Creating a Generic Article

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to analyze the difference between generic articles and single articles

The Structure of a Generic Article with Variants

Variants are articles that only differ from one another in certain characteristics values (for example, color, size or flavor). They are compiled under a generic article, which can be considered a dummy header article, whereas the variants represent the actually available, physical articles used in all business processes, from planning to purchasing, logistics and sales. The generic article (dummy header article) serves as selection and entry help in system transactions and documents. The generic article concept makes it easy to maintain variants, as the data that is valid for all variants only needs to be entered once for the generic article. Still, the generic article also allows you to directly maintain many fields variant-specific, which makes the article data maintenance very efficient.

The generic article and variants concept was originally introduced to support the creation of the typical color/size article combinations in fashion retailing. Anyhow, generic articles and variants can be used in all retail lines of business, when articles only differ from each other in certain characteristics values. You can find some examples in the figure below.

Creating Variants for a Generic Article

To create generic articles, some preparation is necessary: Characteristics have to be defined with their characteristic values - for example, characteristic color with the values white, yellow, green, blue, and so on.

Then, these characteristics have to be assigned to a class of configuration class type 300.

Generic articles are created with the article category 01 Generic article.

The configuration class then has to be selected when creating a generic article.

A variant matrix is formed from the variant-creating characteristics. It then allows you to select the characteristic value combinations, which are to be created as variants. The variant matrix is a grid of the characteristic value combinations. This is a 2-dimensional table, with each axis showing the values of one characteristic. If there are more than two variant-creating characteristics, then the 2-dimensional table is generated for each value of the third characteristic, which are displayed in a separate tab each. It is recommended to not use more than three variant-creating characteristics.

Note

It is possible to use a maximum of five variant-creating characteristics for a generic article. However, fashion retailing typically uses two or three variant– creating characteristics: color / size, or color / size 1 / size 2. Subsequent functions require the typing of these variant-creating characteristics as color, size 1, or size 2 characteristic. This is why it’s recommended to only use up to these three variant-creating characteristics for generic articles in fashion retailing.

Furthermore, it is possible to restrict the values (select values) from variant-creating characteristics,that is, the ones which were assigned to the selected class of class type 300, when creating generic articles. This is done in the intermediate view before the variant matrix is generated.

You can select a characteristics profile (class type 026) when creating the generic article, this requires the compatibility check being switched off:

  • Only characteristics profiles which contain an informative characteristic (relevancy indicator blank or 1), or characteristics profiles containing characteristics with relevancy indicator 2 (migrated profiles), which are different than the characteristics selected for this generic article via their configuration class 300, are available.
  • The informative characteristics of a selected characteristics profile, or from the merchandise category (hierarchy) then only appear in the Basic Data view, without a previous value restriction option.

When creating a single article, all characteristics assigned to the relevant classes of class type 026 are available in the Basic Data view (as informative characteristics), irrespective of the relevancy indicator. A value restriction is not possible.

In SAP Retail, the generic article variants are by standard numbered based on the generic article's number, with an additional sequential three-digit suffix.

You can use user exit EXIT_SAPLMGNK_003 to compose the article numbers of the variants, for example, from:

  • The generic article number

  • The first 2 digits of the characteristic Color.

  • The size

The user exit is available in the IMG:→Logistics General→Material Master→Enhancements→Influence Number Assignment (Industry and Retail).

The documentation of this customizing activity provides further details.

With variant listing, the system checks if exactly the same variant does not already exist as part of a generic article in the module. You can execute the individual variant listing from within the manual generic article listing in the Material Change transaction (MM42).

Technical Aspects

Relevant tables for generic articles and variants are:

Table INOB Link between Internal Number and Object: Generic articles and variants have an object representation in this table for class type 026. Additionally, the generic articles, but not the variants, have an entry in this table for class type 300. Variants instead are handled as a configuration object instance within the installed base (IBase): Table IBINOWN stores the internal representation number, table IBST then links it with the relevant IBase object. Metadata of the IBase objects are created per variant (table IBIB); Table IBIN holds the link between the generic article (with prefix "MA"), the variant, and the related IBase object for class type 300.

Table KLAH Class Header Data: No entries are created for generic articles. Table KLAH contains entries for classes of class type 026: merchandise category (hierarchy), characteristics profiles, and of class type 300: Configuration class. Variants are not linked to the configuration class in contrast to the generic article. They only have the link to the generic article (MARA-SATNR).

Table KSSK Allocation Table: Objects to Class: This table connects generic articles and variants with the merchandise category (class type 026), and generic articles with the configuration class (class type 300).

Table AUSP Characteristic Values: Characteristic value restrictions on generic article level are only possible for variant-creating characteristics (from classes of class type 300). They are stored based on the internal object number (table INOB) of the generic article, not based on the generic article class (class type 026).

