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Variant configuration is used where you have a configurable material like computer
(made up of components like processor, monitor, keyboard, mouse etc). These
components are called as characteristics in variant config. Again this will be having
values like processor can be either P4 or P3, monitor can be 15" or 17" etc.
Based on the values selected the variant pricing will happen using the condition type
VA00.
1 Variant Configuration
Variant configuration is for manufacturing complex products in which customer determines the features of the
product. Objective of variant configuration is to react quickly to customers’ requirements.
Here it needs not to create separate material for each variant of a product. When companies introduce variant
configuration this often goes beyond a business process re-engineering project. Variant configuration offers an
opportunity to restructure product structures for which then processes are defined. This has a direct impact to the
core areas such as marketing and product data management.
2 Advantages of VC
· No need to Create separate material master for each variant combination.
· Super BOM and Super Routing is enough for representing all possible Variants and Operations.
· Able to react more flexible to customer demands.
· Increase Information exchange between sales, engineering and production.
3 What is Configurable Material?
· A material with different features or characteristics and options is known as configurable material. Example: PC,
Car.
· Configurable materials are either created in a material type that allows the configuration (n the standard system, the
material type KMAT) or they are given the indicator Configurable in the material master record.
4 Master Data used for VC
1. Super BOM
2. Super Routing
3. Characteristic
4. Class
5. Object Dependencies
6. Configuration Profile
7. SD Condition records
4.1 Super BOM
Super BOM Contains all the components for producing configurable product. It contains both variant as well as non-
variant parts required for producing configurable product.
4.1.1 Super BOM configuration
Super BOM can be created either one of the following methods.
· Create BOM with class Item of 200-class type that contains all characteristic of a configurable material.
· Create BOM with all possible materials as its components. Then assign /define dependencies to each component.
The different between this two method is
· BOM with class item, no need to assign or define object dependencies. Instead of that each material is classified in
material master itself using class 200.
· For both cases all characteristics are assigned to class 300 which is again assigned to KMAT material in order to
trigger configuration in configuration profile.
4.1.2 Super BOM with Class Item
Class items used to control the selection of variant parts in a BOM. Variant parts are classified in a class, and the
class is entered in the BOM as a class item. When you configure the material, the class is replaced by a suitable
variant part.
4.1.3 Advantages of using Class Item in BOM
· Only one item for the class is enough, instead of several items for the individual variant parts.
· No need to create and assign selection conditions.
· Able to classify additional objects in the class at any time, without having to change the BOM.
4.1.4 Steps involved in super BOM with Class
? Define all Characteristics and its Values assign it to Class with type 200.
? Assign characteristic Values to materials by Classification material
? Assign class 200 with material instead of assigning all BOM items.
? Create and Assign class 300 (with same characteristics) with configurable product using configuration profile.
4.1.5 Super BOM with Material Components
This bill of material (BOM) of a configurable material contains all the components that are required to manufacture the
material. The BOM contains components that are only used in specific variants (variant parts), as well as components
that are used in all variants (non-variable parts).
4.1.6 Steps involved in super BOM with Material Components
? Define all Characteristics and its values assign it to Class with type 300.
? Assign Class with configurable material in Configuration profile.
? BOM is created with all variant and non-variant items.
? Define interdependency between objects (Characteristic, BOM item, Routing Operation etc?) by using Object
Dependencies.
? Assign class 300 with configurable product using configuration profile.
4.2 Super Routing
A configurable routing describes the production process for all variants of a product. Instead of creating a routing for
each variant of a product, you can create operations for one routing, or a "super" routing.
It is possible to maintain Object dependencies for following in super routing:
· Sequences
· Operations/sub-operations
· Production resource/tool assignments
The routing is configured by system, when order is created for KMAT material.
4.3 Characteristic
Characteristic is used to define the features of a configurable material. To enable to use characteristics to configure a
material, assign the material to a class of class type 300. The customer can choose from among different options for
each characteristic.
· Characteristics describe the properties of objects. The values of a characteristic specify these properties.
· Value assignment to characteristic may be single value or multiple value with required entry or restrict able entry.
· In characteristic it is also possible to use table name and its field name in order to change the Object quantity or
values. I.e. BOM item quantity or Operation time, which is known as ?reference characteristic?.
