Modeling 

Use

You can use the modeling environment for Variant Configuration to edit an existing product configuration model.

Features

Editing a model in the modeling environment essentially involves creating and maintaining object dependencies. For this reason, the features listed here focus on these activities.

By choosing Extras → Settings, you can make basic settings for the modeling environment.

Product Configuration Model

A product configuration model usually comprises the following objects:

●      Configurable Material

●      Configuration Profile

●      Class

●      Characteristic

●      Bill of Material

●      Object Dependencies

●      Knowledge-Base Object and Runtime Version

●      Variant Table

●      Variant Function

●      Variant Condition Keys

●      Interface Design

Editing Options

The following section contains an overview of the options provided by the modeling environment for editing the objects listed above. Additional references to the standard transactions are provided where individual modeling functions are not supported in the environment.

Configurable Material

You can decide which configurator is to be used to configure the material. You can also classify the material and create a configuration profile and object dependencies. In addition, you can assign variant condition keys for pricing and create or assign knowledge-base objects.

See also the material in the modeling environment.

Use the standard transactions to create a configurable material, as follows:

Menu	Documentation
Logistics → Production → Master Data → Material Master → Material → Create (General) → Immediately	Logistics - General (LO) → Logistics Basic Data → Material Master → Material Master Records → Creating Material Master Records

Configuration Profile

You can create a configuration profile for a material. You can also create an interface design and object dependencies for the profile, or assign existing object dependencies.

See also the configuration profile in the modeling environment.

You can use the standard transactions if necessary:

Menu	Documentation
Logistics → Central Functions → Variant Configuration → Configuration Profile	Logistics → Logistics – General (LO) → Variant Configuration → The Configuration Profile

Class

You can use the class to access the lower-level characteristics and characteristic values.

See also the class in the modeling environment.

You have to use the standard transactions to create or edit classes.

Menu	Documentation
Cross-Application Components → Classification System → Master Data → Classes	Cross-Application Components → Classification → Classification System → Classes → Creating, Changing, and Displaying Classes

Characteristic

You can use characteristics to access the characteristic values. You can create and change characteristic values in the modeling environment and you can define default values.  In addition, you can provide multi-lingual descriptions for characteristics and characteristic values, create object dependencies, assign documents, and change or create long texts.

See also the characteristic and the class in the modeling environment.

You have to use the standard transactions to create characteristics, as follows:

Menu	Documentation
Cross-Application Components → Classification System → Master Data → Characteristics	Cross-Application Components → Classification → Characteristics → Creating, Changing, and Displaying Characteristics

Bill of Material

If you specify the BOM application when you launch the modeling environment, the model tree shows the BOM for the material.

You can open the BOM with all items, as well as the detailed views for the objects it contains, such as item, materials, classes, or object dependencies, for example. The detailed views contain the editing options that are available for each object.

In the modeling environment, you can allocate global object dependencies to the BOM items, or create local object dependencies.

You have to use the standard transactions to edit BOM items.

Menu	Documentation
Logistics → Production → Master Data → Bills of Material → Bill of Material → Material BOM →  Create	Logistics → Production Planning and Control → Basic Data → BOMs

Object Dependencies

You can create both global and local object dependencies for the objects in the model that are suitable for this. To do so, you can use the standard functions or two wizards.

See also object dependencies in the modeling environment.

You can use the standard transactions if necessary:

Menu	Documentation
Logistics → Central Functions → Variant Configuration → Dependency → Single Dependency or Dependency Net	Logistics → Logistics – General → Variant Configuration → Dependencies → Preconditions / Selection Conditions / Procedures / Constraints

Knowledge-Base Object and Runtime Version

You can create, edit, or delete knowledge-base objects and runtime versions.

See also the knowledge-base object and runtime version in the modeling environment.

You can use the standard transactions if necessary:

Menu	Documentation
Logistics → Central Functions → Variant Configuration → Knowledge Base → Knowledge-Base Object / Runtime Version	Logistics → Logistics – General → Variant Configuration → Creating a Knowledge-Base Object for the SCE

Variant Table

You can create and edit structures for variant tables, and edit their contents.

See also variant tables in the modeling environment.

You can use the standard transactions if necessary:

Menu	Documentation
Logistics → Central Functions → Variant Configuration → Tools → Table Structure or Table Contents	Logistics → Logistics – General → Variant Configuration → Variant Tables

Variant Function

You can create and edit variant functions.

Note that variant functions require ABAP or JAVA modules.

See also variant functions in the modeling environment.

You can use the standard transactions if necessary:

Menu	Documentation
Logistics → Central Functions → Variant Configuration → Tools → Function	Logistics → Logistics – General → Variant Configuration → User-Defined Functions

Variant Condition Keys

You can create and edit variant condition keys in the modeling environment. You can also assign them to characteristic values or use them to create dependencies.

See also variant condition keys in the modeling environment.

You can use the standard transactions if necessary:

Menu	Documentation
Logistics → Central Functions → Variant Configuration → Environment → Pricing	Logistics → Logistics – General → Variant Configuration → Variant Conditions

Interface Design

You can create or edit an interface design for the configuration profile.

See also Interface Design in the modeling environment.

You can use the standard transactions if necessary. Note, however, that if you have set the IPC as the sole configurator for the material in question, you cannot use the standard transaction to create or edit the interface design.

Menu	Documentation
1. Interface Design Logistics → Central Functions → Variant Configuration → Configuration Profile	Logistics → Logistics – General → Variant Configuration → The Characteristic Value Assignment Screen → Interface Design – Overview Logistics → Logistics – General → Variant Configuration → The Configuration Profile → Interface Settings
2. Characteristic Group Logistics → Central Functions → Variant Configuration → Environment → Configuration Simulation → Configuration Value Assignment → Interface Design → Characteristic Group

Change Management

You can use Engineering Change Management when you edit objects.

Note, however, that you must not create or edit the required change numbers in the modeling environment. To do so, you have to use the standard transactions.

Menu	Documentation
Logistics → Central Functions → Variant Configuration → Environment → Engineering Change Management	Logistics → Logistics – General → Engineering Change Management