Par Mickael QUESNOT

SAP VARIANT CONFIGURATION -

EXPLAINED FOR DUMMIES!

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 Configurable Material: The
master material that represents all
possible variations (e.g., "Car
Here's the "For Model X").

Dummies" breakdown:
Ever wondered how companies What is it? It's a powerful
offer tons of product variations SAP tool that lets you create Characteristics (Classification):
ONE configurable material These are the features you can
(different colors, sizes, features) instead of countless individual choose from (e.g., "Color," "Engine
materials for each variation. Type," "Wheel Size"). We use
without going crazy managing Saves time, reduces errors, and Classification to organize these!
millions of materials? That's the simplifies everything!
magic of Variant Configuration in
SAP! Configuration Profile: This is the
"brain" that controls how the
Key Building Blocks: configuration works. It links the
configurable material to its
Think of it like building your dream characteristics.
car online – you pick your engine,
color, wheels, interior, and SAP Dependencies: These are the
Variant Configuration makes sure it rules! They ensure that your
configurations are valid (e.g., you
all works smoothly in the can't choose a sports engine with
background. economy tires ). We use
Procedures and Constraints to
set up these rules.

Material Master, BOM (Bill of

Materials), Routing: These
standard SAP objects are used but
become supercharged in Variant
Configuration. The BOM and
Routing will change dynamically
based on the chosen configuration!

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 How it Works (Simplified):
When a customer orders, SAP automatically
You define You set up a You create
You create a they configure the creates the Configured
Configurable Material. Characteristics (like Configuration Profile to Dependencies to define product by choosing Product with the correct
color, size). link them. valid combinations.
characteristics. BOM, Routing, and price!

Benefits:

Happy customers with personalized

Massive efficiency boost! Reduced data maintenance. Faster order processing. products!

Want to learn more about SAP Variant Configuration? Let me know in the comments!
#SAP #VariantConfiguration #SAPVC #Manufacturing #Configuration #ProductConfiguration
#SAPExplained #ForDummies #BeginnersGuide #SupplyChain #ERP #Innovation
#LinkedInLearning #TechSkills

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Variant Configuration - Contents

Material
Classification:
Overview master, BOM,
review Routing

Variant Configurable Configuration

configuration material profile

Dependencies
• Procedures Configured
Training
• Constraints Product

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Variant Configuration - Contents

Material
Classification:
Overview master, BOM,
review Routing

Variant Configurable Configuration

configuration material profile

Dependencies
• Procedures Configured
Training
• Constraints Product

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Configurable Material

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Variant Configuration

Pump type
• Plunger
Pump for
• Rotary Mode
• Oil
• Wing • Manual
• Water
• Wet pit • Electric
• Waste water
• Suspension

Connection Maximum
• Right-angled flange pump lift
• Round flange (2 holes) • 2 - 100 m
• Round flange (4 holes)
• Other

Range
Color • Open
• Blue • Closed
• Black
• Red Options
• With support Rotation
• With drawing direction
• Clockwise
• Ctr-clockwise
• Both

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Configuration, the Product Model
Configuration task sap terms

Parts in stock Materials

MARA

Routing BOM
Instructions
for Individual parts Object Object
assembling required dependencies dependencies
the product
Logic for Logic for CLASS
determining which determining Char.: Values: Oil
operations and which parts Pump for Water
PRTs are required are required Char.: Values: Plunger
Pump type Wet pit
Char.: Values: 2-100
Features Max. lift 3
Pump for: Oil
Pump type: Plunger Object
Max. pump lift: 3 dependencies
Specific pump ... Configured product

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Variant Configuration - Contents

Material
Classification:
Overview master, BOM,
review Routing

Variant Configurable Configuration

configuration material profile

Dependencies
Configured
• Procedures Training
• Constraints Product

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Configurable Material, Class, Class Type

Configurable material: Pump P-500

Class: CL_P500

Class type: 300

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Configurable Material, Class, Characteristics

