Derivation of Characteristic Values
When manually entering transaction data or plan data, or during data transfer, it can be helpful to determine unfilled characteristic values automatically from other existing characteristic values.
To implement these links you must define derivation rules. These rules are defined in a similar way to the transfer rules for data transfer, and are maintained in Customizing.
The derivation rules are valid in all aspects. As soon as you define a derivation rule for a characteristic, this rule is valid for all aspects in which the characteristic is defined.
The receiver field is the characteristic that is to be filled with a value. The sender field is the characteristic whose value determines the contents of the receiver field.
The characteristic product group is linked to the characteristic division. Each characteristic value of the product group can be uniquely assigned to a division. The product group washing machines belongs, for example, to division electrics.
In the above example the characteristic division is the receiver field. A characteristic value for the division is derived dependent on the value in the sender field (product group). In the example, the division electrics is derived from the product group washing machines.
If a field to be derived is already filled with a characteristic value, it will not be overwritten. You can, therefore, enter a value which deviates from the derivation rule during manual data entry, planning or during data transfer. This value always takes precedence over the derived value. If a characteristic value cannot be assigned because of the rules, the characteristic value remains vacant. For example, you might have created a new product group tumble dryer, but not have maintained it yet in the corresponding derivation rule. This means that a value for the characteristic division cannot be derived from the product group.
Derivation with manual data entry and planning
With manual entry of transaction or plan data, the derivation is carried out in two places:
Only those records that correspond exactly to the selection criteria and the derivation rules are displayed. If you manually entered a deviating value for a characteristic value to be derived, and posted the record, this record is only displayed if the characteristic was limited to the deviating value. However, all posted records are displayed if selected in the presentation.
You have manually entered a data record in which you have specified the product group washing machines and the division household. Although there is a derivation rule that defines the link between product group washing machines and division electrics, the manual entry is not overwritten. However, if you want to display the saved data records for the product group washing machines with the data entry transaction, and do not enter the division in the selection conditions at the same time, the record with product group washing machines and division household will not be displayed.
Choose Extras
® Further characteristics in the data entry transaction or in planning with a layout to display a list of all characteristics and their values. Derived characteristic values are also displayed.For more information on manual data entry, see
Individual Record Entry for Transaction/Plan Data and Entering Data with Layouts.Derivation with automatic data transfer
In the data transfer, the derivation rules are executed only after the transfer rules for the sender structure have been executed. For more information on data transfer, see
Data Transfer.