| Keyword | Description |
|---|---|
| Object dependency | Object dependencies are used to define dependencies between different objects in configuration. With object dependencies it is possible to determine which combinations of characteristic values are allowed in a configuration or which characteristics are to appear in the configuration. It is possible to determine which BOM items are selected, which operations, sequences of operations, sub-operations, and PRTs are selected for a routing. Of course the usage of dependencies is not limited to these functionalities, there are many more ways to use object dependencies. |
| Dependency Description | The short description of the dependency. The maximal length of the description is 30 characters. For longer texts, the Long-Text option must be used. |
| Material variant | A product variant of a configurable material. The material master record of a material variant contains assigned characteristic values. |
| Dependency status | The status of the dependency. This status determines whether the dependency will be used by the system. Only dependencies with "released" status will be actively used by the system. |
| Dependency Group | Group that groups together similar dependencies, or the dependencies that belong to one knowledge base. It is possible to use the dependency group as a search criteria for finding dependencies and can be defined in Customizing for Variant Configuration. |
| Maintenance Auth. | Authorization to Maintain Object Dependencies for Objects. This authorization determines which dependencies can be used for an object. |
| Precondition | A precondition describes when an object (characteristic, characteristic value, BOM item, operation, and so on) can be copied to the configuration. If a precondition is linked to an object, for example a characteristic value, the object only appears in configuration if the condition described in the precondition is fulfilled. A precondition is used to ensure the consistency of the configuration. |
| Action | (obsolete) An action allows characteristic values to be inferred automatically and is always carried out when the object to which the action is linked is copied to the configuration. An action can only affect the object which is currently being processed. For this reason, the syntax must always start with "$SELF.", followed by the name of the characteristic whose value is to be inferred. Actions are considered obsolete and procedures should be used instead. For more information please see: http://help-legacy.sap.com/erp2005_ehp_04/helpdata//EN/14/63b6531de6b64ce10000000a174cb4/content.htm |
| Constraint | Constraints can only be maintained in Dependency nets and define ehe interdependencies between objects and their characteristics. A constraint is used as a dependency in variant configuration and can be used to set characteristic values or to check the consistency of assigned values. In variant configuration, it is possible to use constraints to address configurable assemblies in a BOM, between which interdependencies exist. |
| Selection condition | A selection condition describes when a component (characteristic, characteristic value, BOM item, operation, and so on) has to be copied to the configuration. For example: If a BOM item is linked to a selection condition, and this condition is fulfilled, the BOM item must be included in the BOM explosion. If a characteristic is linked to a selection condition, and this condition is fulfilled, you must assign a value to the characteristic in configuration. A selection condition is used to ensure that the configuration is complete. |
| Procedure | Procedures can be used to infer values for characteristics and the result of procedures is dependent on the sequence in which they are processed. Procedures always refer to the object $SELF and it is allowed to use language elements. |
| SCE Format | Object dependencies can be saved in the new SCE (standalone configurator engine) format. |
| Dependency Documentation | A long text for the object dependency. |
| Material | The goods that are the subject of business activity. A material can be traded, used in manufacture, consumed, or produced. |
| Change Number | A change number is used to uniquely identify a change master record. There are two ways of assigning a change number, external or internal: If a change is made with reference to a change number or an object is created with a change number, then the system determines the validity conditions. The conditions that the change is effective under can be defined in the change master record as follows: |
| Release Key | A release key for change master record reproduces the release procedure for different areas of the company. The following values may be set: - No release (blank) The changes are not released for other areas of the company -Global release (value 1) The changes are released for all areas of the company. - Release for one or more areas For example: costing, planning, production For example: Release key 20 is defined in such a way that the changes are only released for costing. This means that the changes (for example, exchanging a cheap material for a more expensive one) are taken into account in costing, but not in planning or production. |
| Configuration profile | An object in which configuration parameters can be entered for a configurable object. Each configuration profile must be assigned to at least one class with a class type that supports variant configuration. |
| Configuration Profile Name | Short description (name) used to uniquely identify a configuration profile for a configurable material. |
