The Scenario:
1. There are different types of Materials which have similar descriptions
2. They can be differentiated from each other on the basis of various characteristics
3. Limitation of SAP on number of characters does not permit detailed description
4. The Characteristic values should form a searchable database
5. It should be possible to print this data on a Purchase Order
Options Considered:
1. Create a Z Table and add the fields to Material Master Basic Data Screen.
2. Maintain Classification view of Material Master.
Selection of Option:
Since option 1 is non-standard way of configuration, Option 2 is considered to be preferable option.
Base Data:
Class Characteristics
WasherInner Diameter, Outer Diameter, Material, Thickness
BoltNominal Diameter, Length, Material, Thread, Type
ConnectorInlet Diameter, Outlet Diameter, Material, Pressure, Connection Type
Step by Step Procedure:
1. Start SAP and log in
2. Use Transaction Code CT04 to create all required characteristics
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3. Enter the name of Characteristic and click on new (or through Menu Bar Characteristic Create)
4. Enter required Basic Data
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5. Enter Values & restriction if applicable
6. Save the Characteristic.
7. Similarly create as many Characteristics as required.
8. Come back to SAP Easy Access
9. Use CL02 to create a Class
10.Enter the name of Class and click on new (or through Menu Bar Class Create)
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11.Enter requisite Basic Data
12.Go To Characteristics Tab and choose Characteristics as planned (e.g. Inner Diameter, Outer Diameter, Material, Thickness)
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13.Save the Class
14.Now, you are ready to use the Class (WASHER) in your Material Master.
15.To Check / Use, Go To SAP Easy Access
16.Use T-Code MM01 and enter
17.Choose Classification view in Material Creation
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18.Enter mandatory fields and reach to Classification view
19.If necessary from Menu Bar Extras Change Class Type and get Class Type that was chosen while creating the Class Washer.
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20.Enter (or choose) Class Washer and enter. You should get screen showing relevant characteristics.
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21.Enter the data (The data will be validated as per the template given while creating the Characteristic)
Where applicable, a drop list will be available in the form of Radio Buttons. (Here it is applicable for Material, as this was maintained in Characteristic creation of Material through Values tab.)
22.Save the Material
To see the Materials under certain Class-
1. Use T-Code CL6B
2. Enter the desired Class (here – Washer) and execute
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3. You will get output like-
Other Useful Information about Classification: Direct input data transfer program for Classification data -
RCCLBI03. For details of this program CLICK HERE. Table where Characteristic Values are stored is AUSP. Other linked
tables are CAWN, CAWNT, CABN. T-Code CL20N can be used to assign Class & Characteristics to
materials (Objects). This can be alternative way other than the Material Master Route.
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Enter the values and save.Classification of Materials
Documented by Tushar SakhalkarPage 10 of 16
Go to MM03. Enter same material and go to CLASSIFICATION view.
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Direct Input Program RCCLBI03 for Classification Data
Short text
Maintain Classification Data
1. Description
Program RCCLBI03 is a direct input report. It classifies all objects that are contained in an input file. This means:
-Create, change, delete class/object assignments-Create, change, delete class/class assignments-Create, change, delete valuations of assignments
You can use this report to classify objects of all class types. In particular, materials and batches for blass types 022 and 023 can be classified.
The file is structured object by object from records for assignments and their valuations. The report first reads the whole file, then processes the data records object by object. Once all records for an object have been correctly processed, the classification data for the object is saved immediately on the database.
If an error occurs for an object, no data is saved, even if only one valuation record contains an error. In this case, all records that relate to the object (assignments and valuations) are written in original format to an error file. This error file can be corrected and then used as an input file.The report is not terminated if records of an object contain errors.
To reduce processing time and memory use, and the ensure clarity, large data volumes should be distributed among several files, split for example by class type and assignment category.
The input file can be edited with reportRCCLBISC.
2. Input parameters of the report
Logical file name
Logical name for the input file (standard setting CLASSIFICATION).It is created in Customizing and can be selected using the F4 help.Customizing:Basis -> System administration -> Platform-independent file name -> Maintain client-independent file name and path.
Object check
Lock:The object currently being processed is locked for other users. The system checks whether it exists.
