MATERIAL DETERMINATION PROCESS - SAP SD

MATERIAL DETERMINATION Process in SAP SD

Overview:-
Material determination is a method in SAP SD that enables the automatic
substitution of materials in sales documents during sales orders processing.
Material determination uses the condition technique to swap one material for
another when certain conditions apply. In other words, it is possible to use the
condition technique to substitute one material in the sales order for another.

For example, during sales promotion, at the time of Order Entry, system can,
automatically substitute a material that has promotional packaging. Or in case of
Christmas season, a consumer product may have a special wrapper so by using
material determination; the system automatically substitutes the material with the
material that has special wrapper only during the specified period.

The below graphic illustrates the determination of a promotional product in the

sales order.

Material Determination

Material Substitution In Order:-

Entered Material Item Material
10 M1
M1 M2 M2
M1 Substitute with M2

In addition, we can also use material determination to automatically substitute,

• customer-specific product numbers with our own material numbers

• International Article Numbers (EANs) with our own material numbers
• Substituting discontinued materials with newer materials

Material determination sometimes referred to as product selection, can be

automatic or manual. This is useful when the customer may not want the
specially wrapped product during Christmas season; he may prefer to get the
standard product only. Thus, certain configuration options are available to us as
below
The configuration options depending upon Strategy, available for material
determination are

• Blank value: Automatic substitution – Item will be replaced

• A: Substitute products are displayed for selection
• B: General material determination with selection, without ATP

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Product selection uses the condition technique to determine substitutes for a

material entered in the order. Review the field catalog, condition tables, access
sequences, and condition types in the standard system to determine if they fit
your company's version of product selection. If not, you can modify the field
catalog and create condition tables, access sequences, and condition types that
meet your requirements.

Configuring Product Selection

Product selection is generally controlled by a range of Customizing activities,
mainly for material determination .The following topics explain the configuration
procedure step by step.

A) Setting the Condition Technique and Determination Procedures

i) Modify the field catalog (OV26) if required

The field catalog for material determination contains fields used by the system to
determine substitute products. Review the fields in the standard catalog. If
require then we can simply add it:
1. Add the new field to the structure:
i) Header data KOMKDZ
ii) Item data KOMPDZ.

2. Add coding to the routines for assigning values to the new fields in order
processing in program MV45AFZA. Use user exits:
i)USEREXIT_MOVE_FIELD_TO_KOMKD (header fields)
ii) USEREXIT_MOVE_FIELD_TO_KOMPD (item fields)

3. Add the new field to the field catalog Customizing activity

Basic Functions
Material Determination
Maintain prerequisites for material

determination
Maintain field catalog.

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ii) Create a condition table for substitution (OV16)

The condition table serves as the format and eventual storage area where
detailed condition records on product substitution mappings are stored.

To create a table, perform the Customizing Activity:-

Basic Functions
Material Determination
Maintain prerequisites for material

determination
Create condition tables:

1. Enter a table number, using a number greater than 500, or leave the table field
blank for the system to assign a number automatically.
2. Select the appropriate fields to be included in the table.
3. Generate and save the table.

Check the created table in Display mode.

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iii) Create an access sequence for substitution (OV11)

The system uses the access sequence to search for valid condition records
within the condition tables.
To create an access sequence, perform the Customizing Activity:-

Basic Functions
Material Determination
Maintain prerequisites for material

determination
Maintain access sequences:

1. Choose new entries if required.

Enter an access sequence key and a description.
2. Save and choose Back to return to the main screen.
3. Select the new entry and choose Accesses.
4. Choose new entries if required.
Enter an access level, the condition table number and, if necessary, a
requirement. Add additional tables if needed.
5. Save and choose Back.
6. Select the new entry and choose Fields.
Enter a direct value or select the initial value indicator.
7. Save and choose Back.

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8. Select the new access sequence and choose Utilities.

Complete the access sequence field with the new access sequence number.

Check the Access Sequence in Display mode.

iv) Create condition type and assign access sequence (OV12)

The condition type directs the system to the access sequence and eventual
condition table containing the condition records that are used to determine
substitutes.
To create a condition type, perform the Customizing Activity:-

Basic Functions
Material Determination Maintain prerequisites for material

determination
Define condition types:

1. Choose new entries if required.

Enter a condition type key and a description.
2. Assign a valid access sequence and specify the rule to be used to propose the
from and to validity dates if needed .
3. Save.

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Check the entries in Display Mode.

v) Maintain Substitution Procedure (OV13)

Substitution procedures contain condition types that direct the system to the
access sequence and eventual condition table containing the condition records
that are used to determine product substitutes.
To create a procedure, perform the Customizing Activity:-

Basic Functions Material Determination
Maintain prerequisites for material

determination Maintain determination procedures (transaction OV13):

1. Choose new entries if required.

Enter a procedure key and a description.
2. Save and choose Back to return to the main screen.
3. Select the new entry and choose Control.
4. Choose new entries if required.
Enter an access level, counter number, the condition type, and, if necessary, a
Requirement. Add additional condition types if needed.
5. Save and choose Back to return to the main screen.

