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Check Item Categories

In this menu option, you define item categories for sales documents. The item categories that are contained in the standard SAP R/3 System together with the sales document types represent the usual business transactions.

You have the following options for defining your own item categories:

Recommendation

If you define your own item categories, the keys should begin with the letter Z since SAP keeps this range free in the standard system and protects it from being overwritten during release upgrades.

If you define your own item categories, you should copy similar item categories that are defined by SAP and make the required changes there. In this case, all the specifications of the existing item category are copied - even the assignment to the sales document types. In particular, the data for example concerning partner determination, pricing or document flow which you do not edit on the detail screen of the item category is also copied. Consequently, you can test the new item category for the settings made without having to edit the other menu options.

When copying sales document types, item categories and schedule line categories, the SAP system automatically creates a log with the copied data. Using the log, you can check whether all of the copied data applies to your item category or whether you must make changes.

Note

If you create or copy a new item category that is to be used for a delivery, you must also define a delivery item category with the same name. The SAP system automatically transfers the item category that was found for the sales document item into the delivery item.

Activities

If you only need to make minor changes to the existing item categories (e.g. changed description), then you change this as appropriate. Minor changes refer to parameters that have no controlling character.

If you need to make further changes, define a new item category by copying a similar item category supplied in the standard system and then change this according to your requirements. In this way, you can for example define an item category for which a certain type of pricing is carried out, or for which the data must not differ at header and item level but which otherwise matches an existing item category.

If you want to create an item category, proceed as follows:

1. Enter an alphanumeric key with a maximum of four characters.
2. Maintain the respective specifications of the detail screen.
3. Also consider the additional functions on item category level and the item-specific settings in the general sales and distribution functions.