Check existence:The object is not locked, existence is checked.
No lock, no check (standard entry):The object is not locked and not checked.
Storage location
Depending on the settings, the input file is read from an application server or presentation server (frontend). This setting is not selected in Customizing.
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Error file
Name of error file in plain text (standard setting 'RCCLBI03.error').The file contains all data records that could not be processed. Enter the name alone or together with the complete path name. If you do not enter a path, the file is stored on the user's home directory (or desktop).The file is stored on the computer used to read the input file: application server or presenatation server.
Validity
If a change number is entered here, all objects of the input file are classified with this change number. You can enter the validity date for engineering change management with parameter validity (effectivity) here.These entries are only allowed if change management is set in Customizing for all class types in which the objects are classified.
The input parameters can be saved in variants.
3. Input file format
The file contains lines of assignment records (object/class or class/class) in format BIKSSK and valuation records (valuations of characteristics) in format BIAUSP. Each line ends with a line break.
o The valuation record must be direcly after its associated assignment record.
o The assignment records do not have to be assorted by object. This is done in the report: Before processing, the list of objects is sorted by assignment category (class/class first, then class/object), then class type, object, object category.
o Fields that are to be initial must remain empty and must not contain special characters such as '/'.
Format for an assignment (BIKSSK)Field / Length(item)
Value
STYPE 01 (01) '1' : Assignment record indicator
TCODE 20 (02) Empty. Field no longer used.
(Previously: 'CL20' or 'CL22').
MAFID 01 (22) Assignment category
'O' : for object/class assignments
'K' : for class/class assignments
KLART 03 (23)Class type in which the object is to be classified.
OBJEK 50 (26) Name of object or class.Remember leading zeros in purely numberical names(z.B. materials, equipment). Check master data table (MARA, ...) if necessary
to find out the correct format.
CLASS 18 (76) Class to which the object is to be assigned.Class name in plain text, not internal key from table KLAH.
STATU 01 (94) Classification status:If no value is entered, the system leave this blank.
STDCL 01 (95) 'X' : Indicates that the assigned class is the
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standard classXLINE 06 (96) Empty. The field is used internally.
OBTAB30 (102)
Object category (only for mafid=O ):
If several object categories are allowed for a class type,the category from Customizing table TCLAO must be enteredhere, e.g. 'MARA' for class type 022/023.
LKENZ01 (132)
Deletion indicator
'X' : Assignment is deleted.' ' : Assignment is changed or created if it does not yet exist.
Format for a valuation (BIAUSP)Field / Length(item)
Value
STYPE01 (01)
'2' : Indicator for valuation record
XLINE06 (02)
Empty. The field is used internally.
ATNAM30 (08)
Neutral characteristic name
ATWRT30 (38)
Neutral characteristic value
LKENZ01 (68)
Deletion indicator
'X' : Valuation deleted' ' : Valuation changed or created if it does not already exist.
Notes
Field STYPE:Characters other than 1 or 2 are ignored during import and can be used as comments for a line.
Sequence:If you create the BIKSSK records for an object for all classes to which the object is already assigned or is still to be assigned to, the characteristics do not need to be separated by class. In this case, all BIKSSK recors and all BIAUSP records are grouped in one block.
1 .. OBJECT_1 ... CLASS_1 1 .. OBJECT_1 ... CLASS_12 .. CHARACTERISTIC_10 1 .. OBJECT_1 ... CLASS_22 .. CHARACTERISTIC_11 1 .. OBJECT_1 ... CLASS_31 .. OBJECT_1 ... CLASS_2 >> 2 .. CHARACTERISTIC_102 .. CHARACTERISTIC_20 2 .. CHARACTERISTIC_112 .. CHARACTERISTIC_21 2 .. CHARACTERISTIC_301 .. OBJECT_1 ... CLASS_3 2 .. CHARACTERISTIC_202 .. CHARACTERISTIC_30 2 .. CHARACTERISTIC_21
Delete assignment:If an assignment is deleted, its related valuations are also deleted. As a result, no BIAUSP records are needed to delete the valuations for these assignments.
