R/3 Variant Configuration distinguishes the following types of configuration:

• High-level configuration
• Low-level configuration

High-level configuration is for an interactive configuration task, in the sales order, for example. During configuration, the user assigns values to characteristics. Dependencies between configurable materials in the configuration structure can be mapped using constraints.

Low-level configuration is for non-interactive configuration. Low-level configuration refers to "background" explosions of bills of material (BOMs), routings, maintenance orders, model service specifications, and standard networks, for example, in material requirements planning (MRP), or when creating production orders or networks. Characteristic values from the sales order, for object $ROOT or $PARENT, are automatically used to determine the BOM components and operations or activities.

The following dependencies are read:

• Selection conditions for components and operations
• Procedures and actions for changing field values in master data fields

Classification data can also be used.

• Class items can be replaced by one component (not several).
• The classification of a component, operation, or activity can be used as a selection condition.

The following restrictions apply to low-level configuration:

• Dependencies for characteristics, characteristic values, and configuration profiles are ignored.
• Constraints are not processed in low-level configuration.
• The expressions $SET_PRICING_FACTOR, $SET_DEFAULT, $DEL_DEFAULT, $SUM_PARTS, $COUNT_PARTS, and TYPE_OF are not supported.