In each sales document type a material can be processed differently. The SAP S/4HANA system uses an item category to manage that. As application consultant, you can, for example, define a different control for a material in an inquiry and a material in an order.
The system delivers various item categories to model the different business processes. You can use them as examples or as templates for creating your own item categories.
The figure shows examples of item categories.
The item category is defined with a four-digit key. These keys are copied automatically from the original German keys and are not translated. The first two characters provide a clue to the sales document type that was originally designed for these item categories. The last two characters indicate the use of the item category, such as the following:
AFTX Sales document type: IN Usage: TEXT
TAD Sales document type: OR Item category group: LEIS
KMN Sales document type: AG Item category group: NORM
You can decide if you would like to keep the standard keys or define your own so that the abbreviation refers to your sales document types and how the category is configured.
Item Category Functions
Explore the figure to get an overview of item category functions.
The item category controls what the item does in the sales document and in any subsequent processing for the business transaction. The essential characteristics of an item category decide:
- Whether business data in the item can be different to that of the document header
- Whether pricing applies to the item
- Whether and how an item is billed
- Whether the item refers to a material or whether it is just a text item
- Which incompleteness procedure is used to check the item data
SAP delivers completely configured item categories. You should always create new item categories as copies of existing item categories and then change these to meet your requirements.
The delivery relevance indicator is only for items without schedule lines. You could indicate that a text item was relevant to delivery, for example, so that the system copies this item from the sales order into the delivery document.
Controlling the Items in the Sales Document and Assigning Items to High-level Items
Play the video to learn from Jim how to control the items in a sales document. He also explains how to assign items to high-lever items and gives you an example when this is needed.
For ordering 100 pieces of material M1 in item 10, the customer receives 10 pieces of material M1 free of charge.
As displayed in the video, you enter item 10 in the higher-level item field for item 20.
| Item 10: | M1 | 100 units | 1000 Euro | |
| Item 20: | M1 | 10 units | free-of-charge | Higher-level item 10 |
This simple form of supplying free goods is supplemented with automatic determination of free goods.
This option is an example for the Free Goods Exclusive scenario which means the customer receives 100 pieces, plus 10 pieces free-of charge. The free-of charge item can be the same product or a different product.
An other option is the Free Goods Inclusive scenario which means the customer receives 100 pieces, 10 of which are free-of charge.
| Item 10: | M1 | 90 units | 900 Euro | |
| Item 20: | M1 | 10 units | free-of-charge | Higher-level item 10 |
Other examples for using subitems include the explosion of BOMs or service items in sales documents.