Variant Matching in the Sales Order 
Use
If material variants already exist for a configurable material, the configurable material can be replaced in the sales order by a material variant. For this to happen, the configuration of the material must match the material variant exactly. Material variants that only partly match the configuration of the material in the sales order are ignored.
Prerequisites
You define the settings for variant matching in Customizing for Sales and Distribution, where you maintain item categories.
- You activate variant matching for an item category
- You define how the system reacts if it finds a material variant:
- The system automatically replaces the configurable material with the material variant.
- You see a message telling you that a material variant with the same configuration exists.
- You determine whether you want an availability check to be executed.
If the material variant is not available, you can:
- Receive an automatic message with a list of the material variant stock situation. You can then decide whether to replace the material variant.
- Decide that you do not want to replace the variant.
Restrictions
You can only replace materials that have the configuration parameter BOM explosion: None with material variants.
Activities
Configure the configurable material in the sales order.
On the value assignment screen, you can check whether material variants match the configuration of the material (refer to
Variant Matching on the Value Assignment Screen).
Before the material can be replaced in the sales order by the material variant, the configurations of the materials must match completely.
Once you have configured the material, leave the configuration editor.
Depending on the settings in Customizing, either the material is replaced by the material variant immediately, or you see a message telling you that a suitable material variant has been found.
If the material was replaced, the order item contains the material variant.
Individual or collective requirements can be generated for the material variant. Pricing also applies to the material variant, unless you define the configurable material as the pricing material for the material variant.
See also:
Material Variants