How can I prevent materials with the deletion flag from being displayed in the materials list?

[WendyDu]

Hello expert,

In the S/4HANA public cloud system, users set the deletion flag for a product ( in the Manage Product Master Data app ), and they don't want this product to show up in the material list anymore. How can I do it? Thanks.

BR,

Wendy

[Rick_Croft]

Hi Wendy, I ran your follow up question through our AI Consultant and got the below response.  I welcome the feedback, fee free to try our AI consultant on the Eerly Ai website

 

SAP AI Consultant

Based on the information provided, it appears that there is an inconsistency in the behavior of the "Create Sales Order" app in SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud when it comes to handling products marked for deletion. Here are some steps and considerations to address this issue:

1. Verify System Behavior

First, you need to verify if the behavior observed is consistent across different users and sessions. This will help determine if the issue is isolated or widespread.

2. Check SAP Notes and Knowledge Base Articles

You have already referred to SAP Knowledge Base Article 3111463, which indicates that products marked for deletion should not be available for selection via the search help/value help. Ensure you have the latest updates and patches applied to your SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud system.

3. SAP Support

If the behavior persists despite the system being up-to-date, it might be a bug. In such cases, it is advisable to open a support ticket with SAP. Provide them with detailed information, including:

• The steps to reproduce the issue.
• Screenshots (like the ones you mentioned) showing the discrepancy.
• Reference to SAP Note 3111463.

4. Workarounds

While waiting for a resolution from SAP, you might consider the following workarounds:

• Manual Filtering: Instruct users to manually filter out products marked for deletion when using the search help/value help.
• Custom Development: If feasible, consider developing a custom enhancement or user exit to exclude products marked for deletion from the search help.

5. Configuration Check

Ensure that the configuration settings related to product deletion and search help are correctly set up. Sometimes, configuration inconsistencies can lead to unexpected behavior.

6. User Training

Educate users about the current system behavior and the steps they need to take to avoid selecting products marked for deletion until the issue is resolved.

Conclusion

Based on the information from SAP Note 3111463, the system should not display products marked for deletion in the search help/value help. If it does, it is likely a bug. Opening a support ticket with SAP is the best course of action to get an official fix. Meanwhile, consider implementing temporary workarounds to mitigate the issue.

[Rick_Croft]

Hi Wendy, I ran this through our Eerly.ai SAP AI Consultant and got the following response.  Let me know if this answers your question.

SAP AI Consultant

In the SAP S/4HANA public cloud system, to ensure that a product with a deletion flag set does not show up in the material list, you need to follow these steps:

1. Set the Deletion Flag in the Manage Product Master Data App:

   • Navigate to the "Manage Product Master Data" app.
   • Locate the product you wish to mark for deletion.
   • Set the deletion flag for the product. This action indicates that the product is no longer active and should not be used in any future transactions.

2. Configure the Material List to Exclude Deleted Products:

   • The standard material list should automatically exclude products marked with a deletion flag. However, if it still appears, you may need to adjust the filters in your material list view.
   • Open the material list app or transaction.
   • Apply a filter to exclude products with the deletion flag. Typically, you can filter out items where the deletion indicator is set.

3. Archiving and Deletion of Product Data:

   • For a more permanent solution, consider archiving the product data. Archiving moves the data to a separate storage area where it is no longer part of the active database but can still be retrieved if needed.
   • Use the archiving object relevant to material master data (e.g., MM_MATNR) to archive the product.
   • Navigate to the "SAP Information Lifecycle Management (ILM)" to configure and control the archiving and deletion process.

4. Ensure Data Protection Compliance:

   • Make sure that your actions comply with data protection regulations. Use the SAP Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) to manage the blocking and deletion of personal data.
   • Refer to the product assistance for SAP S/4HANA on the SAP Help Portal for detailed guidance on data protection and archiving.

5. Verification:

   • After setting the deletion flag and configuring the material list, verify that the product no longer appears in the material list.
   • Perform a search or run a report to ensure that the product is excluded from active listings.

By following these steps, you can effectively manage the visibility of products marked for deletion in your SAP S/4HANA public cloud system. For more detailed information, you can refer to the product assistance documentation on the SAP Help Portal at SAP S/4HANA Help Portal under Product Assistance Cross Components Data Protection.

[WendyDu]

Hi Rick, thank you very much for your detailed information.

For app "create sales order" (s/4hana public cloud), I didn't find the right way to adjust the filters when I searched materials via the search help/value help.

eg:1000012520 , has already was marked for deletion, but this product data still can be displayed via search help/value help.

And I found a SAP Knowledge Base Article as follows:

3111463 - In Manage Product Master Data, search for a product which is Marked for Deletion and gives "Invalid entry" (SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition all versions; SAP S/4HANA Cloud all versions)

A product marked for deletion should not be available for further usage outside the Manage Product Master Data application. Thus these products are unavailable for selection via the search help/value help. But currently, it is not working as per design. In the user's s/4hana public cloud, the product data with deletion mark still was shown when using select material via the search help/value help. This is inconsistent with the knowledge “3111463 - In Manage Product Master Data, search on the product which is Marked for Deletion gives "Invalid entry". 

Do you think this is a bug in the user's system? How can I correct it? Thanks!

BR,

Wendy

[Enda]

hello @WendyDu 

only by archiving the product ( using MM_MATNR )

Best Regards

Enda

[WendyDu]

Thanks! If we want to achieve this, do we need to use "Information Lifecycle Management"? The first step, we need to finish ILM Configuration, right?