Table of Contents

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Foreword
19
Introduction
23
1 Basic Principles of Variant Configuration
31
1.1 What Is Product Configuration?
31
1.1.1 Terminology
32
1.1.2 Elementary Configuration Modules
36
1.1.3 Product Configuration in Logistic Scenarios
39
1.1.4 Core Problem of Variant Diversity
41
1.1.5 Procedural and Declarative Approaches
44
1.2 What Is SAP Variant Configuration?
47
1.2.1 Product Configuration Using Variant Configuration (LO-VC)
48
1.2.2 Further Areas of Use
48
1.2.3 “Hello World” Example
49
1.2.4 Variant Configuration (LO-VC)
55
1.2.5 Internet Pricing and Configurator (IPC)
59
1.3 Enhancing Business Processes with Variant Configuration
63
1.3.1 Prerequisite for the Usage of Variant Configuration
63
1.3.2 Factors for the Usage of Variant Configuration
64
1.3.3 Exemplary Consideration on the Master Data Volume
66
1.4 Summary
67
2 Creating a Product Model for SAP Variant Configuration
69
2.1 Overview of the Modeling and Integration of Variant Configuration
69
2.1.1 Multivariant Product without Variant Configuration
70
2.1.2 Multivariant Product with Variant Configuration
70
2.2 Tools from the Classification System
75
2.2.1 Characteristic Management
75
2.2.2 Class Management
82
2.2.3 Classification
84
2.2.4 Search
85
2.3 Material Master, BOM, and Routing
87
2.3.1 Material Master of the Configurable Material
87
2.3.2 Super BOM of the Configurable Material
91
2.3.3 Super Task List for the Configurable Material
94
2.4 Configuration Profile and Configuration Scenarios
97
2.4.1 Overview of the Configuration Profile
97
2.4.2 Configuration Profile in Detail
99
2.4.3 Overview of Configuration Scenarios
105
2.4.4 Planned/Production Order without BOM Explosion Scenario
105
2.4.5 Order BOM Scenario
107
2.4.6 Sales Order (SET) Scenario
113
2.4.7 Planned/Production Order with BOM Explosion Scenario
118
2.5 Overview of Object Dependencies
121
2.5.1 Types of Object Dependencies and Assignment
121
2.5.2 The Procedural and Declarative Character of Object Dependencies
126
2.5.3 Global and Local Object Dependencies
126
2.5.4 Status of Object Dependencies
127
2.5.5 Object Dependencies in Classification and Variant Configuration
128
2.5.6 Execution Sequence of Object Dependencies
128
2.5.7 Basic Syntax Rules
131
2.5.8 Syntax Elements
134
2.5.9 Variant Tables and Functions
136
2.5.10 Evaluation Function for Object Dependencies
138
2.6 Object Dependencies for the Value Assignment Interface or the Sales View
142
2.6.1 Product Modeling Environment PMEVC
142
2.6.2 Example
146
2.6.3 Variant Tables in Detail
152
2.6.4 Constraints in Detail
158
2.6.5 Preconditions
164
2.6.6 Selection Conditions
167
2.6.7 Procedures
168
2.6.8 Reference Characteristics
171
2.6.9 Variant Functions
174
2.6.10 User Interface Design
177
2.7 Object Dependencies for BOM and Routing
179
2.7.1 Local and Global Object Dependencies
179
2.7.2 Selection Conditions for BOM and Routing
182
2.7.3 Class Nodes in BOMs
183
2.7.4 Classified Materials in BOMs
187
2.7.5 Procedures in BOM and Routing
189
2.8 Pricing for Configurable Materials
192
2.9 Product Costing for Configurable Materials
198
2.10 Material Variants
200
2.10.1 Material Master of the Material Variant
202
2.10.2 BOM and Material Variant
204
2.10.3 Routing and Material Variant
205
2.10.4 Pricing and Material Variant
207
2.10.5 Material Variant Matching
207
2.10.6 Material Variant Matching at the Header and Assembly Levels
211
