Creating InfoObjects: Characteristics 
Prerequisites
If you want to assign your InfoObject to an InfoObject catalog for characteristics, you have to first create the InfoObject. You do not have to assign the InfoObject to an InfoObject catalog immediately, but rather at a later date if you would like.
Instead of creating a new InfoObject, you can choose an InfoObject from those delivered by SAP with Business Content (see
Installing Business Content.Procedure

Characteristics have to be activated before they can be used.
Save means that all changed characteristics are created, and that the table entries are saved. Currently, however, they cannot be used for reporting in InfoCubes. For the time being, if it already exists, the activated, older version remains unchanged here.
Only once you have activated, are the relevant objects created in the data dictionary (data elements, domains, text tables, master data tables, and programs). Only now do the InfoCubes work with the activated, new version.
In the InfoObject maintenance, you can switch at any time between any D, M, or A versions that exist for an InfoObject.