Multi-level configuration with variants

Multi-level configuration with variants

-----Original Message-----
Subject: Multilevelconfiguration with variants

Hi all,

Does anybody know a trick to use preconfigured
variants in mulitilevel configuration ?

According to OSS note, it is not possible becauce of
MRP and possible differences between sales order
configuration and material master data configuration.

thanks in advance.

-----Reply Message-----
Subject: Multilevelconfiguration with variants

If you got a some material variants that you would like to keep in stock,
the remaining variants are configurable materials.

If you only sell material variants and not configurable material's you can try
this solution.

Kmat structure.

Level A - - - - - --               Design level - Used to make
simulation/pricelist/deside which system the customer should use.
     Level B - - - -          Different systems depending on the selections
made in level A.
          Level C - - - - -   At this level I have got the material
variants and configurable mateial's all together.

Step 1:
To be able to select a material variant in level C, I use the
classefication system. ( class type 200 ).
This class has got one char. ( ref to table marc and field matnr ). It is
not nessesary to make the reference to a table. I have done this because I
hope to find a better solution at a later stage.
All my material varints are allocated to this class. Enter the material
number in the class using cl24N.
Remember to make the classefication of the material numbers.

Step 2:
Create a Variant table. ( V )
Enter the chars that you have got in the class ( 300 ). We have got many
configurable materials. I have created one class for each configurable
material.
In this class you should allocate the char marc_matnr. All chars except
from marc_matnr should be marked as key fields.
In the field marc_matnr you must enter the material variant according to
the classefication of the material variant. ( if the combination that you
have entered haven't got a material variant, you must / could enter the
configurable material number.
Enter all combinations that's nessesary to cover the material variants that
you have got in your system. The largest variant tables that I have got,
has aprox. 5000 positions.

Step 3:

Allocate the class(es) to the sales order bom. If you sell configurable
material's you must enter 2 positions. One with the class, and one with the
configurable material. This is because you can't allocate a configurable
material to a class. ( I could'nt make this work )
Then allocate a selection condition to the class. Level B component = 2000
Then allocate a procedure to the class.
table V    ( a      = $parent.a ,
             b        = $parent.b ,
             c        = $parent.c ,
             d       = $parent.d ,
          marc_matnr = $self.marc_matnr )

This should do it you don't sell configurable materials.

Allocate this selection condition to the configurable material.

table V    ( a      = a ,
             b        = b ,
             c        = c ,
             d       = d ,
             marc_matnr = '2000' )

This makes sure that you get a configurable material if there isen't a
materal variant.

The sales person don't have to worry about doing things right. In our case
it work very well. We have got a very good performances.
It is possible to configure 2 - 20 items at the same time as it takes for
our single level configurable materials.

I think SAP needs to implement a solution(this) so that we don't have to
find/develop our own solutions.