2.11 How to Create a Product Model for the IPC
212
2.12 Summary
218
3 Business Processes in SAP ERP
219
3.1 Introduction—Variant Configuration in Business Processes
219
3.1.1 BOMs in Variant Configuration
219
3.1.2 Order Engineering Workbench
223
3.2 Variant Configuration with iPPE—Modeling
229
3.2.1 Product Variant Structure and Product Designer
230
3.2.2 Modeling From Requirements to Production
231
3.2.3 Feature and Requirement Structures
233
3.2.4 Structure Nodes, Component Variants, and Object Dependencies
235
3.2.5 Concepts
238
3.2.6 Filter: Explosion and Configuration Simulation
240
3.2.7 BOM Converter
242
3.2.8 PLM WebUI
245
3.3 Integration of Variant Configuration—The Classic Process
252
3.3.1 Sales Activities
253
3.3.2 Requirements Planning
255
3.3.3 Controlling the Requirements Transfer
256
3.3.4 Procurement: In-House Production or External Procurement
259
3.4 Processes with Extended Integration Aspects
260
3.4.1 In-House Production Process
262
3.4.2 Quality Management and Variant Configuration
265
3.4.3 Purchasing and Configurable Model Service Specifications
272
3.4.4 Project System, Configurable Standard Networks, and Variant Configuration
275
3.4.5 Customer Service and Configurable General Maintenance Task Lists
279
3.5 Planning and Variant Configuration
283
3.5.1 Excursus: Evaluations in the Variant Configuration Environment
284
3.5.2 Planning and Variant Configuration
288
3.5.3 Pure Assembly Planning
289
3.5.4 Characteristics Planning and Standard Product Planning
290
3.5.5 Characteristics Planning and Standard Product Planning with Long-Term Planning
296
3.5.6 Variant Planning and Planning with Planning Variants
299
3.5.7 Variant Configuration and SCM APO
304
3.5.8 Planning and SCM APO
307
3.6 Summary
308
4 Customizing SAP ERP for Variant Configuration
311
4.1 Explicit Customizing of Variant Configuration
311
4.1.1 Maintenance Authorizations
312
4.1.2 Status
313
4.1.3 Groups
315
4.1.4 Configurable Objects
316
4.1.5 Configuration User Interface
316
4.2 Classification System Customizing
317
4.3 Business Process Customizing Relevant for Variant Configuration
324
4.3.1 Configurable Material Master
324
4.3.2 Item Categories and Their Determination
327
4.3.3 Requirements Types, Requirements Classes, and Their Determination
329
4.3.4 Planning Strategies
332
4.3.5 Change Profiles in Order Change Management (OCM)
334
4.4 Summary
336
5 Special Features of Product Configuration in SAP CRM
337
5.1 Product Configuration in Different Channels
337
5.2 Configuration of Products versus Services
338
5.3 Procedure for Integrated Production in SAP ERP
339
5.3.1 Sales Configuration versus Production Configuration
340
5.3.2 Replication of the Master Data from SAP ERP
340
5.4 Creating a Product Model Using the PME
343
5.4.1 Essential Properties and Differences Compared to Modeling in SAP ERP
343
5.4.2 Calling the PME
344
5.4.3 Product Models versus Knowledge Bases
345
5.4.4 Version and Status Management
345
5.4.5 Classes, Characteristics, and Values
346
5.4.6 Object Dependencies in the PME
348
5.4.7 Transport of Knowledge Bases
355
5.5 IPC User Interface
355
5.5.1 JavaServer Pages and J2EE Engine
355
5.5.2 Extended Configuration Management (XCM)
356
5.6 Special Functions of the IPC User Interface
357
5.6.1 Images and Other Objects
357
5.6.2 Import-Export of Configuration Results
357
5.6.3 Pricing Overview
358
5.6.4 Better Handling of Restrictable Characteristics
360
5.6.5 Search/Set
360