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Check the Procedure in Display mode.

B) Assigning Procedures to Sales Document Types

After maintaining the determination procedure, we need to assign this

determination procedure to a sales document type for which we want
the material determination is carried out By assigning the material determination
procedure to the sales document type we are initiating, that material
determination is active whenever a sales document type of that sort is proposed.

By making this assignment, you are essentially "turning on" substitution for
specific document types. If you do not make an assignment, the system does not
check for substitutes even if the records exist.

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To assign a product selection determination procedure to document types,

perform the Customizing activity:-

Basic Functions
Material Determination
Assign procedures to sales

document types (transaction OV14).

Note:-This completes a basic overview about the condition technique that is used for
Material Determination. So summarized steps are as follows

1. Put the new fields if needed into the field catalog.

2. Create the condition tables that need.
3. Create the access sequence that need.
4. Assign the condition tables to the access sequence.
5. Create the condition types.
6. Assign the access sequence to the condition types.
7. Create the determination procedure (if necessary) and assign the condition types to it.
8. Assign the determination procedure to the sales document type .
9. Lastly, create your condition records.

As mentioned, this completes the introduction to the condition technique.

However, for material determination you need a substitution reason. A
substitution reason is a rule that controls the material determination’s execution.

C) Creating Substitution Reasons

The substitution reason directs how the system performs product selection. With
this reason, you can specify, for example:
• What products should be printed in documents, such as an order
confirmation
• Whether the selected products should be reevaluated when the document
is referenced, for instance when a delivery is created
• Whether the selected products should be copied directly from the source
document, from returns for example.

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To create a substitution reason, perform the Customizing activity:-

Basic Functions
Material Determination
Define substitution reasons

(transaction OVRQ):

As Shown in Fig below, the substitution reason has a four-digit key and
description that is used as a reference in the condition record. Attached to this
key is a set of rules.

1) The first column is Entry, which controls whether you would like the system to
print the name or number of the original material or the substituted materials
name or number on the order confirmations.

2) The next column is the Warning indicator. If checked, it will indicate a warning
message to the user that material determination is about to take place.

3) The Strategy column is used to indicate if the substitution should be automatic

or if the proposed material determination items should be displayed via a dialog
box for selection. The alternatives are

• Blank Value Automatic – The item will be replaced

• A Substitute products are displayed for selection
• B General material determination with selection, without ATP

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4) Assign either outcome A or B depending on the business requirement

• If we select outcome A, the system carries out the availability check again
for product selection during delivery creation.
• If we select outcome B, the product selection from the order is copied
directly to the delivery. There is no new availability check carried out
during Delivery creation.

Substitution Outcome Scenario with an example:-

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FEATURES AND CONSTRAINTS OF OUTCOME A

When you assign outcome A to a substitution reason, note the following special
processing features and constraints:
• The system re determine product substitutions when copying them from
sales documents to deliveries.
• Rush orders are not supported.
• Main item and sub-items must be carried through from the sales
document, to the delivery, to the billing document.
• If you use listings and exclusions in the sales document process, the
system does not take them into account when re determining substitutions
in the delivery.
• The system uses only the copy rules associated with the main item when
transferring data from document to document. To transfer the sub-item
from order to delivery, assign copy rule 110 to it.
• Item category usage indicator PSHP is used for the main item (e.g. ZTAX
here), and PSEL (e.g. ZTPS here) for the sub-item.

FEATURES AND CONSTRAINTS OF OUTCOME B

When you assign outcome B to a substitution reason, note the following special
processing features and constraints:

• The system does not re determine product substitutions when copying

them from sales documents to the deliveries. All items are copied directly.
• Rush orders are fully supported.
• Main item and sub-items do not have to be carried through from the sales
document, to the delivery, to the billing document.
• If listings and exclusions are used in the sales document process, the
changes made as a result influence the delivery documents.
• The system takes copy rules for both the main and sub-items when
transferring data from document to document.
• Item category usage indicator PSA1 is used for the main item (e.g. ZTAX
here) and PSA2 (e.g. ZTPS here) for the sub-item.

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D) Determining Sales Document Item Categories for Product

Selection

When you create a sales document, the system determines the item category for
an item according to settings in the item category determination table for the
sales document type (e.g. ZOR), item category group, item usage, and higher
level item.
In product selection, you choose the item category usage based on the outcome
that you specify in the reason for substitution, either A or B. The following usages
are available for sales document main and sub-items:

Item Category Usage:-

There are two separate item categories in sales documents for product selection.
The item category TAX (e.g. ZTAX here) contains specifications for the main
item (original product). The other, TAPS (e.g. ZTPS here), contains
specifications for the sub-items (substitute product).

