Use

To evaluate AFS-specific data in the BW system, you must map the information from dimensions and category fields to elementary fields using characteristics.

The following graphic illustrates this:

Procedure

Call characteristics administration by choosing Logistics → Central Functions → Class System → Master Data → Characteristics Administration (transaction CT04).

Create the characteristics you want to use later (for example, color or size) in connection with a BW, APO, or CRM system.

Check if the following characteristics groups exist:

/AFS/SAP for material master fields

/AFS/SAP-C for category fields

/AFS/SAP-D for dimensions

If the characteristics groups do not exist, create them in SAP Customizing. To do this, choose Cross-Application Components → Class System → Characteristics → Define Characteristics Groups

In the Characteristics group field, specify whether you want the characteristic to be assigned later to a dimension, category field, or material master data field.

In the Number of characters field, determine how may characters you want the characteristic to have. Make sure the characteristic has enough characters to be able to include the values from the corresponding dimension, category field, or material master data field.

For more information, see the document on “Mapping Dimensions/Categories to Characteristics”.

Under Define AFS Interface in Customizing, assign an elementary field to each characteristic you require for reporting in the BW. SAP recommends that you assign one elementary field to each characteristic (1:1 relationship). You can use the Position field to assign multiple characteristics to an elementary field, however (1:n relationship). For example, if you want the characteristics Width and Length to merge into one elementary field, Size , you can specify that the width should start at the first position of the elementary field, and the length at the third position. You can also specify here that you want to assign a characteristic (such as color) a material master field (for example, color from the material master MARA-J3ACOL).

Make sure that when you map characteristics to elementary fields, all the characteristics that youmap to one single elementary field come either from dimensions only, categories only, or material master fields only.

You can only map one material master field to one elementary field.

Use the activity Define Category Structure and Relevance for category fields, and Define Grid Dimensions for dimensions.

Go to the relevant activity and assign the characteristic to a dimension or category field in the detail view. You can use the Transfer texts indicator to determine whether the texts for the dimension values are later transferred to the texts for the values of the elementary fields.

If you have used the dimensions and category fields before the mapping, they are blocked. To map dimensions and category fields to characteristics in this case, you must use transaction /AFS/PPBW_ASSIGN. This transaction analyzes the existing dependencies and facilitates the mapping.

For more information on the transaction, see note 513164.

To activate the split module, you must set the basis switch BW .

Please note that you cannot undo the basis switch BW once it is set.

Activate the allocation of the dimension values and categories to the elementary fields by incorporating include /AFS/PPBWRSAU01 in customer exit EXIT_SAPLRSAP_001 into the enhancement RSAP0001 . The system automatically recognizes how the grid values and categories are to be allocated to the elementary fields.

For more information on activating the split, see note 502045.