Configurable material: Pump P-500

Class: CL_P500

Class type: 300

Chars: Pump for Type Mode Max lift Pressure Gloss Color

Values: Oil Plunger Electric 2 - 100 2 - 10 Yes Blue

m bar

Water Rotary Manual No Red

Suspension Wing Black

Waste
water

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Variant Configuration - Contents

Material
Classification:
Overview master, BOM,
review Routing

Variant Configurable Configuration

configuration material profile

Dependencies
Configured
• Procedures Training
• Constraints Product

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Configurable Material

⚫ Material number under which all variants of a

product are stored in the SAP System
⚫ Reference point for further objects (bill of material,
routing, and so on)
⚫ Important control parameters, especially MRP and
sales

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Super BOM of Pump

Confble

Pump

Confble
Csg steel Shaft assy Paint Drawing

Csg alu
N Non-variable K D
Color
Csg c. iron Gloss
L Support
L
Confble

Metal
L N R

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Routing for Pump

Sequence 0 Sequence 1 Selectable seq.

(parallel)
Provide
material

Assemble Prepare
pressure lid

Paint Paint Paint

red blue yellow ...
pressure lid
Selectable operations Dependencies
Changeable operations

Preassembly
PRT Doc.

Final assembly PRT Other Selectable PRTs

Check and PRT Matl

hand off

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Variant Configuration - Contents

Material
Classification:
Overview master, BOM,
review Routing

Variant Configurable Configuration

configuration material profile

Dependencies
Configured
• Procedures Training
• Constraints Product

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Variant Configuration

Select suitable
Maintain dependencies characteristics
for value assignment Characteristics maint.
screen and pricing
Group characteristics
in variant class
Class maintenance
Characteristics maint.
Profile maintenance
Maintain confble matl
Define control parameters Material master maint.
for configuration
Configuration profile maintenance

Create super BOM Create super routing

PI data with all possible items with all possible operations
BOM maintenance Routing maintenance

PS data Maintain dependencies Maintain dependencies

for BOM items for routing elements
BOM maintenance Routing maintenance

Test in simulation
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Screens: Maintaining Characteristics

Basic data Description, format, and control data

Descriptions Multi-lingual headings and descriptions

Allowed values List of all possible or required characteristic values

Interface control Display options for value assignment functions

Additional data Reference characteristic / linked document (DMS)

Class types Restriction of use to certain class types

Classification Classification of characteristic

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Entry / Format / Value Assignment
⚫ Single-value
Format Except class
Numeric value allocations /
No. of chars (decimal places) hierarchy nodes
NUM Unit
Exponent display
Template
Negative values
Alphanumeric value ⚫ Multiple values
No. of characters
CHAR Template
Case sensitive
DATE Date value

TIME Time value ⚫ Restrictable

CURR Currency value

... User-specific data type

Indicator cannot
(When assigning values) be overwritten in
Entry
Required: Yes / No class

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Reference Characteristics

Concept
Individual fields of the object
are to be copied to the
configuration. Procedure
Create characteristic BASIC_MAT
Solution
Additional data
Reference characteristic

Table name Table field

Details MARA WRKST
A reference characteristic
can refer to fields in several
tables. Characteristic BASIC_MAT refers to
the basic material field in a BOM
Several characteristics can
refer to the same table field.

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Reference Characteristics (Changing)

⚫ Tables whose field values can be changed with object

dependencies :
◼ SDCOM Structure for communication between
SD and variant configuration
◼ MMCOM Structure for communication between
MM and variant configuration
◼ STPO Fields in BOM item
◼ PLPO Operation fields in routings
◼ PLFH PRT fields
◼ PLFL Sequence of operations fields

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Reference Characteristics (Read Only)

⚫ Read-only access is available for the following sales

order tables:
◼ VBAK Header data
◼ VBAPR Item data
◼ VBKD Business data
◼ MAEPV Material master fields
◼ MAAPV Material master fields
◼ VEDA Contract data
◼ VBPA_AG Partner: ordering party
◼ VBPA_WE Partner: ship-to party
◼ VBPA_RE Partner: bill-to party

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Classes in Variant Configuration

Variant Class
Classes of type 300 (or similar) are required to group together
and organize the characteristics you want to use for
value assignment in the sales order.