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E) Determining Delivery Item Categories for Product Selection

When you create a delivery, the system determines the item category for an item
according to settings in the item category determination table for the delivery
type, item category group, item usage, and higher level item. In product
selection, you choose the item category usage based on the outcome that you
specify in the reason for substitution, either A or B. There are two usages
available for Delivery document main and sub-items:

Item Category Usage:-

If require we can create separate Item category for Delivery and then assign
it in Delivery Item Category determination. Here we are using the same Item
Category as we have used in Sales Order.

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F) Pricing Determination
If your product selection procedure requires that pricing be done at the main item
instead of the sub-item, you will have to create new item categories.

The following examples detail how pricing is carried out at the main item level
and sub-item level for product selection.

• In this first example, the price for the order is determined based on the
price condition records for the main item only. You have deactivated
pricing for the sub-item category, so the system does not determine a
price for it. Since both the main item and the sub-item categories are
relevant for billing, the prices (even if there is no price) are copied to the
invoice and billed accordingly.

Pricing at the Main Item:-

• In this second example, the price for the order is determined based on the
price condition records for the sub-items. You have deactivated pricing for
the main item category, so the system does not determine a price for it.
Since both the main item and the sub-item categories are relevant for
billing, the prices (even if there is no price) are copied to the invoice and
billed accordingly.

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Pricing at the Sub-item:-

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G) Creating Master Records for Material Determination

To create a material determination record, proceed as follows:

Menu Path- SAP Menu
Logistics
Sales and Distribution
Master

Data
Products
Material Determination
Create (VB11)

1. Enter the Material Determination Type – for Example A001 or Z001.

The standard version of the SAP R/3 system includes only material
determination type A001. Depending on the requirements of your organization,
we may create additional Determination Types (e.g.-Z001).

2. Press ENTER
.
3. Enter the following data:
 Validity period for the master record
 Material entered (the material that need to be substitute with other
Material)
 Substitute material.
 Optionally, a reason for the substitution (the reason may appear in system
Messages during sales order processing).

In the case of International Article Numbers, we must also enter a unit of

measure for the substitute material.

4. Save your master data.

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Test Scenarios:-
 Case1- Substitution Reason with Blank Automatic Strategy and
Blank Outcome

Configuration Set up in OVRQ-

Master Data set up through VB11

Create an Order with material ABCD_CUST and Select enter.

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Expected Result- Material ABCD_CUST will be Substituting with material

F000000300 depending on the master data maintained for Material determination
through T- Code VB11 as shown below.

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 Case2- Substitution Reason with Strategy A and Blank Outcome

Configuration Set up in OVRQ-

Master Data set up through VB11

Create a Standard Order with Material F00008085312 .

Expected Result: - One Pop up Screen will appear with all available Substitute
materials of F00008085312 as shown below. We need to select the the suitable
one from the list.

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 Case3- Substitution Reason with Blank Strategy and Outcome A

Configuration Set up in OVRQ-

Master Data set up through VB11

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Create a Standard Order with Material F000005818 & Stock Qty 20.

Expected Result: -
1) As Material F000005818 having two Substitute Materials F000005819
and F000005820 having available Stock Qty 10 each, so we will have
two more line items created in the Sales Order automatically below the
main Line Item of material F000005818 as shown below.

2) As the main Item category ZTAX is Price relevant and ZAPS is not Price
relevant, so pricing will be based on the main item that has been ordered
by the Customer and not in the substituted items as shown below.

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3) As for outcome A Material Determination will be retriggered in Delivery.

So if there is a change in the Stock Position of substitute materials, the
system will confirm /change the Delivery Qty accordingly for those
Substituted Materials as shown below.

Stock Position of Materials F000005819 and F000005820

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 Case4- Substitution Reason with Blank Strategy and Outcome B

Configuration Set up in OVRQ-

Master Data set up through VB11

Create a Standard Order with Material no. F00573017430 with Stock Qty 40.

Expected Result: -
1) As Material F00573017430 ,having two Substitute Material F00573017430R
and F00573017430N with available Stock Qty 20 each, so we will have two
more line items created in the Sales Order automatically below the main Line
Item of material F00573017430 as shown below.

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2) As the main Item category ZTAX is Price relevant and ZAPS is not Price
relevant, so pricing will be based on the main item that has been ordered by
the Customer and not in the substituted items as shown below.

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3) As for outcome B Material Determination will not be retriggered in Delivery

even more Stocks are available for those substitute materials than requested
delivery quantity(check the available stock quantity below ), the product selection
from the order is copied directly to the delivery as shown below.

Stock Position of Materials F00573017430R and F00573017430N

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The URL for the contributed document is:

https://w3.ibm.com/services/practitionerportal/ppServlets/displayDoc
ument.wss?syntheticKey=N837826S49700P51

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