PURPOSE: The idea behind this blog is to highlight some of the issues faced in SAP S4HANA PP module implementation for Discrete Manufacturing Scenario with Variant Configuration.

SCENARIO: DTB Business Mapping in brief

Business/Client have Materials either MTS or MTO, not a combination i.e., same material cannot be MTS as well as MTO.

Standard SAP strategies as below were used for mapping MTS /MTO(VC)/MTO (Non-VC)

MTS-40(Planning with Final Assy) /

MTO(VC)-56(Characteristics Based Planning) /

MTO(Non-VC)-50(Planning without Final Assy).

95% of demand is from Sales forecast ​/Sales Forecasting is carried out in SAP Analytics Cloud which is then uploaded as PIRs

5% of SO have MTS items.

Then the Fast Track Order Requirement where once SO is entered system must automatically and immediately create Production Order.

For lower-Level assemblies and Components system will generate requirements post MRP run batch job every 5 min for ZFAS SO type.

Three Production Order types created

1. ZMTS (Strategy 40)

2. ZMTO (Strategy 50 and 56/SO type ZMTO (normal SO) /ZPM (Project SO) / ZPD (Internal Order related SO))

3. ZFAS (Strategy 50 and 56/SO type ZFAS (Fast Track SO))

ISSUES & SOLUTIONS

Master Data Issues:

1. For Variant Configuration (KMAT)Materials for Usage Probability, In Std SAP the Usage Probability is entered manually in MD61.It can be random number entered in MD61 Configuration Supporting points pop-up screen for VC materials.

We had requirement for automatic population of this Usage Probability or Planning Percentage.

SOLUTION

For this Business case – we captured these usage probability values/Planning % values in Characteristics – CT04 using classify value function using classification type 044.

Hence, we created Class/Characteristics and assigned the value to the individual Materials which had Planning % value in EBS system.

Usage Probability/Planning Percent can be entered even in BOM Alternate item group functionality. But the Requirement was that the Usage probability must not be taken into consideration for SO requirement of dependent components/ Assemblies with planning % and only must be calculated for the Forecast requirements i.e., PIRs hence had to look out for other options to hold this value.Hence in the Z Program for Forecast upload from SAC we have implemented the logic for populating this field automatically in ZMD61(CUSTOM FIORI __ZDTB_PIR upload).

For Detailed Solution of Usage Probability/Planning Percentage please refer to blog:

https://blogs.sap.com/2023/06/16/variant-configuration_s4-hana-custom-fiori-for-pir-upload-and-usage-probability-calculation/

2. LTMC cannot be created for Upload of Planning Profile (Transaction MDP6 and MDPH).

Also, creation of LSMW is not possible to upload this data. The PRel(Planning Relevancy) Indicator has to be manually ticked for Multiple BOM Low level materials.

MDP6-Planning Profile

SOLUTION

Created a Z Program to combine both MDP6 and MDPH transactions using Function module.BDC Recording was not used to build this program. Function Modules “REQUIREMENTS_CHAR_RELEVANZ” and “M60V_PROFIL_FOR_PLAN” used to build this program. This standalone program Creates & Updates Planning profile.

3.  A configurable material can have multiple configuration profiles (as maintained with CU42). If there is only one configuration profile with Processing mode Advanced Variant Configuration or AVC Profile, everything works fine when configuring the material either in Solution Quotation or Sales Order.
If another configuration profile is added, with Processing mode Classic, and with lower priority than the previous AVC-mode profile, the Solution Quotation doesn’t recognize the priority sequence, but claims that the product with Classic-mode cannot be processed there.

The same issue and error message remains even if the second profile(Classic Profile) is set to Locked status.

Sales Order (VA01/2) configuration works fine in this scenario using the highest priority profile, i.e. the AVC-flagged. So, it seemed that Solution Quotation has an error detecting both the Priority and the status Locked.

AVC profile is not supported for Usage Probability or Planning Percentage Calculation.

Due to this reason, we had 2 profiles AVC profile as Priority 01 and Classic Profile with Priority 02.

With Sales Order creation we had no issues, but with Solution Quotation, the System gives error in the creation of Solution Quotation as shown in below snapshot.

Error Message

SOLUTION

SAP Note 3053798 was implemented.

Also, the conclusion was that when we have Solution Quotation and AVC we need to have both the Classic as well as the AVC Profile.

The Classic Profile is required for the Usage Probability Calculation and for dependencies in BOM to work.

Whereas the AVC profile is required for the Solution Quotation to work.

MRP LIVE ISSUES:

1. MRP Live (MD01N) was used for VC (KMAT)Materials along with NonVC (Make and Buy Items) at plant level.

For VC(KMAT) materials with strategy 56 we were getting message “Characteristics Based Forecasting is not supported in MRP Live”, but the MRP results, we did not find any issue as far as the planning(requirement quantity calculation) was concerned.

We were in doubt whether we had to run the MRP(at plant level separately)for VC materials using Classic MRP(MD01).

Issue was raised to SAP

SOLUTION

SAP Note 1914010 implemented

Also activated the business Function Low level Variant Configuration with SAP HANA(PLM_VCHLL_HANA).

2.  For Phantom Items and sub-Assemblies MRP Live gives message “No BOM Selected” though        BOM was available/created for the Phantom Items.

SOLUTION

For Phantom Items/Phantom Sub assemblies to be planned the Sub Assembly must have a Valid Production Version created  with only BOM, though Routing may be absent.

3. During MRP live (MD01n) run at plant level, MRP job gets failed due to below dump

While doing analysis using SUPPORT tool at md01n, as shown below

Support function MRP Live

After using below these two functionalities,

MRP Support Function

We realized there was inconsistency in PR no range.

PR number range inconsistency

SOLUTION

SAP Notes below applied.

The number ranges for the object EBAN and BANF had to be changed. The Purchase Requisition number range interval followed by scheduling MRP jobs with planning mode 3.

Issues & Modifications carried in COHV and COOIS Tcodes & equivalent FIORI’s

1. Since client had decided to make use most of the Standard SAP reports and Transaction, it was difficult to accommodate most of the Business Requirements of Planners in these two transactions due to it being a 90% MTO business.

2. Also the Long Text option which is visible in GUI was not available in the FIORI Apps for COHV /COOIS FIORI app i.e. Mass Processing-Order Headers/Order Info System-Order Headers.

SOLUTION

1. For the first part Various fields and selections based on Sales Orders and Sales order type fields had to be enhanced in the input and output of these reports. Like selection of Planned orders based on Fast Track orders. Added Z fields to the input selection criteria.

2. For the Long text issue: – Raised the issue to SAP, SAP Note 3289778 was made available for our release which resolved the issue.

Hope this Blog post helps those who have are using KMAT/Variant configuration scenario to be mapped in S4HANA. As these are the typical issues which I have heard even from other project SMEs and where they have opted for other workarounds to get things working.

Also keen to hear from you all reading this blog about the similar issues and solutions that worked for you, which may help me and others in future.