Object Structures 

Use

This function allows you to represent the components used within your individual object. For example, you structure the components an individual object consists of and then, when a service is performed involving this individual object, specify which components have been dismantled and which installed.

Two options are provided for representing the object structure, a simple list or a more complex tree structure, thus allowing you to work with the appropriate degree of complexity required by your particular business context.

Prerequisites

Customer Relationship Management ® Master Data ® Products ®Individual Objects ® Specify Display Option for Object Structure

Features

You specify in Customizing at the level of the object family which option you wish to use to represent the components used within an individual object. Depending on your settings, one of the following tab pages appears in object maintenance:

·        Components

·        Object Structure

Components

This is designed for simple objects, where a simple flat list of subcomponents is sufficient and detailed structural information is not required.

The following component types can be inserted within the component list as subcomponents:

·        Product

·        Individual object (structured or not structured)

·        Text

By choosing Object Structure you can access the hierarchy view. This is useful for the following reasons:

·        It provides a general overview of the entire structure, and also displays any structures that individual objects inserted in the component list may have.

·        It enables you to maintain information about the components at the lower tab level, such as partners, addresses, attachments. However, to ensure consistency, it is not possible to use the full functionality provided by the object structure. This means additional components can only be added to the top level of the hierarchy, consisting of those components shown in the component view.

Object Structure

This is designed for complex objects, where information regarding a complex installed base hierarchy is required. The tree structure is the default maintenance option.

It allows you to use functions provided by the installed base (IBase), such as the following:

·        Create structures from components

·        Use structure codes to describe where in the structure it is most useful to install certain components

·        Represent a service order process by dismantling and installing the relevant components

The following component types can be used:

·        Product

·        Individual object (structured or not structured)

·        Text

·        Structural gaps

For more information about installed bases, see Installed Base Management.

Where-Used Option

This determines to which higher-level object the individual object concerned belongs within the installed base hierarchy.

To do this, choose Display Usage. This takes you to the installed base, where the higher-level object to which the object concerned belongs is displayed. To see where the object is positioned as a subcomponent within the entire structure, choose Goto ® Hierarchy.