Collection of conditions that define when the part of a complex product structure is valid. The focus master record saves these settings.

The product structure that is maintained with reference to a focus reflects a specific status of the product. For example, you can take an existing product or a reference model and use it as a base for making special designs for a customer, carrying out development studies, or developing models, without changing the existing structures. If external applications (such as conversion to a material BOM) require exactly this product status, you can execute the structure evaluation with reference to the focus set.

The following data form the essential criteria of a focus:

• Data that defines the access to the iPPE product structure: material, plant, and usage
• Criteria that restricts the data selection from the iPPE product structure, such as assigned characteristic values (variant configuration), effectivity variant (engineering change management), and the selection of focus objects

In Customizing for Integrated Product and Process Engineering (iPPE), the settings for the focus are defined, such as:

• Several node types have been defined for the focus, such as the variant types access variant and focus variant
• The iPPE model assignment for focus processing is defined. For example, the assignment focus structure node and focus variant determines that you can assign any number of focus variants to a focus structure node.

You create a focus master record in the iPPE Workbench:

The focus type is variable. For the product designer, all focus types are evaluated, such as Fully-configured focus for a configured material, or Focus with variants for a partially configured material.

You can extract the product data that has been maintained with reference to a focus, with reference to a focus master record.

You have the following options for specifying a focus master record:

• Enter the name of the focus.
• Select the focus from the possible entries.
• Select the focus from your personal focus list.

The system determines the product status in the complex product structure that has been maintained with reference to the selected focus.