| Configuration profile priority | The priority determines the order in which profiles are displayed. The profile with the lowest number has the highest priority. If several profiles are defined for a material, a dialog box ist displayed when the configuration is started and one profile must be selected. The profile with the highest priority is at the top of the list. The priority is also required if the material is configured using ALE or IDocs instead of in dialog mode. The profile with the highest priority is automatically selected for the material. Profiles that have no priority are at the top of the list, because internally they have the counter 0. |
| Availability Check | Checks whether the individual components are available in the configuration simulation during the configuration process. A pushbutton in the configuration simulation is displayed that can be selected in order to call the availability check. |
| Interface Design | Entering an interface design activates the function Values -> Interface design in the configuration editor. This function can be used to arrange the characteristics according to criteria that are defined. Any name can be assigned to an interface design.This field is only available for entry if the material is allocated to a class. It is possible to assign an interface design to several materials that are assigned to the same class and therefore have the same characteristics. Whene these materials are configured, it is possible to automatically start with the characteristics groups that are defined in the interface design. |
| Configuration browser | It is possible display the configuration browser when a material is configured. The configuration browser is displayed on one side and characteristic value assignment or the result screen for the selected configurable material on the other side. The Configuration structure dialog box is no longer necessary. |
| Configuration Structure of BOM | It is possible to display the configuration structure of the material when a material is configured. The configuration structure shows the configurable assemblies and class items in the BOM. |
| Sales order (SET) | In the sales order, sales-relevant components are shown as sub-items of the header material. The BOM components have the relevant to sales indicator in BOM maintenance, set under Status/long text. It is possible to use the item category group in the material master record (group 0004 in the standard system) to determine that requirements are transferred and pricing is calculated at component level, not at header material level. This may be done for example, if the components are a SET of materials that are delivered as individual parts, such as the components of a PC: keyboard, printer, monitor, and CPU, where PC is the header material. |
| Plnd/prod. order: None | The material has a BOM that is not relevant to the sales order. Only the characteristics that describe the variant are required. The components are determined later during material requirements planning or production, so there is no need to explode the BOM in the sales order. |
| Plnd/prod. order: Sing-level | Values assigned in the sales order are transferred to material requirements planning, and the BOM is exploded accordingly. The configuration is exploded on one level using the characteristics of the header material. |
| Plnd/prod. order: Multi-lev. | It is possible to configure all configurable BOM components individually. The components need not be relevant to sales. The sales order contains the header material as an order item. |
| Order BOM | This functionality allows users to change the BOM of the configurable material for the sales order. For example, it is possible to insert extra items or delete items. The changed BOM is stored as a separate BOM for the sales order. If the BOM does not contain further assemblies, set the Single-level indicator for the BOM explosion. The BOM of the header material is then exploded on one level in technical processing. If the BOM contains further assemblies, set the Multi-level indicator, so that the BOMs of the assemblies can also be exploded and processed. |
| Knowledge-Based Order BOM | If the option Knowledge-Based Order BOM is set, the configured order BOM is saved with the manual changes. If Knowledge-Based Order BOM is not enabled, the super BOM (not the configured BOM) is saved with all manual changes and the object dependencies (selection conditions). When the BOM is called, the selection conditions are processed dynamically and only the selected items are displayed. |
| Availability Check | If this option is enabled, it is possible to check whether the individual components are available in the configuration simulation during the configuration process. A pushbutton in the configuration simulation will be displayed that may be selected in order to call the availability check. |
| Manual changes to components allowed | If this option is enabled, it is possible to change sales-relevant components of the BOM in the sales order. The changes are saved for the order item. |
| Maintenance in Order Allowed | This option allows users to maintain order BOMs in the sales order. However, it is only possible to change the assigned characteristic values, not the BOM itself. If this option is not enabled, it is only possible to maintain order BOMs in a special function in the bills of material menu. This function is only possible if Result-oriented BOM is also enabled. |
| Automatic Fixing | If this option is enabled, users may use the order BOM maintenance function to save an order BOM for a sales order, even if no changes are made to the BOM. If this indicator is not set, users must change the BOM for a sales order in the maintenance function in order to create an order BOM. |
| Fix: Selected Assembly | In order BOM maintenance, this option lets users specify the assemblies in the BOM structure for which you want to create order BOMs. This setting fixes the selected assembly, which creates an order BOM for the assembly material. Caution: The setting in the root profile (the profile of the top-level configurable material) is the default setting that appears when users first see the result screen. This setting applies globally to all instances. If users change the default on the result screen, the new setting applies to all instances. For example, if users want to instantiate instance 7, the current global setting is applied. |
