You use SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Search to support the Enhanced Material Search function. This search engine must be configured and connected to SAP ERP by your system administrator.
Note
You should install the search engine on a separate server.
For more information about this search engine, see Introducing Enterprise Search.
Create the MATERIAL search object connector using the Enterprise Search Cockpit transaction (ESH_COCKPIT).
For more information about creating and maintaining a search object connector, see Search Object Connectors.
For more information about enhancing search object connectors to support your business specific needs, see Business-Specific Configurations.
Select the search object connector and choose
.To use new keywords in the Enhanced Material Search function, update the index for the MATERIAL_GROUP search object connector.
Enter SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Search in the Search Engine field of Customizing for Sales and Distribution by choosing
.You can use the Enhanced Material Search function to search for supplier catalog products without using a material number. You can do so using two methods:
Transferring supplier catalog product data
Create the WSD_CAT search object connector using the Enterprise Search Cockpit transaction (ESH_COCKPIT).
For more information about creating and maintaining a search object connector, see Search Object Connectors.
For more information about enhancing search object connectors to support your business specific needs, see Business-Specific Configurations.
Select the search object connector and choose
.Select the Material checkbox related to the WSD_CAT search object connector.
Format your supplier catalog product data in the catalog management system of your choice.
Create a customer-specific implementation of the BADI_CATALOG_DATA_EXTRACT Business Add-In (BAdI) with the WSD_CAT search object connector, then transfer the supplier product data from your catalog management system to the WSD_CAT search object connector using the BAdI implementation.
Note
If you are working in a SAP for Retail system and manage your supplier catalog product data in the Price Catalog (PRICAT) application, you can use the default implementation PRICAT_DATA_EXTRACT of the BADI_CATALOG_DATA_EXTRACT BAdI to extract supplier product data from price catalog tables. You can then transfer the data to the WSD_CAT search object connector. This will allow you to search PRICAT-based catalog content using the Enhanced Material Search function.
To use new keywords in the Enhanced Material Search function, update the index for the MATERIAL_GROUP search object connector.
Enter SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Search in the Search Engine field of Customizing for Sales and Distribution by choosing
.Using a Business Add-In
Implement the BADI_WSD_CATALOG BAdI to search directly in an external catalog management system.
Make the following settings in Customizing for Sales and Distribution by choosing
:Enter SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Search in the Search Engine field
Enter User Exit in the External Catalog field to indicate that you wish to search supplier catalog products using the BADI_WSD_CATALOG BAdI. If you use it and your catalog is on a separate system connected by remote function call (RFC), you must enter the RFC in the RFC Destination for External Catalog field.