P17_Classification1

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Section: Classification and Release ApprovalProcedure

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Classification and Release Approval Procedure:Contents

Unit 17 Classification

Unit 18 More Functions inClassification

Unit 19 Document Release (Approval)Procedure


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Classification


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Classification: Unit Objectives

You will understand how the classification systemis integrated in other R/3 applications

You will be able to identify the most importantconcepts of the classification system

You will gain an overview of characteristics andhow to assign values to them in the classificationsystem


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Business Scenario

The company has several thousand material masterrecords, bills of material, and document info records.The classification system helps to find individual objectsquickly and efficiently.


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What is Classification for?

? ?

Where on earth... ? ? ? ?

Purpose of classification:To find suitable objectTo find similar objectsTo find that there are no suitable objects

It is difficult to impossible to fulfill these requirements unless your data is organized in a systematic way.

The R/3 classification system supplements the functions of matchcodes and systematic numbers to help you set up an organized system.

The classification system comprises the following functions: Characteristics maintenance Class maintenance Classification (allocation and value assignment) Finding objects


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Classification System

Routingheaders

Work centers

PRTs

Documents

User-defined order structure

User-defined characteristics for object search

Hierarchy, graphic

Classification

MaterialmastersArbeitsplanArbeitsplan

Plangr Z 1

10 Plz:1310

20

30


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Finding a Material

Create purchase order

Item 10 M-05Item 20 _____

...

List of classes

Printer

Monitor

PC

Monitor Monitor Characteristics

Manufacturer NEC

Screen size

Price range 03

List of materials

M-01 NEC 15 inch

M-05 NEC 17 inch

Create purchase order

Item 10 _____Item 20 _____

... Matchcode

K

I want to order amonitor

You can search for materials via classes in any situation where you need to enter a material number. Using the classification system you have set up, you can find the material number you are looking for, and copy it across.

For example, you can search for materials when you create a purchase order.


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Finding Objects in the Classification System

List of classes

Printer

Monitor

Loudspeaker

Monitor characteristics

Manufacturer

Screen size 17

Price range

Check stock

M-04

...

List of monitors

M-02 17 inch 02

M-04 17 inch 03

Function

I want to check thestock of 17 inch monitors quickly

You can find objects from your application, or use the global functions for finding objects in the classification system.

From your search result, you can go to an application. For example, you can go to inventory management to check stock, or you can display the material.

You can also use executable programs from SAP, or write your own executable programs, to process the search result.


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Finding Objects

Find object via classFind object via class

Find classFind class

Search resultSearch result

1

2

1

1

2 2

ApplicationApplication

Task that requires aspecific object

ApplicationApplication

This slide illustrates the two process flows for finding objects. You can also use the "global" functions for finding objects.

Process flow 1 shows how to use the search function from an application. Process flow 2 shows how to start an application from the global functions for finding objects. Process flow 2 is not supported for all transactions.

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Terminology

A class is a group of objects that have the sameproperties or similar properties.ClassClass

An object is a classifiable unit(for example, material, vendor...).ObjectObject

A characteristic describes properties of an object (for example, length, weight, basic material).Characteristic Characteristic

A value is assigned to a characteristic(for example, 4 inches, 8 - 14 pounds, copper).

CharacteristicCharacteristicvaluevalue

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Classification System Functions

Find class

Find objects in class

Finding objectsFinding objectsAllocationObject: Bolt HEX_1Class: CL_HEX100

Assigned valuesThread type: MetricLength: 7 mmManufacturer: Meyer

Ironworks

ClassificationClassificationClass maintenanceClass maintenance

Material: Bolt HEX_1

Thread type: MetricLength: 7 mmManufacturer: Meyer Ironworks

Properties

Object maintenanceObject maintenance

- Performance - Weight- Version - Color- Manufacturer - Thread type- Length - Registration

number

Characteristics

Characteristics maint.Characteristics maint.

Class BoltsClass Bolts

- Thread type- Length- Manufacturer

R

Step 1: create characteristics and allowed values. Step 2: create classes and assign characteristics to classes. Step 3: allocate objects (such as materials) to one or more classes, assigning characteristic values to

the objects. Step 4: now you can use the classification system to find objects.