Application Variants

You use application variants to control/restrict the usage of variants of an article in application documents during certain time periods. This is to ensure that only specific variants of a generic article can be ordered from a vendor or ordered by a customer respectively.

If a vendor can provide only a limited range of sizes/colors, a purchasing variant can be created for this vendor excluding the sizes/colors that cannot be provided. For example, if a customer (group) is not allowed to order a specific range of size/colors, a sales variant can be created for this customer (group) excluding the sizes/colors which are not allowed.

Note

You can find further information about this topic in the training course S4IC70: SAP S/4HANA for Fashion and Vertical Business, Overview.

Create a Generic Article

First demo the exercise for creating a generic article, as per step 1 below. Then, additionally show how to execute the individual variant listing within manual generic article listing (step 2).

Steps

  1. From Exercise — Create a Generic Article the participants will perform

    Task — Create a Generic Article — Basic Data

    Point out that the optional step 4 in this task refers to using the data of the previous characteristics exercise. This could be used as an alternative to the data specified at the beginning of the task.

    Task — Extend the Generic Article — Listing

  2. Demo the individual variant listing using generic article R1TA4000 as an example.

    Retailing: Master Data→Material data→Material→Change.

    Select the Listing view. Maintain listing procedure B1 for Listing in Stores and Distribution Centers. Adjust the Listed from/to and the For sale from/to data.

    Make sure you set the following flags:

    • Maintain assorts man.

    • New listing check

    • Check each variant

    • (You can keep the List Supplying Site flag, all others should be de-selected)

    Execute the listing. In the pop-up Copy Assortment to Material Assignments choose button Display variants. This creates a separate line per variant and assortment, which means you can now specifically determine which variants should be listed in which assortments. The lines per variant and assortment are displayed with validity dates which deviate from the adjusted validity dates of the generic article and assortment.

    You can use the same button, now called Display generic material to get back to the previous view.

    Press Cancel to close the pop-up, and exit the article without saving.

  3. From Exercise — Create a Generic Article the participants will perform:

    Task — Create a Generic Article — Basic Data
    Task — Extend the generic article — Listing

Generic Article Pricing

Influencing Factors in the Pricing Control

Generic article variants can either automatically inherit a sales price from the generic article or have their own separate sales price.

The sales price calculation for variants is controlled by means of a pricing profile and a pricing reference article.

The pricing profile in the article master record (Basic Data) of the generic article can have the following attributes:

  • 0 = Variants priceable differently; do not propose GArticle as ref.

  • 1 = Variants priceable differently; propose GArticle as ref.

  • 2 = All variants have the sales price of the generic article

The pricing profiles are preset and cannot be changed.

The pricing reference article field contains the article number of the article from which the variants receive their price.

  • If the pricing reference article field contains the generic article number, then the variant has the price that was inherited from the generic article.

  • If the pricing reference article field is empty (blank), then a separate price has to be calculated for the variant.

  • If the field contains the article number of another variant, then the variant has the price of the variant that was entered.

With pricing profile 0 or 1, you can choose Variant Prices in the Sales view of the generic article to maintain the pricing reference article for each variant.

When maintaining the variant prices, it is also possible to set the pricing reference articles per characteristic value. For example for generic articles with a color and a size characteristic, you can set up variant pricing by color, or by size. The effect of the pricing reference articles can be seen in the Price Calculation transaction (VKP5).

Maintain the Pricing for Generic Articles and Variants

In this demo, you will first demo the Exercise — Maintain the Pricing for Generic Articles and Variants (step 1).

Then, optionally (if time allows) show that the pricing reference article settings are of course also relevant in other pricing transactions, for example the Retail Price Calculation (step 2).

Finally, show how to set up the pricing reference articles per characteristic values (step 3).

Note

The Pricing profile and the Pricing Reference article influence the sales price only, not the purchase price!

Steps

  1. Demo Exercise — Maintain the Pricing for Generic Articles and Variants

    Task — Assign a Pricing Profile
    Task — Extend the Generic Article — Purchasing
    Task — Extend the Generic Article — Sales

  2. (Optional): Show the effect of the pricing reference article settings in the Retail Price Calculation:

    1. Retailing:→Master Data→Pricing→Price Calculation→Create

      Field name or data type

      		Values
      MaterialA2##*
      Sales organizationRG10
      Distribution channelR1
      List groupB

      Mention that * represents the variants of the generic article. The wildcard has to be specified, because otherwise only the generic article itself would be selected.

      The fields Mark up %, Retail SP, Final SP, and GM% are ready for input only for the generic article, and the first variant. The other variants either use the generic article, or the first variant as a pricing reference article. Therefore, no own price can be calculated. You can check the dependencies by manually changing the values in the Final SP field: The displayed final sales prices of the dependent variants will be updated accordingly.

      Leave the transaction without saving.

