R/3 Classification to MDM Taxonomy

[Former Member]

Hello,

Please excuse me if my english isn't very good.

I'm trying to model SAP R/3 Classification System in MDM. So, i have used a Taxonomy Table.

MDM R/3

CATEGORIES are CLASSES.

ATTRIBUTES are CHARACTERISTICS.

In my MAIN TABLE I have a field that is type: "Lookup[Taxonomy]" and this makes reference to the Taxonomy Table early mentioned.

My problem is that in R/3 a specific material can have various classes, but in MDM I only can assign one NODE to a material. I can't make the Lookup[Taxonomy] table multi-valued.

Does anyone have an idea of how to solve this?

Thank you very much !

[Former Member]

You can use a <b>multiValued Hierarchy table</b> to achieve this.

Create a Hierachy table with the fields you want.

Ex: Classification is the name of the Hierarchy table

This hierarchy table can have one field called "Classification Name".

Load the classes and chararcteristics to this table.

In the main table, make a lookup to this table. Select multivalued for this field in Console.

By creating this field as multivalued Hierarchy, you can assign multiple lookups to the same main table record.

Hope this helps.

[Former Member]

Thanks a lot for the reply Adhappan.

Just one thing... what should I do with the ATTRIBUTES?

I was thinking that maybe I can have a Hierarchy that works like this:

CLASS_A

-

---

> CHARACTERISTIC1

-

---

> CHARACTERISTIC2

-

---

> CHARACTERISTIC3

CLASS_B

-

---

> CHARACTERISTIC4

-

---

> CHARACTERISTIC5

-

---

> CHARACTERISTIC6

(Characteristic were "Attributes" in my taxonomy table)

But the problem is that, for example, "Characteristic4" may be assigned to multiple Classes... So in that case I have to duplicate the "Characteristic" 'N' times or I can have one node assigned to multiples branches?

[Former Member]

Mariano,

Look at Qualified tables for this scenario. Qualifed tables allow multiple assignments to the same main table record.

If I understand you right, here is a possible solution.

Step1) Create all the Characteristics as Attributes in the Taxonomy mode

Step2) Assign these attributes to the Category and SubCategory in Taxonomy mode. These categories may NOT relfect the true class structure in R/3.

Step3) Create a Hiearchy table or Flat table to house all the Classes as in R/3

Step 4) Create a new Lookup field in the main table to the table created in Step 3.

Create this as multi-valued.

Ex: Product A can be assigned to Class A, Class B and Class C.

The characteristics (attribute values) are got from the assignment of products to the Taxonomy.

So, to know to what classes the product is assigned to, you have to see the multivalued field values.

To know what are the characteristics of the product, you have to see the linked attribute values for the particuar leaf node of the taxonomy.

Note: Attributes linked to the parent node are inherited to the leaf node.

Hope this helps a little,

[Former Member]

Adhappan, thank you again for the reply.

There is one inconvenient with what are you saying... In the way you are saying I can't assign Values to my attributes.

For example:

I know that Product A is assign to Class A, Class B and Class C.

Then, I go to taxonomy mode, and i see that Class A has attribute "Attribute A".

But, i can't know the value that Attribute A has for Product A.

I was thinking that If Attribute A is type "Text" i can assign "Text Values" and have like a valid domain for that attribute. But, anyway, i don't have a way of linking a specific value to a specific attribute.

My problem is that I can't have a field be "Lookup[Taxonomy]" unless that field is in the Main Table.

[Former Member]

Well, here are the solutions I have find.

a) Design a Taxonomy that, like Adhappan say, doesn't corresponds exactly to the Classification Hierarchy that exists in R/3.

b) Have in your Products Tables many fields of type "Lookup[Taxonomy]". For example, "Classification 1", "Classification 2", "Classification N". The only problem with this is that you are restraining the amount of fields to N.

I going to leave the question not answered for a while so perhaps someone sees this and come across with a better solution.

Greetings.