Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Configuration steps ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Create condition table .............................................................................................................................. 2
Maintain access sequences ....................................................................................................................... 4
Define condition types .............................................................................................................................. 6
Maintain material determination procedure ........................................................................................... 7
Assign Procedures to Sales Document Types ........................................................................................... 9
Define Substitution Reasons ..................................................................................................................... 9
Create master data for material determination ......................................................................................... 10
System Demo .............................................................................................................................................. 12
Issue resolution ........................................................................................................................................... 15



Introduction
Material determination is a standard SAP functionality which can be used to determine an alternate
material instead the material that has been entered in the sales order. We can have one or many
alternative materials available for a given selected material. If you have a single material as an alternate,
this alternate material swaps the material entered in the sales order item. For example, this can be a
new promotion material or a temporary new material.
Famous condition technique is used for material determination as well.
Eg:
This functionality can be used in a promotion season when a specific product (Material in SAP) is only to
be sold with special packaging. During sales order creation, system can automatically substitute the
material with normal packaging to a material with a special packaging. The condition can be created for
a specific time period to ensure the special packaging material is valid only for the promotion season.
Configuration steps
Create condition table
IMG Path:


If the SAP standard condition tables cannot be used for your requirement, you can always create your
own table using "Create condition tables" option. Procedure is same as standard price condition table
creation. Make sure your custom table number is between 501 and 999. 1 to 501 is reserved for
standard SAP tables.
You can use "Display condition tables" option, to review standard condition tables available. Always
review existing tables before creating a new table. To see what fields are available for your custom table
creation, use the option "Maintain field catalog".
In order to create your own table, follow these steps mentioned below.
Enter the table number (Between 501 to 999)

Press Enter key
Double click on the fields you want to add to your own table. Use "Page Down" and "Page Up"
buttons in the key board to navigate all fields in the "Field Catalog". When you double click on a
field in the "Field Catalog" section, that field will be moved to "Selected Fields" section. Make
sure you add those fields in the required sequence.
Once all fields are added, press the button to generate the table.
Make sure mark the field "With validity period". This will enable you to create condition records
with a validity period.

Select the relevant package for you to transport your custom tables to a different client.
Successfully creation of table will give below message.


Maintain access sequences
After creating those condition tables, the next step is to create an access sequence using those condition
tables. This will be used in the condition master record creation.
Please note, this is a cross client configuration step.
IMG Path:
->
First create the access sequence ID and the name under the node "Access Sequences"

Highlight that and double click on the node "Accesses". Click on button to add tables
to the access sequence.

You can create your own requirement routines under transaction "VOFM" and here as well.
VOFM transaction:

Important:
It is very important to highlight each table and double click on the node to build the access
sequence. Else the field assignment will not happen.

Once you click on each table under fields node, save the access sequence
Define condition types
Under this step we will define a new condition type for material determination and assign the above
created access sequence to it.
IMG Path:
->
Define your own condition type and assign the access sequence to it

Save the changes
Maintain material determination procedure
Under this IMG node we have to create a new procedure to include above created condition type
IMG Path:
->
Create your own procedure using button

Highlight the procedure and double click on the "Control data" node to add condition types

Note:
You can use "Requirement routines" under this step as well
Save the changes
Assign Procedures to Sales Document Types
Under this IMG node we have to assign our material determination procedure to the respective sales
document types.
IMG Path:

Assign the new procedure to the sales document type

Define Substitution Reasons
Under this IMG node, you can define substitution reasons for material determination. These substitution
reasons will be maintained in the material determination master records. Additional control parameters,
such as system responses for each substitution reason can be defined under this node.
IMG Path:

You can maintain your own substitution reason based on the business case.
Please keep a note of below fields.
Entry - This is to indicate whether system can print the original material (before substitution) on
corresponding output (Eg: Order confirmations).
Warning - If you mark this field, system will issue a warning message before substitution
Strategy - To define the substitution strategy. Eg: product selection should occur automatically
in the background or whether the substitution materials should given in a popup
Outcome - End result of the substitution is controlled via this field. Eg: After substitution,
whether to replace the original entry or whether it should be recorded as a sub-item of the
original material
Substitution category - This is mostly used for repair orders
Create master data for material determination
Transaction: VB11
SAP Easy Access Menu Path:

Create the master record for material substitution
Enter material determination condition type and press Enter key

Based on the access sequence assigned to the condition type, the popup will display
Eg:
Select the relevant table to maintain the master record and press Enter key
Maintain the condition master record. If required, assign the substitution reason as well

As per above condition record, If I create a sales order (with document type "OR") to the customer
"A300" during the period of 10.12.2011 to 14.12.2011 with the material "AW01", system should
substitute it with the material "AW02". System reaction should be based on the substitution reason
"0001"

System should give me a warning and display a popup.
System Demo
Create a sales order for the above combination
After entering the material "AW01" and press the "Enter" key, system give below popup. The
popup appears based on the settings in the substitution reason assigned to the master record.
User can select the relevant material from the popup. If you don't maintain any substitution
reason in the master record, you will not see the popup. System will automatically replace the
material in the line item to a new one.


Once selected, the original article will be replaces with the new article

But you can always see the original article in the field "Material Entered" under menu path:
-> Go to / Item / Sales A, with the corresponding substitution reason





Issue resolution

If you find that material substitution is not working properly for a specific material, you can use the
"Material Determination Analysis" feature to analyse the cause. This is not always available as you can
see a similar feature with "Pricing".
You have to turn on the "Analysis" before you enter a material in to the sales document. You can do it
via the menu path: -> Environment / Analysis / Material Determination / On. But this has to be done
before you enter the material in to the sales order.

Once it is on, you should be able to see below message

Now enter the problematic material in to the sales order line item. System will automatically
jump in to the analysis window with the corresponding material determination procedure.
Under this window, you should be able to see how the substitution material got determined.
Eg:


Author: Anupa Wijesinghe
E-Mail: anupaw@gmail.com / anupaw@learnsaptips.com
Website: www.learnsaptips.com
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This article is done based on my research and readings, unless otherwise stated. The views expressed
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