  3. Now demo how to set the pricing reference article per characteristic values. Use generic article 700000 for this demo.

    1. Retailing:→Master Data→Material Data→Material→Change

      Enter article 700000, and select the Basic Data and Sales views. Also specify distribution chain F10 / R1.

      In the Basic Data view, show that pricing profile 1 is assigned.

      In the Sales view, choose Variant Prices. Point out which variants exist (colors, sizes). Mention that you want to set up the prices by size:

      Choose Maintain PR Art, then Characteristics. Select Size Men, and choose Characteristic Values. In the next popup, you see a line for each of the generic article’s size values. Use the F4 help in each line to pick the first variant of each size as the pricing reference article. These should be the white variants with suffix 001, 006, and 011.

      Choose Adopt 3 times to get back to the variant pricing screen. You see that now the white variant of each size is ready for input. In order to demonstrate the pricing reference article assignments, maintain a different value in each field, and press enter. All colors of the same size will now have the same price.

      Exit the article without saving.

  4. From Exercise — Maintain the Pricing for Generic Articles and Variants the participants perform

    Task — Assign a Pricing Profile
    Task — Extend the Generic Article — Purchasing
    Task — Extend the Generic Article — Sales

Create a Generic Article

Business Example

You decided that a new dress, which will be available in different colors and sizes, should be part of your next summer season’s fashion line. Once you determined the necessary details for the new article, the generic article and it’s variants can be created.

Task 1: Create a Generic Article — Basic Data

As you already have all details available for your new article, you now create the new dress with the available color/size combinations as a generic article with variants in the system.

Steps

  1. Create the summer dress as a generic article with variants.

    The generic article has the article number A2##, belongs to the article type Fashion Goods (FASH), and to the merchandise category RF12124.

    Select the Basic Data view to define the variants, and to maintain some general settings. Define the variants as follows:

     10121416
    beigeXX X
    blueXXX 

    1. Retailing: Master Data→Material Data→Material→Create.

      Field name or data type

      		Values
      MaterialA2##
      Material TypeFASH — Fashion Goods
      Material GroupRF12124
      Matl Category01 — Generic material
      Conf.Cl.Type300
      Config. ClassRFP02

      Select the Basic Data view as mentioned in the task and press Enter. Enter the data for the Configuration Class Type and Configuration Class as given in the table above and press [Enter]. Confirm the message and cancel the popup regarding the characteristics profile RFP03. The dress is offered in the colors beige and blue (Basics) and in the sizes for women 10-16.

      To define the values for the FP Colours Basics and FP Sizes Basic Women characteristic, choose the F4–Help next to the Value field of the characteristic.

      For the first characteristic, FP Colours Basic, select Beige and Blue and press Continue.

      For the second characteristic, FP Sizes Women, select 10-16 and press Copy.

      Choose Backand select the variants for Generic Article on the Variants for Generic Material screen. The dress is offered in the following color-size combinations:

       10121416
      beigeXX X
      blueXXX 
      Choose Back again to the Basic Data view for the generic article A2##. In case you want to access the variant matrix again, you can choose the button Variants.

      Make the settings as specified in the task and save your article master record.

  2. You now maintain additional basic data for the generic article and the variants, therefore you switch to the Material Change transaction using the pull-down menu Material→Change. Enter your article A2##, and select the Basic Data view. The generic article receives the description Summer dress Gr. ##.

    All generic article variants have the unit of measure Each, which is already defaulted on generic article level. Now assign a GTIN for each variant. To do so, make the following settings in the subscreen Standard Values for Entering Variant EANs:

    Field name or data type

    		Values
    AlternativeUnitEA
    EAN CategoryIE
    Assign EANs internallyX
    Choose the button Variant EANs, confirm the message, and check if a GTIN was assigned to each variant.

    1. Make your settings as specified in the task.

      Yes, the system assigned a GTIN to each selected variant.

      Go Back to the Basic Data view.

      Save your article.

  3. (optional) For creating a generic article, you can use your own data from the previous characteristics exercise.

    You create your new generic article A4## for this merchandise category RF11111. Choose your configuration class CP##. Be aware that you can now of course choose different characteristics values than the ones mentioned in the first exercise step above.

    1. Retailing:Master Data→Material Data→Material→Create.

      Make the following entries:

      Field name or data type

      		Values
      MaterialA4##
      Material TypeFASH — Fashion Goods
      Material GroupRF11111
      Matl category01 — Generic material
      ViewsBasic Data
      Press Enter and confirm the messages. Choose configuration class type 300 and your own configuration class CP##. Cancel the popup regarding the characteristics profile RFP04.

      Select two color values, and four size values, from either Group 000002 or 000003,and maintain the variant matrix as shown in step 1 above (just using your own values). Save your article master record, and continue the exercise with step 2 above, but maintain Beach Shorts Gr.## as the article description (short text).