Change assignment:The classification status is to be set to 1. If the existing assignment has a status other than 1, the system checks whether its characteristic valuations are consistent. If they are, the
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status is set to 1 (released), if not, to 5 (locked by system). In this check , the system recognized non-valuated required characteristics.
Change characteristic valuation:One-value characteristics. In the case of values that have a value list or are of type character format or date, you do not need a deletion record for the old valuation. A record with the new value is sufficient.For numerical values without restrictions, two records (delete and add) are always needed. Here, the deletion record of the characteristic value must be entered in the external display (see example).Multivalue characteristics: To swap a valuation, a deletion record must be entered.
Object dependencies:The object dependencies are always executed so that characteristic valuations can be changed even though a BIAUSP does not exist for them.If object dependencies that contain object characteristics or relate to object characteristics are to be executed, the parameter check must be set to 'Check existence' or 'Lock'.
Example
1 OZ01MAT_ABC CLASS_Z MARA2 SIZE SMALL2 LENGTH 11,00 cm X2 LENGTH 12,00 cm2 TYPE A2 DATE1 04.03.2001*----------------------------------------------------------------------1 O023BATCH_MAT CLASS_1 MARA2 COLOR red2 COLOR blue2 COLOR green2 TYPE A2 TYPE B2 POLLUTION 0 - 30 %*----------------------------------------------------------------------1 O023BATCH_MAT_________BATCH1 CLASS_1 MCH12 COLOR red2 TYPE B2 POLLUTION 4 %
(the items are strictly observed)Material MAT_ABC is classified in class type Z01.It is assigned to class CLASS_Z, that has characteristics SIZE, LENGTH, and TYPE. Characteristic DATE1 can be inherited from a class to which hierarchy CLASS_Z belongs. The valuation of characteristic LENGTH is changed from 11,00 to 12,00 cm.
Material BATCH_MAT is classified in class type 023 :It is assigned to class CLASS_1, that has characteristics COLOR, TYPE and POLLUTION. As, in class type 023, a material represents a hierarchy node, the one-value characteristics COLOR and TYPE can be valuated several times.Batch 'BATCH_MAT BATCH1' contains valuations from the value areas that are assigned by the associated material. For the format for batch names, see the setting in Customizing (table TCLO, TA O12A) or - as examples - table INOB (Field OBJEK).In class type 023, the descriptions MARA and MCH1 must be there for item 'OBTAB', as various object categories can be assigned in this class type.
Important:Classifications are created directly with this report. If an application creates process-typical relationships between various objects (e.g. material/batch/documents/...) then these
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are not know here and not taken into account. As a result, the object name must be entered in the correct format, as there is not formatting of the application program here.
4. Error messages
The report creates an error message if a function module returns an exception that displays an error. An error message contains
- a heading as general description ('Error ...'),- a detailed text that results from the exeption- the function module and its exception number- the incorrect assignment- the characteristics, if a valuation record contains errors.
The following list contains all heading and the various function modules leading to the error. The detailed texts are usually self-explanatory and therefore not listed.
Error reading classification data
(CLAP_DDB_GET_CLASSIFICATION)
Error changing classification data
(CLAP_DDB_ UPDATE_CLASSIFICATION)
Error deleting Classification data
(CLAP_DDB_DELETE_CLASSIFICATION)
Error deleting valuation (CTMS_DDB_DEL_VALUE)Error maintaining valuation
(CTMS_DDB_SET_VALUE)
Error locking class type(CLAP_DDB_SAVE_CLASSIFICATION)
Error checking object (OBJECT_CHECK_)
Example:
Error changing classification dataOther( CLAP_DDB_UPDATE_CLASSIFICATION: exception 24 )001 12345678 CLASS_2
This error message occurs for materials (class type 001) if an incorrect description (e.g. no leading zeros) is entered. If the input parameters do not define a separate existence check, the classification for this material does not find a material type, and this leads to an error.
Error maintaining valuationCOLOR: 'blu' does not exist( CTMS_DDB_SET_VALUES: exception 9 )001 000000000012345678 CLASS_1 COLOR blu LENGTH 11,00 cm
Material 000000000012345678 (class type 001) is to be valuated with 'blu'. Characteristic COLOR does not have the value in its value list.
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