When you create or maintain a hierarchy node, you must enter organizational data. Just as with customer master records, you specify the sales area: sales organization, distribution channel and division.

The sales area data can differ.

In Customizing for Sales and Distribution under Master data ® Business partners ® Customer Customer hierarchy ® Assign sales and distribution areas, you can determine which combinations of sales and distribution areas are permitted for each customer hierarchy type.

When you assign a customer to a node, the system checks to make sure the combination of sales area data is valid.