SVT and configurable materials?

[Former Member]

Hi @all,

we have an ECC 6.00 SAP system running and are planning to implement SVT (Substance Volume Tracking) in our company and we are using the concept of configurable materials.

To my understanding of SVT this is not compatible, as SVT always requires to determine a 1-1 relationship between material and substance specification.

Is this assumption correct or has anybody experience in using SVT with config. materials?

Thank you in advance for your support!

Best regards,

Christoph

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Dear Christoph,

    It can be possible to have n:1 relationship for for determining the volume of Substance

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Dear Vinoth,

thank you for the encouraging answer.

Would you mind telling me how this might work, which prerequisites we have to meet, what the customizing/masterdata needs to look like?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Best regards, Christoph

[christoph_bergemann · Accepted solution]

Dear Christoph

I have no experience in using "Configurabale materials" with SVT but:

in SVT customizing there exists a function module to take care about the relation of material to specification. This function module can be exchanged by a customer one. As I have not that experience in using configurable materials I read only cross the definition. My feeling is that the problem will be more related to the question: what is the "right composition" to be used on REAL_SUB level to make the calculation.

Refer may be to: http://help.sap.com/bp_chem603/Chem_Global/Documentation/SAP_WhitePaper_Substance_Volume_Tracking_Eh...

You will find this explanation:

"Exactly one specification must be determined for a relevant material.

If this cannot be guaranteed, an additional filter must be implemented. The standard

function module CBRC_LIB_SPEC_FROM_MAT_GET must then be copied, adapted,

and exchanged in Customizing for substance volume tracking (in the IMG activity

Specify Scenarios o Specify Data Determination per Regulation and Scenario, in the

Substance Determin. for Material field)."

With best regards

C.B.

PS: this is one definition of SAP regarding that (reference: http://help.sap.com/erp2005_ehp_03/helpdata/en/3c/abc227413911d1893d0000e8323c4f/content.htm)

Definition

Configurable Material:

Material, for which different variants are possible.

Configurable materials have a bill of material that contains all components that are used in at least one variant. Configurable materials have a bill of material that contains all components that are used in at least one variant

What does that mean now in SVT terms? Example of such a material can be found here:http://help.sap.com/saphelp_46C/helpdata/EN/75/504853a39a11d191930000e8a5f6e6/content.htm

Therefore: in most cases the material can be produced by using many BOMs; This BOM (Bill of material) need to reflect to a BOS (bill of specification/substance). One option is to use BOMBOS interface (no idea if this might be useful really regarding the "Configurabale material); at the end you need to combine any component which might be possible in one composition. this "one" composition would be used in any SVT subprocess (import, production etc.); may be based on a clever trick you can prepare per configuration of the material one REAL_SUB. then you have only the need to have one composition. Based on data in pruchase order or production order it might be posible to find the righht REAL_SUB to perform the calculation;

At the end you might be able to realize a solution;: but it will be very clever and complex process which might not be easy to understand

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Christoph,

please excuse my late reply, but I was on leave for some time.

In the meantime the situation has changed - we will have fixed material numbers with material variants, so this should be covered by SVT standard, right?

Best regards,

Christoph

[christoph_bergemann · Accepted solution]

Dear Christoph

what is your defintion of a "material variant"? This is the defintion as found:

"A material variant is a material that can be kept in stock and that arises from an individual configuration of a configurable product." (that "means" a specific BOM has been used to produce the material)

As explained: i have no experience with such a type of material in SAP ERP processes. It looks like that we "talk" about "Batches" of a material. In any case:

You have many BOMs (that is my understanding) which generates the same material (e.g. from customer etc. perspective). Let us make a "primitive" example:

The material should be a "blue" polymer. The color blue can be generated by using a blue pigment (= material pigment blue) or by using many pigments having different colors and result is "blue" again.

From the perspective of the customer (e.g. automotive sector) it is fine. From chemical perspective you have different compositions and therefore you have a "REACh" issue (you need to detect which need specification is generated and you need ot detect which specification is imported)

The "problem" comes up that you can only define "one" composition per REAL_SUB which is linked to the material. There exists no chance to "explain" to SVT that because of those production etc. order EH& SVT should use compositoin one or two or ...

Therefore you have an "average" composition.

How will you differentiate that sometimes you have on "blue" pigment (one spec) only and sometimes more that one spec to get the same "blue"?

In my opinion no real feasible solution of this problem is possible. The "problem" is not an EH&S problem but how you define materials, how you use them, how you produce them etc. etc.

In most cases if companies start to think about REACH (and similar demands) they realize that the SAP ERP process and how they use it and how they define the material need does not to fit really to the REACH demand but you can not change the logistic process (in most cases not possible). I am sorry to say: the solution can only by a "company" specific as SAP EH&S SVT is a "general" approach. If you read carefully the consulting OSS notes (which exists) a number of logistic processes are not supported by SAP EH&S SVT but are found in reality in many companies which uses SAP ERP.

So i most cases SAP EH&S SVT will cover only roughly of "reality" in a company and you need always to "adapt" the software.

With best regards

C.B.