Material Variant / Variant Matching - Multilevel VC

[Former Member]

Hi,

If finished material (MTO) and also semi finished (MTS) both are configurable materials in the same BOM, then what settings i need to do to produce the same.

I can use material variants in MTS scenario i.e to produce semi finished material and keep it in stock.

If a sale order arrives for the finished material then how can I configure the system so that required semi finished material is selected in the BOM here along with the required routing?

Pavan

[Former Member]

Hi,

Pls find details about Variant Matching in Sales Order as below :

Variant Matching in the Sales Order

Use

If material variants already exist for a configurable material, the configurable material can be

replaced in the sales order by a material variant. For this to happen, the configuration of the

material must match the material variant exactly. Material variants that only partly match the

configuration of the material in the sales order are ignored.

Prerequisites

You define the settings for variant matching in Customizing for Sales and Distribution, where you

maintain item categories.

You activate variant matching for an item category

You define how the system reacts if it finds a material variant:

The system automatically replaces the configurable material with the material

variant.

You see a message telling you that a material variant with the same configuration

exists.

You determine whether you want an availability check to be executed.

If the material variant is not available, you can:

Receive an automatic message with a list of the material variant stock situation. You

can then decide whether to replace the material variant.

Decide that you do not want to replace the variant.

Restrictions

You can only replace materials that have the configuration parameter BOM explosion: None with

material variants.

Activities

1. Configure the configurable material in the sales order.

2. On the value assignment screen, you can check whether material variants match the

configuration of the material (refer to Variant Matching on the Value Assignment Screen

Before the material can be replaced in the sales order by the material variant, the

configurations of the materials must match completely.

3. Once you have configured the material, leave the configuration editor.

4. Depending on the settings in Customizing, either the material is replaced by the material

variant immediately, or you see a message telling you that a suitable material variant has

been found.

5. If the material was replaced, the order item contains the material variant.

Individual or collective requirements can be generated for the material variant. Pricing

also applies to the material variant, unless you define the configurable material as the

pricing material for the material variant.

You can maintain the settings in CU41 configuration profile for main configurable material and as per settings maintained in it & characeteristics values matching in sales order you can replace the configurable material in sales order.

Also go through the following sap note which will also help you for the same :

Note 456225 - Variant matching and replacement in the sales order

Hope this helps.

Revert in case any doubt.

Regards,

Tejas

[Former Member]

Hi Tejas,

I have already tried the procedure what you have given and it is working fine. I have used it for the production of semi finished material which is configurable and which is produced in MTS scenario.

Problem is in the production of finished material which uses this configurable semi finished material and finished material is also a configurable material. i.e multilevel variant configuration.

I am able to select all the characteristics values while creating sale order for the finished material,

but after running MRP there is no BOM explosion!! and none of the materials are planned. System says "no BOM selected".

Please share if you know how can I do multilevel variant configuration.

Pavan

[Former Member]

Hi,

Got the solution for the scenario.

While maintaining configuration profile for finished material, maintain configuration profile of semi finished material also in that.

Pavan