You use a production process model (PPM) together with characteristics-dependent planning to reduce the amount of master data by collecting similar objects in one set of master data. The PPM stores characteristics-dependent production plan references for similar products (product family) with different qualities and characteristic value assignments. This gives you a non-specific product, which means that you only need to maintain one PPM for several similar products instead of one for each individual product, which significantly reduces maintenance effort.

You use characteristics to describe a product in greater detail, in other words, you can use characteristics to select a PPM. Based on the appropriate PPM, you then generate a planned order with a single product number for a specific master product. Depending on the assigned characteristic propagation, you can trigger production for a master product based on certain characteristics.

You set characteristic propagation in order to define how characteristic value assignments should be distributed within the PPM. Characteristics are used first of all for configuration purposes, then for calculating planning parameters, for performing block planning, and finally, for performing pegging.

Characteristic values are propagated when you explode a PPM. During the PPM explosion, the system propagates characteristic values from the master product to the activities and dependent components of the resulting order. User-specific functions are also available if you want to perform more complex calculations.