Variant Configuration (LO-VC)
Purpose
Variant configuration is for manufacturing complex products. The manufacturer is always having
to offer new variants of its products. Often, new variants are created by modifying existing product
designs as you process the order. The important thing is to react quickly to customers'
requirements.
The customer determines the features of the product. A customer buying a car, for example, can
choose the features of the car and combine these features as required.
The product configurator improves information exchange between sales, engineering, and
production. Variant configuration helps the customer or salesperson to put together specifications
for the product and ensure that the product can be produced from these specifications. It also
ensures that production costs do not overstep the mark.
Integration
Variant configuration is integrated in the following applications:
CA Classification
LO Material Master
PP Bill of Material
PP Routings
PPPI Master Recipes
SD Sales
SD Conditions
MM Purchasing
CO Costing
PP Material Requirements Planning (MRP)
PP Production Orders
You can configure the following objects:
Materials
Standard networks in the Project System.
PM General maintenance task lists
Model service specifications
Features
You do not need to create a separate material for each variant of a product in your company. You
can use one configurable material to cover all variants. You create a super BOM and a super
routing for this material, containing all the components and operations for producing all variants
of the product.
To define the features of a configurable material, you use characteristics. To enable you to use
characteristics to configure a material, you assign the material to a class of class type 300.
Possible characteristics of a car, for example, are model, country, color, and engine. The
customer can choose from among different options for each characteristic (values).
The only limitations are combinations of features that are not possible for either technical or
marketing reasons. You cannot combine all types of car engine with all types of transmission, for
example, or certain types of upholstery are only available for more expensive models. In Variant
Configuration, you use dependencies to control this. This prevents combinations of options that
are not allowed. Dependencies also select exactly the right BOM components and operations to
produce a variant.
Each configurable object must have a configuration profile. The configuration profile for a
material controls the configuration process in the sales order.
You can make the price of a variant dependent on the characteristic values assigned (Pricing).
You can use variant conditions to define surcharges and discounts for a variant.
For variants that are required frequently, you can create material variants, which can be
produced without a sales order and kept in stock. When you receive a sales order, you can check
whether the variant required is in stock, so that you can deliver immediately.
Steps for Variant Configuration and Pricing
I want to configer motercycle having differnt types of colour, each colour have
varity of standered feature as wall as differnt CC. while want to create slaes order I
want motercyle with speciefic colour, Cc feature. which is not possible while creating
BOM it will only be configer by materiel Varient Configration.
------------------------------------Here are the Steps for Variant Configuration
[Link] a Material of your Motor Cycle using Material type KMAT(MM01).
[Link] create a characteristic called ZColour(SAP has a standard Characteristic for this
but it has multiple values-i.e you can select more than one colour for your Bike. If you do
not want that create your own)with character format and assign single value radio button
on the initial screen. Go to values Tab and give the colours you [Link] the
[Link] repeat for CC(I figure this CC as 100cc & 200cc kind of [Link]
you want these as materials then it is a different story-I am taking this as feature as well)
[Link] a class called Zbike with the above 2 [Link] the class
[Link] a configuration profile Zbikeprof using Cu41 and assign the Kmat material to
Class Zbike,
[Link] create the order and Enter the Kmat material you want in the Order.
John Devraj.
------------------------------------In variant configuration I have configured my material properly during sales order
creation it is selecting proper characterstics. but my question is pricing should calculate at
characterstics level not at header level.
Ugamesh.
------------------------------------Pricing in variant Configuration is done at the Header level only. The logic is that you
create pricing variant keys for each characteristic Value. This will be done at the Header
level using cond type [Link] on the characteristic chosen the appropriate price
according to the pricing variant key will be picked up.
John Devraj.
------------------------------------Here my question is with out creating the materials is it possible to get price based on the
characterstics.
I am working on variant configuration here my product is 9-100. i have created
characterstics for describing colours. this characterstics assigned to class, this class is
assigned to 9-100(KMAT type). here i have not created amterial to describe each colour.
Now how I need to setup my system to calculate the price based on colour.
Ugamesh.
------------------------------------A cool Question. It will really get us into the thick of things in Variant Configuration.
Here are the steps.
[Link] a Characteristic called ZColour (Standard SAP has a characteristic called colour.
I did not use it.)
Give your values.
Say, Red & Blue
[Link] create another characteristic called ZCol_surcharge
Give the description and go directly to Addnl Data [Link] in the table name Enter
"SDCOM" and in the Field Name Enter "VKOND".The system will pick up the format
from the Dictionary.
[Link] go to CT04 and change the Characteristic Zcolour.
Go to values tab and select [Link] Extras-> Object Dependencies->Editor and then
select Procedure.
In front of 000010 Enter $self.ZCol_surcharge='RED'.
Similarly Select Blue and enter $self.ZCol_surcharge='BLUE'
[Link] both these characteristics to the Class(The class which you have attached the
KMAT Material).
[Link] to VK11 and the Enter [Link] give the values RED and BLUE and enter the
values.
[Link] to your order and Enter your material.
John Devraj.
------------------------------------Here are some clarifications required from you.
what is the significance of item category group 0002 and 0004. Apart from these are they
any other item category groups are available for configurable materials ?
In BOM header material having components. is it possible to make the component as
configurable material.
Ugamesh.