| Fix: Top-Down | In order BOM maintenance, this option lets users specify the assemblies in the BOM structure for which users want to create order BOMs. This setting fixes the selected assembly and the entire structure below it, which creates order BOMs for all assemblies that are subordinate to the selected assembly. Caution: The setting in the root profile (the profile of the top-level configurable material) is the default setting that appears when users first see the result screen. This setting applies globally to all instances. If users change the default on the result screen, the new setting applies to all instances. For example, if users want to instantiate instance 7, the current global setting is applied. |
| Fix: Bottom-Up | In order BOM maintenance, this option lets users specify the assemblies in a BOM structure for which users want to create order BOMs. This setting fixes the selected assembly and all assemblies in the path directly above it. Caution: The setting in the root profile (the profile of the top-level configurable material) is the default setting that appears when users first see the result screen. This setting applies globally to all instances. If users change the default on the result screen, the new setting applies to all instances. For example, if users want to instantiate instance 7, the current global setting is applied. |
| Pricing on request | If this option is enabled, the price of the configuration of a material is displayed on request only. |
| Pricing shown permanently | If this option is enabled, the price of the configuration of a material is displayed directly in the configuration editor. |
| Default values must be confirmed | This option for procedures shows that default values for characteristics must be confirmed on the value assignment screen. If a default value os not confirmed, the characteristic is interpreted as having no assigned value. |
| Copy default values | This procedure determines that the default values defined in characteristics maintenance are treated as user entries. These characteristics are interpreted as having assigned values. If the procedure 'Copy' is selected, it is possible to use the 'Yes' or 'No' indicator to specify whether the default values are displayed on the value assignment screen. |
| Configurator is permanently active | This setting refers to the runtime of the system and influences when dependencies are processed. If this option is selected, the configurator is active, which means that dependencies are processed whenever a user sets a value. This can increase the response time for characteristic value assignment. |
| Configurator is active on request | This setting refers to the runtime of the system and influences when dependencies are processed. If this option is selected, the configurator is not active. Dependencies are processed once when 'Configure' is clicked. |
| Configurator is Active After Enter | This setting refers to the runtime of the system and influences when dependencies are processed. If this option is selected, dependencies are processed once when 'Enter' is pressed. This can reduce the response time for characteristic value assignment. |
| Check Configuration Material Against Stock on Request | This option shows that the system checks whether a material variant for a configuration is available in stock. This option also determines that the check is only carried out on request. To make the check, the 'Type matching' pushbutton must be used. Only the first material found is displayed. To see the other materials found, select the Continue pushbutton. |
| Matching of inventoried material continuous | This option shows that the system checks whether a material variant for the configuration is available in stock. This option determines that the materials found are displayed automatically. Only the first material found is displayed. To see all the materials that have been found, 'Continue' must be clicked. |
| Type matching of materials kept in stock: partial confign | This indicator shows that type matching for variants runs during configuration even if users have not assigned values to all characteristics. The system searches for material variants that match the values that have been assigned. |
| Type Matching of Materials Kept in Stock | This option shows that material variants are not found by the system unless users have assigned values to all characteristics and the material has exactly the values the users have assigned. |
| Leading change master record | Superior change master record in a change hierarchy. It groups together several change packages for the change process. It is possible to maintain important control functions that are relevant to all the allocated change packages in a leading change master record. It is possible to define when the change becomes effective (for example, on the valid from date) or use the Release key. For example: A complex change is being controlled with a change hierarchy that contains the following change master records: Leading change master record with change number NR-1 Effectivity is entered (valid from 10.01.1999) Release key (for example, released for production) Allocated change packages with the following change numbers: P-1 and P-2 It is possible to process the objects with reference to the change packages. |
| Change package | Subordinate change master record in a change hierarchy that controls the changes to the individual objects. The change package determines which change objects are to be processed and how they are to be processed. |
