QNA-MATERIAL MASTER DATA

1. What is Master data in MM module?

A: The master data in the MM module acts as reference data, defining various business entities
and playing a key role in the core operation of the business.

2. How is master data important in MM module?

A: The master data in the MM module contains all of the basic information needed to manage
material. The data is stored and sorted on the basis of different criteria, such as the descriptive
nature of the material (size, dimension, and weight) and the control functions of the material
(material type and industry sector). Apart from data maintained by the user, the master data also
stores data that is automatically updated by the system (such as stock levels).

3. What are the various types of master data in MM module?

A: The different types of master data in the MM module are as follows:

 Material master
 Vendor master
 Purchasing information record
 Source list
 Quota arrangement

4. What is a Material Master file?

A: A material master file stores and maintains all of the information related to
managing a material. The material master is sorted on the basis of different
criteria.

5. Why are material master records used in SAP?

A: Material master records are used in the SAP R/3 system to manage material-
specific data. The material information stored in material master records is used
by all logistics areas in the SAP R/3 system. The material master records
integrate all material-specific data into a single database object that eliminates
the problem of data redundancy. Because material master records store data
in a single database object, the same data can be shared by all departments,
such as purchasing, inventory management, materials planning, and invoice
verification.

6. What data in material master is maintained at the client level?

 The general data, i.e., the data applicable to the company as a whole, is stored
at the client level.

7. What are the data in material master that are maintained at the company
code level?
A: The data that is specific to a particular company and the plant and storage
areas assigned to that company is maintained at the company code level.
8. What are the plant-specific data in material?
A: The MRP data and forecast data are the plant-specific data in the material
master.
9. What is the lot size attribute of a material?
A: The lot size attribute represents the reorder quantity for a material. A
material can have a periodic, optimum, or static (fixed) lot size.
10. How is material information structured in material master records?
A: Material information is structured in material master records on the basis of
different criteria, such as the material's master detail (including its name, size,
dimension, and weight), which shows its descriptive nature, and the material's
detail related to control functions (such as material type, price control, and
industry sector). Material master records also store information about the data
that can be automatically updated by the system. For example, the stock level
can be automatically updated by the system on the basis of the material data
update.
11. A material does not have a master record. How can we procure that?
A: There may be instances when a material does not have a master record. You
can perform different functions in different situations to procure the master
record. For example:

 You can create a material master record if there is no material master record for
a particular material.
 You can extend the material master record if the material master record exists
for a particular material but the user department does not have the master data.
 You can also extend the material master record if the material master record
exists for a particular material and the user department has the master data but
it has been entered in a different organizational level.

12. State the importance of classification data!

A: Classification data allows you to search for materials on the basis of the
characteristic values entered into the classes. This feature is very useful when
the customer wants to search for a particular vendor and particular batches.
13. What Is The Difference Between A Pr With A Master Record And Without A
Master Record For The Material Being Ordered?
Answer:
If the master record exists, then all of the information about the Source List,
Information Record, and Vendor Evaluation already exist in the system. If we
don’t have a Master record for the material we are ordering, the material is
generally being ordered for direct usage or consumption. You can specify
which consumption account is to be charged which is also known as Account
Assignment. For example, we assign the purchase costs associated with a
requisition to our sales order or cost center.
If the first situation exists, many times purchasing enters into a longer-term
purchasing agreement with a Vendor, which is called an “Outline Agreement”. If
the Outline Agreement is done, then Purchasing cannot issue a purchase order
against a PR. It can only set up such an agreement (either a “Contract” or a
“Scheduling Agreement”).

14. Where Is Material Master Data Saved?

Answer :
Tables MARA and MARC.

15. What Are The Key Fields For The Material Master?
Answer :
Material Groups, External Material Groups, Divisions, Material Status, Labs &
Offices, Basic Materials, Storage Conditions, Temperature Conditions, Container
Requirements, and Units or Measure Groups.

16. Will Roh Have A Sales View? Will Fert Have A Purchasing View?
Answer :
They shouldn’t because ROH type materials are procured from the outside not
sold and FERT type materials are created inside and aren’t procured.
In some special cases, we have to sell raw materials (ROH) and buy finished
goods (FERT) from outside sources. The views must be extended in these cases
using transactions OMS2 and MM50

17. What Needs To Be Present In Order For Material Type To Be Automatically

Copied From One View To Another?
Answer :
When creating any view, the Industry Sector and Material type will be
automatically copied from an existing view, so long as at least one view exists.

18. How Can One Keep Users From Using Standard Mm Movement Types?
Answer :
Standard Movement Types should not be deleted from the system. The account
assignments, however, may be deleted for a particular Movement Type in table
T030 using transaction OBYC.
 Another way to achieve the same result is to enter Movement Type in transaction
OMJJ. Remove MBXX from allowed transactions.

