Characteristics sharing between Classifications

[LeeFung]

I wonder if it's a best practice to share characteristics between Classifications or create characteristics specifically for usage within a single Classification.   For example, Classes A and B, each has a "LENGTH" characteristic.  My company creates A_LENGTH characteristic for Class A only; then creates B_LENGTH characteristic for Class B only; .   I feel this creates a lot of dual data maintenance in maintaining the characteristics.    What is the best practice here?   I thought data should be entered once and used many but here we are seeing created many times duplicates and used many times.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Wu,

I would create a single characteristic and assign to different classes unless it is required that I want to differentiate between the two classes based on characteristic name.

Regards

SD

[LeeFung · Accepted solution]

I agree. That's the best practice. But hard to convince business as they think the other way is more convenient!!!

[former_member183879]

Hi,

It is not only good to use one characteristic across multiple classes, but it is equally bad to multiple characteristics (indicating the same meaning) in multiple classes. If the later is done, we are unnecessarily bloating the master data set up. In this case, even maintaining relationships between multiple characteristics become difficult.

This actually necessitates the requirement for proper nomenclature and approach to classification in every organisation. Once the delivery assurance and the methods are established, this becomes clearer to all the stakeholders that one cannot duplicate data.

It is both a consulting cum training and project governance issue overall. To me, we should not duplicate the same characteristic just because we use two different classes. If we do that, the reusability feature is lost for ever.

[former_member1172156]

I have a follow on question to this.  In config we do not have the same characteristic assigned to multiple classes, but in the material master, when you click on a class and hit the display icon, you can still see allllll of the characteristics under all of the classes assigned to that material, even if they are not assigned to the class that you have selected.  I assume that this is normal?