Item category grp

[Former Member]

Hi,

I will ask the same question asked by Alok in April,"What is the difference in General item cat grp & Item cat. group". More specifically what is the use of General item category? I know everything about regular item category group use.

I read somewhere that it was used in previous versions and is now a redundant field in later versions. If that is the case then what is the point of also maintaining it in ECC versions.

Hope to get a good explanation.

[Former Member]

Hi,

The item category group is used to identify a grouping of materials which helps in determining the item categories in the sales documents.

The default value for the material type configuration menu under sales document item in IMG would ideally be defining a default item category group for the material types.

Try doing this simple example.

Create a FERT material and goto BASIC DATA 1 screen and Sales Org 2 screen.

The item category group which automatically pops up at both these places including the item category group field and the general item category group field is NORM. Now try creating a sales order with the material and the item category that would be identified would be TAN.

Repeat the same thing for creation and on Sales Org 2 screen make the item category group as 0001 and let the general item category group be NORM.

Now goto creation of sales order the item category would be determined as TAK.

If you look back at the item category determination it would have picked the item category group field and not the general item category group field.

Now let us look at technical part of this:

General Item category group ( F1 help and look at the table ) The table is MARA general data for material

Item category group ( F1 help and look at the table ) The table is MVKE and it is sales data for material.

So general item category group is used in all cases ( sales, delivery and billing) whereas item category group is used only for sales specific activity.

Hope this helps.

[Former Member]

Like most of you mentioned that this field (general item cat grp) is going to be defaulted according to Material type. Is that the only usage for this field? And that is my question. Because I am planning to use this field for completely different use. So I would like to know if there is any usage of this field (or was used in the past).

Thanks.

[Former Member]

General item category group is used for inbound processes. Like when we are using ASN to create and inbound delivery against a PO, GENERAL ITEM CAT GRP is used instead of item category group at MVKE level. I had this question answered recently when I worked on some IBD creation and funtion modules.

[Former Member]

Hi naren,

see i have created a material finished product

and now i have created another material but BOM material.

How system differentiate the item category for BOM Material and Regular material.

Based on item category group u mention in the material master.

correct me if i am wrong.

thank you

with regards

chaitanya

[Former Member]

Your wrihgt based on item category group

[Former Member]

The Item Category Group is of utmost Importance to SD; it covers how the material behavesfrom sales quotation right through the invoice. One of the most important element to determine Item Category is Item Category Group, which is picked from Material Master.

Regards,

Rajesh Banka

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[Former Member]

Hi

The general Item category group is the default item category group that is assigned to the material Type. If you check OMS2 and select FERT and then see the details you would find the item category group as NORM. This item category group NORM has been assigned to FERT in the configuration steps under sales item in Sales & distribution Module.

Hence when we create the material master for a material master using FERT as the material type, NORM is proposed by default and as General item category group and as Item category group . We would see both in the Sales Org2 view.But for the determination of item category in sales document , item category group is relevant but not General item category group. For instance a Finished Good could be a main item in BOM and relevant for pricing and hence NORM is changed to ERLA as item category group and based on this item category in sales order is TAQ.

To conclude, the item category group is same as General item category group when material master is created but can be changed manually in sales Org2 View and based on this item category is determined in sales document

War Regards

Student