Define an object family. To do this, choose in Customizing for Cross-Application Components ,  SAP Product Objects Define Object Families .

These entries are client independent.

To describe your objects, you have to define attributes and set types and assign them to categories.

See the example below, showing categories, set types, and attributes:

In this step, you start by defining the attributes you require. To do this, choose on the SAP Easy Access screen  Master Data Products Maintain Set Types and Attributes . Select Attribute and create the attributes you require.

For more information about working with attributes, see Set Types and Attributes .

Define the set types you require to describe your objects and include the necessary attributes. To do this, choose on the SAP Easy Access screen  Master Data Products Maintain Set Types and Attributes .. Select Set Type and create the set types you require.

For more information about working with set types, see Set Types and Attributes .

The attributes you have created are stored as data elements in the ABAP Dictionary and the set types as structures and tables. To transport the set types to another system (not generally necessary for test purposes, unless you are testing the API interface), you now need to include the set types in API/BDoc structures and transport them. To do this, choose from the Maintain Set Types and Attributes screen  Set Types/Attributes Transport Set Type . Make the relevant entries and then choose Include in Transport Request .

For more information about transporting set types, see Transporting Set Types to Production Systems .

Create the categories and hierarchies you require for your object families. At least one of these categories must be created within the base hierarchy for the product type Material and then assigned the relevant object family.

If you have an ERP system connected within your system landscape, you will need to work with the hierarchy R3PRODSTYP. Although you cannot change the hierarchy data, you can create the categories you require within this structure.

For more information about working with categories and hierarchies, see Product Hierarchies .

Examples of the options available to you for setting up your categories and hierarchies for objects are shown below:

Example 1

Example 2

Note that categories you create are specific to the client in which you are working, but are required in each client in which the object family is used.

To transport a hierarchy from one client or system to another, perform the Customizing activity Transport Categories (  Cross-Application Components SAP Product Product Category ).

Define the number ranges for internal and external number assignment. To do this, perform the Customizing activity Define Number Ranges for the Product Type “Material” (  Cross-Application Components SAP Product Settings for Product Type Number Assignment ).

Reserve set types for an object family (optional).

A set type can be used for products and objects. However, if one of the fields in a set type contains data that is only relevant for an object, you can reserve this set type for objects. The set type can consequently only be used for objects belonging to this object family and cannot be used by products or objects belonging to other object families.

To do this, enter an object family in the Object Family field for the relevant set type in set type maintenance.