Task 2: Extend the Generic Article — Listing

You now determine in which assortments your new summer dress should be included. You use the listing procedure, which checks merchandise categories and assortment grades, to list the article in stores and distribution centers. You want to sell the article through any assortments across your organization, which offer the fashion line.

Steps

  1. Use the Change Material transaction to list your article. Make sure that no distribution chain is maintained in the selection screen. Go to the Listing view and list the generic article A2## (or A4##) with all its variants for stores and distribution centers. Use the listing procedure B1.

    Which listing and sales periods are displayed, and why?

    ______________________________________________

    Enter the following data:

    Field name or data type

    		Values

    Field name or data type

    		Values
    Store Listing, andListing: Distribution Center   
    Listing ProceduresB1  
    Listed from Listed to 
    For sale from For sale till 

    1. Retailing: Master Data→Material Data→Material→Change

      Enter your generic article A2## (or A4##), and make sure the distribution chain fields are empty (blank). Choose the Listing view. Make your settings as mentioned in the task.

      Field name or data type

      		Values

      Field name or data type

      		Values
      Store Listing/Distribution Center   
      Listing ProceduresB1 (Basic procedure: mdse cat./assortment grade)  
      Listed from02.11.. current year*Listed to30.07. next year
      For sale from01.01. next yearFor sale till30.06. next year

      Note

      * The listed from date will be the current date, if listing takes place after November 2nd of the current year.
      Choose Execute Listing and display the results for the assortments. Press Assorts. The generic article with all its variants are listed for several general assortments in different distribution chains. For example the RF* assortments have both the merchandise categories RF12124, and RF11111 assigned. This means they are determined by the system when listing A2##, and also A4##.

      Save your article.

Task 3: Maintain the Pricing for Generic Articles and Variants

Business Example

A new generic article master record has been created. Now you want to define the pricing structure for the variants: Not all variants are sold at the same sales price. All colors of the smallest size should be sold at a lower price, as also your vendor supplies them at a lower purchase price.

Create a Generic Article with 3 Characteristics

Your vendor offers men's trousers, which require 3 variant-creating characteristics: color, length and waist.

Prerequisites

The characteristics profile MENSPANTS contains these 3 characteristics: color, length, and waist, all assigned with the relevancy indicator 2 (variant creating). This profile is assigned to the merchandise category RF13121 (Bus. Cas. Trousers).

Anyhow, in this context you can mention, that it is also possible to reduce the number of variant-creating characteristics to 2, for example by combining the length and waist values into one. In this case, you’d define a size characteristic with for example these values: length/waist 32/32, 32/34, 34/34, 34/36, and so on.

This exercise is just available to show how generic articles with more than two variant-creating characteristics can be maintained. We only show how the matrix will be handled, but then won’t save the article master.

Steps

  1. Demo the exercise, then the participants can perform the

    optional Exercise — Create a Generic Article with 3 Characteristics if time allows.

(optional) Create a Generic Article with 3 Characteristics

Business Example

Your vendor offers men's trousers, for which 3 variant-creating characteristics are required: color, length and waist. Create this article with its variants for merchandise category RF13121 (Business Casual Trousers).

Steps

  1. Create the generic article A3## and its variants for merchandise category RF13121, with article type FASH — Fashion Goodsand configuration class type 300.

    Select the Basic Data view, and confirm the messages. The required characteristics are available in the configuration class MENSPANTS. Double-click it, and choose the following characteristic values:

    Characteristic DescriptionValues/Description
    Waist32 and 34
    Length33 and 34
    ColorKhaki and Navy
    Go Back to maintain the variants. In the Select displayed characteristics popup, make the following settings:
    XYChar. description
      Waist
     XLength
    X Color

    Choose Continue. For characteristic Waist 32 define the following variant selection:

     KhakiNavy
    Length 33XX
    Length 34XX

    Switch to value 34 and make the following settings:

     KhakiNavy
    Length 33XX
    Length 34XX

    Note

    Instead of individually selecting each individual variant, you can use the button Generate all missing nodes to create all possible variants. In our example, the message 4 new nodes created or 0 deleted nodes reactivated appears.
    Go Back and select the variants for Generic Article on the Variants for Generic Material screen. In the Select displayed characteristics popup, make the following settings:
    XYChar. description
      Waist
     XLength
    X Colors
    Choose Continue. The variants all consist of 3 variant-creating characteristic values. Go [Back] and leave the article maintenance without saving.

    1. Retailing: Master Data→Material Data→Material→Create

      Field name or data type

      		Values
      MaterialA3##
      Material TypeFASH — Fashion Goods
      Material GroupRF13121
      Matl Catgry01 — Generic article material
      Config. Cl. Type300
      Config. ClassMENSPANTS
      Make the settings as specified in the task.

      Do not save your article A3##.

Learning

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