BOM Configuration: BOM Modification

Parameters
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Introduction:

Configuration is a very important section in SAP for any module. Instead of following standard documents and
replicating the same, one consultant should have each and every detail of any configuration for which s/he is
responsible. Detailed documentation of the configuration helps a lot to understand the requirements and
customizing to fulfill the requirements.

This is one of the most basic configuration section for BOM.

In this document we will try to explore various Modification Parameters inside Control Parameter configuration of
PP basic data Bill of Materials.

The configuration of Bill of Material is available in the IMG path (transaction SPRO) as shown below:

Control Data for BOM:

The control data configuration, the central modification parameters and default values are maintained. These
settings are central settings and applicable across the BOM usage and types.

Define Modification Parameters:

This configuration can be called by OS27 transaction code. The configuration data is stored in table TCS03
configuration table (maintainable in SE16N, or in SM30, table V_TCS03_M).

The configuration is sub-divided into the following sections:

 Validity
 Technical Type
 BOM Item
 General Settings

We will discuss the indicators in detail for each section, and will try to test the impacts of the same.
Validity:

Low Date:

If marked, the system proposes the earliest processing date (in standard 01.01.1900) by default for the BOM
maintenance. When unchecked, system proposes the system date for the same.

Example in CS01/CS02 :

With ‘Low Date’ checked:

With ‘Low Date’ not marked:

BOM Validity Maint. Indicator:

This indicator controls whether the user has the flexibility of changing the Valid from Date when maintaining BOM
(CS01/CS02). If not marked, system takes the Valid from Date as per the ‘Low Date’ indicator.

Note: This indicator cannot be removed when using Engineering Change management, because ECM enables
to maintain BOMs based on a Valid from Date. System throws the following error:

Recommended setting: mark the field. If you do not want to give the flexibility of changing the valid from date, try
a screen variant.

EC Management Active Indicator:

This indicator specifies whether BOMs can be changed with a reference to a change number. When a BOM is
changed with a change number, both the data (before and after the validity of that change) are stored in the
database. This is a central setting, and is further defined in ‘History Requirements for BOM’ configuration
(OS25). Activating this indicator here in OS27 does not mean that ECM is mandatory for all the BOMs, but it is
optional – change management is allowed. In OS25, we define what are the BOM usages and BOM status
combinations that will have change management mandatory.

If you do not require change management for any BOMs, you may uncheck this indicator.

Note: This indicator cannot be removed when using History Requirement indicator because active history
requirement has ECM as a mandatory feature. You will receive the following error message:

History Requirement Indicator:

This indicator specifies whether you need to enter a change number for creation of BOMs. With this indicator
ticked, system asks for a change number during creation of BOM (CS01):
This message can be an error message or warning message, based on the value of the authorization object
C_STUE_NOH assigned to the user role.

History Requirement Variant:

This indicator controls the requirement of a change number when a new variant or alternative is added to a BOM
group. The possible entries are:

‘Blank’: If any of the alternative or variant BOMs has been changed with reference to a change number, system
asks for a change number during creation of new alternative or variant.

‘1’: If any of the alternative or variant BOMs has the status that requires history requirement (as defined in
OS25), system asks for a change number during creation of new alternative or variant. It may be the case that
none of the alternatives or variants has previously been changed with reference to a change number, but one or
more of them have a status for which OS25 configuration defines history requirement.

‘2’: A new alternative or variant can always be created without a change number.

Note: If the ‘History Requirement indicator’ (discussed earlier) is marked, system will always ask for a change
number during creation regardless of the setting maintained in Hist. Reqmt. Variant.

Sub-Item Documentation:

Sub Items are partial quantities of a BOM item that can have different installation locations. In general, they have
no operational functionality in BOM, and are not copied in the production order. Changing the sub-items with a
change number is recorded when this indicator is active. Otherwise, changes to sub items are not recorded.

For example: I have a BOM valid from 01.01.2013 and I have the sub-items for item 0010 as shown:
Now I change the sub-items with a change number valid from 20.08.2013:

With the Sub-item documentation indicator active, system will record this change, thus showing two different line
items for 0010, one with 01.01.2013 to 20.08.2013, another from 20.08.2013 to 31.12.9999, with the sub-item
records.

All the sub-item change details are stored accordingly.

With the indicator inactive, system does not store this change event. It just updates with the latest modification:
Header Indicator/ Create BOM Header with Parameter Effectivity:

This indicator specifies whether the Header is also subjected to ‘parameter effectivity’ during creation of a BOM
with a change number with parameter effectivity.

You can find more details about parameter effectivity here:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp60_sp/helpdata/en/50/5fcc36df2ea85be10000009b38f839/frameset.htm

It is recommended to leave this indicator unchecked to avoid inconsistencies. One example is given here.

Suppose we have this indicator active.

We create a BOM with a change number with parameter effectivity. The header is also subjected to this
parameter effectivity. We further change this BOM with another change number with parameter effectivity.
During this change, if we change only the BOM items, and not the header, the following consequence will follow.
If we try to explode the BOM with a parameter variant corresponding to the new change number, system will be
unable to find the BOM header, thus not exploding the same. The items are thus not being considered.

