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Table of Contents
1.1 Overview
1.2 Overview of batch level concepts in SAP.
1.3 Considerations
1.4 Case Study Conversion design for client
1.5 Limitations.
1.1 Overview
This document describes the aspects that are to be considered while converting the Batch Level in SAP from Plant to Material and the approach taken for one of our clients as a case study. This document focuses on the conversion of Batch level from Plant to Material.
1.2 Overview of Batch level concepts in SAP
SAP manages batches in 3 levels
- Plant Level
- Material Level
- Client Level
The batch information can be maintained at the chosen level depending on the business requirements. The batch level setting is at the system level.
- Plant level:
The batch number is unique in connection with the plant and material. Business can maintain plant specific information if batches are maintained at plant level.
If the batch is maintained at plant level, the batch information is stored in table MCHA.
- Material level:
The batch number is unique in all plants in connection with the material. The same batch number has the same meaning for the material in all plants. One batch number cannot have different specifications in different plants.
If the batch is maintained at Material level, the batch information is stored in table MCH1.
- Client level:
The batch number is unique in the whole client. A batch number can only be assigned once in the client. You cannot assign the same batch number for different materials
If the batch is maintained at client level, the batch information is stored in table MCH1.
1.3 Considerations
The following aspects had been taken into account for the conversion.
A. Standard Solution
SAP has provided a standard program RM07CHDX for Batch level conversion. OSS note 891902 also has a few pre-requisites that are to be taken into account when converting the batch level from Plant to Material.
B. Stocks
What do we do with the stocks?
This is the most challenging part of the conversion. If a particular material is not batch managed across all the plants and stock exists for the material in the plants in which it is not batch managed, then the stocks are to be removed from such plants.
Example
Material Plant Batch Qty
231 0001 ABC1 100
231 0002 ------- 10
We have to remove the stocks of material 231 from plant 0002 prior to the conversion.
If stocks are Inventory managed, ensure the entire ‘Inventory’ is managed in Batches. If stocks are Ware house managed, ensure all the ‘Quants’ are managed in batches. This is a pre-requisite for the standard conversion program.
C. Batches.
If Batches exist across plants for a material, then the duplicate batches have to be archived so that the standard program is able to map each entry from the table MCHA to a unique record in MCH1.
Batch management flag has to be activated in all the plants for the materials that have existing batches. If there are any open documents in systems, this will not allow activating the batch management flag in material master. As a pre requisite we need to close all the open documents to activate batch management flag (Open documents - Purchase Oder, Sales order, Delivery Note, Ware house Transfer order etc.)
Example
In the below mentioned scenario, we have to close all the open documents to activate batch management flag in the material master.
Material Plant Batch Qty
231 0001 ABC1 100
231 0002 ------- 10
1.4 Case Study
Given the above aspects, the following conclusions were drawn:
- Stocks – All the materials in all the plants were subject to batch management as per the business design of our client. This proved to be the biggest relief, as we don’t have to deal with unloading/loading of stocks and closing open documents. There were some inconsistencies though in the master data management, but nothing a little LSMW script couldn’t fix as all the inconsistent materials were unused.
- Batch master archiving – Our client did have a lot of batches; in fact the number is about a few millions. So archiving a select few and leaving a single batch master record per material/batch seemed a tough task.
Example:
Material Plant Batch Batch creation date
231 0001 ABC1 01/01/2008
231 0002 ABC1 01/02/2008
232 0003 BAC1 05/06/2008
The standard SAP Program RM07CHDX needs either Serial number 1 or 2 to be archived from MCHA table. This depends on which plant we need to keep as reference plant.
The flow diagram of the standard SAP program is as shown below:
It was decided in consent with the business team that the batch master record with the earliest creation date should be picked in case multiple batches exist for the material in different plants.
It was then decided leverage the standard program to adapt to pick the batch with the earliest creation date as shown below. This would save the tedious job of archiving select few.
The high level design of the customized standard program YRM07CHDX is as below.
CONVERSION STEPS
Prerequisite:
- Batch Management flag to be activated for all materials in plants.
- Change the configuration to “Material level” in OMCT transactions.
Conversion Run:
- Run the conversion program YRM07CHDX.
Post conversion Validation:
- Batch management indicator in material master to be pointing towards MARA instead MARC
- Batch class type to be changed to 023 ( plant level = 022)
- New batch master creation to be stored in MCH1 instead MCHA
- Perform GR/GI and check whether they are posting properly.
1.5 Limitations
- The batch level cannot be changed back from a higher level to plant level in the standard system. However, the batch level can be changed from client level back to material level.
- To change the batch level from plant level to material level, the material has to be subject to batch management in all plants.
