Creating Material Master Records (SAP Library

Creating Material Master Records

Use

You create a material master record in the following cases:

If no material master record exists for a particular material.

In this case, you create the material master record.

If a material master record exists for a particular material, but the master data for your user department is missing.

In this case, you extend the material master record.

If a material master record exists for a particular material and the master data for your user department has been entered, but not at the appropriate organizational level (for example, if it has been entered for a different plant).

In this case, you extend the material master record.

Features

You can create or extend a material master record in one of the following ways:

Immediately

By scheduling it

This makes it possible, for example, to create a skeleton material master record in advance which you can supplement with relevant data once the material is actually used.

You can also create scheduled material master records with reference to a change number. For more information, see Special Features for Materials in the SAP library documentation LO Engineering Change Management.

Scheduled material master records must always be activated. You do this using the same function as to activate scheduled changes. For more information, see Activating Scheduled Changes to Material Master Records.

Activities

At most companies, material master records are created in one of the following ways:

Centrally

A central body enters a minimum amount of all user department data. Users in the individual departments add to this data in Change mode. For the central body to create data for all departments, it must be authorized to process all user department data.

Decentrally

Each department creates its own material master records. Users are authorized to process data for one or more departments as required.