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Screens: Maintaining Characteristics

Description, format, and control data

Multi-lingual descriptions and headings Multi-lingual descriptions and headings

List of all possible or required values

Linked DMS document

Restriction to class typesRestriction to class types

Classification of characteristic Classification of characteristic

Allowed values

Basic data

Display options for value assignment functions Display options for value assignment functions

DescriptionsDescriptions

User interfaceUser interface

Additional data

Classification Classification

Class types Class types

Reference characteristic Reference characteristic

There are several screens for characteristics processing. You must fill out the basic data screen, but all other screens are optional. On the basic data screen, you enter the central data for a characteristic, such as status, data type, and

value assignment attribute. You can enter the characteristic description in multiple languages. You can define allowed values for a characteristic. You can define whether only these allowed values

can be selected, or whether other values are allowed, too. On the interface control screen, you can use indicators to influence how the characteristic is displayed

in classification and variant configuration functions. You can create references to table fields, to use them in classification. You can link documents to characteristics and their values. You can restrict the use of a characteristic to certain class types. You can classify characteristics and sort them according to their classification.

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Entry / Format

When assigning values to objects:When assigning values to objects:

Required: Yes / NoRequired: Yes / NoSingle-value / Multiple valueSingle-value / Multiple value

NumericNumericMax. no. of characters (dec. places) Max. no. of characters (dec. places)

UnitUnitNegative values allowedNegative values allowed

AlphanumericAlphanumericMax. no. of charactersMax. no. of characters

TemplatesTemplatesCase sensitiveCase sensitive

Time Time

NUMNUM

CHARCHAR

DATEDATE

TIMETIME

CurrencyCurrency

Date Date

CURRCURR

Format

Entry

In this dataset you enter the data type of a characteristic. The data type determines the format for entering characteristic values. The following data types are supported:

Data type CHAR: Characteristic with alphanumeric format. The value field can contain any character.Data type NUM:Characteristic with numeric format. The value field can only contain figures.Data type TIME/DATE :Characteristic with time or date format.Data type CURR:Characteristic with currency formatUser-defined data type:Characteristic with a fixed link to a class. The characteristic groups together the characteristics of the class to form one superior characteristic.

Value assignment attribute:Single-value means that you can only assign one value to a characteristic in value assignment functions. Multiple-value means that you can assign more than one value.

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Allowed Values

Intervals

100 - 200

> 100

> = 100

100 - < 200

Constant (s)

Additional values:

Combinations< 50, 100, 150 - 180, > = 200

)

X

)

200

200

)

100

100

100

100

Entering allowed values for a characteristic is optional. If you do not enter allowed values, you can enter any value that matches the format you define, when you use the characteristic to classify objects.

The allowed values or allowed intervals you define for a characteristic are binding for classification unless you set the indicator defining that additional values are allowed.

You can enter a default value for a characteristic. This value is displayed when you use the characteristic to classify objects.

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Reference Characteristic

Reference characteristic

Individual fields of the objectare to be copied to theclassification.

Create characteristic BASIC_MAT

ConceptConceptConcept

ProcedureProcedureProcedure

Additional data

Characteristic BASIC_MAT refers to Characteristic BASIC_MAT refers to the basic material field in a materialthe basic material field in a material

SolutionSolutionSolution

Table fieldWRKST

A reference characteristiccan refer to fields in several tables.

Several characteristics canrefer to the same table field.

DetailsDetailsDetails

Table nameMARA

The table reference lets you use information from the object master record in classification and avoid inconsistencies.

For example, in the material master record of a material, you enter the basic material. You want to use the basic material of the material in classification, so you create a reference to field Basic material in the material master table MARA. You use the reference characteristic in the class for classifying materials. When you classify a material, you see the basic material from the material master record.

You can also use reference characteristics to find objects.

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Value Checks: Check Table

Entries:

Plant BaselPlant ChicagoPlant MunichPlant Hamburg...

Entries:

Plant BaselPlant ChicagoPlant MunichPlant Hamburg...