| Change request | Collection of data that allows the processing of requested changes to be scheduled. The change request covers the following activities: - Document requested change - Categorize requested change (for example, change for repetitive manufacturing) - Check requested change for specific company - Approve or reject requested change |
| Change type | Compilation of data with which the change processes in diverse organizational units are controlled. It is defined when the change order is created. For example, the following data controls the change process: - Status profile for change order and context - Context and/or context hierarchy Additional settings control the change flow, for example: - Setting for the automatic generation of change tasks - Setting for the automatic generation of object management records In Production Planning and Control (PP) the change type controls the process flow of change objects in engineering change management. It is possible to define this for an entire change master record, or for objects that are assigned to the change master, such as bills of material or routings. The process flow is defined internally using the system status, and cannot be changed manually. The workflow workbench lets users define specific workflow tasks for specific processing statuses. These tasks are monitored and controlled by the workflow manager. If users want to organize the business transactions for a specific processing status in more detail, users may define a status profile in Customizing and assign the profile to the change type. In the change master, this process flow is controlled by the user status. |
| Effectivity Type | Determines the conditions under which object changes are valid. Assigning an effectivity type means that the validity of changes is not determined by a valid-from date, but by the parameters of the effectivity type. Effectivity type SERNR (serial number) has the following parameters assigned to it: - Material number of parameter type S (single value) - Serial number of parameter type O (open interval) If users choose effectivity type SERNR in the channge master record, users must maintain the following values: -Material number -Serial number: lower limit -Serial number: upper limit -Indicator for interpreting the lower limit as an open interval. Users can process the following objects with reference to a change number whose validity is defined by an effectivity type: -BOMs -Routings -Characteristics -Characteristics of class -Classification |
| Profile identification | Profile identification that contains default values and presettings for the creation of a change master record. The information contained in a profile is standard information that is always needed in a similar way when users are maintaining change master records. The profile helps users when entering and managing change data. For example, users can document the following fields and presettings using the profile: -Description -Change number status -Status profile If users maintain the presettings in maintain profile and create a change master record with reference to a template, the template data has a higher priority than the settings in the chosen profile. |
| Condition | A condition defines the result values for a determination process. The result values depend on selected influencing factors (such as customer, customer group, and product) and are valid for a specified period. For example, a condition may be a specific discount in kind for a specific quantity of a product, or a specific discount for a specific business partner. |
| Condition type | The condition type indicates whether during pricing the system applies a price, a discount, a surcharge or other pricing elements such as freight costs and sales taxes. For each of these pricing elements, there is a condition type defined in the system. |
| Sales Organization | An organizational unit responsible for the sale of certain products or services. The responsibility of a sales organization may include legal liability for products and customer claims. |
| Distribution Channel | The way in which products or services reach the customer. Typical examples of distribution channels are wholesale, retail, or direct sales. It is possible to maintain information about customers and materials by sales organization and distribution channel. Within a sales organization users can deliver goods to a given customer through more than one distribution channel. Users can assign a distribution channel to one or more sales organizations. If, for example, users have numerous sales organizations, each sales organization may use the "Wholesale" distribution channel. For each combination of sales organization and distribution channel, users can further assign one or more of the divisions that are defined for the sales organization. It is possible for example to assign "Food" and "Non-food" divisions to the "Wholesale" distribution channel. A particular combination of sales organization, distribution channel, and division is known as a sales area. |
| Division | A way of grouping materials, products, or services. The system uses divisions to determine the sales areas and the business areas for a material, product, or service. A product or service is always assigned to just one division. From the point of view of sales and distribution, the use of divisions lets users organize their sales structure around groups of similar products or product lines. This allows the people in a division who process orders and service customers to specialize within a manageable area of expertise. For example, if a sales organization sells food and non-food products through both retail and wholesale distribution channels, each distribution channel could then be further split into food and non-food divisions. |
| Material Group | Key to group together several materials or services with the same attributes and to assign them to a particular material group. Material groups can be used to: - Restrict the scope of analyses - Search specifically for material master records via search helps |
