Explaining the Benefits of Material Variants

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to explain the benefits of working with material variants and create material variants.

Material Variants

Basics

You can also work with the options of make-to-stock production in variant configuration. This includes:

  • Planning
  • Preproduction
  • Make-to-stock production
  • Delivery Date Determination in the Sales Order
  • Sales order can be serviced by stock
  • Additional variant matching.

It should also be mentioned that planning, pre-production, make-to-stock production, and delivery date determination in the sales order are also fully available in the SAP S/4HANA standard system for configurable products using the PP/DS component and using the functionality of characteristics-based planning. Additional functions with product/variant/batch determination (including characteristic/product substitution) are available in conjunction with characteristic-based planning, rules-based ATP, and Capable to Produce (CTP).

Image showing the definition and purpose of a material kept in stock with specific configurations. The uses listed include planning, pre-assembly, delivery date determination, covering sales orders, and type matching.

The material master record of a material variant is linked to the configurable material and configured using the characteristics of the configurable material. This variant of the configurable material can then be manufactured and kept in stock.

System Activities

Watch the following video and understand the necessary system activities for material, material BOM, and routing.

Before you can use type matching in SD, you must enter a plant-specific configurable material in the MRP data of the material master.

To assign values, choose Configure Variant. You also need to maintain a BOM for material variants. You can either create a new BOM for the material, which is separate from the configurable material, or you can link the material variant to the BOM of the configurable material. The BOM is then interpreted and exploded according to the values you assign in the material master record.

You can also create a separate task list (routing) for the material variant, or use the task list of the configurable material. The task list for the configurable material is also interpreted and exploded according to the characteristic values assigned in the material master record.

Watch the following video which continues with the necessary system activities.

You can exclude some characteristics from type matching, meaning: You find material variants, even though the characteristics show differences. Such excluded characteristics are stored inside table, CABN_EXCL. To evaluate/read this table, you execute report, RCU_EXCL_CHARACTERISTICS. This report is also available as SAP Fiori app or transaction CU_EXCL_CSTIC.

Material Variants: Header Material and Assemblies

Flowchart illustrating type matching for assembly, showing different material variants being matched for header material. Arrows and blocks depict the process stages.

Type matching for BOM header materials:

Type matching for header materials can run as you process a sales order. If all of the characteristic values assigned to the configurable material match those assigned to the material variant, the configurable material can be replaced with the material variant. The substitution can take the form of either a message to the user that a variant exists or an automatic replacement of the configurable material, depending on the system settings.

Type matching for BOM assemblies:

  • When you process an order BOM, you can replace assemblies in the BOM with suitable material variants. The characteristic values assigned to the assembly must be identical to the values assigned to the material variant.

  • The system checks all configurable assemblies in the BOM and searches for matching material variants. You cannot call type matching for one assembly at a time. Type matching must be started manually by requesting the function – it cannot be started automatically. Substitution is also done manually.

Configured Task List

Diagram showing the process of creating a simulated task list explosion from a super task list, with the option to assign the task list to a material or sales order. Text explains the configuration simulation process and relevant transactions in CU50 LO-VC and CU51 LO-VC.

Watch the following video, which explains the task list creation for a material, material variant, or sales order out of the simulation.

This functionality is also available in the order BOM transaction: CU51.

There's currently no comparable functionality under AVC.

Create Material Variants with Pricing, Material BOM, and Routing

Your company has noticed that often customers choose the same options for the product. To satisfy customer requirements more quickly, a model of the forklift could be produced and stocked in anticipation of an order. To do this, you create a variant for your configurable forklift.

Watch the following simulation, which starts with the creation of a material variant. The right variant BOM and Routing are defined. At the end, a Sales Order is created.

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