Class Node
Classes of type 200 (or similar) are required to group together
and organize the characteristics that describe a class node in
a BOM.

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Variant Configuration - Contents

⚫ Overview
⚫ Classification: review
⚫ Material master, BOM, Routing
⚫ Variant configuration
* Configurable material
⚫ Configuration profile
⚫ Dependencies
◼ Procedures
◼ Constraints
⚫ Configured Product
⚫ Training

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Configurable Material

⚫ Material number under which all variants of a

product are stored in the SAP System
⚫ Reference point for further objects (bill of
material, routing, and so on)
⚫ Important control parameters, especially MRP
and sales

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Settings for Configurable Materials

X Configurable material
Material (Material type: KMAT)
master record
MRP group Example: 25
MRP type Example: PD
Basic data not ND
MRP lot size EX
Availability check 2
t
MRP Individual / collective 1
Strategy group Example: 25

Sales Item category group: 0002 or

0004

Allocate variant class(es)

Classification

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(Super) BOM

Master data > Dependencies

BOM
> Configured BOM

Material BOM

Dynamic BOM

Order BOM

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Class Item / Item Category K

Material
Class: PAINT

Material Red
Material Class: Blue
Green Classified
Type 200 (300) materials
Yellow
COLOR ...

BOM

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Non-Stock Item / Item Category N

BOM PC
Item Component Quantity Item cat. Assembly
10 Casing 1 Piece L X
20 Extras 1 Piece N X
30 1 Piece N

Item 30: Purchasing Data

Item
20 Extras
Price Material group
Confble mat Price unit Purchasing grp
Cost element Delivery time

Keybd Coproc. Mouse ...

Fields relevant to MRP and
costing

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Variable-Size Item / Item Category R

Cutting a tube to size

➔ Different dimensions, up to 3
entries for size
➔ Variable-size item quantity
➔ Number of variable-size items

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(Super) Routing

Routing > Dependencies

Routing
> Configured routing

Dynamic operation sequence

Copy function

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Routing

Material A
Material

Sequence Standard sequence Alternative

categories 0000 sequence
Operation 10 0001
Operation 10
Operation 20
Parallel Operation 15
Operation 30
sequence Operation 20
0002 Operation 40
Operation 50 Operation 50
Operation 60 Operation 60 PRT

...
Sub-Operation

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Variant Configuration - Contents

⚫ Overview
⚫ Classification: review
⚫ Material master, BOM, Routing
⚫ Variant configuration
⚫ Configurable material
Configuration profile
⚫ Dependencies
◼ Procedures
◼ Constraints
⚫ Configured Product
⚫ Training

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Configuration Profiles - Overview

⚫ Control parameters in a configuration

profile

⚫ Configuration scenarios
◼ Planned/production order - single-level

◼ Order BOM

◼ Sales order

◼ Planned/production order - multi-level

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Configuration Profile for a Material

⚫ Selecting a class type

◼ Provide characteristics Material master
◼ Link to variant class
Classification menu

Configuration prof.

Material
master record
Variant class

⚫ Defining the configuration scenario

⚫ Other control parameters
◼ Other overviews
◼ Availability check
◼ Scenario-dependent control parameters
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Planned / Production Order - Single-Level

SD: Sales / Customer

• BOM master data

• Characteristic values
Super BOM

Sales order Sales order

PC Single-level 10 PC
10 PC
interactive
CPU Printer configuration
Characteristic
values
PC

Processor Pentium
150 Characteristic
Hard disk 4 GB
values for
CD ROM 20 item 10
.. x
Extras. Mouse
Modem

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Order BOM Overview

SD: Sales / Customer Technical order processing

Super BOM

Sales order BOM

Printer
maintenance
10 Printer Sales order item:
10 Printer
Laser
Multi-level,
Single-level, interactive
interactive configuration
configuration
Manual
changes