| Cross-Plant Configurable Material | Unlike the plant-specific configurable material, the cross-plant configurable material is valid for all plants. |
| MRP type | A key that controls the MRP procedure (MRP or reorder point) used for planning a material. It contains additional control parameters, for example, for using the forecast for the materials planning, or for firming procurement proposals. |
| Planning cycle | Key that determines the day on which the material is planned and ordered. The planning cycle is a planning calendar that is defined in Customizing for MRP. |
| Lot size | In material planning the lot size key determines which lot-sizing procedure the system uses within materials planning to calculate the quantity to be procured or produced. |
| Procurement Type | Defines how the material is procured. The following procurements types are possible: -The material is produced in-house. -The material is procured externally. -The material can be both produced in-house and procured externally. |
| Special procurement type | Allows users to define the procurement type more exactly. The system determines the procurement type from the material type. Users may use special procurement when they want to be able to override the procurement type in the material master or define the procurement type more precisely. If the procurement type is in-house, users can nevertheless force the system to ignore the BOM and routing, and process the material as if it were externally procured, by specifying the special procurement as external. If a material is procured externally , users may want to choose the special procurement type Consignment. If the material is produced in-house, it may be appropriate to choose 'Production in other plant'. If a material has a routing but no BOM, it is treated as an externally procured material even if the procurement type is in-house. Both the BOM and the routing are ignored. However, if you specify the special procurement type as in-house, the routing is included even if the material has no BOM. |
| Availability Check | The Checking Group for Availability Check specifies whether and how the system checks availability and generates requirements for materials planning. In Flexible Planning - together with the checking rule - defines the different MRP elements that make up this key figure. The sum of these elements gives the key figure. |
| Planning material | Material number whose planned independent requirements the system uses to consume the sales order of the material in question if users use the planning strategy, "planning with planning material". The strategy "planning with planning material" is used if the BOM of a finished product contains variable and non-variant parts. The non-variant parts can be planned using the planning material. If a sales order/customer requirement is posted for the material in question, the sales order quantity consumes the planned independent requirements of the planning material. The planning material is not actually produced itself. If is only used for planning non-variant parts and for consuming the planned independent requirements. In this planning strategy, the system uses the consumption mode maintained for the planning material to determine how many days into the future or the past consumption is to be carried out. Users must maintain the consumption mode for this strategy must be maintained in the material master record. |
Definitions also used in Classification
| Keyword | Description |
|---|---|
| Characteristic | A characteristic is used to describe a very specific property of an object and is also used to collect a predefined set of values which can be used to valuate a classified object. |
| Change number | Change numbers serve the purpose of uniquely identifying a change master record and can be used to create or change a characteristic (as well as class and classification) and to determine the validity date of the change. Additionally, the change log provides an overview and enables documentation of all changes. |
| Characteristic Group | A characteristic group may be used to collect similar characteristics into groups for easy search and a better overview. Although at first sight characteristic groups appear to be similar to classes due to the collection of characteristics, characteristic groups and classes are very different in the way that characteristic groups are used to group similar characteristics, or even alternatives ( such as length and distance ) - while classes are used to collect different characteristics ( such as length and color ) to be able to collect the regularly used characteristics that may be used to describe similar objects. |
| Status | The status of a characteristic or a class provides information about the status of the creation or maintenance and may be used to determine whether the class or characteristic may be actively used elsewhere in the system. |
| Authorization Group | The authorization Group key determines whether the user is allowed to maintain the characteristic or class and must be defined in the master record. |
| Value Data Type | Characteristics may use a single data type for all their values which must be predefined during the creation of the characteristics. Some data types such as numeric, character, currency and date format are provided by default, however the creation of new data types is also possible. |
| Number of Characters | The number or characters determines how many characters may be entered when assigning the values to the characteristic. Although it is generally possible to increase the number of characters after values have already been assigned and saved, it is not possible to decrease the number of characters once the characteristic has been saved. The maximum value for character data type descriptions is 30 characters, for longer descriptions the value documentation must be used. Numeric, date and currency value types do not allow characteristic descriptions to be added. |
