Hierarchy Maintenance 

Use

Hierarchies allow you to create classification structures showing the relationships between categories. A hierarchy is constructed like a tree structure with a root category that includes all other categories. The root category is the highest-level node within the hierarchy and does not generally contain any control information.

Features

The Maintain Categories and Hierarchies function shows the tree structure in the upper half of the screen and a row of tabs in the lower half, allowing the relevant data to be maintained:

·        Hierarchy

·        Category

For more information, see Category Maintenance.

·        Set Types

Set types are maintained for the selected category.

·        Relationship Types

Relationship types are maintained for the selected category.

The following features are available at hierarchy level:

·        Numbering Scheme

You can assign category IDs yourself (alphanumeric or numeric), or they can be assigned automatically (numeric only).

Numbering schemes are defined and the necessary settings made in the Customizing activity of Cross-Application Components under SAP Products ® Product Category®Define Category Numbering Schemes.

·        Standard Schema

You can enter information showing that the product schema (hierarchy) displayed is a standard schema.

Activities

Creating Hierarchies

       1.      In the user menu, choose Maintain Categories and Hierarchies.
The Maintain Categories and Hierarchies screen appears with either the locator or work area, depending on your user settings.

       2.      Choose Create Hierarchy.
The dialog box Create Hierarchy appears.

       3.      Enter a hierarchy ID and description, and choose Continue.
The hierarchy maintenance screen is then displayed.

       4.      If you want to assign category IDs using a numbering scheme, specify the numbering scheme required.

       5.      Save your data.

Changing Hierarchies

If no categories are assigned to the hierarchy, you can change the hierarchy description, the numbering scheme, and whether category IDs are assigned automatically.

If categories are assigned to the hierarchy, you can change only the hierarchy description. It is not possible to change the numbering scheme and automatic number assignment because they influence the category IDs in the hierarchy.

Deleting Hierarchies

A hierarchy can be deleted only if no categories are assigned to it. Therefore you must first delete the categories.