Classification (SAP Library - Material Master (LO-MD-MM))

Classification

Use

Classes allow you to classify materials with the same characteristics. A material can be assigned to one or more classes. Classification data is valid for the whole company.

Activities

You can assign a material to a class in one of the following ways:

From the Classification screen in the material master

When you create classification data, the system asks you to choose a class type in a dialog box. If necessary, you can change the class type on the following screen, where you assign the material to one or more classes. Entries are made in the Description, Status, and Icon fields automatically on the basis of the classes you have chosen. If you have assigned the material to more than one class, you can flag one of the classes as the standard class. You can then assign values to the characteristics. For example, if the characteristic is color, you can assign it the value blue.

By including the Characteristics subscreen on a data screen in the material master

On this subscreen, you can maintain the characteristics of a class as additional fields. In the standard R/3 System, this subscreen remains hidden until you assign it to a material master data screen of your choice. You do this in Customizing for the Material Master in Define Structure of Data Screens for Each Screen Sequence.

The characteristics (that is, fields) that appear on the subscreen depend on the class assigned to the material type. You can assign a class to a material type in Customizing for the Material Master in Define Attributes of Material Types, where this subscreen and the procedure necessary to implement it are described in detail in the documentation for the field Class.

By using a separate function in the classification system

For more information, see the SAP library documentation CA Classification.