· In Restriction screen allowed Class types are entered i.e. for what are the class this characteristic may used. In
general for Variant configuration class 200 and 300 are used.
· It is also possible to assign Dependency to characteristic values maintained in Characteristic.
4.4 Variant Class
· In Variant configuration, Class is used to hold the characteristics that describe about configurable material. Class
type to determine which object types can be classified.
· Class is used in variant configuration if the class has a class type that supports variant configuration. In Customizing
for Classification, the Variant class type indicator must be set for the class type. In the standard system, this is class
type 300.
4.5 Dependencies
· Dependencies restricts the combinations of options i.e. characteristic that are not allowed. It also select exactly the
right BOM components and operations to produce a variant.
· It also describe the interdependencies between characteristics and characteristic values
· It control which components are selected from a bill of material (BOM) and which operations are selected from a
task list
· It also changes the values of fields in BOM items and operations during configuration.
4.5.1 Global and Local Dependencies
Constraint
Actions
Preconditions (provided that they contain no non-declarative expressions)
Selection conditions (provided that they contain no non-declarative expressions)
· In Procedural Dependency result depends on the processing sequence and the point in time when the dependency
is processed.
Procedures
Preconditions (only if they contain non-declarative expressions)
Selection conditions (only if they contain non-declarative expressions)
· Object type
Class, material, document, text
In the standard system, all object types are selected and therefore exploded in the configuration. Deselect the object
types that you do not want to be displayed.
· Item category, for example, stock or non-stock item
All item categories in the configuration are exploded in the standard system. Remove the selection for the item
categories you do not want to be displayed.
· Item status
You maintain the status of a BOM item in maintain BOM dependent on its usage.
All items are displayed regardless of their item status in the standard system. However, only the items with this status
are displayed when you select specific item statuses. Items are not displayed that do not have the selected status.
· Sort string
You can assign sort strings for BOM items in maintain BOM. You can restrict the display of the BOM items by using
these sort strings.
Only items that carry sort strings are checked and only those that match are displayed. Items that have no sort string
are always displayed.
The following strategies are used for planning configurable materials and its variant parts.
A bill of material (BOM) describes the different components that together create a product. A BOM for a bicycle, for
example, consists of all the parts that make up the bicycle: the frame, the saddle, wheels, and so on.
When you enter the material number of a bill of materials that is relevant for sales order processing, the system
displays the material that describes the whole bill of materials as a main item. The individual components are
displayed as lower-level items.
There are two ways to process a bill of materials in Sales. Once you have entered a bill of material in a sales order,
the system runs pricing, inventory control, and delivery processing at: Main item level if the material is assembled, or
– Component level if the material is not assembled.
Use
The purpose of this activity is to create the material masters for the materials required in this scenario.
Procedure
Access the activity using one of the following navigation options:
SAP Menu Logistics ® Materials Management ® Material Master ® Material ® Create (General) ® Immediately
Transaction Code MM01
Purpose:
· The purpose of this activity is to create bills of material (BOMs) for the configurable material which is known as
?super BOM?
· Super BOM comprise all the variant as well as non-variant parts required for producing configurable material.
Procedure
1. Access the activity using one of the following navigation options:
SAP Menu Logistics ® Production ® Master Data ® Bills of Material ® Bill of Material ® Material BOM ® Create
Transaction Code CS01
· The Create Material BOM: initial screen appears. On this screen, data that identifies the bill of material are
maintained as well effectivity data.
· In the Material field, the configurable material for which super BOM need to create is entered.
· Plant and BOM usage is entered. In general BOM usage 1 for production and 3 is for Universal.
· In Component screen list of variant and non-variant parts are entered along with that quantity is entered based on
Base qty. of the configurable material.
· It is also possible to enter a class as a BOM component with item category ?class Item?. This class must hold all
characteristics and also classified with each material.
· Class type 200 and 300 can be used as a class item.
Following Procedure is followed for assigning class with BOM as a class Item.
· Enter the item category for class items in BOM.
· Make entries in the fields that identify the class
? Class types
? Class
· Enter the quantity.
Procedure
Characters
Numeric
Time format/Date format
Currency format and
User defined data type.
· For numeric characteristic it need to maintain that whether interval values to a numeric characteristic, or only
individual values need to be maintain in Basic Data screen itself.