------------------------------------The difference b/w 0002 and 0004 is basically that of LUMF & ERLA.
In 0002 the pricing happens at the Header Item Level.
In 0004 the pricing happens at the Sub Item Level.
Check out the Item category Assignments and things will be Clear.
I think these two are the only ones used for Configuration.
Please let me know in which Scenario you would like to have the configurable material
Inside a BOM(as it would help me in visualising thh Item Category Assignment).
John Devraj.
------------------------------------As you said I setup my system to calculate price based on colour.
ZCOLOUR contains all colours in values tab page.
ZPRICE contains table name and filed name in additional data tab page.
I went to ZCOLOUR characterstics I maintained (extras-object dependicies-editor-action)
there I have given $[Link] = 'RED' for all the values.
when am creating the sales order price is coming only for RED colour not other colours.
even price is maintained for all the colours.
Ugamesh.
------------------------------------Seems like there is a mistake in the line $[Link] = 'RED' (You have said you have
given this for all the values- If I have not mistaken). This refers only to red colour.
In front of 000010 Enter $self.ZCol_surcharge='RED'.
Similarly Select Blue in the Values Tab and enter $self.ZCol_surcharge='BLUE'
All this is Case Sensitive. So please be careful.
John Devraj.
------------------------------------Now its coming any way thank you very much.
Ugamesh.
------------------------------------I have been reading your's and ugamesh's mails regarding the same but no where the sales
doucments have been discussed as well as material master record and configuration in
SPRO.
If you can kindly explain me the same as I was trying to do the same.
Reena
------------------------------------There is no need SPRO involvement in Variant [Link] happens in
Easy Access.
As far as Material Master record is concerned you only need to use a KMAT Material
type.
There is no need to assign any sales document to this material.
Follow the steps and you will get the result.
John Devraj.
------------------------------------I have gone thru the steps and created a sales order, but the pricing procedure is not
coming proper. Also do we have to maintain the values for the ZCol_surcharge.
As I have already maintain the rates of the color in VK11 - VA00.
Reena
------------------------------------Have you maintained the Object Dependencies for the values in the characteristics class.
John Devraj.
------------------------------------Yes !
What I have done is created a customer with KMAT ( Car), without characteristics tab pg.
After this I created 3 charateristics viz., zcolor, zengine & zcol_surcharge and assigned
them to Class 300 ( Variant).
But I have maintained the dependencies only for Zcol_surcharge :
$[Link]='RED'
Then I assigned all these to a config profile and aslo added the condition VA00 in the
pricing procedure, then maintained the same in VK11.
Now my problem is it is not coming in the SO
Reena
------------------------------------I think the problem is with the characteristics.
For the characteristics Zcolor and Zengine you must maintain some values in the Values
Tab.
Ex:
Zcolor- Red
Blue
Zengine- V6(Right now you can use only one Characteristic for learning)
V8
The characteristic Zcol_surcharge(By name this suggests that it is applicable only to
colour-Whereas you can use it for other characteristics as well) does not have any values.
For the values maintained in the Characteristics Zcolor and Zengine you have to go to
each value(Go to values tab and select Red) and maintain the object dependency
"Action" $self.Zcol_surcharge='RED'. Similarly maintain for Blue,V6,V8 for Example.
Then maintain the condition records for Va00(without any Case mismatch).
Use standard pricing procedure RVAA01.(or a copy- as it has provision for VA00).
This should solve your problem.
John Devraj.
Steps for SD Variant Configuration
Some light on Variant Configuration in Detail.
The procedure is as follows:
Create a Material - KMAT type with Item category (002)
Create Charateristics in CT04 - Zbike, where in values mention the Color of the
bile like Red, Blue etc
Create another characteristics in CT04 - ZPrice, where directly go the additional
data tab and maintain the table SDCOM and field VKOND (ABAP Dictionary it
will ask for)
Assign these two characteristics to a Class in CL01 - ZBikeclass ( Type 300) in
characteristics tab page.
Then go to CU41 Configuration profile select the material and enter the
description click on the class assignment ie assign Zbikclass.
Now go back to CT04 - enter Zbike -go to values- select Red- go to extras - Other
Dependencies - Select Procedure enter in front 10 write - $[Link]='Red' and
save
Now go back go to extras - Other Dependencies - assignments and assign
relationship ( by default it will come just save)
Now select Blue- go to extras - Other Dependencies - Editor - Select Procedure
enter in front of 10 write - $[Link]='Blue' and save
Now go back go to extras - Other Dependencies - assignments and assign
relationship ( by default it will come just save)
Now go to VK11 - Enter VA00 (Condition)(For Std RVA001 Pricing Procedure) enter variant Red and Blue give the rates accordingly and create the sales
order.
*-- Shaik Zaheeruddin
Tell me about variant configaration?
What are the type of questions we can expect in that?
Variant configuration is used where you have a configurable material like computer
(made up of components like processor, monitor, keyboard, mouse etc). These
components are called as characteristics in variant config. Again this will be having
values like processor can be either P4 or P3, monitor can be 15" or 17" etc.
Based on the values selected the variant pricing will happen using the condition type
VA00.
Possible questions you can expect are:
- What is variant configuration?
- What is characteristic?
- What is value?
- What is class?
- What is configuration profile?
- What is dependency and what are the types?
- What is a variant table?
- And the transaction codes for the above.
*-- Balaji