects. To do this:
Find a class in which objects are classified
Find the object(s) you require in the class
When you use classification to find objects, you use the characteristics as search criteria, and the
system compares the values you enter with the values of the classified objects.
The following graphic is an overview of the functions of the classification system.

54

Class Types
Purpose


The class type is a central concept in the classification system. The class type determines how
classes are processed, and how objects can be classified and retrieved in these classes. In
Customizing for Classification, you define the settings for a class type. You define class types for a
specific object type, such as materials. You can then use classes of this class type to classify objects
of this object type.
When you first create a class, you must enter a class type for the class. Each class type is a closed
system. There is no link between the different class types.
Features
The class type determines the following:







Which object types you can assign to a class 
Which class maintenance functions you can process 
Whether you can classify objects in more than one class 
 Which class statuses, organizational areas, and text types are supported in class maintenance
functions 
 Whether you can use engineering change management for classification 
 Which filter functions you can use to restrict the search result 

Class types 001, 300, and 200 are defined for materials. In Customizing for
Classification, you define the settings for a class type.
55

All materials can be classified with class type 001. Class type 300 is for variant
configuration. Class type 200 is for classes that are used as class items in bills of
material. You can classify the same materials separately in these class types.
You can use class type 012 to classify characteristics. This class type is defined only
has the Keywords, Characteristics, and Texts screens in class maintenance functions.


You can only classify characteristics in characteristics maintenance functions –you
cannot use the assignment functions in the classification menu. In this case the
indicator Classify master record only was set. No organizational areas were maintained
for the characteristics. For this reason, if you create a class of class type 012, you
cannot select any organizational areas.
Classes
Purpose
Classes allow you to group objects together according to criteria that you define.


You create classes for certain object types for example, material, workplace, equipment. 



You use the class type to determine which object types can be classified in a class. 



You can assign characteristics to your class. These describe the objects that you classify in
your class. When you assign a characteristic to a class, you can adapt (overwrite) the
characteristic. 




Classification
Purpose
Classification is the process of assigning objects to classes and using the characteristics of the class
to assign values to these objects.
You classify objects so that you can use the classification system to search for them.
Integration
Classification is part of the classification system. Before you can classify objects, you must create
classes.
Features
56

There are different ways to classify objects:


You can classify objects from the object maintenance functions, where you can assign the
object to one or more classes. 



Some object types can only be classified from their master record. In Customizing for the 
Classification System, the Class. in master rec. indicator is set for these object types. 



You can use the assignment functions in the classification menu to classify objects. 

o
o

You can assign an object to one or more classes.
You can assign one or more objects to a class.

Class Hierarchy
Purpose
You can set up your classification system as a hierarchical structure, to help you target your
searches for objects.
For example, instead of classifying all of the nails, bolts, and nuts in your company in one class
for FASTENERS, you assign other classes to FASTENERS, such as NAILS, BOLTS, and
NUTS, and other classes to these classes, if required. You only use the classes on the bottom
level to classify objects.

You can start your search for objects with class FASTENERS, and continue your search down the
different levels of the hierarchy.
Integration


In Customizing for the Classification System, in activity Maintain Object Types and Class Types, you
define whether hierarchies are supported for each class type.
If the class type allows you to set up a hierarchy, you do not define classes as hierarchy classes. You
can assign both objects and classes to any class
Features
Class Hierarchies Without Inherited Characteristics
In a class hierarchy without inherited characteristics, you do not assign characteristics to the classes
on higher levels. Only the classes that you use to classify objects have characteristics, which
describe the objects you classify.
Class Hierarchies With Inherited Characteristics
In a class hierarchy with inherited characteristics, you assign characteristics to the classes on higher
levels. All classes lower down in the hierarchy inherit these characteristics. If you want to use a
characteristic in all of the classes in a hierarchy, you only need to enter the characteristic once on the
top level.

