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Replicating Product Hierarchies from SAP ECC to SAP CRM

12:36 AM


Hierarchy data is replicated from SAP ECC to SAP CRM using middleware. The data from SAP ECC that is replicated as categories is derived from fields in the material master which have grouping characteristics and are used for classification purposes. These are the material type, material group, and product hierarchy.
The replication of hierarchy data is performed as part of the Customizing download and uses the download object DNL_CUST_PROD1. This download has to be performed before the material download.
A delta download is not available for Customizing objects. The initial download therefore has to be repeated for DNL_CUST_PROD1 if data is changed in SAP ECC after the initial download.

Prerequisites

If a product hierarchy is used in SAP ECC, you have created the numbering scheme R3PRODHIER in SAP CRM for the product hierarchy from SAP ECC, making sure that the numbering scheme corresponds precisely to the structure of the product hierarchy in SAP ECC (structure PRODHS). This numbering scheme is essential for the data to be created correctly.
The number of levels in the numbering scheme must be the same as the number of fields in structure PRODHS, and the number of digits for each level must be the same as the length of the corresponding field in structure PRODHS.
In Customizing for Cross-Application Components, choose   SAP Product   Product Category   Define Category Numbering Schemes  .

Features

The hierarchy to which data is mapped is determined automatically during the initial download, when the hierarchies are created and assigned. You do not generally have to make any entries manually.
The relevant settings can be checked in Customizing for   Cross-Application Components   SAP Product   Product Category   Assign Category Hierarchies to Applications  . If the entries do not yet exist, you should generally not make any entries, as these will be created automatically during the initial download.
The following applications are relevant for the mapping processes:
  • Sales (used, for example, in orders and opportunities)
  • Purchasing (used in Enterprise Buyer functions, such as shopping baskets, purchase orders, bid invitations, and goods receipts)
  • Products
The grouping fields from the material master are mapped to the hierarchies in SAP CRM as follows:
To do this, the following steps are performed during the download:
  1. At the start of the download using the object DNL_CUST_PROD1, the system checks whether a hierarchy is already assigned to the applications 01, 02, and 03.
  2. If a hierarchy has already been assigned, the categories are created in the respective hierarchy. This can also be a hierarchy that was created in SAP CRM.
  3. If a hierarchy has not been assigned, a new hierarchy is created with the ID R3PRODHIER, R3PRODSTYP, or R3MATCLASS.
    Note NOTE
    If you have created hierarchies in SAP CRM and assigned them to applications before the download is performed, a warning is issued. However, if you deactivate this message in Customizing (  Customer Relationship Management   Master Data   Products   Basic Settings   Define System Message Characteristics  ), the ERP categories will be created in the existing SAP CRM hierarchies.
Replication of Material Types
The hierarchy R3PRODSTYP has two levels:
  • The first level contains the categories MAT_ for materials and SRV_ for services.
  • For materials, the second level is a sublevel of MAT_ and contains the material types imported from SAP ECC, each with the prefix MAT_. For example, the ERP material type HAWA (trading goods) is created as the category MAT_HAWA.
The standard SAP CRM set types are assigned to the categories of the hierarchy R3PRODSTYP as follows:
  • The following set types are assigned to the category MAT_, and therefore inherited by all material types:
    • COMM_PR_MAT (basic data on materials)
    • COMM_PR_SHTEXT (descriptions)
    • COMM_PR_UNIT (conversion of units of measure)
    • COMM_PR_LGTEXT1 (basic texts)
    • COMM_PR_GTIN (GTINs)
  • The following set types are also assigned to the category MAT_ if the status Sales is assigned to the material type in SAP ECC:
    • CRMM_PR_SALESA (sales: control fields, units of measure, and quantities)
    • CRMM_PR_SALESG (sales: groupings)
    • CRMM_PR_LGTEXT2 (sales: texts)
Subsequent Changes
Once you have replicated a hierarchy from SAP ECC you should not change the assignment to an application.
If you change the hierarchy assigned to an application, for example, Sales or Product, and then perform a material download, this causes an error. As a result of downloading the category, the SAP CRM hierarchy is extended with the new data.
Multiple Backends
  • If material types or the sales product hierarchy are replicated from several backends, the IDs are merged.
    Example EXAMPLE
    ERP1 has category 01, German name “Auto”
    ERP1 has category 02, German name “Fahrrad”
    ERP2 has category 02, English name “Cycle”
    ERP2 has category 03, English name “Motorbike”
    A download is performed firstly from ERP1, then from ERP2. The result is as follows:
    • Category 01 is not changed, as it is not contained in ERP2.
    • Category 02 is extended, an additional language is created and the existing language is overwritten.
    • Category 03 is created.
  • The behavior described above applies equally to material groups. However, this can be changed in Customizing. In Customizing for Customer Relationship Management, choose   Master Data   Products   Product Category   Define Settings for Downloading Product Categories from SAP ECC  .
  • Where the sales product hierarchy is downloaded from multiple backends, it is important that the numbering schemes in both ERP systems are the same.
Delta Download
A delta download is not available for Customizing objects. An initial download has to be repeated in the following cases:
  • There are new categories in SAP ECC or existing categories have been changed
    Repeat the initial download to replicate the changes.
  • Categories have been deleted in SAP ECC
    By repeating the initial download the category will be deleted in SAP CRM, but only if it is not being used.