Value checkCheck table

Allowed valuesfor classification

Characteristic PLANT

TableT001WPlants

Instead of entering individual values for a characteristic, you can enter a check table. In classification functions, the entries in the table are displayed as characteristic values.

You can only use tables with one key field. Entering a check table is not to be confused with a table reference for reference characteristics. For example, you enter table T001W (Plants) as a check table. On the value assignment screen, you

can display all the plants as possible values for your characteristic, and select one.

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Characteristics

Basic data

CatchwordsCatchwords

TextsTexts

Standards data Standards data

Screens: Maintaining Classes

General information and control data

Search strings for use with matchcodeSearch strings for use with matchcode

Characteristics of a class

Linked DMS document

Special data for variant configuration onlySpecial data for variant configuration only

Data for standardized classes (DIN standards)Data for standardized classes (DIN standards)

Texts explaining the classTexts explaining the class

Document

Additional dataAdditional data

There are several screens for processing a class. You must fill out the basic data screen, but the other screens are optional. The basic data screen contains the central settings for a class, such as the status, the organizational

areas, and the authorization group. You can assign catchwords to help you in matchcode searches. You can assign characteristics that describe objects to the class, so that you can use the class to

classify objects. You can enter texts. You can link documents to a class. You can create classes according to a standard (of the German standards institute, DIN). You can define that a class can be used in the bill of material of a configurable material.

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Class Type

........Insp. materialVendorMaterial

controlscontrols

Class type001

Class type010

Class type005

Screen sequenceClass statusesClassification statusesOrganizational areas..........

ObjectsObjects

The class type is a central concept of the classification system. It controls the processing of classes, classification, and finding objects in classes. Settings for a class type are defined in Customizing. Class types are always created for a specific object type, such as materials. Objects of this object type can then be classified in classes of this class type.

When you create a class, you must enter a class type first. Each class type is completely separate from the other class types – there is no point of connection between classes in different class types

The class type defines:– Which objects can be classified in a class – Whether different object types can be classified in a class – Which screens of a class are processed – Whether you can classify objects in more than one class – Which class statuses, organizational areas, and text types are available for classes

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Allocation and Assigned Values

Length: 10 cmManufacturer: MeyerThread type: Metric

Assigned valuesAssigned values

Bolt HEX_01

Classification = Allocation + Assigned valuesClassification = Allocation + Assigned valuesClassification = Allocation + Assigned values

Länge:Hersteller:Gewindeart:

Material classMaterial class

Classification

AllocationAllocation A

ssig

nm

en

t A

ssig

nm

en

t

Values complete andclassification released

Released

Values complete andclassification locked

Locked

11

22

Values incomplete andclassification locked

Incomplete33

Classification means the allocation to a class plus the assignment of values to characteristics of the class.

According to the settings defined in Customizing for the classification system for a class type, you can assign different statuses to a classification.

You assign Released status when the values are complete – in other words, all the required entry characteristics have an assigned value

If the class has required entry characteristics that do not have an assigned value, you can only save the classification with Incomplete status. Once the values are complete, you must set the status to Released manually.

You can set the status of a classification to Locked if you want to check the values assigned to objects again, for example.

You can exclude objects with incomplete or locked classifications when you find objects.

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Classification: Allocation Functions

Allocate object to classes:

Starts with an object

Allocate objectsto class:

Starts with a class

ObjectObject

Object_BObject_B Object_CObject_CObject_AObject_A

Class_2

Class_1 Class_2 Class_3

You can use either the master data of the object or the central allocation functions of the classification system to classify an object.

There are 2 allocation functions:You can allocate an object to one or more classes. On the initial screen of this function, you enter the object. The same allocation function is called when you classify an object in its master data. You can allocate several objects at once to one class. On the initial screen of this function, you enter the class.

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Classification: Unit Summary

The classification system can help you tofind objects in your company more easily.

The properties of objects are described bycharacteristics, which are assigned toclasses.

Objects are allocated to classes, where youassign characteristic values to them.

Each class must have a class type. Theclass type performs essential controlfunctions in the classification system.

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