| Template | Templates define the format of the characteristic values, while the usage of a template is optional. The most often used templates are provided by default, however it is possible to create additional templates. |
| Single Value and Multiple Value | The value assignment of a characteristic allows the options single value or multiple value to be selected during classification or during the configuration. |
| Restrictable | The restrictable indicator enables the characteristic to be restricted during variant configuration within constraints, however is not relevant to classification |
| Entry required | Defines whether a characteristic must have a value assigned during classification or configuration, otherwise the status will be set to inconsistent. |
| Descriptions | A characteristic may have its description translated into multiple languages. At least one description in any language must be provided by default, usually during the creation of the characteristic. |
| Values / Characteristic Values | Characteristics allow the assignment of predefined characteristic values as well as additional values, negative values and ranges. |
| Additional Values | While a characteristic may have predefined values, by enabling additional values the user may add additional values to the characteristic during configuration or classification. The additional values that are added during classification or configuration will however function on an ad-hoc basis and will not be added as a predefined value to the characteristic. In case there are no predefined values to a characteristic, the characteristic will allow additional values during configuration or classification even if the ‘additional values’ flag is not selected for the characteristic. |
| Default value | The default value will be automatically set by the system during configuration or classification for the characteristic in case the flag is set for the characteristic value. This value may however be overwritten by dependencies and may as well be changed by the user during configuration or classification. |
| Object dependencies | An object dependency is a mutual interdependency between objects and may be defined for characteristics as well as characteristic values. This may also ensure that the correct BOM items and operations are selected when an object is configured. Object dependencies also have their own syntax. |
| Subordinate values | Characteristic values may as well have a value hierarchy where the values that are lower in the hierarchy are considered to be subordinate values. |
| Documentation for value | Characteristic values may have a documentation assigned in each language that allows long texts to be saved. |
| Description for value | Different translations of value descriptions may be saved as well. |
| Value check | A value check may be used for a characteristic to perform a value check using a check table or a function module. |
| Reference to table field | Characteristic values may as well be saved in tables and be automatically read from the database and set in the configuration or classification by the system. This is often used in case more than 9999 values must be saved for a characteristic. |
| Document | A document is a self-contained collection of written information with any content and may also include graphics. |
| Document key | A document key uniquely identifies a document indo record and contains the document number, document type, document part and document version. |
| Document number | The document number is the main part of the document key which identifies the document. |
| Document type | The document type is part of the document key and categorizes the documents by their distinguishing features and organizational procedures that result from them. |
| Document part | The document part is considered as a section of a document that is maintained as an independent document. Document parts are often used to split up large documents into smaller parts. |
| Document version | A document version is a number which identifies the version of a document. Once the original version of the document has been edited, a new version is assigned. |
| Not ready for input | The indicator ‘not ready for input’ determines whether the characteristic should allow a value assignment by the user during classification or configuration. In case ‘not ready for input’ is checked for the characteristic, either the default value is set (if defined) or a dependency may be used to set a value. The characteristic and the value set by the system will be displayed during classification or configuration, however the user will not be able to edit the values. |
| No display | Whether a characteristic should be displayed to the user during classification or configuration. The characteristic will be hidden and can be found under ‘hidden values’ during classification or configuration. Depending on whether ‘not ready for input’, if only ‘no display’ is selected, then once the characteristic is opened from the hidden values list, the value may be changed by the user. The ‘no display’ and ‘not ready for input’ may as well be combined in certain situations. |
| Display allowed values | The ‘display allowed values’ options allows all the possible values to be displayed during configuration and classification for the characteristic and the selected values will be highlighted by the system. |
| Unformatted entry | In case the ‘unformatted entry’ option is selected, the entry field for the values will not be shortened to the number of characters allowed, but will always display a 30 character field available for entry. This option may be used to enter intervals or multiples values separated by a semicolon. |
