cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Material variant not configurable using SET processing multi-KMATs

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi,

How do I set up a material variant to allow configuration when used in a "SET processing" sales order?

I have searched and read through SAP notes, forum threads, SAP-VC books without success to achieve this specific requirement, any help here is greatly appreciated.

ECC6.0. The business model is MTO manufacturing.

Background and working scenario:

Using material variants (without type matching. All products are MTO). The material variant is configurable at point of order processing [VA01]. When the material variant is entered directly as a sales item the material is configurable and creates a production order. The material variant is fully linked to a KMAT superBOM.

The item category of the material variant in MM data>sales = NORM

the KMAT item category in MM data>sales = 0002

The sales order item category = TAN (material variant is configurable > this is OK)

Problem scenario:

The business now sells one material as a "system" (or SET) made of multiply material variants, requiring multi-line sales order entries each with individual production orders. Pricing etc required at component level, as if all items were entered separately. I can get the system working with KMATs within KMATs where the items at component level are configurable but not with material variants.

I have a superior KMAT. MM data>sales item category = 0004. Configuration profile is set up for sales order (SET) process, multi-level BOM explosion and Application type SD01 for sales and distribution.

The superior KMAT BOM is created with BOM usage 5 and all BOM components (material variants) have the relevant for sales indicator set in the BOM item detail.

Additional info:

The configuration profile of the KMAT for the material variants is set up for Order BOM process, multi-level BOM explosion Application type [customised copy of] PP01

Material type used for KMAT and material variants = FERT (with material is configurable indicator set only for KMATs)

Super routings not used. Each material variant has its own individual task list (if this helps explain why we have configurable material variants)

On a separate note this is my first time asking a question on the forum, I hope the content is OK (not too long) so any

Accepted Solutions (1)

Accepted Solutions (1)

Former Member
0 Kudos

Duncan

Material variant (MV) is a 'configured' avatar of the configurable material. I am unable to understand why you are trying to go against fundamentals and make a MV 'configurable'. Even if a MV has its own task list, that does not qualify a MV to be configurable. I would stick to KMAT under KMAT BOM with variant matching and replacement and use Super Routing in addition. This is what I have seen working in even complex multi-level BOM scenarios in a IS-Mill situation.

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi Chandrasekhar

Thanks for your reply. I understand KMAT under KMAT and using Super Routings is best practice and normally I do not go against SAP fundementals. Had this been a new implementation I would recommend this approach.

Using configurable material variants as a direct item in the sales order does work and works well to suit the business processes and available data.

Is it possible for configurable material variants to be configurable when used under KMAT BOM in SET processing?

I can provide further details if required but in brief it was a compromise with the business to use configurable material variants (MV) based on time scale, resource, data and working in a live environment. There is a plan to use Super Routings but this project is scheduled end next year with production. When the data structure was designed the use of SET or system product processing was not in scope. All products are make-to-order. No stock units are used. On average each KMAT has 80 MV's with potentially 1000 variants possible for each MV so this is one reason why configuring the MV was chosen. Working in a live envirnoment with limited production data available changing to Super Routings would have delayed the original project objectives.

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hello Duncan

Apparently you can work with Configurable MVs although I can not say if this is true under SET Processing scenario, but I am guessing it is also an Yes.

OSS Note 794941, albeit for a lower release, is talking about a switch to be activated in program LCUKOF21. Not sure if you have already checked it out. There also some other OSS notes on this subject again for older releases- See below. Review them also for whatever they may be worth.

794941 - Explosion of material variant as a configurable assembly

528755 - Material variant as a component in multi-level config. (2)

513288 - Material variant as a component in multi-level configuration

So my suggestion would be to activate the switch and do an end to end test for any unknown repercussions.

Let me know your progress for reasons of professional interest. Thanks.

Former Member
0 Kudos

Hi Chandrasekhar

The OSS notes you proposed were useful but did not solve my scenario problem and unfortunately there is no solution. In the end my colleague sent an OSS message to SAP and we received a quick reply:

It is SAP standard you cannot configure a material variant if it is included in a BOM.

Only materials defined as configurable can be configured when used in a BOM, in other words KMAT within KMAT.

The main reason is costing, to cost the superior BOM the material cost of the material variant takes the configuration defined in the master data thereby fixing its configuration for the superior BOM cost and this is why the material variant is not allowed to be configurable. I guess this makes sense really.

This question is now complete although there is no solution for what I hoped to achieve. The solution for my scenario is to use KMAT with KMAT BOM structure and Super Routings (variant matching will be considered but may not be used).

Thank you for your help. Regards, Duncan.

Former Member
0 Kudos

Dear Duncan,

I came across similar scenario, to use configurable material variant in BOM. SAP Note 456510 seems to be the solution, but I still not getting the result after implement the S-note. Material variant characteristic value assignment still grey off. I not sure if there are something I miss out to make configurable material variant in BOM working.

Regards,

HanKeat

Answers (0)