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Object documentationObjects in Installed Bases Locate this document in the navigation structure

 

Enable you to uniquely identify specific individual objects and to track them in business processes. They enable you to manage specific information that is valid for a certain object and support the mapping of business processes that require a unique reference to a certain object (such as a service contract for an object).

Objects complete the existing product options. The product contains general information about the goods or services that it describes. However, it cannot provide specific details about the objects that could possibly exist for the product.

The object contains individual data that is valid for exactly one object, such as location and identification number.

You can also use objects to map relevant business environment objects that are not directly objects of service processes or sales processes (such as buildings).

Examples of objects:

  • A computer monitor with the manufacturer’s serial number 123xyz

  • Mr. Smith’s washing machine at 109 Fell Street in San Francisco. Although this washing machine does not have a number, it would be practically impossible to confuse it with another washing machine.

  • A life insurance policy, which can be identified by its unique policy number

  • A building with an address

Each object belongs to an object family (such as household appliances or software licenses). Settings at object family level define which fields you can maintain for the objects. All other object settings are also made at object family level.

For more information, see Objects.

 

To use the installed base component Object, you have made settings in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management under   Master Data   Installed Base   Objects/Object Family  .

An object is created as follows:

It is a prerequisite that the following occurs in Customizing:

  1. Installed base categories have been created.

  2. Object families have been created.

  3. The object families that can be used with each installed base category have been defined.

  4. Set types have been defined for each object family.

    Note Note

    For more information, see Customizing for Customer Relationship Management under   Master Data   Installed Base   Objects/Object Family  .

    End of the note.

    Note Note

    By assigning an object as component type Object in an installed base structure, it is "created" as a new object in the installed base. However, the system does not automatically assign it an ID.

    This means that you allocate the object ID manually during assignment; this assignment is not made internally by the system. Therefore, check which IDs you want to allocate to your objects before assignment.

    Entry of an object ID is mandatory. The description, which you can assign in addition, is displayed in the structure overview.

    End of the note.

Just as for the other installed base components, you can also assign the parties and organizations involved and address data to the object, and it is integrated in service processes.

Example

You define an installed base category Custom Kitchen in Customizing and assign the object families Kitchen Appliances (Electric) and Kitchen Cabinets to this installed base category.

You create an installed base of the category Custom Kitchen in installed base management. The refrigerator "Kitchenette 1007C", with the manufacturer's serial number "K1007 C-2000-152-fgt", should be installed as an object in this installed base and become a reference object for service processes.

You assign an installed base component of type Object to the structure of the installed base, by creating a new object in the Object Components screen area:

  1. Choose the object family Kitchen Appliances (Electric).

  2. Choose the Category ID.

  3. Enter Object ID K1007C-2000-152-fgt.

  4. In the Description field, enter Refrigerator Kitchenette 1007C.

Finally, confirm your entries so that the components appear in the structure with the description.