| Local Class | The indicator for local class may be set to define a class as a local class and is useful if distributed systems are used, but only one portion of the object classifications should be maintained in a central system and another portion in a local system. If this indicator is set, object allocations for this class are not deleted when data is distributed. Values assigned to characteristics of this class are not deleted either. This ensures that the classifications that are created locally are not deleted whenever data is distirbuted from the central classification system. Characteristics that occur in both a local and a central class are changed, but distribution cannot delete a characteristic value. |
| Same classification | The options in the "same classification" area enable the user to control the behaviour of the system when identical characteristic values and several objects have the same values for all characteristics |
| Authorization | From a general perspective, the authorization settings define what the user is allowed or is not allowed to carry out on the system. These authorizations generally control if the user is allowed to use a specific transaction, or in case a transaction may be used, if creation, editing or only displaying is allowed. |
| Created by | The created by field contains the user ID of the user that has originally created the object, class, characteristic or any type of data. |
| Created on | The created on field shows the original date when the object, class, characteristic or any type of data was created. |
| Keywords | The keywords enable the user to add additional information to classes for easier search functionality. |
| Overwritten values | Characteristic values and settings may be overwritten in each class on an ad hoc basis. It is important to note that it is not advised to overwrite the values of the same characteristic in multiple classes and at the same time assign both classes to an object as the system will only use the overwritten values of the class with the lower CLINT number and this behaviour may lead to confusion of the user. In similar situations it is advised to use dependencies instead. |
| Where used list | The where used list shows where the characteristics or classes have been used and more specifically in which active dependencies, configurations, tables and many more. Altough the Where used list can be opened separately via the transaction CT12, it may aswell be opened via CT04 or CL02 in the menu. To find classes or characteristics in use in dependencies that have 'in preparation' or locked status, the transaction CT25 may be used. |
Change Documents | Change documents give an overview of what have been changed and how by any user. When change documents are activated, the following will be displayed: Date, Time, User, Transaction, Document number, Class, Characteristic, Characteristic Value, and Type of change |
| Change History | With the change history it is possible to trace all changes made to an inspection characteristic in a lot and provides an overview of the following details: last changed by, field changed and time of change. |
| Change Overview | The change overview shows which characteristics have been changed, with or without a change number, the from and until validity date, if the characteristic is to be deleted, the Organizational Area, DIN, Origin and if the characteristic was overwritten. |
| Class hierarchy | A class hierarchy can be built with any number of levels and any number of classes on a level to make finding classes and objects easier. |
| Classification Status | The classification status shows the state of the assignment of an object to the class. In case all required characteristics have values assigned, the status will be set to 1 (released) . When the values assigned are inconsistent, the status 2 will be set. In case not all required characteristics have values assigned, the status will be set to 3 (incomplete) by the system. The statuses 2 and 3 can be also manually set from status 1 to lock the classification. |
| Multiple Classification | Multiple Classification is the assignment of an object to more than one class of a specific class type. |
| Reference Characteristic | Reference characteristics are often used to transfer individual fields or values of an object to the classification and can refer to fields in several tables or can be used to find objects. Also, multiple characteristics may also refer to the same table field. |
| Characteristic Inheritance | When a characteristic is inherited within a class hierarchy, they do not have to be added manually to eacch subclass but will be set by the system. |
| Application Link Enableing (ALE) | ALEs are used to maintain a distributed but integrated R/3 systems by using business-controlled message exchange to send data across linked SAP applications. The communication between systems may be either synchronous or asynchronous. ALEs are built on the following layers: Application services, Distribution Services and Communication Services. |
| Object Dependencies | Object dependencies enable to the user to use a logic that describes a mutual interdependence between objects and may also be used to ensure that the correct BOM items and operations are selected when an object is configured. There are various types of dependencies such as procedures, constraints, preconditions, select conditions and also actions, however actions are obsolete in the newer SAP Systems and procedures should be used instead. |
| Organizational Areas | Characteristics that are used to describe the objects classified in a class may be relevant to different areas of a company such as purchasing, sales, engineering and many more. To be able to simplify the search of charateristic to the relevant areas, the organizational areas may be maintained for classes and characteristics |