Kindly follow the link mentioned earlier to know the usage of parameter effectivity in Engineering Change
management of BOMs.

As a recommended setting, we leave it blank.

Handling Deletion Indicators for BOM Explosion:

This setting is implemented in accordance with the OSS note 552974.

The BOM explosion function modules had issues with the alternatives with deletion flag. This is corrected by this
functionality and implementation of the note mentioned.
For example, in standard, if I have two ‘active’ alternatives:

In this case, system fails to select the alternative 2 inside the production order.

Now in this scenario, depending upon the settings in the ‘Handling deletion flag’ value:

 ‘Blank’ or ‘z’: system fails to select alternative 2.

 ‘1’: Bill of material deleted: system treats the alternative 1 (for which deletion flag has been active) as
deleted BOM and picks up alternative 2.
 ‘2’: Ignore deletion flag: system ignores the deletion flag and selects alternative 1.

As a good practice, it is advisable to make BOM status ‘inactive’ when the deletion flag is updated for that
alternative.

Technical Type:

Multiple BOM Inactive:

When this indicator is active, multiple BOMs cannot be maintained.

If you already have alternative BOMs present in the system, system shows a warning message during the
configuration change:

You cannot maintain alternative BOMs for a material when this indicator is ticked. System throws the following
error:

Variant BOM Inactive:

When this indicator is active, variant BOMs cannot be maintained.

If you already have variant BOMs present in the system, system shows a warning message during the
configuration change:

You cannot maintain variant BOMs for a material when this indicator is ticked. The ‘create variant BOM’
disappears and the menu function becomes inactive:

With the indicator unchecked:

With the indicator checked:

BOM Item:

Item Explosion Types:

This is useful when changes in a BOM takes place with reference to change numbers and further a date shift
happens to the change numbers so that the items can overlap or may have two or more versions of an item
present.

Please follow the link shared for a detailed example:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_470/helpdata/en/d8/731e054b7511d1894b0000e8323c4f/content.htm

We will take a simple example. The BOM is defined from 01.01.2013.

We change it (quantity change) with a change number having valid from date 01.10.2013.

We further change (quantity change) with a change number having valid from date 01.12.2013.

Now we shift the valid from date of the second change number to 20.08.2013. That will make the period from
20.08.2013 to 01.10.2013 as an overlap period.
Now we will check the effect of the indicator in the configuration by creating production orders in this overlapping
period, thus exploding the BOMs.

When ‘blank’, system proposes all versions.

When ‘1’, system takes the most recently created version, i.e. the effect of third change number.
When ‘2’, system takes the latest version in time by sorting in terms of most recent valid from date. Here we
have only one preceding overlapping change number, thus again, the effect of the third change number will be
taken.

Description of Variable Size Item:

This indicator determines which description of the variable size item will be displayed in the item overview
screen:

With ‘blank’ it takes the item text from status/ long text tab:

When ‘1’ or ‘blank’ without maintaining ‘item text’, it takes the component’s material master short text:
When ‘2’, it takes the variable size dimensions with formula:

Repeated Item Effectivity via External Item ID:

Item ID field (RC29P – IDENT) in BOM components view can be externally maintained or internally generated.
Once allotted, it cannot be changed.

For external, you can maintain any alpha-numeric entry with at least one numeric value. You cannot have
numeric values for external item ID.

For internal, system assigns ascending numeric values according to the sequence the items are entered.

In case of external item IDs, since they are maintained manually, there can be duplicate values. This indicator
controls whether system will allow duplicate values or not.

If unchecked, system throws the following message:

Otherwise, when checked, system allows the same.

Note, system will not however, allow the same during creation. It is only applicable when you change the BOM
with a change number. Then you can allow the same Item ID used earlier.

General Settings:

Unit ‘Piece’:

For the header of the BOMs like Equipment BOM (IB01 transaction), Functional Location BOM (IB11
transaction) etc. this UOM is used. This comes as default, and this is not changeable.

For the components with item category text item, document item, or non-stock without material master, this is the
default UOM used.

CAD Active:
This indicator is only relevant for material BOMs and it shows that the BOMs can be generated from a CAD
system.

The field is shown in the components detail ‘Basic Data’ tab ‘CAD indicator’, and the header data ‘Further Data’
tab ‘CAD indicator’.

There are various CAD integrators available and offered by SAP. PDM integration for AutoCAD is one of the
used techniques; please follow the links shared below to explore the same:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_46c/helpdata/en/16/26fad26a6d11d3955700a0c92f024a/frameset.htm

http://www.sap.com/solutions/business-suite/plm/featuresfunctions/cad/index.epx

Common OS27 Setting:

Also, it is advisable to take a dump from TCS03 table in a spreadsheet.

SAP provides IMG documentation for each and every field that we configure. The person going through the
standard configuration or best practice configuration guides should read this documentation to understand each
and every detail to gain knowledge of the impact of these configurations.

Thanks a lot for viewing this ‘long’ and detailed (boring) document. Hope you have enjoyed it.

Best Regards,

Rajen