Type
matching

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Variant Configuration - Contents

⚫ Overview
⚫ Classification: review
⚫ Material master, BOM, Routing
⚫ Variant configuration
⚫ Configurable material
⚫ Configuration profile
* Dependencies
◼ Procedures
◼ Constraints
⚫ Configured Product
⚫ Training

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Use of Dependencies

Configuration profile
Price
Act./Proc., constraint
PR00
Class 300 Pricing
Characteristic Surcharges,
Act./proc., sel., pre. Variant product discounts
Values Material: KMAT Absolute VA00
Act./proc., pre. Percentage VA01
Super Super
BOM routing
Item Act./proc., sel. Seq. Act./proc., sel.
Op. Act./proc., sel.

Dependencies PRT Act./proc., sel.

Local dependencies PRT Act./proc., sel.
Global dependencies Action (tables, functions)
Procedure (tables, functions)
Selection condition (tables, functions)
Precondition (tables, functions)
Constraint (tables, functions)

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Object dependencies

⚫ Object dependencies describe the

interdependencies between objects in the
configuration process.

They are used in configuration to ensure that the

configuration is complete and consistent.

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Components of the Knowledge Base

Master data Object dependencies

describe dependencies
Material between
Material

BOM
BOM Characteristics (values)

Characteristics and
Routing
objects

Classes Objects

...

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Dependency Types

Can a characteristic (value) be included in the

configuration?
Precondition
The characteristic (value) CAN be included, but
is not mandatory

Selection MUST an object be included in the

condition configuration?

SETS VALUES or changes object items in

Action /
the configuration, if the relevant object
Procedure
is included in the configuration

Describes dependencies between SEVERAL

Constraint
objects in the configuration

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Dependency Types (Examples)

BOM item Characteristic value Characteristic value

4 GB hard disk Modem CPU: Pent200

MUST CAN

Selection condition Precondition Action

HARD_DISK EQ ‘4' CPU EQ ‘Pent166’
(characteristic) (value) OR ‘Pent200'
(characteristic) (value) $ SELF.CD_ROM=‘20speed’

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Use of Dependencies

Precondition Characteristic, characteristic value

Characteristic
Selection BOM items
condition
Operation, sub-operation, sequence of
operations, PRT

Characteristic, characteristic value

Action , BOM items, routing objects
procedure Configuration profile

Constraint Configuration profile

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Storage of Dependencies

Maintained centrally, independently of

any object
Global Special menu option
Can be used multiple times
Object allocation is a reference

Maintained in object maintenance (for

example, BOM item, characteristic value)
Local Not maintained centrally
Can only be used once
(unless you copy the object)

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Syntax of Object Dependencies (1)

Characteristics (with $root, $parent, $self)

Characteristic values

Logical operators
AND, OR, NOT nesting as required (parentheses)

Comparison operators
<=, LE, le, >=, GE, ge, <, LT, lt, >, GT, gt, =, EQ, eq

Arithmetical expressions
+, -, /, *, sin, cos, ...

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Syntax of Object Dependencies (2)

Additional expressions

IN (Simple expression for lists and

intervals)

SPECIFIED (Simple expression for characteristic

with an assigned value)

SKEY ‘Characteristic with hyphen’

TYPE_OF (Object query within BOM structure)

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Variant Tables and Dependencies

⚫ Variant tables describe combinations of characteristic

values
◼ To define allowed combinations of values
◼ To calculate or infer characteristic values

⚫ A table can describe interdependencies between

several characteristics
◼ One table replaces several dependencies
◼ Easier to follow
◼ Easier way to define interdependencies

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Example: Variant Tables and Dependencies

Table T1
Model Color Length
A red 100
A blue 100
B red 200
C red 50

⚫ Material 4711 in class with characteristics 'TYPE',

'OUTSIDE_LENGTH', and 'PAINTWORK'
⚫ Table with characteristics 'MODEL', ’COLOR’, and 'LENGTH'
⚫ Precondition allocated to value 'RED' of characteristic
'PAINTWORK' :

