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Variant Configuration Overview

Target Audience:
SAP Functional Consultants
• Overview
Variant Configuration
Introduction:

• Variant Configuration is useful if you have a large number


of combination of parts that go into a product. It means different
permutations and combinations of the parts for same material.
• If you maintain a unique material code for each possible
combination of parts, you require a large number of material
numbers.
Variant Configuration

• Usually involves Make to Order Production Process

Examples:
• A customer ordering a computer can choose different
combinations of monitor, CPU, keyboard.
• A customer ordering a car can choose different
combinations of accessories and color.
• In a business involving steel manufacturing, the customer
may order steel involving different physical properties like tensile
strength, diameter.

Source: SAP
Industries for Configurable
Products
Variant Configuration

Source: SAP
Cross Module Integration
Variant configuration is integrated with the following applications:

CA Classification
LO Material Master
PP Bill of Material
PP Routings
PP Material Requirements Planning (MRP)
PP Production Orders
PP–PI Master Recipes
Variant Configuration

CO Costing
SD Sales
SD Conditions
MM Purchasing

Source: SAP
Variant Configuration
Overview of Terms

Source: SAP
Overview of Terms
• A configurable material has a special bill of material called
the Super BOM in which all possible combinations are stored.
• The product is configured in the sales order by choosing
the required Characteristic Values.
• The requirements are passed on Production Planning. On
Explosion of the Bill of Material, the system selects the components
assigned to the characteristics values in the order.
Variant Configuration

• After production, the material is assigned as sales order


stock for delivery to customer.

Source: SAP
• Sales Order Processing
IDES Demo
Process Steps to be used in the demo:

• Creating a Sales Order


• Checking Requirements Using MRP
• Requirements Planning
• Converting the Planned Order into a Production Order
• Confirming the Production Order
• Checking the Production Order Settlement
Variant Configuration

• Creating a Delivery
• Creating a Billing Document

Source: SAP
Enterprise Structure used
for demo
Company Code 1000

Sales Org 100

Distribution Channel 12
Variant Configuration

Division 00
Plant 1000

Storage Location 0001

Shipping Point 1000

Source: SAP
MTO Process Overview
Make-To-Order Production With a Configurable Product:
In this process, you create a sales order in SD and transfer the requirements
to PP. The requirements are checked using MRP, before a production order
is generated. This production order is created in PP.
Shipping and billing both occur in SD.
Finally, you check the costs and revenues in CO.
Variant Configuration

Source: SDN
Creating a Sales Order (T Code
• After entering the sales data, a configuration screen pops up.
• :VA01)
Configure the material by selecting the characteristics.
• Note that the value of Variant Conditions changes as per selection.
Variant Configuration

Source: SAP
Creating a Sales Order (VA01)
• The system allows analysis of Object Dependencies and Variant Conditions.
• Item Category determined in Sales Order is TAC.
• Note the Material Availability Date and save the sales order (for test11048 and
11059).
Variant Configuration

Source: SAP
• Configuration for VC
Configuration Details:
Material Type
OMS2: In definition of KMAT Material Type, indicator ‘Material is
Configurable’ is set

Other material types like FERT (Finished Product) can also be used if the
indicator is set in material master
Variant Configuration

Source: SAP
Configuration Details: Item
Category in sales order
VOV4: Item Category determination is set to determine item category TAC
Variant Configuration

VOV8: Item Category TAC

Source: SAP
Configuration Details:
Condition type for Pricing
Condition types VA00 and VA01 (%) are available in Standard SAP for Variant
Pricing
Variant Configuration

Source: SAP
Configuration Details:
Requirement type KEK
The requirement class controls the MRP and the requirements consumption
strategy as well as the relevancy for planning, settlement profile for costing.

Requirements type KEK is determined for strategy group 25 and also for item category TAC.
Variant Configuration

Source: SAP
Classification System:
Characteristics
Mayback 57 S
Engine
Color
Rear wheel
Seat
Exhaust
Antitheft device
Variant Configuration

Other Options

Source: SAP
Classification System:
Characteristics
Variant Configuration

Source: SAP
Classification System:
Characteristics
Variant Configuration

Source: SAP
Classification System:
Characteristics
CT04: Create characteristics
• Data type can be CHAR, NUM, DATE, TIME, CURR
Variant Configuration

List of values and default value for characteristics can be stored in Value
tab.

Source: SAP
Reference Characteristics
Reference characteristics are characteristics that refer to table fields.
Variant Configuration

Tables / Structures whose filed values can be changed by dependencies:


SDCOM - Communication between SD and Variant Configuration
VCSD_UPDATE - Table for Updating Sales Documents from the Configuration
MMCOM, STPO, PLPO, PLFH, PLFL

Tables / Structures whose filed values can be read by dependencies:


VBAK, VBAP, VBKD, VBPA_AG, VBPA_WE, VBPA_RE, VBPA_RG
VEDA, MAEPV, MAAPV

Source: SAP
Classification System:
Characteristics
CT04: Create characteristics
• Object dependencies like pre conditions, selection condition,
action, procedures can be created for characteristics
• Object dependencies like pre conditions, action, procedure can
be created for characteristic values
Variant Configuration

Source: SAP
Classification System: Class
CL01 /CL02: Create class under class type 300 for Variants
Variant Configuration

Assign the characteristics to the class.


During Material Master creation for Super BoM, this class will be used in the
Classification view.

Source: SAP

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