58

You can use inherited characteristics to restrict your search for objects to specific classes. You
can then select a class and continue your search in this class.
Class Hierarchies as Graphics
You can also display and maintain a class hierarchy in graphical form. For more information,
Object Dependencies in
Classification Purpose
You can use dependencies as an aid to entry for classifying objects. For example, you can
ensure that a racing handlebar can only be selected for a racing bicycle.
Dependencies are only effective for classifying objects. They are not used for classifying classes
or finding objects via classes.
Using object dependencies
Classification system function
Classifying objects
Assigning classes

Dependencies
YES
NO

Finding objects

NO


You can assign dependencies to characteristics and characteristic values for classification. You
can use the following dependency types:
Using Dependency Types
Dependency type
Preconditions
Selection conditions
Actions

Object
Characteristic, characteristic value
Characteristics

Procedures


Object dependencies can be used in classification and in variant configuration. In variant
configuration, they are used to make it easier to create an order for a complex product with a
large number of variants.
If both applications are in use in your company, you may find that object dependencies are used
for two completely different purposes. However, it is not currently possible to separate the use of
object dependencies in classification from their use in variant configuration.
The object dependencies assigned to characteristics or characteristic values apply in both
classification and variant configuration functions. For this reason, we recommend that you create
dependencies as general rules that apply to both classification and variant configuration.
5
9

Characteristics
Purpose
In classification, characteristics describe the properties of objects. The values of a characteristic
specify these properties.

Characteristic COLOR has the values 'red', 'green', and 'blue'. When you classify an object,
you use this characteristic to specify the color of the object.
You create characteristics centrally, then assign them to classes. When you assign a characteristic to
a class, you can adapt (overwrite) the characteristic.
When you assign objects to a class, you assign values to the characteristics.
You can use characteristics in other application areas, as well as classification. Characteristics serve
different purposes in different applications (see Integration).
Integration
Characteristics are used in the following application areas:
PP-PI – Process Industries: To describe the PI-PCS interface in the process control
station QM – Quality Management:


 To transfer inspection values to batch classification. (The characteristics in classification are
referred to as "general characteristics" in mySAP PLM quality management.) 


 To produce quality certificates 
EH&S – Environment, Health and Safety: To describe the properties of substances
PP-CAP: In formulas for determining standard values
LO – batches: Substance processing
MM – Purchasing: In the procedure for releasing purchase requisitions and purchasing documents
with classification
LO – Variant Configuration: To configure complex
products CA – Classification:
  For classification: To describe the properties of the objects you classify 
 For finding objects: As search criteria for finding objects that have been classified 
1.

Easy Cost Planning: To enter and assign values to costs incurred. For information on how to
proceed,

Features
When you create or change a characteristic, you can define the following settings:
60

Format
For example, numeric format is for figures, and character format is for alphanumeric
characters. Units of measure for numeric values
Templates for entering values
Required entries for a characteristic (required
characteristics) Whether intervals are allowed as values
Language-dependent descriptions and texts for characteristics and characteristic
values Display options for characteristics on the value assignment screen
Allowed values
Default values that are set automatically on the value assignment screen
To describe how characteristics and characteristic values in classification influence each other, you
can assign dependencies to them.
Creating, Changing, and Displaying Characteristics
Procedure
To create a characteristic:
1. From the classification menu, choose Characteristics.
2. Enter your data on the initial screen:
o
o

In the Characteristic field, enter a name for your new characteristic. Use the Naming
Conventions for characteristic names.
Enter a change number if you want to create the characteristic using engineering
change management.

o
o
o

To do this, choose processing type Create characteristic.
You can also copy the data of an existing characteristic. Use the pushbutton
by copying. Enter the name of a characteristic you want to copy.
Confirm your entries.

3. On the Basic data tab page enter the most important control data for the characteristic.
You must maintain the basic data for all characteristics. All other screens are optional.
To change a characteristic select the pushbutton Change in characteristics after entering the
characteristic. To display the characteristic choose the pushbutton
Display.

Create


Engineering Change
Management (ECM)

62


Engineering Change Management
Engineering Change Management is a central logistics function that can be used to change various
aspects of production basic data (for example, BOMs, task lists, materials, and documents ) with
history (with date effectivity) or depending on specific conditions (with parameter effectivity).
A change with history has the following distinctive characteristics:


It takes effect under precisely defined conditions (precise date or specific effectivity parameter
value). 



The changed object is saved twice: in its state before and after the changes. 



A change master record or ECR/ECO controls and documents the changes. 




Changes With and Without History




















For technical and commercial reasons, it is necessary to change industrial products from time
to time. 
Technical reasons for changes include, for example, technical faults that have to be put right
and the introduction of new environmental or safety regulations. For commercial reasons, it
may be necessary to start using cheaper materials or to change a product to suit customer
requirements. 
In the SAP system, you can make changes to objects both with and without history. 
Changes without history 
These are changes that occur during the development phase of a product and that are not
documented. The state of the object (for example, bill of material or task list) before the change
is not documented. When you change and save data, the old data is overwritten. You can only
recall the data that you saved last. 
Changes with history 
These are changes that may affect further activities in the procedure and should thus be
documented. For example, changing a material could incur a change in the bill of material
(BOM) and likewise then the task list and inspection plan. 
In the SAP system, you can document changes with Engineering Change Management. In the
case of specific change objects (such as a material, document, or bill of material), Engineering
Change Management can be used separately for each object. 

