Variant Configuration with SAP ERP

... Foreword ... 19

... Introduction ... 23

1 ... Basic Principles of Variant Configuration ... 31
... 1.1 ... What Is Product Configuration? ... 31
... 1.2 ... What Is SAP Variant Configuration? ... 47
... 1.3 ... Enhancing Business Processes with Variant Configuration ... 63
... 1.4 ... Summary ... 67

2 ... Creating a Product Model for SAP Variant Configuration ... 69
... 2.1 ... Overview of the Modeling and Integration of Variant Configuration ... 69
... 2.2 ... Tools from the Classification System ... 75
... 2.3 ... Material Master, BOM, and Routing ... 87
... 2.4 ... Configuration Profile and Configuration Scenarios ... 97
... 2.5 ... Overview of Object Dependencies ... 121
... 2.6 ... Object Dependencies for the Value Assignment Interface or the Sales View ... 142
... 2.7 ... Object Dependencies for BOM and Routing ... 179
... 2.8 ... Pricing for Configurable Materials ... 192
... 2.9 ... Product Costing for Configurable Materials ... 198
... 2.10 ... Material Variants ... 200
... 2.11 ... How to Create a Product Model for the IPC ... 212
... 2.12 ... Summary ... 218

3 ... Business Processes in SAP ERP ... 219
... 3.1 ... Introduction--Variant Configuration in Business Processes ... 219
... 3.2 ... Variant Configuration with iPPE--Modeling ... 229
... 3.3 ... Integration of Variant Configuration--The Classic Process ... 252
... 3.4 ... Processes with Extended Integration Aspects ... 260
... 3.5 ... Planning and Variant Configuration ... 283
... 3.6 ... Summary ... 308

4 ... Customizing SAP ERP for Variant Configuration ... 311
... 4.1 ... Explicit Customizing of Variant Configuration ... 311
... 4.2 ... Classification System Customizing ... 317
... 4.3 ... Business Process Customizing Relevant for Variant Configuration ... 324
... 4.4 ... Summary ... 336

5 ... Special Features of Product Configuration in SAP CRM ... 337
... 5.1 ... Product Configuration in Different Channels ... 337
... 5.2 ... Configuration of Products versus Services ... 338
... 5.3 ... Procedure for Integrated Production in SAP ERP ... 339
... 5.4 ... Creating a Product Model Using the PME ... 343
... 5.5 ... IPC User Interface ... 355
... 5.6 ... Special Functions of the IPC User Interface ... 357
... 5.7 ... UI Designer (as of SAP CRM 7.0) ... 363
... 5.8 ... Summary ... 365

6 ... Challenges in Variant Configuration ... 367
... 6.1 ... Performance Optimization ... 368
... 6.2 ... Change Management ... 376
... 6.3 ... Complex System Configurations ... 394
... 6.4 ... Master Data Distribution with Product Data Replication (PDR) ... 410
... 6.5 ... Summary ... 444

7 ... Enhancements in SAP Industry Solution DIMP ... 447
... 7.1 ... Overview ... 447
... 7.2 ... DIMP--Discrete Industries and Mill Products ... 448
... 7.3 ... Special Requirements of the Mill Industry ... 449
... 7.4 ... Product Configuration Enhancements in SAP for Mill Products ... 452
... 7.5 ... Summary ... 463

8 ... Enhancements and Add-Ons in the SAP Partner Environment ... 465
... 8.1 ... Sybit Model Tester (Company: Sybit GmbH) ... 467
... 8.2 ... Sybit Configuration Visualizer (Company: Sybit GmbH) ... 473
... 8.3 ... VCPowerPack (Company: AICOMP Group) ... 480
... 8.4 ... it.cadpilot (Companies: itelligence AG and ACATEC Software GmbH) ... 486
... 8.5 ... Convenience Features for Sales, Marketing, and Modeling (Company: encoway GmbH) ... 497
... 8.6 ... top flow Framework and top flow-Variant Engine (Company: top flow GmbH) ... 507
... 8.7 ... Product Model Validation with ConfigScan (Companies: Fysbee SA and eSpline LLC) ... 515
... 8.8 ... Managing Variant Configuration (Company: eSpline LLC) ... 526
... 8.9 ... Summary ... 540

9 ... Project Lead Reports on Projects and Project Structures ... 543
... 9.1 ... "We're Implementing SAP!"--A Project Lead's Experience Report ... 543
... 9.2 ... Roles in a Variant Configuration Team ... 562
... 9.3 ... ASAP for Variant Configuration Projects ... 567
... 9.4 ... Summary ... 576

10 ... Customer Reports on the Introduction of SAP Variant Configuration ... 579
... 10.1 ... Progress of the Project at Getriebebau NORD ... 580
... 10.2 ... Configurable Materials at Krones AG ... 590
... 10.3 ... Progress of the Project at Hauni Maschinenbau AG ... 594
... 10.4 ... Variant Configuration at the Felix Schoeller Group ... 602
... 10.5 ... SAP at Hülsta and in the Hüls Corporate Group ... 610
... 10.6 ... Lenze Group--Past, Present, and Future Configuration ... 620
... 10.7 ... Product Configuration at Baldor Electric ... 626
... 10.8 ... Summary ... 635

11 ... Configuration Workgroup ... 637
... 11.1 ... Introduction to the CWG ... 637
... 11.2 ... Tasks and Objectives ... 638
... 11.3 ... History ... 640
... 11.4 ... Organizational Structure ... 642
... 11.5 ... CWG Conferences ... 643
... 11.6 ... CWG Portal ... 644
... 11.7 ... CWG Sandbox System ... 645
... 11.8 ... Summary ... 646

12 ... Outlook for SAP Business ByDesign ... 647
... 12.1 ... SAP Business ByDesign ... 647
... 12.2 ... Product Configuration in Medium-Sized Businesses ... 648
... 12.3 ... Make to Order in SAP Business ByDesign ... 650
... 12.4 ... Product Configuration in SAP Business ByDesign ... 654
... 12.5 ... Summary ... 658

... Appendices ... 661
... A ... Database Tables of Variant Configuration ... 663
... B ... APIs of Variant Configuration ... 669
... C ... User Exits of Variant Configuration ... 671
... D ... Comprehensive Examples of Variant Functions ... 673
... E ... The Authors ... 681

... Index ... 683