Automatic Batch Determination - Mass Item setup

[Former Member]

I have just successfully setup Automatic batch determination in SD after much testing and am ready to transport relevant changes made to the live system.

However, when that is in place the department concerned will need to update over 200 items for this batch control. So far, for testing I have updated 4 or 5 items via VCH1/VCH2 and I am now dreading the thought of having to go through every item via VCH1 to implement this fully. Is there a mass setup option I (or the users) can use to get them done?

Thanks

Jim Jackson

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

hello, Jim.

am i correct in assuming that you created a batch search strategy VCH1 for each material number? and you need to replicate this process for 200 material numbers? if so, you can try uploading VCH1 for 200 material numbers using LSMW.

i have uploaded condition records and master data (e.g. pricing, discounts, customer master) using LSMW but, admittedly, have not done so with VCH1. you just have to pay special attention to all the required screens.

hope this helped.

regards.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello, Jonathan

I thought that once the configs etc were done and tested that all would be OK after the transporting of them. We know we have to update each relevant item for batch management via MM02 but I must admit I thought that that would be it as far as item data was concerned. If each one has to be added to the strategy setup etc via VCH1 then this could take ages as VCH1 is not the easiest transaction to use. Updating 4 or 5 for testing was awkward enough, maybe because it was the first time used and I wasn't absolutely certain what to do with it!

I guess I'm hoping for someone to say I'm wrong in thinking I have to add each item to the batch setup via VCH1 and/or the other setup transactions. Or there is a transaction I haven't discovered yet that will do it all for me by checking on Item category or material group etc.

Regards

Jim

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

hello again, Jim.

actually, i faced a similar problem just recently. and we were dealing with 200 materials PER PLANT. and we had 20 plants!

so what i did was add an access sequence to one of the batch strategies, so that i didn't have to do VCH1 per material, but instead did VCH1 per plant. try it... it works.

regards.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the tip, Jonathan. After chasing the solution of this for weeks now I think I am very close in that the user is very happy with what I have done in testing i.e. it chooses batches automatically by receipt date for the items designated in test as per noted previously.

I ended up creating a new access sequence and strategy type based only on Material and created a new search procedure to contain this via the 'V/' transactions. When you say use Plant only that could be fine as our batch stratgey is at Plant level. To do this do I do what I have done for the Material so far but substitute Plant (werks) where the matnr field is each time in those V/ transacations? I guess when I get to VCH1 for this it will only ask for a Plan range to be set up rather than each material number - is this correct?

Regards

JIm

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

hello again.

something like that. but in our case, we used just 1 batch class and the batch search parameters are more homogeneous and therefore simpler. and PLANT was just the relevant parameter when we set up VCH1.

maybe batch search would be more complex in yours? anyway, you can always try LSMW and see if this works as an upload option for VCH1.

regards.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Jonathan,

I've tried to recreate my searches etc. using Plant but have failed as it keeps telling me the tables needed for the conditions are in IM/MM as opposed to the SD/Delivery side of things that we are working on. It won't let me create a new table either because it recognises one exists with Plant as the key but won't let me use it in the SD setup. So I'm a bit confused here..

Cheers

Jim

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

good morning Jim.

i sent you screenshots of how i did the access sequence in ours. if this does not work for you, may i suggest using LSMW to upload your batch settings. i tried it and it should work for you.

regards.

Edited by: jonathan yap on Feb 14, 2008 1:12 PM

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks a lot, Jonathan much appreciated for taking the time to get my email and the screen shots.

I had eventually managed to create a search procedure based on table 25 i.e. plant but plant is not quite the right field to select on as it turns out. After further discussion with the department concerned I have finally discovered that the items needing to be batched are all members of 1 material group (but not all of them!!).

I am now going to create a search procedure etc based upon MATKL, which is mentioned in the field catalogue for the tables and work from there. So hopefully, by doing this and changing the setup for relevant items i.e. designate them as batch managed in MM02, it should finally be solved without having to add individual items one by one.

Just out of curiosity, do you know what happens to existing stocks which are not batch managed. How are these stocks used at delivery time with no batch numbers?

Cheers

Jim

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

hello, Jim.

glad to know you're able to focus on a final direction.

as to materials without batch management, the processes are simpler. after you've created the delivery, for each material item all you do is enter the picking quantity (if relevant) and post goods issue. if you have WMS, you just create a transfer order and post goods issue. there is no entry in the BATCH field.

thanks and regards.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Still not completed although testing has been successfully completed. Problem lies in wanting to use existing materials known by users here plus customers, and the inability of SAP to update existing materials to become batch managed easily. I've discovered that this must be a widespread problem as there is a tool SAP can supply (at a price of course) to that will batch activate existing materials. I'm awaiting quotation for this now as users are pushing me to get it running after the success of the testing.

Jim

[Former Member]

hi,

you can also check out by defining the new strategy type so that all the items are selected in that particular new strategy type and can be rectified.

You must have assigned a search procedure to the business transaction.

The search procedure contains different strategy types that are relevant for the business transaction.

There must be a batch search strategy for one of the strategy types.

The selection class must contain at least one of the characteristics with which the batch was classified.

Regards,

Siddharth.

[Former Member]

Hi Siddarth,

Re the Batch Determination itself, it works as required for the 4 or 5 items used in the test process. However, on following your instructions to check the Analysis of the batch splits the 4th level i.e. condition type gives the message VE896 "The condition record for use H can not be displayed". This message appears to have confused a few people judging by the queries on various websites and all without a final answer as well. What does it mean and what are the implications of it as all appears to be OK with the batch splits as far as I can see (and the users doing the testing are very happy with the results so far).

The main problem I have is when we go live and have to update all of the relevant items on the live system. As mentioned, the test items were added manually via VCH1 to be part of the Batch determination process. On the live system, do we have to add each item manually to teh strategy in VCH1 to make it part of the batch process ? We have over 200 that will need to be handled via batch management and getting this done quickly and effectively could be a problem. Should the fact that V/CA has the relevant Item Category ticked solve this problem?

Regards

Jim

[Former Member]

hi,

check the foll tcodes:

V/CA, VCH2 and V/C1

Look at sort sequence in transaction CU72.

For rectifying the setup:

open the delivery and navigate to the batch determination display.

Select the 'Strategy Analysis' button and display the condition types that batch determination has checked.

The display will tell you if the condition types you have set up were successfully accessed.

If not, there may be some problem with the condtion types as set up in VCH1.

hope it wud help.

Regards,

Siddharth.