Characteristic Relationships - Problem with Planning Layout

[Former Member]

Dear Experts,

We are using BW BPS 3.5.

We have characteristics ZMATERIAL and ZMATUNIT in our BPS Cube. ZMATUNIT is an attribute of ZMATERIAL.

We have defined an Attribute Type Characteristic Relationship ZMATERIAL --> ZMATUNIT.

We have a planning level A which is restricted to a variable on ZMATUNIT. There is a layout on this planning level. When user selects ZMATUNIT which does not match with master data of ZMATERIAL, system rightly issues an error message.

We have another planning level B which is NOT restricted to a variable on ZMATUNIT. There is a layout on this planning level which is used for inputting Quantities and Amounts. In the data columns of layout, we have restriected ZMATUNIT to variable and to value # in some cases.

The problem is if user selects ZMATUNIT value which does not match with master data of ZMATERIAL, then system does not give any error message.

Hence I believe, characteristic relationships (Combination check) in planning layouts would work only if planning level is restricted to both source and target characteristics. However if planning level is not restricted to target characteristic, and in the planning layout we restrict target characteristic to values of a variable and #, then characteristic relationship (combination check) would not be triggered.

Am I right in assuming so?

Is there any way to always trigger characteristic relationships even if there is no data for user selection and layout is of type (all char combination)?

Regards

X

[Former Member]

Hi,

That is not correct. Characteristic relationships actually work on each record which goes in and out of the planning system. Do you have ZMATERIAL included in the second level?

[Former Member]

yes. We have both ZMATERIAL and ZMATUNIT in both the levels.

I am unable to understand why BPS behaves in this way.

[Former Member]

Let me make myself more clear.

We want system to check user inputs and do validation based on characteristic relationships. And here, system is probably not checking char relationships because we do not get any error message when user chooses ZMATUNIT that does not match ZMATERIAL.

PS: As said before, ZMATERIAL is in the header of planning layout but ZMATUNIT is in Data Columns (dynamic expansion).

I am unable to understand why BPS behaves in this way.

Your help is appreciated.

Regards

X

[Former Member]

Can somebody please help?

We want char. relationship (combination check) to issue error message based on user selections. We do not want user to input data and then system issuing an error message saying his selections were wrong.

We want system to tell user that his selections are wrong in the first place.

But it is not happening in our case because we have source char of char relationship in planning level restricted to a variable but we do not have any restriction in planning level on the target char of char relationship. We are using this target chara of char relationship in the data column of our planning layout.

Is this the normal way BPS works? There must be some way to get around this, if it is a limitation.

Regards

[Former Member]

Hi,

Earlier it seemed like you mentioned that the characteristic relationship did not even block the wrong combination. That is what I said should not happen; in my earlier post.

Regarding issuing a message for wrong combinations, it seems to me that both your variables are input variables - you must have put them in the planning folder header area - is it possible for you to put this logic (for giving error or checking combination) in the FM corresponding one of the variables?

[Former Member]

Hi Mayank,

Yes, we have 2 variables in Planning Folder Header; one for ZMATERIAL and another for ZMATUNIT. User has the ability to select values for both of them and hence they are defined as replacement type "User-defined values".

I can understand your point in which you suggested to write a custom Function Module. But that we could have done if ZMATUNIT was a variable of type "User Exit". That is not the case here.

Any ideas how we can do this in our case?

We want a situation wherein user selects some value for ZMATERIAL, then he selects some value for ZMATUNIT. User presses Enter. And if ZMATUNIT value does not match with master data for ZMATERIAL then immediately system throws an error message.

We do not want a situation wherein user inputs some wrong data records; presses the SAVE button and then system issuing an error message. We really want to avoid this.

Thanks for your hlep,

Regards

X

[Former Member]

Well I am not completely sure of your scenario whether this would be possible, but it seems like the easiest solution to me - to have the ZMATUNIT variable to be of type 'user exit' so that the user is presented with only the correct values to choose from.