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 Switching Characteristic Values

The Switch characteristic value function enables you to navigate more quickly and easily in the drilldown lists and simplifies the analysis of dependencies between characteristic values.

You can find the Switch characteristic value function in the page header of every list. It is in the form of a hotspot (magnifying glass icon) and you can activate it by clicking on it with the mouse.

The hotspot appears in the page header behind every characteristic according to which you have already performed a drilldown .

Note Note

Once you have performed a hierarchy drilldown , the hotspot is no longer displayed.

End of the note.

The following two examples from the Purchasing Information System are intended to illustrate the options provided by this function.

Example Example

Example 1: Switching the characteristic value

You have performed a vendor analysis. The initial list displays the vendors you have selected.

You drill down on "Martin Corp." according to material. The drilldown list now shows all materials concerned with "Martin Corp.". You also wish to know which materials are involved with the vendor "Miller Corp.". The Switch characteristic value function enables you to view a list of all remaining vendors and then select the vendor (Miller Corp.) that you wish to view, without having to return to the initial list. The drilldown list then displays all materials concerned with the vendor "Miller Corp.".

Example 2: Analysis of dependencies between characteristic values

You have performed a vendor analysis. The initial list displays the vendors you have selected.

You wish to know which materials are used by the vendor "Miller Corp." and drill down on "Miller Corp." according to the characteristic material. You now wish to know the monthly distribution of the purchase order value for material "10 mm screw" and drill down on the material "10 mm screw" according to the characteristic "period". You also wish to know which vendor received the purchase order for the material "10 mm screw". By clicking once on the magnifying glass behind the characteristic in the page header, you can then view a list of the vendors who received purchase orders for the material "10 mm screw" and then choose the vendor you require for a more detailed analysis. In other words, all characteristic values remain in the drilldown path; only the selected characteristic value is switched. The list then shows the distribution by period for the newly selected vendor and the material "10 mm screw"

End of the example.