Variant Configuration in SAP Business One

[Former Member]

We are implementing SAP Business One. In the BOM calculation, we need to set some product variants, one of them is the wall thickness of the steel tube. For example, the theoretical thickness in BOM is 2.4 mm. At purchasing, we will choose the thickness available in the market at that time. The tolerance of the thickness is plus or minus 10% of 2.4 mm. We would choose 2.25 mm thickness if it is available. SAP Business One shall issue the purchase order with 2.25 mm thickness instead of 2.4 mm. After receiving, the thickness shall be 2.25 mm in the inventory.

In this case, the wall thickness shall be a product variant or variable in our SAP B1 system from BOM to purchasing order to inventory management. Our SAP B1 Consultant advised us that this is not feasible in SAP B1. The Consultant suggested additional development will be required.

Is it possible to use VC in setting up BOM calculation? Appreciate your comments.

[Abdul]

As a workaround you can follow below solution create one item code for item with thickness and user serial number to identify different thickness. In BOM you will have item with thickness of 2.4 while purchasing mention the different size in serial number and you can get stock by serial number for inventory management.

To use this item in production system will ask you to select the serial number from available list so select the item according to your variant calculation

[Johan_H]

Hi Susan,

The consultant is correct. Your scenario is too complicated to implement efficiently with SAP Business One out-of-the-box. You would have to manually check raw material stock and create a BOM separately for each production.

Good news is, there are several third party addons available, like for example SAP Business One Manufacturing by Vission33, or the B1 Production Suite by Milner Browne, and others. I warmly recommend using a third party addon, as it will save you a lot of costs compared to asking the consultant to develop an addon for you and "reinventing the wheel" so to speak, as a third party addon will likely also have ready solutions for other manufacturing related problems, that you may not even have thought about yet.

Regards,

Johan