· Languages in which characteristic want to describe are entered.
· Choose the tab page Values.
· Enter values in the entry fields. Enter each value in a separate field.
· The values must match the format that you defined on the Basic Data screen. You can enter up to the number of
characters that you defined in the format.
· If your characteristic is an alphanumeric characteristic, enter a language-dependent value description. You can
enter up to 30 characters.
· It is not possible to enter a language-dependent description for numeric values
· It is also possible to define one value as a default value. This value then appears as a default in characteristic value
assignment functions
· Additional value indicator determines that whether values that are not defined as allowed values can be assigned to
a characteristic
· The following value check strategies are available in value maintenance screen.
Allowed Values:
Check Tables
Function module
Catalog character
· Allowed values permits only values defined in characteristics maintenance are used to check a characteristic value
· Check table permits only values entered in characteristics maintenance is used to check a value
· Function module entered is used to check characteristic values.
· Value catalog entered is used to check characteristic values
· Documents, such as drawings or photographs, with characteristics can be linked in additional data screen. Before
link a document to a characteristic, it must create a document info record in the document management system.
· In this screen it also possible to restrict or hidden or displaying only allowed values to characteristic.
· It is possible to that characteristic can be only assigned to particular class type by assigning type in restriction
screen.
· To change a characteristic selects the pushbutton Change in characteristics after entering the characteristic. To
display the characteristic chooses the pushbutton Display.
Procedure
Procedure
· From the variant configuration menu, choose Dependency -> Single dependency-> Create
· In initial screen name of the dependency is entered. If dependency need to create for a specific date, enter a
change number. It is also possible to create dependency by copying from existing dependency.
· On basic data screen the following data are required to enter
· In Dependency editor the source code for the dependency is entered. Once the source code is syntactically correct,
the source code is saved.
· Now the status of the dependency is turns to ?Released?. Save the Dependency and exit.
By assigning dependencies to BOM components, it is possible to restrict the selection of irrelevant variant parts.i.e
correct BOM components are get selected at result of configuration. It is also possible to change the component
quantity depends upon characteristic value changed.
Procedure
1. Access the activity using one of the following navigation options:
SAP Menu Logistics ® Production ® Master Data ® Bills of Material ® Bill of Material ® Material BOM ® Change
Transaction Code CS02
· Dependencies are assigned with respect to characteristic for each variant part.
· Dependencies are created either locally within object or globally which can be assigned to any objects.
· In BOM General Item overview screen choose the component in which dependency need to assign and choose
menu path Extras -> Dependency -> assignment of dependency for assignment.
· It also possible to enter dependency directly in BOM itself by choosing Extras -> Dependency -> dependency editor.
Procedure:
Access the activity using one of the following navigation options:
SAP Menu Logistics ® Production ® Master Data ® Material Master ® Environment ® Configuration Profile ® Create
Transaction Code CU41
By choosing the Assignments pushbutton, you can assign dependencies to the configuration profile. You also see
this pushbutton on the basic data tab, once at least one dependency is assigned.
· Basic Data Tab
· Configuration parameters
The parameters for BOM explosion and the configuration process in the sales order are specified here.
BOM application must be entered, if BOM explosion ?None? is selected rather than single and multi level explosion is
selected.
By entering a level of detail for a multi-level configuration, system performance will be improved.
It is also possible to define a filter and set the indicator for an availability check on assemblies.
An interface design is used to group characteristics together on the value assignment screen.
Here it also possible to define object-specific settings for functions in the configuration editor. These settings are
defaults for configuration, and can be overwritten for your user in the configuration editor.
For all configuration parameters except BOM explosion ?None?, manually select the screens for the configuration
editor and define which screen configuration starts with. The start screen must be one of the allowed screens.
The indicator for the configuration browser independently of the other start screens can be selected, because the
browser is an additional screen section.
Object-specific settings for displaying characteristics and characteristic values in the configuration editor can be
defined. These settings are defaults for configuration, and can be overwritten for your user in the configuration editor.
Procedure
Access the activity using one of the following navigation options:
SAP Menu Logistics ® Production ® Master Data ® Material Master ® Environment ® Configuration Profile ® Change
Transaction Code CU42
The configuration parameters in the configuration profile apply. Whether the configuration is simulated from the sales
point of view or the engineering point of view is defined.