Changes With History
You can carry out a change with history with reference to a change master. This means that you can:


Determine under which conditions the change becomes effective. 
You enter an effectivity based on time (valid-from date) in the standard system. You can also
make changes irrespective of dates or time. These changes become effective under other
conditions (for example, serial number effectivity).



Reproduce the processing status of a change object in different change statuses. 



The change object (for example: bill of material) is stored twice: in its state before and after
the change. The new data records that are created when you make a change are saved by the
system in the original object. 


In the standard system, the state of the object before the change ends with the valid-to date.
The state after the change begins with the valid-from date. 


Exceptions: 
o

Material
The new data records that are created when you make a change are saved by the
system in a change document.

o

Document
The system saves the change number in the document info record. Changes to the
document info record are saved in change documents. If you foresee making
fundamental changes to the document info record, then you should create a new
version with reference to a different change number.

If you define the effectivity using parameters and not the valid-from date, the parameter values
determine under which conditions the change becomes effective.






You can document the changes. 
 You can identify particular processing statuses of a material or document by defining revision
levels. 
 With the help of SAP Business Workflow you can organize and automate related work steps in 
Engineering Change Management. 
 In certain situations, you can use a digital signature to ensure that only authorized employees
can make any changes. 

The following graphic shows the information that you must maintain in the change master record:


Change Master Record
Definition
The change master record is a master record that contains information necessary for the
management and control of changes.
The change master record contains data of a descriptive character (such as the reason for the
change) and control data (such as effectivity data, object type indicators). Besides this data that the
user maintains, there is also data that is automatically updated by the system (management data).
Structure
The most important change master record data is grouped as follows:
Change header (description, effectivity data, status information)
Object type indicators (for example, BOMs, task lists, documents)
65

Object overviews for the different object types
Detail screens for the different objects (object management records)
Exactly which data is maintained depends on the function that the change master record adopts in
the change process. For example, you do not need to maintain object type indicators for a change
master record that has been created with the Leading change master record function.
Integration
In the SAP system, change master records are identified by a change number. Number Assignment
is made according to defined criteria.
In the change process, a change number can identify change master records with the following tasks:
Simple change master record (with or without release procedure)
ECR / ECO
Change master record of an engineering change hierarchy
 Change leader (Leading change master record) 

 Change package 
Creation of a Profile
Use
The profile for creating a change master record groups together default values and presettings for the
change master record.
This data is standard information that is needed repeatedly in a similar form when maintaining change
master records . The profile helps you when creating a change master record and makes it easier to
manage change data.


Prerequisites
You must have defined the profiles in Customizing for Logistics - General under Engineering Change
Management Maintain profiles.
Features
You can enter the following default values as change master record data:


Change number status 



Authorization groups 



Reasons for change 



Status Profile 



Object type profiles 







You use the object type profile to define which object types can be processed with reference to
the change number. 
The object type profile is therefore irrelevant to profiles for creating change master records with
the Leading change master record (Change leader) function.
Activities
1. Define the profile in Customizing.
2. Enter the profile on the initial screen when you create the change master record.
The system adopts the change master record profile values as default values. You can
overwrite these default values in the change master record. Default values for a profile that you
overwrite in the change master record are only stored in the change master record and not in
the profile.
When an object type profile is assigned to the change master record profile the system also
copies the object type indicators that you have set there. If you set the indicator in Customizing
for the object type profile Can be overridden you can change the object type indicators in the
change master record.

Number Assignment for the Change Master
Use
You use this function when you create a change master record.


Features
Depending on your company‟s requirements, you can assign either a numeric key or an alphanumeric
key.
The SAP System supports two types of number assignment:


Internal number assignment 
If you want to assign consecutive numbers that are purely numeric, do not enter a change
number when you create a change master. When you save the change master, the system
assigns the next available number from the number range defined for change masters. The
system displays this number in a message.
In the Customizing for Engineering change management, under Define number ranges, you
can check which number has been reached in the internal number range.



External number assignment 



In the standard SAP System, an external number range is defined for (purely numeric)
numbers. 


