In the classification system, characteristics describe the properties of objects. The values of a characteristic specify these properties.

You create characteristics centrally, then assign them to classes. When you assign a characteristic to a class, you can adapt (overwrite) the characteristic.

When you assign objects to a class, you assign values to the characteristics.

You can use characteristics in other SAP applications, as well as the classification system. Characteristics serve different purposes in different applications (see Integration).

Characteristics are used in the following application areas:

• PP-PI – Process Industries: To describe the PI-PCS interface in the process control station

• QM – Quality Management:

• To transfer inspection values to batch classification. (The characteristics in the classification system are referred to as "general characteristics" in Quality Management.)
• To produce quality certificates

• EHS – Environment Data: To describe the properties of substances

• PP-CAP: In formulas for determining standard values

• LO – Batches: Substance processing

• MM – Purchasing: In the procedure for releasing purchase orders and purchasing documents with classification

• LO – Variant Configuration: To configure complex products

• CA – Classification System:

• For classification: To describe the properties of the objects you classify
• For finding objects: As search criteria for finding objects that have been classified

When you create or change a characteristic, you can define the following settings:

• Format

• Unit of measure for numeric values

• Templates for entering values

• Required entries for a characteristic (required characteristics)

• Whether intervals are allowed as values

• Language-dependent descriptions and texts for characteristics and characteristic values

• Display options for characteristics on the value assignment screen

• Allowed values

• Default values that are set automatically on the value assignment screen