SAP R/3 function module:
CIF_MATERIAL_PRODUCT_MAP

SAP R/3 customer exit:
EXIT_SAPLCMAT_001

SAP APO function module: /SAPAPO/CIF_PROD_INBOUND

SAP APO customer exit:
EXIT_/SAPAPO/SAPLCIF_PROD_001 (APOCF005)

SAP APO function module:
/SAPAPO/DM_PRODUCTS_MAINTAIN

There are three possibilities:

1. Initial data transfer

For the integration between SAP R/3 and SAP APO you must include the relevant materials in an integration model. When you activate the integration model the materials are sent to SAP APO and created there. In addition, in the plant segment (table MARC) for the material the indicator APOKZ (material relevant for APO) is set to 3 (is active in the APO integration model (automatically set)).

A necessary prerequisite for a sequence of processes and for the transfer of changes is that the objects are contained in an active integration model.

You can also repeat the initial data transfer if the integration model is deactivated in the meantime.

2. Transfer of data changes using change pointers

Using ALE change pointers you can transfer changes to the material master data without a repeat activation of an integration model.

3. Online transfer of material master data using a Business Transaction Event (BTE)

From release PI 2000.2 you can also carry out the transfer of material master data by using a BTE. You can set the system so that the transfer of changed and newly created materials is directly initiated when the material master data is updated.

In the change transfer the system always transfers the complete material master record and not just the changed fields. This leads to those fields in SAP APO that originate in SAP R/3 and have been locally changed in APO being overwritten by the system.

In order to select a material as no longer APO relevant, you must first remove the material from all active integration models. To prevent further planning results being transmitted from SAP APO to SAP R/3 you must also set the procurement indicator to P (planned externally) for the location product in SAP APO. You can automate this process. (See note 364287: "Logging of Material No Longer Relevant to APO".)

With SAP APO and a minimum of two SAP R/3 systems there are the following combinations:

Combination 1
The SAP R/3 systems work with physically identical material and identical material numbers:

The transfer of product master data from the respective SAP R/3 system results in a conflict situation. The location independent data is always determined by the master record that was last transferred. This would not be a problem if the location independent data were maintained identically in the SAP R/3 systems, but this is not always the case.

Solution to the conflict situation:
Set which is to be the leading system and use a customer exit to ensure that location independent data is overwritten in the non-leading system.

Combination 2
The SAP R/3 systems work with physically identical material and different material numbers:

The material number of the planning material must be set in SAP APO. This is the material number of the physical material of the SAP R/3 system concerned. For every SAP R/3 system you have to define your own system group. The corresponding logical systems of the SAP APO and the SAP R/3 systems should be assigned to the respective system group.

The SAP APO customer exit EXIT_/SAPAPO/SAPLCIF_PROD_001 (APOCF005) allows the conversion of the material number.