If you want to assign an alphanumeric key, you enter an alphanumeric character string. 
Please check which special characters you use. The following special characters can be
used anywhere within the change number: "-", " /", "_"
If you use the standard settings for external number assignment, you can enter any
alphanumeric key. However, if you want to restrict the external number range for alphanumeric
characters, define an additional external number range with the interval you require. You also
need to select the NR check for alpha indicator to activate checks on alphanumeric numbers.
Additional Checks for Alphanumeric Change Numbers during External Number Assignment
If you assign change numbers manually, the system performs the following checks:


If you enter a purely numeric key, the system always checks whether the key is from a
number range defined for external number assignment. 



If you enter an alphanumeric key (for example, K-01), the system only checks the key if this is
defined in Customizing. In Customizing for engineering change management, under Set up
control data, you can define whether or not the system checks alphanumeric fields as well. To
do this, you use the Number range check for alpha fields indicator. 



o
o

If you do not select this indicator, the system does not check number ranges for
alphanumeric numbers. In this case, you can enter any alphanumeric key.
If you select this indicator, the system checks all the external number ranges that are
defined for alphanumeric numbers.


For example, you defined an external number range for alphanumeric numbers. The
upper and lower limits of the interval are as follows:
From number: AAAAAAAAAAAA
To number: CCCCCCCCCCC
The Number range check for alpha indicator is selected. If you enter the number K-01,
which is not within the defined number range, you see the following error message:
Change number K-01 not defined for external number assignment
The following numbers can be entered: A-23-D, B22, CA45.
Activities
To display an overview of the number ranges and the current number status on the initial screen, click
No.range.
You define number ranges in Customizing for Engineering Change Management by choosing Define
number ranges.
Maintaining the Create Initial Screen
1. Choose Logistics Central functions Engineering change management Change master Create.
The Create Change Master: Initial Screen appears.
2. Enter an change number.
Do not enter anything if you want the system to assign a number itself. For more information,
Select the type:
o
o

Change master
Engineering change request (ECR)
To find out about the differences between the two types,

3. Select the change master record's function:
o
o
o
o

Without release key
With release key
Lead. chg. mast. (leading change master record)
Change package

69

3. If you want to create an engineering change request, select a change type.
6. If you want to create a change master record with parameter effectivity, enter an effectivity
type.
7. If you want to transfer the pre-defined settings from a profile defined in Customizing to the
change master record, enter the name of the profile.
8. In the Copy from dataset, you can enter the change number of an existing change master in
order to copy data (for example, change header data or object type indicators) to the new
change master as default values.
Here the system also copies all object management records from the change master record
you are using as a reference. Check which object management records you require and delete
any superfluous object management records from the new change master record if necessary.
9. Click

.

Engineering Change Hierarchy
Use
The change hierarchy enables you to make complex changes to several objects with reference to
several change numbers and group these complementary changes together for management
purposes. The many different change objects can be structured in a clear and transparent way from
different views (for example, organizational and functional) in the change hierarchy.
Integration
At the present moment in time, you can process the following objects using a change hiearchy:



All BOM categories 
Task list types: 
o
o





Routings
Reference operation sets

Characteristics 
Characteristics of class 
Classification 

Prerequisites

70


You must activate the release procedure in Customizing for Logistics - General under Engineering
Change Management Set up control data. Set the Release active indicator in the Effectivity data set.
Structure
Change master records with the functions Change leader and Change package form a single-level
change hierarchy. They fulfil the following functions:


Change leaders (Leading change master records) 



The leading change master record (change leader) is the superior change master record in a
change hierarchy. It groups several change numbers (change packages) together. 
The following information is maintained in the leading change master record:
o

Determination of the effectivity of a change (for example, valid-from date)

o

Release procedure
The release key controls which areas the changes that are made with reference to the
allocated change numbers (change packages) are released for.

o

Deletion flag (global)
You can only set this deletion flag if the deletion flag is set for all the allocated change
packages.



Change packages 



The change package is the inferior change master record in a change hierarchy. All the
change packages are allocated to a change leader. The object changes in a change hierarchy
are with reference to the change packages. 


Change packages can be formed from different points of view. For example, from an
organizational point of view, the change package would just contain the objects from the
product structure that are controlled by mechanical engineering (material, BOM,
engineering/design drawing, and so on). A change package from a functional point of view
would contain the objects that form a logical unit in the product structure, for example, material,
BOM, document, routing for a gearbox. 


The following information is maintained in the chnage package: 
71

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