SAP Variant configuration
What is SAP Variant Configuration?
Variant Configuration in SAP means that configuring all specifications of the products through the sales order created from customer end and that picks BOM items from Bill of material and MRP run creates production order from sales order resulting in creating the requirements for the purchase items and inhouse items.
So I am going to tell about what is configurable BOM? What is KMAT BOM? What is class in SAP VC? What is characteristic in SAP VC? What is Character Value in SAP VC? What is object dependency in SAP VC? What are the types of Object dependencies in SAP VC?
What is configurable BOM? What is KMAT BOM?
One Bill of material is enough meet all the specification of the product on receiving sales order from the customer that is also known as the configurable BOM or KMAT BOM.
For Example, one car can have different variants as per the different customer requirements which means you don’t need to create each Bill of Material for each variant for each customer.
You can have single BOM and that single BOM will be used to create multiple BOM as per the choices made by the customer in sales order creation.
Each sales order will create each production order for each customer as per their choices taking the BOM items from configurable BOM.
One car can be manufactured in different colors Red, Blue and Green etc.)
Will you create BOM for each color with all other component for producing the car? If you create the separate BOM for that also correct but you are completing the way the master needs to be created.
SAP provides the feature called Variant Configuration in which the configurable Bill of Material will be created and this BOM will be configured for sales order for customer choices.
When the sales order created for the customer as per their choices, the BOM items in Bill of materials will be picked by VC setup and production order will be triggered as per the customer choices.
What is configured BOM?
The BOM setup will be made for selection from sales order. This sales order picks the necessary BOM items in sales order. Once VC setup is done for the KMAT BOM for creating sales order and this sales order picks the BOM items to the sales order. This BOM is known as configured BOM.
Once the BOM is configured for the variant configuration, this BOM can be used to create each production order without creating each Bill of materials as per the customer requirement.
There will be basic BOM that satisfy the main product and additionally other feature like for a car, different color, different glass type, tire type, light type, Seating, Breaking system, heater and cooler can also be ordered.
Based on the choices made in the sales order the necessary BOM items will fetched for the sales order as well as production order.
For example, customer order Blue color picks only blue paints and other colors remains in the Bill of Material. So, all the colors remain except blue in the configurable BOM while creating sales order. The variant picks list of BOM items which is chose by the customer.
Based on the selection of one choice can default another choice which means one selection will automate other selection parameter.
If you select 40-inch wheels for a car in wheel choices, you can select only 40-inch tires for the selection. If only one 40-inch tyre is available for the selection that one will be selected automatically in sales order. You cannot go for selecting any other choices.
What is class in SAP VC?
The class in Variant Configuration is created to have all the specification in the form of characteristics. Each specification of a product will be created as characteristics into a class where class will be set in material master.
The material master should be KMAT or Configurable material master in which all the sub BOM items will be created. While selecting a value in the characteristics this picks specific BOM items.
What is Characteristic in SAP VC?
The characteristics are representing the specification of the products where the values will be stored under the characteristics. The values will be used to choose in sales order as per the customer choices.
What is character value in SAP VC?
The characteristics are stored in class and characteristic values are stored in characteristic for a product. For example, Ferrari 488 Spider Car is Class, Color is characteristic and Blue, red, black are values in characteristics.
What is Object Dependency in SAP VC?
The Object dependency is an element or setup in Bill of Material / Characteristics using which instruction will be given to the BOM items / Character Value while selecting the choices in VC setup while creating sales order in SAP.
What are the types of Object Dependencies in SAP VC?
The object dependencies are derived as fur different types based on the usage in BOM and Characteristics. These types are
- Precondition – To Show / Hide Values in Characteristics
- Selection Condition – To select BOM item from Bill of Material
- Procedure – To derive a value for one characteristic from another.
- Constraint – To configure BOM and Characteristics interactively
What is configuration profile in SAP VC?
The configuration profile connects everything from header material, class, class type, user interface to release status. The configuration profile helps to store all the dependency types for the product. The BOM usage also will be setup in configuration profile only.
What is material variant in SAP VC?
Generally, SAP Variant configuration is used satisfy the customer who want to buy or make specific products. Once sales order is received from the customer the manufacturing team consider assembling for the product. This is also known as MTO scenario in SAP VC. Make to Order.
But in certain case the specific variant frequently used and enjoyed will have more demands where this variant needs to deliver the customer once order is received. In this case the specific variant will be consider for production in make to stock manner. So, the Material variant will be used for this purpose.
The material variant consists of specific values in characteristics which is fixed always to get the list items to produce final product. The whole setup of the variant will be always fixed so that production can handle these data easily.
What is SAP Variant Configuration?
Variant Configuration in SAP means that configuring all specifications of the products through the sales order created from customer end and that picks BOM items from Bill of material and MRP run creates production order from sales order resulting in creating the requirements for the purchase items and inhouse items.
SAP VC used in Automobile, Automotive, Color manufacturing or Paint manufacturing, Car designing, Printing, military equipment, earth moving equipment, construction equipment, marine manufacturing, AC machines, Beer Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals and various chemicals to manufacture different variant. SAP VC is mostly used in Research and Development.
Important links for References:
SAP VC – Constraint Object Dependency