(TYPE = 'A' and OUTSIDE_LENGTH = 100) or table T1 (MODEL = TYPE,

(TYPE = 'B' and OUTSIDE_LENGTH = 200) or OR LENGTH = OUTSIDE_LENGTH,
(TYPE = 'C' and OUTSIDE_LENGTH = 50) COLOR = ‘red’)

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Configuration - Trace Function

⚫ In value assignment functions, you can switch on a trace

function, so that you can see which interdependencies were
used during the configuration process.
◼ You can define which interdependencies you want to see
information on (preconditions, selection conditions, actions,
constraints, tables, or functions).
◼ You can define the level of detail for displaying the
interdependencies.
◼ To call the trace function and define trace settings, choose:
Extras -> Trace

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Basic Information on Procedures

⚫ Setting characteristic values

◼ Like actions
◼ Syntax matches syntax for actions, with additional expressions

⚫ Non-declarative
◼ The user defines the processing sequence
◼ Procedures can overwrite values set by by other procedures

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Syntax Elements (Procedures Only)

⚫ Negation ◼ Not Specified

of built-in conditions ◼ Not Type_of
◼ Not ... in

⚫ Recursiveness ◼ Figure = Figure + 1

⚫ Default values ◼ $SET_DEFAULT

⚫ Additional expressions ◼ $SUM_PARTS

◼ $COUNT_PARTS

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Constraints - Overview

⚫ 4 sections of a constraint
⚫ Objects

⚫ Condition

⚫ Restrictions

⚫ Inferences

⚫ Inferring values and checking consistency of one or more

objects

⚫ Extra functions that are not provided by simple

dependencies

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What are Constraints for?

Constraints Infer values and check the consistency

of values:
Between any objects in a
configuration task

Constraints Are designed for multi-level

configuration:
Only active in configuration
Additional functions:
Therefore also useful for
single-level configuration

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Parameters in a Constraint

⚫ OBJECTS
!
?
◼ Declaration of all classes and objects used

⚫ CONDITION
◼ Condition under which the constraint is processed

⚫ RESTRICTION(S)
◼ Restriction that must apply between the elements of
the objects:
 Value inference and consistency check
!
 Direct or with reference to functions/tables
⚫ INFERENCES
◼ Definition: which characteristic values are to be
determined
?
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RESTRICTIONS Section

⚫ Syntax: Similar to actions

◼ Object variables instead of $self, $parent, and $root
◼ New: "false"

⚫ Function: Similar to actions

◼ Calculates all values named in the inferences section
◼ Checks all values for consistency (like preconditions)

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Variant Configuration - Contents

⚫ Overview
⚫ Classification: review
⚫ Material master, BOM, Routing
⚫ Variant configuration
⚫ Configurable material
⚫ Configuration profile
⚫ Dependencies
◼ Procedures
◼ Constraints
* Configured Product
⚫ Training

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Configured Product (Concept)

Definition
A configured material (variant) is a material
that is kept in stock and that is a
specific configuration
of a configurable material

Purpose If specific configurations of a configurable

material occur frequently, it is useful to create
separate materials to keep the configuration in
stock.
Planning
Preassembly
Determination of delivery data
in sales order
Sales order can be covered
from stock
Type matching

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Variant Configuration - Contents

⚫ Overview
⚫ Classification: review
⚫ Material master, BOM, Routing
⚫ Variant configuration
⚫ Configurable material
⚫ Configuration profile
⚫ Dependencies
◼ Procedures
◼ Constraints
⚫ Configured Product
* Training

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Variant Configuration - References

⚫ Overview
⚫ Classification: review
⚫ Material master, BOM, Routing
⚫ Variant configuration
⚫ Configurable material
⚫ Configuration profile
⚫ Dependencies
◼ Procedures
◼ Constraints
⚫ Configured Product
References

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