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Conflicts of having same material with different material codes

former_member195427
Active Contributor
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Hello Experts,

I was in a discussion and the requirement was to have a different(alphanumeric characters) coding for materials which are required by department A.

However, till date the same material was procured by all the departments with a material code (numeric one).

This new alphanumeric coding is proposed by them (Deptt. A) to identify materials based on their coding(instead of its description) and to help them to manage their stock seperately.

Procurement heads have some concerns over it like it does not meet UNSPSC guidelines and many more.

So, I want to know what are the possible conflicts of having this scenario.What issues may come in next future from audit perspective and from SAP.

Kindly share your experience on it.

I am sure Mr. Jurgen will have a lot to say on it.

Thanks & Regards

Saurabh


Accepted Solutions (1)

Accepted Solutions (1)

former_member183424
Active Contributor
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My organization has the same requirement.

But unfortunately we had to made this partially.

If you requirement for customer, then you can achieve for customer material number.

But if you want this in procurement purpose, then you can't do this.

You can't manage the different stock for same material.

We had made a new field in material master in basic data 1 tab. for a department with the help of abaper.. it will save in MARA table and a new field.

So they can specify the material as their need.

We just maintain the code for the main material.

But it not effect-able in warehouse stock .

former_member195427
Active Contributor
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Yes. We are in procurement and maintainence industry only.

Based on the material master in screen shot, which material code you are using for procurement purpose FNC..080  or FNCWN?

Suppose, I am adoting this in procurement also and I am creating a PR then will that be possible to select this new material coding (yes,which will ultimately call the already existing std. material code)?

former_member183424
Active Contributor
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We have used the FNCWN080 for our procurement.

It is the material code.

We use the FNCWN just for main material fetching.

And sorry, you are not use this in PR.

As I said you can use this for any type of procurement.

Actually we are mainly use this for our Z report.

We have maintained this around 1000 materials.

Then whenever department called the FNCWN on Z report. they see the main material warehouse stock.

No need to call all 100 material.

Its as like as material group.

We use 5000 material for one material group. And 1000 for each different for this field.

Please Note: This is not happens or effect any standard transaction or warehouse stock. Just to short view for a department.

former_member183155
Active Contributor
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Hi all ;

You can manage your material codes with characteristics.

For example : Technical materials start with T7000000 , Roh materials start with R30000.

Code:

*&  Include           ZXMG0U03



*&---------------------------------------------------------------------*



DATA: TMPDAT(19).

** Get the next SAP internal number.

*if ( mmue2-mtart(1) = 'Z' ) or ( mmue2-mtart(1) = 'Y' ).

*check mmue2-mtart ne 'ZHMM'.



CALL FUNCTION 'MATERIAL_NUMBER_GET'

  EXPORTING

    NUMKR              = MMUE2-NUMKI

  CHANGING

    MATNR              = MATNR

  EXCEPTIONS

    NO_INTERNAL_NUMBER = 1

    OTHERS             = 2.

** Get rid of leading zeros

WHILE MATNR(1) = '0'.

  SHIFT MATNR.

ENDWHILE.

*** put the material type in front of the number.

CASE  MMUE2-MTART.



  WHEN 'SARF'.

    CONCATENATE 'S' MATNR INTO TMPDAT.

  WHEN 'TEKN'.

    CONCATENATE 'T' MATNR INTO TMPDAT.

  WHEN 'PACK'.

    CONCATENATE 'A' MATNR INTO TMPDAT.

  WHEN OTHERS.

    UNPACK matnr to MATNR.

    TMPDAT = MATNR.

ENDCASE.



*CONCATENATE MMUE2-MTART MATNR INTO TMPDAT.

*if mmue2-mtart = 'ZART' or mmue2-mtart = 'ZTEK'.

*SHIFT TMPDAT.

*endif.

** check that things haven't gotten too long.

IF TMPDAT+18(1) = ' '. "Number not too long

  MATNR = TMPDAT.

ENDIF.

Regards.

M.Ozgur Unal

Answers (3)

Answers (3)

JL23
Active Contributor
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I have not yet read any valid reason for an extra material number.

Maybe I understand it wrong, but what I understand is that department A wants identify the materials that they use among all the materials in your system.

This can be easily achieved with classification.

Just create a class "Dept.A" in material class type 001 and assign it to all materials that are used by them. Then they can search based on that info in standard F4 search help for materials.

If they want really manage the material separately then an extra storage location will usually be the best option.

former_member195427
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Thanks for replying Jurgen. But,my query is little different.

Let me explain the issue again: WH is using a numeric code series like 30040076 is a material code(which is for all the deptts.).

Deptt. A wants to have the same material but with different material code as PTS000457 to have a better identification of materials by just seeing the materal code itself. WH have raised concerns over it like it does not meet UNSPSC stds. , vendor will face difficulty in identification etc. and that will cost money and time if a wrong material was supplied by vendor etc.

Next,Deptt. A says we will be following this alphanumerical material code series throughout in company. All the stocked materials with old material codes will be consumed with the course of time and this new material code series will be adopted throughout(keeping this new material code wise procurement as a ongoing practice altogether with the existing numerical codes).

Now, on the above mentioned I want to know your opinion and also I'm interested to know about the possible conflicts it will have in future from audit,finance,inventory etc. perspectives.

Thanks!

Best Regards

Saurabh Tiwari

JL23
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It is just the old conflict between intelligent numbers and and intelligent users. Often only seen in the beginning of a project when people have not even seen the capabilities of SAP. I'm 36 years in business and it is like a sinus curve depending on the strength of certain people, sometimes wins the intelligent number and other times the internal number logic.  I cannot remember any intelligent number range that has not reached its boundaries and finally the logic got broken. 

At the end it is just number representing a technical key to store something unique in a database, nothing more.

Have you ever changed your workplace? the more you change the less important is the logic in any number, because you lose your close relation to an old system.I still know some material numbers from our first "computer" system, but I do not know a single number where I work right now.

if you need your UNSPSC, then put the UNSPSC into the classification and have an programmer do the work that it appears on the paper to satisfy your vendor.

If the new number logic replaces the old logic, and hence you create new materials, new Boms, and new problems to get the history of the old material together in a report with the new material (this is usually the next requirement), then a change in the number is nothing more than the change you already  had when you came  from the legacy system to SAP.

if you need to do extra development to meet other requirements, then you have to put it in balance, so that the decision can be taken on that.

if this whole thing ends in having 2 material masters for the same material, just because dept A wants it this wayy but Dept B and C the other way, then it may even lead to higher inventory

former_member183424
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As you have said "I am sure Mr. Jurgen will have a lot to say on it."

I totally agreed with this.

So I am inviting Jurgen Sir to this thread.

Prasoon
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Hi,

   I would never suggest to have multiple material code for the same material. I would recommend to maintain the same material code everywhere and maintain a specific storage location for department A.

   You can control the goods movement from this storage location by using the authorization control in the path: OLMB - Authorization management - Authorization check for storage location. Here, you can activate the authorization check and then assign the authorization object M_MSEG_LGO to the specific department user id's only.

   For material number tracking purpose, you may use material group or purchasing group or similar fields in material master.

Regards,

AKPT

former_member195427
Active Contributor
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Agreed AKPT.

I'm more concerened over knowing the possible conflicts from seveal perspectives like from warehouse,audit,finance etc. There will be definitely areas which will be impacted adversely with this scenario and I'm willing to know about those areas.

Yes, we'll not go that way because "We should not check the poison just to check whether the bottle is correctly labelled"

Regards