5.6.6 Displaying Long Texts (as of SAP CRM 2006s)
361
5.6.7 Messages Controlled by the Configurator (as of SAP CRM 2006s)
361
5.6.8 Configuration Comparison (as of SAP CRM 2006s)
362
5.7 UI Designer (as of SAP CRM 7.0)
363
5.8 Summary
365
6 Challenges in Variant Configuration
367
6.1 Performance Optimization
368
6.1.1 Performance Bottlenecks—Occurrence and Influencing Factors
368
6.1.2 Reasons for Performance Bottlenecks
370
6.1.3 Performance Analysis
373
6.2 Change Management
376
6.2.1 Engineering Change Management (ECM)
376
6.2.2 Order Change Management (OCM)
388
6.3 Complex System Configurations
394
6.3.1 System Configuration—Definition
394
6.3.2 Dynamic Modification of the BOM Structure
395
6.3.3 Interlinked Configuration Structures in LO-VC
400
6.3.4 Composition Problems in SCE Advanced Mode
403
6.4 Master Data Distribution with Product Data Replication (PDR)
410
6.4.1 Challenge and Opportunities
411
6.4.2 PDR Components (ALE, Configuration Management, and Workflow)
413
6.4.3 Setting Up PDR
413
6.4.4 Preparations in the System
415
6.4.5 Setup and Customizing of PDR
418
6.4.6 Replication of a VC Model with PDR
427
6.5 Summary
444
7 Enhancements in SAP Industry Solution DIMP
447
7.1 Overview
447
7.2 DIMP—Discrete Industries and Mill Products
448
7.3 Special Requirements of the Mill Industry
449
7.3.1 Sales Order Processing and Production Scenarios
450
7.3.2 Production Discrepancies—Planned Configuration and Actual Configuration
450
7.4 Product Configuration Enhancements in SAP for Mill Products
452
7.4.1 Fast Entry of Characteristics—Simplified Entry of Configurable Document Items
453
7.4.2 Inheritance in Item Documents—Global and Local Items
456
7.4.3 Copying Default Values from the Customer Material Information Record
457
7.4.4 Working with Sales Order Versions
457
7.4.5 Variant Configuration in Connection with Make-to-Stock Production
460
7.4.6 Order Combination with Configurable Products
462
7.5 Summary
463
8 Enhancements and Add-Ons in the SAP Partner Environment
465
8.1 Sybit Model Tester (Company: Sybit GmbH)
467
8.1.1 Manual Testing—Transaction CU50
467
8.1.2 Benefits of Automated Tests
467
8.1.3 Sybit Model Tester
468
8.1.4 Summary
473
8.2 Sybit Configuration Visualizer (Company: Sybit GmbH)
473
8.2.1 Problem
473
8.2.2 Sybit Configuration Visualizer
475
8.2.3 User View
475
8.2.4 Modeler View—The Visualization Modeling Environment
477
8.2.5 System View
479
8.2.6 Summary
480
8.3 VCPowerPack (Company: AICOMP Group)
480
8.3.1 How VCPowerPack Works
481
8.3.2 VCPowerPack—CoreVC
481
8.3.3 VCPowerPack—SmartVC
482
8.3.4 VCPowerPack—SmartPR
483
8.3.5 VCPowerPack—SmartMD
485
8.3.6 VCPowerPack—Industry Solutions
485
8.3.7 Project Acceleration
485
8.3.8 Summary
486
8.4 it.cadpilot (Companies: itelligence AG and ACATEC Software GmbH)
486
8.4.1 CAD and SAP—Two Configuration Worlds?
487
8.4.2 Structure of Modern 3D CAD Systems
487
8.4.3 Controlling CAD Systems
488
8.4.4 Super BOM in Variant Configuration
489
8.4.5 Architecture
489
8.4.6 CAD Configuration
491
8.4.7 Advantages of a CAD Configuration Integrated into SAP ERP
492
8.4.8 Application Scenarios
493
8.4.9 Additional Options
495
8.5 Convenience Features for Sales, Marketing, and Modeling (Company: encoway GmbH)
497
8.5.1 K-Select
498
8.5.2 K-Assistant
500
8.5.3 K-Connect
501
8.5.4 K-Document
503
8.5.5 Quoteassistant
506
8.5.6 Summary of Convenience Features
507
8.6 top flow Framework and top flow-Variant Engine (Company: top flow GmbH)
