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Function documentation Articles: Areas of Validity Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Use

Depending on the user departments chosen, you may need to specify one or more of the following areas of validity (also known as organizational levels) on the initial screen to access the user department. The areas of validity you specify are copied to the corresponding user department. All of the data that you enter on the user department data screen is valid for the area of validity specified.

Generic articles and variants count as a further area of validity in all user departments because the data for the generic article is copied to the variants automatically. For more information, see Articles: Reference Data from the Generic Article.

For example, for the user department Purchasing, you are always required to enter a purchasing organization and a vendor, whereas you have the option of specifying a vendor sub-range.

You can maintain several areas of validity at the same time by maintaining the data at reference level. You do this by leaving the area of validity blank. Data can be maintained for the following reference areas of validity:

User Department

Reference Area of Validity

Listing

Reference distribution chain

Logistics: Distribution Center

Reference distribution center

Logistics: Store

General or distribution-chain-specific* reference store

All

Generic article

* You specify a distribution-chain-specific reference store by entering a distribution chain, but not a site.

You can maintain data differently from the reference area of validity by specifying an area of validity and maintaining the data as required. Changes to the reference are copied to the corresponding fields for the differently maintained area of validity only if the corresponding fields have not themselves been maintained differently and if your system has been configured accordingly in Customizing (see Articles: Reference Data).

Activities

Switching to Other Areas of Validity

You can specify other areas of validity on a user department data screen by choosing Area of validity. If you want to switch from a variant to a generic article, make sure that the variant number is blank in the dialog box that appears.

Cancelling the Data Entered for an Area of Validity

If you have not yet confirmed a screen (by choosing Enter or Area of validity), you can cancel the data entered for the area of validity by choosing Cancel.

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