Changes to Characteristics, Classes, and Classifications 

Use

Any changes made to characteristic and class master data in the ERP system are transferred asynchronously to SAP APO. The SAP APO system tries to make the changes in real time. The SAP APO system applies the changes to the master or transaction data without taking into account any changes currently being made at characteristic or class master data in SAP APO. Therefore, only make changes to characteristic or class master data when these data are not being accessed (such as when creating sales orders or during the planning run).

If the SAP APO system cannot transfer the changes, the master data in the ERP system and SAP APO system will be different. Currently, there is no comparison check for characteristic and class master data.

Check if the changes made to the characteristic and class master data were transferred successfully to SAP APO.

In an integrated scenario, it is possible to make changes in a system because a characteristic or class are not being used. However, it may not be possible to make these changes in another system because the characteristics or the class are being used.

Features

Changing Characteristics

·        The data type of a characteristic cannot be changed when the characteristic is being used.

·        If a characteristic is used, you can only increase the number of places for the value.

For CDP, numeric characteristics can have up to 15 places, 3 of which must be decimal places.

·        You can add values that are valid.

·        You can add or change relationships.

·        If you change or delete valid values, the system will not check the usages in the orders. Values that are valid for CDP are only relevant when you create characteristic values.

·        The ERP system does not directly transfer new characteristics. The system transfers the characteristic to SAP APO only when a characteristic has been assigned to a CDP-relevant class and an APO-relevant organizational area.

Changing Classes and Characteristic Assignments for Classes

·        You can add characteristics to the class and change the class description and key words.

If you add characteristics, you must specify an APO-relevant organizational area for the characteristics. If the active integration model contains the organizational area, all changes are transferred immediately to SAP APO.

The addition of characteristics can cause problems during planning (due to characteristics that were not specified; see SAP Note 526883).

·        The deletion of a class or a characteristic of class type 400 is restricted.

There can be no usages in ATP visualization profiles, in characteristics-based forecasting, and in macros in production process models. In SAP APO, you can delete characteristics with report /SAPAPO/MC01_CL400_CHAR_REMOVE.

You should only use the report for deleting characteristics that have already been deleted from the ERP system in order to avoid inconsistencies between both systems.

If you delete a characteristic in SAP APO that still exists in the ERP system, the characteristic can still be transferred to SAP APO via an integration model. In this case, you should use the organizational area to ensure that the characteristic will not be transferred to SAP APO; to do so, remove the organizational area from the characteristic.

If you delete a characteristic from a CDP-relevant class in the ERP system or delete a CDP-relevant class, you make the changes for the class of class type 400 locally in SAP APO.

·        If you remove an APO-relevant organizational area from a class in the ERP system, the system does not delete the characteristics with the organizational area from the class of class type 400 in SAP APO.

Actions

You can call the report for deleting characteristics in SAP APO under Advanced Planning and Optimization → APO-Administration → Reorganization → Production Planning → Delete Characteristic.