Creation of Categories and Hierarchies

Product hierarchies are used to classify products and group them according to different criteria. They are used primarily to describe differences within a business context, for example, you might categorize your products according to their technical properties or how they are used.

A hierarchy is constructed like a tree structure with a root category that includes all other categories.

Hierarchies comprise data specified at hierarchy level, which applies to the entire hierarchy, and data at category level, which applies to lower levels within the hierarchy. Certain data is inherited within the hierarchy.

The root category is the highest-level node within the hierarchy and does not generally contain any control information.

Prerequisites

You have defined numbering schemes for your product hierarchies in Customizing for Cross-Application Components, by choosing SAP Product Product Category Define Category Numbering Schemes .
You have defined authorization groups in Customizing for Cross-Application Components, by choosing SAP Product Basic Settings Define Authorization Groups .
You have defined the partner determination procedures you require in Customizing for Customer Relationship Management, by choosing Basic Functions Partner Processing Define Partner Determination Procedure .
You have defined the alternative ID types you require in Customizing for Cross-Application Components, by choosing SAP Product Alternative Product IDs .

Features

Hierarchies

Certain features are available at hierarchy level and therefore apply to the entire hierarchy:

Numbering Scheme
You can assign category IDs yourself (alphanumeric or numeric), or they can be assigned automatically (numeric only). If you assign them yourself, the system checks them against the numbering scheme.
Standard Schema
The entry you make indicates that the product schema (hierarchy) displayed is a standard schema.

You can transport categories and hierarchies to the relevant systems (for example, test system or production system) in Customizing for Cross-Application Components, by choosing Start of the navigation path SAP Product Next navigation step Product Category Transport Categories End of the navigation path .

Categories

Categories define which set types and relationship types are allowed for a product, thereby enabling you to structure the information you require on your products. If a product is assigned to more than one category, all set types and relationship types for the categories to which the product is assigned can be used.

Once a category has been assigned to a product and the data saved, the assignment cannot simply be deleted. You can reassign products on the SAP Easy Access screen under Start of the navigation path Master Data Next navigation step Products Recategorize Products End of the navigation path .

General Data and Control Data

You can specify the following:

Whether a user is authorized to display, change, or create products belonging to this category.
Who is responsible for the category. You may, for example, want to specify the brand manager as the person responsible for the highest-level category, and the product manager for lower-level categories.
What options are available on the Product page:
- Whether products can be assigned; this should not be possible for root categories
- Whether documents can be attached (this indicator can only be set for categories within the base hierarchy)
- Whether prices can be specified (this indicator can only be set for categories within the base hierarchy)
Whether the category is restricted to objects and a certain object family. If so, you can specify a partner determination procedure to determine which parties can be assigned to the object in the Parties Involved assignment block on the Object page. This option is only available for categories within the base hierarchy.

Set Types and Relationship Types

Set types and relationship types are specified in the respective assignment blocks:

Assigned Set Types
You can specify which set types should be assigned to the category concerned, and whether they should derive their data from a template. The system indicates which set types have been inherited.

A Referenced indicator is an additional option available for objects for use in conjunction with reference products and is only visible for categories assigned an object family.
Assigned Relationship Types
You can specify which relationship types should be assigned to the category, enabling these relationship types to be created for a product belonging to this category. The system indicates which relationship types have been inherited.
Referenced Relationship Types Displayed in Objects

An option available for objects, enabling the relationships of the reference product to be displayed for the object concerned. Only certain relationship types can be referenced, which are available for selection in the input help.

This assignment block is only visible if an object family has been specified for the category and referencing has been activated in Customizing for Cross-Application Components, by choosing SAP Product Basic Settings Allow Product References for Individual Objects . For more information, see Referencing Data from Products.

Prices

Prices can be created for products at product or category level. For more information about creating prices, see Prices at Category Level.

Inheritance

Certain fields can be inherited by lower-level categories. For more information about inheritance, see Inheritance Within Hierarchies.