Bill of Material Base Quantity Unit of Measure

[Former Member]

When creating a Bill of Material (a.k.a., BOM) the default Base Quantity Unit of Measure (a.k.a., UoM) is the base unit of measure of the material master record for that parent material. This defaults in and cannot be changed, unless a potency/product unit is defined in that material master record (a.k.a., MMR), THEN it permits ANY UoM, alternate or base, to be entered into the Base Quantity UoM field (RC29K-BMEIN). The default will still be the MMR base or whatever value is entered into the goods issue field on the material master record, work scheduling (or other places too) view.

Is this truly the only way to get a different Base Quantity UoM for any BOM? What if you were not using PI functionality? Why wouldn't any defined alternate UoM be permitted?

I recognize the UoM of the Recipe header can be different (not the BOM / Material List within the recipe - the actual recipe header quantity only) without all this potency/product unit setup.

Do not confuse this question with the item/components ON the BOM, I'm just refering to the header material and the Base UoM for the BOM.

Your comments and input will be welcome.

[Former Member]

Hi Mr. John,

I would like to give a suggesion. Instead of changing the base unit in BOM, The MD04 screen there is units mentioned. You can define the alternate units in additional data and you can see the stock/requirements list in the units you wish.

Hope this will be helpful

Nanduri

[Former Member]

Dear,

Why do you want to enter a different unit of measure orther then the base unit or production unit. If you tell why do you need to enter other units, may be we can try user exit...

tell me the business requirement.

[Former Member]

We are just trying to be sure we understand basic SAP functionality - a user exit is an option that we are considering - but want to avoid. The fundamental problem is just trying to avoid forced harmonization between metric and US Std weights and measures sites. So, the base UoM will be Liters (like most of the world is), but the US sites will create their bills in Gallons - as defined in the alternate UoMs.

The current scenario has that as impossible, unless we define Gallons as a non-dimensioned UoM and link it via the product unit/potency function . . . or we can create a 'virtual' potency UoM that applies to all materials where we want the Base Quantity UoM to be different than the MMR Base UoM. Then in those materials, we ignore the potency unit and assign the alternate UoM gallons instead of liters.

Does that help you understand why I ask? Reading between the lines says that you believe only the potency will enable Base Quantity UoM changes for a material. That's what I want affirmation on - if you can give me that.

Thanks,

jrh

[Former Member]

Dear,

In Std SAP, it is not possible unless you maintain the required alternate unit of measure in material master.

Yes, you can maintain different alternative unit of measure, removing the link to std unit to achiave what you wanted.

In that case I donot think you need any user exit.

[Former Member]

OK - thanks for your input. That is more what I was 'looking for' - if anyone knew of a way to enable changing the BOM base quantity UoM without having to use Potency/Product Units. It's just not working for me using mere alternative units of measure.

For some reason I had the idea that if a UoM was defined as an alternative UoM in the MMR, it would be available for use in the BOM header, but that is not true right now . . . unless the material includes a potency/product unit alternative - THEN any alternative can be used.

I see several postings that indicate no UoM other than base can be used for BOM Base Quantity - but I find that is not true, because if potency/product units are used - any other Material Alt Unit can be used.

Looking in SAP's help - it seems to state that only the base UoM of the material is possible for use as the Base Quantity UoM for the BOM, but again, I know that is not true when using potency/product units. Therefore, I was just trying to see the user community's experience with this - so someone could confirm what I've proven or show me the error of my ways.

Thanks for your help - anyone else care to comment?

[Former Member]

But still you have to create BOM with base unit, Production unit can only be used for in production order or GR...I hope you got the point

[Former Member]

No, I guess I'm missing your point. I haven't discussed the production unit - that is for the process order (I do understand that) and it is set in the Work Scheduling view too. What we were discussing is enabling an additional Base Quantity UoM for the Bill of Material - and the fact that outside of adding a proportional factor to a material, and then entering another value into the "Unit of Issue" field, the system didn't seem to let a user change that Base Quantity Unit of Measure on a BOM - it's grayed out.

If someone knows how to make that field changeable without having to add a potency/product unit value to the material, I would like to know how to do that too.

Your earlier point was that an alternate unit of measure could be used . . . or that it would have to be defined to enable using it in the BOM - that is true, but no alternate UoM can be used unless a potency/product unit is defined too (I realize that the potency/product unit is itself another alternate UoM, but I'm treating it differently because until the "A" or "B" setting is successfully made on that tab in additional data, the BOM Base Quantity UoM does not open up . . . merely adding any other alternate UoM, without having the potency/product unit also defined, is not sufficient to open the Base Quantity UoM field for changes).

I hope you understand what I am asking - and if you do, and it's me that is not understanding what you are saying - then I apologize. Thanks for trying to be of help.

[Former Member]

SAP has answered my question (per my OSS note) and indicated that currently it is not possible to use any other UoM than the base for the BOM base quantity UoM. Of course there is the exception of using potency - that opens up the Base Quantity UoM for any defined alternate UoM for use.

They are considering making it more open - as in NOT requiring potency to open the field. Apparantly we weren't the only ones.

Thanks for your consideration and interests.