If you want to use company-specific criteria (instead of dates) to determine when changes are effective, you can use parameters to define effectivity.

The standard SAP System provides 2 effectivity types (time period and serial number range).

For example, effectivity type time period lets you react quickly to seasonal changes in the market by defining a change to a product (such as color or extras) for a specific time period.

If you want to use other, company-specific effectivity conditions, you can define your own effectivity types in the SAP System.

In Customizing for Engineering Change Management, parameters (such as material or serial number) are defined and assigned to an effectivity type. These functions are termed parameter effectivity.

The change master record determines which effectivity conditions apply when you change a BOM. You can either create a change master record with date effectivity (Valid-from date) or with parameter effectivity.

You control the effectivity parameters by selecting an effectivity type (for example, SERNR – serial number range). By entering values for the parameters that make up an effectivity type, you define the exact conditions under which the object changes are effective.