If select Sales & distribution is selected the configuration in a sales document will be simulated (sales order or
quotation), so the BOM explosion depends on the settings in the configuration profile.
If Engineering is selected, the configuration in order BOM processing will be simulated. The configuration and BOM
explosion depend on the configuration parameters in the same way as when maintaining an order BOM. For
example, we cannot configure the header material, because the configuration is copied from the sales order.
· Simulation of a Planned Order
On the characteristic value assignment screen, we can choose Planned order to display the components that are
determined in material requirements planning (MRP) according to the characteristic values assigned. This is
especially relevant to assemblies whose BOMs are exploded in MRP, not in Sales & distribution (for example,
assemblies with the BOM explosion setting None in their configuration profile).
Procedure:
SAP R/3 menu Logistics ® Production ® Master Data ® Bills of Material ® Environment ® Variant Configuration ®
Environment ® Configuration Simulation
Transaction Code CU50
· On the initial screen of the configuration simulation, select BOM to display the entire structure on the result screen.
· If you have created more than one configuration profile for a material, you see a dialog box. Select a profile and
choose Continue. If you want to call detailed information on the profile, choose Profile Detail or double-click on the
profile.
· To display the task list of an assembly on the result screen, select the assembly and choose View ® Objects ® Task
list.
· You see the operations or activities in the task list that was selected for the assembly during configuration.
· Operations that have been changed by dependencies have an information icon next to them. You can display
changes by choosing Information.
· To return to the BOM explosion, choose View ® Objects ® BOM
Procedure
1. Access the activity using one of the following navigation options:
SAP Menu Logistics ® Sales and Distribution ® Master Data ® Conditions ® Select Using Condition Type ® Create
Transaction Code VK11
· Create price for each value of the characteristics by select using condition type VA00.
· Create the Price for the condition type that represents these types of the standard-delivered condition type for this
functionality is ?VA00.?
· Condition type VA00 requires as key fields the sales Organization, distribution channel, and material number of the
configurable.
· Condition type PR00 used to maintain base price of the configurable material.
· Using VA01it is also possible to maintain Surcharges and discounts.
10.2.2.4 Assign the dependency to the characteristic value that triggers the price
For example eCar2002, the value ?V8? refers to the engine selected by the customer. Therefore, the dependency
must be linked to the value ?V8? of the characteristic that represents the engine type. To do this, go to the master
data record of the characteristic CAR_ENGINE
Go to the ?Values? tab. From there, select the?V8? entry and use the menu path Extras Object dependencies
Assignments, which brings you to the screenshot to the right; if you have created a global dependency, you can link it
to the characteristic value.2 Once the dependency has been assigned, the information on this screen, such as the
description (?Engine price?), will default to the information entered when you created the characteristic.
Output types are used to represent various forms of output in the SAP system. Examples of output types in Sales and
Distribution processing are order confirmations, freight lists, and invoices. You use the output type to control how the
output should be transmitted, for example whether an order confirmation should be sent via EDI, or be printed
Procedure
1. Access the activity using one of the following navigation options:
SAP Menu Logistics ® Sales and Distribution ® Master Data ® Output ® Sales Document ® Create
Transaction Code VV11
Purpose
The purpose of this activity is to create output condition records for billing. Output types are used to represent various
forms of output in the SAP system. Examples of output types in Sales and Distribution processing are order
confirmations, freight lists, and invoices. You use the output type to control how the output should be transmitted, for
example whether an order confirmation should be sent via EDI, or be printed
Procedure
1. Access the activity using one of the following navigation options:
SAP Menu Logistics ® Sales and Distribution ® Master Data ® Output ® Billing Document ® Create
Transaction Code VV31
Products that are made to order in plant engineering and construction and mechanical engineering are generally very
complex and are specific to one customer. For this reason, you cannot define a BOM entirely in advance. Once you
have created your sales order, you need to make manual changes to the BOM by creating an order BOM especially
for the sales order, without changing the original BOM.
The sales order, sales order item, and material number identify an order BOM. In variant configuration, you can work
with 2 types of order BOM. The difference is in the way they are saved.
SAP Menu Logistics ® Production Planning ® Master Data ® Bills of Material -> Order BOM Maintain (Multi-Level)
Transaction Code CU51