Structure explosion for item is not possible

[former_member1220769]

Hi,

Couldn't find the SAP CS group. I hope this group can help me. I have a service repair order and we need to send the customer a replacement, which in this case is a Sales BOM.

I have configured the IRAT item category in such a way that it will explode to the first level. The BOM will only have 1 level, so that is all that's needed. Item category assignment is also done as required.

So as far as I know, everything is done.

The Problem

1. When I enter a replacement item that is a BOM, I get the message: structure explosion is not possible for item...message V1578.
2. When I enter a replacement item that is not a BOM, I get the same message

SAP clarifies: you have tried to carry out a structure explosion within a exploded structure, but this is not possible. This message makes no sense:

• I use single level BOM's
• The message also appears for items that do not have a BOM at all.

On top of that:

If I ignore the message the BOM will not explode. If I then change the replacement item to another BOM, the message (V1578) doesn't appear anymore and the BOM is exploded without any issue. Which BOM is use for this last step doesn't matter.

Please let me know if you have any idea how to fix this. Thanks.

P.

[former_member1220769 · Accepted solution]

After contact with SAP: usage of BOM as a repair item is not recommended by SAP. The error message is according to design.

Decided to look for other solution

Kind regards, Peter H.

[former_member1220769]

Hi,

Some more information. I'm trying to create the following situation in the Sales/CS order:

Item 1000: main item for repairing material A

     Item 1040: replacement item IRAT for the replacement of material A with material B

          Item 1050: component of material B

          Item 1060: component of material B

After some debugging I found out while doing this, SAP is performing two checks which eventually causes the error. The check is to prevent the explosion of a multi level BOM.

First check

This check is on item 1000, when item 1040 (the replacement) is added. For some reason SAP considers item 1040 the first level of the BOM. This is not correct in my opinion.

Second check

Since the IRAT item category is configured to support BOM explosion, SAP will perform a second check for item 1040 and then reaches the conclusion that I try to perform a BOM explosion within a BOM explosion, which is not allowed.

As mentioned: If I ignore all the messages I get, and afterwards replace the BOM with another BOM, I don't get the message. Reason: SAP doesn't perform the first check anymore for item 1000.

In my opinion: the first check SAP is performing is incorrect since the IRAT item is not an explosion of a BOM.

Dear Gurus, What is your opinion? Any ideas how to get around this error message (besides disabling it, which wont help).

[former_member183879]

Hi Peter,

If both 1000 and 1040 are seen in the sales order, please check the VBAP-UEPOS field for 1040. If it represents the item position of the material 1000, then the item 1040 is a subitem of 1000 and in this case, it is obvious that 1040 will not explode further.

If the UEPOS field for 1040 is empty, then the BOM explosion should happen ideally.

To clear my doubt, you said that you replace the BOM with another BOM. What does that mean? Do you directly enter the item 1040 or you enter item 1000 but maintain a different replacement material instead of 1040.

[former_member1220769]

Hi Navaneetha,

Thank you for your input!

Item 1040 is indeed a subitem of item 1000. You are indicating, that a subitem of a subitem is not possible and therefore the BOM doesn't explode. I thought so as well, but when I replace the BOM it is possible.

By replacing the BOM with another BOM I mean:

1. I enter BOM A first in the repair screen of item 1000 as a replacement item (this BOM doesn't explode due to subitem of subitem).
2. I go into the repair screen of item 1000 and I replace BOM A with BOM B (different material number that is also a BOM).
3. BOM B will explode when I return to the item overview. The components will consider item 1040 the higher level item.

So then you got the subitem of subitem situation which was not possible in the first place (see table below)

As mentioned. For some reason SAP doesn't perform the first check anymore when I proceed with a replacing the BOM. In other words, SAP doesn't see 1040 being a subitem of item 1000 as a problem anymore.

Item number	Material	Item category description	Higher level item
1000	Material A	Main service
1010	Material B	Return	1000
1020	Material C	Service order for actual repir	1000
1030	Material D	Hours from service order (DP91)	1000
1040	Material E	Replacement  (BOM B)	1000
1050	Material F	Component	1040
1060	Material G	Component	1040
1070	Material H	Component	1040

[former_member183879]

Hi Peter,

Still I am unclear.

Are you including the BOM manually for 1000. Are you not maintaining the BOM masterdata which gets proposed automatically.

Also, can you look at the item category settings for 1000 and 1040 in VOV7 with specific stress on the BOM area and the explosion control. What is the value you have maintained there. In my knowledge the structure scope should be B. Please confirm that.

[former_member1220769]

Hi Navaneetha,

I tried to give you more explanation below. Let me know if you have more questions.

VOV7 for item 1000: no BOM explosion. Not needed since item 1000 is NOT a BOM. Item 1000 contains sub-items without being a BOM (explanation below)

VOV7 for item 1040: Structure scope A, Application SD01, (I tried different structure scopes B, C...etc already and applications. Doesn't work).

Some more clarification about the generic customer service process:

• Item 1000 is the main service that is requested for the product that needs to be serviced. In order to complete item 1000, there are sub items which all represent a step in the customer service process:
• Item 1010 is the return of the product that needs to be serviced
• Item 1020 is the link to the service order (IW32/IW32 order) that is needed to repair the product
• Item 1030 are the hours spend on this service order. transferred via DP91.
• Item 1040 is the replacement sent to the customer for the product that is returned in item 1010.(in this case a sales kit (BOM).

All these sub-item (1010-1040) are selected and maintained in the "repair screen" in the sales/repair order. This repair screen is a tab available for sales order item 1000.  This is SAP CS functionality.

Where I enter the BOM first time:

item 1000, 1010, 1020, 1030 are existing

The BOM A (header material) is entered manually in the repair screen of item 1000.

Once I return to the item overview in the sales order I expect item 1040 to be added (automatically) and the related BOM to explode on item 1040. This doesn't happen because of the error message I get.

I think I already mentioned that SAP somehow thinks that item 1000 and it's sub-items is already a BOM explosion. Therefore the second level explosion is not permitted (for item 1040).

When I replace the BOM:

Item 1000, 1010, 1020, 1030 AND 1040 are existing

Item 1040 already exists, but the related BOM for 1040 is not exploded.

I go into the repair screen of item 1000 again and replace BOM A with BOM B (BOM header material).

I go back to the sales order item overview and BOM B explodes (resulting in the overview I gave earlier).

Br, Peter

[former_member183879]

Hi Peter,

Now I am clear about the issue atleast. Know very little of CS /PM.

Thinking about it and trying in my system. Give me sometime.

In the mean time, if others give some update, it is good.

[Lakshmipathi]

You may have to implement the following note:-

• Note 311031 - Message V1578 with product selection for subitem

G. Lakshmipathi

[former_member1220769]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I checked the note. I believe that this note is not applicable since we are in SAP ECC 6.0.