507
8.6.1 Optimizing the Configuration Dialog Box
508
8.6.2 Functional Enhancements
511
8.6.3 New Object-Dependency Logic Options
512
8.6.4 Process Optimization with the top flow Variant Engine
514
8.7 Product Model Validation with ConfigScan (Companies: Fysbee SA and eSpline LLC)
515
8.7.1 Business Scenarios That Motivate the Need for Change
516
8.7.2 Anti-Patterns in Common Use
517
8.7.3 How ConfigScan Addresses these Issues
518
8.7.4 ConfigScan Validation Suite—The Basics
521
8.7.5 Working with the Test Editor
521
8.7.6 Use Case: Nokia Siemens Networks
524
8.7.7 Summary
526
8.8 Managing Variant Configuration (Company: eSpline LLC)
526
8.8.1 Managing the LO-VC Model Lifecycle
528
8.8.2 Managing the LO-VC Transactional Processes
534
8.8.3 Summary
539
8.9 Summary
540
9 Project Lead Reports on Projects and Project Structures
543
9.1 “We’re Implementing SAP!”—A Project Lead’s Experience Report
543
9.1.1 The Marketing Pitch and What Will Follow—Clarify the Prerequisites for Your Work
544
9.1.2 Analyze Your Business Processes and Improve Them
546
9.1.3 How Many Instances Would You Like to Have?
547
9.1.4 The Regional versus Global Approach
549
9.1.5 Dealing with Modifications to the Standard System
550
9.1.6 The Compromises You Can or Cannot Accept
551
9.1.7 Finding the Appropriate External Support
553
9.1.8 Communicate Changes Effectively
555
9.1.9 Communicate Necessary Compromise Effectively
556
9.1.10 Train Your Employees
557
9.1.11 Problems After Going Live
558
9.1.12 Changing Mass Data
559
9.1.13 Changing Business Models
561
9.2 Roles in a Variant Configuration Team
562
9.2.1 Expertise and Experts
562
9.2.2 Putting Together and Structuring the Project Team
567
9.3 ASAP for Variant Configuration Projects
567
9.3.1 Project Preparation
569
9.3.2 Business Blueprint
570
9.3.3 Realization
570
9.3.4 Final Preparation
571
9.3.5 Go-Live and Support
572
9.3.6 Golden Client Approach
572
9.3.7 Specific Features of IPC Scenarios
574
9.4 Summary
576
10 Customer Reports on the Introduction of SAP Variant Configuration
579
10.1 Progress of the Project at Getriebebau NORD
580
10.1.1 Initial Situation
581
10.1.2 Measures
582
10.1.3 Results
586
10.1.4 Summary
588
10.2 Configurable Materials at Krones AG
590
10.2.1 Project
590
10.2.2 Results
590
10.2.3 Summary
593
10.3 Progress of the Project at Hauni Maschinenbau AG
594
10.3.1 Personnel Resources
595
10.3.2 Result
596
10.3.3 Using the Order Engineering Workbench
599
10.4 Variant Configuration at the Felix Schoeller Group
602
10.4.1 Project
602
10.4.2 Results
604
10.4.3 Extending Variant Configuration Using the IPC
608
10.4.4 Summary
610
10.5 SAP at Hülsta and in the Hüls Corporate Group
610
10.5.1 Initial Situation
611
10.5.2 Preparation
611
10.5.3 Project Objectives and Results
612
10.5.4 Summary
619
10.6 Lenze Group—Past, Present, and Future Configuration
620
10.6.1 Present Configuration—The EuLe Project
620
10.6.2 Future Configuration—Powerful Process Integration
624
10.7 Product Configuration at Baldor Electric
626
10.7.1 Starting Point of the Project
626
10.7.2 Key Characteristics of the Project
627
10.7.3 Basics of the Variant Model
633
10.7.4 Conclusion
634
10.8 Summary
635
11 Configuration Workgroup
637
11.1 Introduction to the CWG
637
11.2 Tasks and Objectives
638
11.3 History
640
11.4 Organizational Structure
642
11.5 CWG Conferences
643
11.6 CWG Portal
644
11.7 CWG Sandbox System
645
11.8 Summary
646
12 Outlook for SAP Business ByDesign
647
12.1 SAP Business ByDesign
647
12.2 Product Configuration in Medium-Sized Businesses
648
12.3 Make to Order in SAP Business ByDesign
650
12.3.1 Extending the Product Concept
651
12.3.2 Make to Specification
652
12.3.3 Lightweight Product Variants
653
12.4 Product Configuration in SAP Business ByDesign
654
12.4.1 Product Model
654
12.4.2 Product Properties
655
12.4.3 Integration of a Configurator
657
12.4.4 Process Automation
658
12.5 Summary
658
Appendices
661
A Database Tables of Variant Configuration
663
B APIs of Variant Configuration
669
C User Exits of Variant Configuration
671
D Comprehensive Examples of Variant Functions
673
E The Authors
681
Index
683