19. How Do You Determine Which Views Of A Material Need To Be Added Or

To See Which Plants A Material Has Been Extended To?
Answer :
You can use transaction MM50.
To extend a material to a different plant requires selecting the new plant on the
organizational level screen. Note that all views of a material are not extended
unless they were selected on the initial screen. In addition, each plant may have
a different system configuration requiring additional inputs on each of the
departmental screens. Material changes made in one plant do not change that
material in other plants.

20. When Can A Production Resource/tool Be Defined As A Material?

Answer :
A Production Resource / Tool can be defined as a material if purchasing and
inventory functions are to be carried out for that PRT.
The information required to be input is dependent upon which department views
are being created. Thus, material master information is typically entered at
different times by numerous system users. Note that to add a view, the “Create
Material” transaction is used rather than the “Change Material” transaction.

21. What Views Are Possible For A Material?

Answer :
The material type selected controls the views possible for material.
For a material to be used in the system it needs to be created for each plant.
Multiple views of a material are possible but at a minimum, the material needs to
have a description and a base unit of measure assigned on the basic data view.
Additional department views (i.e. Accounting, Sales, Purchasing, MRP,
Warehouse) can be added at a later time by extending the material. As additional
plants are added, a material will need to be extended to the plants before it can
be used there.
22. How Do You Set Price Control For Receipts (goods/invoice) Telling The
System How To Value Stocks?
Answer :
Transaction Code OMW1 allows you to set price control to S (Standard Price) or
V (Moving Average Price).
Under Standard Price (S), the materials and accounting documents are both
valid. The one with the lower value will be posted with a price variance entry.
OMS2
23. Give Some Examples Of The Information Relating To A Materials
Storage/warehousing?
Answer:
Some examples are Unit of Issue, Storage Conditions, Packaging Dimensions,
Gross Weight, Volume, and Hazardous Materials Number. Also, there are
various Storage Strategies information and options.

24. What Is A Material Type?

Answer :
A Material Type describes the characteristics of a material that are important in
regards to Accounting and Inventory Management. A material is assigned a type
when you create the material master record. “Raw Materials”, “Finished
Products”, and “Semi-Finished Products” are examples. In the standard MM
module, the Material Type of ROH denotes an externally procured material, and
FERT indicates that the relevant material is produced in-house.

25. What Transaction Code Is Used To Extend The Material View?

Answer :
The MM50 transaction code is used to extend the material view

26. What Do You Mean By Material Numbers In Sap?

Answer :
Material numbers are unique numbers used to identify a material.
27. Question 152. What Does An Industry Sector Control?
Answer :
While creating the material master record for a material, you need to classify
the material according to the industry type. This is called the industry sector.
The industry sector controls the screen appearance, the screen sequence, and
the appearance of industry-specific fields on individual screens in the material
master record.
28. Question 153. Can We Change The Industry Sector Of An Existing
Material?
Answer :
No, once assigned you cannot change the industry sector of an existing
material.
29. What Is Valuation Category?
Answer :
The valuation category specifies the standard used to differentiate the different
partial stocks. In simple words, you can say that valuation category is the criteria
to define partial stocks. The standard system comprises a variety of valuation
categories, such as B and H. B is used for procurement type that is here the
stock is divided up depending on whether the stock is procured externally or
manufactured in-house. On the other hand, H is used for origin, that is here the
stock is divided oh the basis of from where it was delivered. The valuation
 category in the Material Master record holds every material that is assigned for
valuation.

30. What Does The Material Type Control?

Answer :
The material type controls the materials stock management, which implies:
If there is a change in the quantity of the material, it should be updated in the
material master record.
Along with the change in the material master record, there should be changes in
the stock accounts also.

31. What Is The Transaction Code To Create A Material Type?

Answer :
MOS2 is the transaction code to create a material type.

32. Can We Change The Material Type Of A Material?

Answer :
Yes, we can change the material type of a material.

33. Can You Include An Roh (raw Material) Type In The Sales View?
Answer :
Usually, the raw materials cannot be included in the sales view. However, the
raw materials can be included in the sales view only when they are sold to
procure finished products in return.

34. What Is Non-valuated Material?

Answer :
The material that is maintained on the basis of the quantity rather than its value is
called the non- valuated material. The non-valuated material can only be
withdrawn from the stores or warehouses only when it is transferred to
"valuated" stock.
How Are Free Items Managed In A Po?
Answer :
Mark the item as FREE in the Purchase order. The price for such PO items will be zero.

The Free goods indicator can be controlled at document level.Please go to following path :
SPRO> Material Management > Purchasing > Purchase order > Define screen layout at document
level
There is no indicator in Vendor Master for Free Goods .

First you have to uncheck the free goods indicator in info record in Tcode ME12.
Now try PO, if still free goods indicator is coming then you have to go to the following path:
Spro - MM- Purchasing-PO - Define Screen Layout at Document Level-click on ME21N
Here check.

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