Activities

During the download the system performs the following checks and issues error messages in certain cases. Typical situations in which you might need to check your data and make certain corrections are as follows:
  • Hierarchy is used for more than one application
    You have probably specified in Customizing (  Cross-Application Components   SAP Product   Product Category   Assign Category Hierarchies to Applications  ) that the same hierarchy is to be used for two applications. This is not allowed when downloading categories from SAP ECC. If a download has been performed, the entries should read as follows:
    •   Application Sales (01)   Hierarchy R3PRODHIER  
    •   Application Purchasing (02)   Hierarchy R3MATCLASS  
    •   Application Product (03)   Hierarchy R3PRODSTYP  
    If you want to use a hierarchy other than R3PRODSTYP as the base hierarchy for the product type Financing or Service, you can assign it specifically for the product type concerned. However, you should not do this for the product type Material, as this will cause the material types to be imported into this hierarchy.
  • Material groups cannot be imported into given hierarchy
    You have specified that the given hierarchy is to be used for the application Purchasing (02) (  Cross-Application Components   SAP Product   Product Category   Assign Category Hierarchies to Applications  ). This means that the material groups would be created in this hierarchy. You should delete this setting and, if hierarchy R3MATCLASS already exists, assign this hierarchy to the Purchasing application. The material groups will then be created in this hierarchy.
    However, if you want to import the material groups into the given hierarchy, leave your settings as they are and deactivate the error message in Customizing (  Customer Relationship Management   Master Data   Products   Basic Settings   Define System Message Characteristics  ).
  • Material types cannot be imported into given hierarchy
    You have specified that the given hierarchy is to be used for the application Product (03) and product type Material(  Cross-Application Components   SAP Product   Product Category   Assign Category Hierarchies to Applications  ). This means that the material types would be created in this hierarchy. You should delete this setting and, if hierarchy R3PRODSTYP already exists, assign this hierarchy to the Product application. The material types will then be created in this hierarchy.
    However, if you want to import the material types into the given hierarchy, leave your settings as they are and deactivate the error message in Customizing (  Customer Relationship Management   Master Data   Products   Basic Settings   Define System Message Characteristics  ). Note however that you are generally not advised to import material types into a customer-defined hierarchy.
  • Product hierarchy cannot be imported into given hierarchy
    You have specified that the given hierarchy is to be used for the application Sales (01) (   Cross-Application Components   SAP Produc   Product Category   Assign Category Hierarchies to Applications  ). This means that the ERP product hierarchies would be created in this hierarchy. You should delete this setting and, if hierarchy R3PRODHIER already exists, assign this hierarchy to the Sales application. The ERP product hierarchies will then be created in this hierarchy.
    However, if you want to import the ERP product hierarchies into the given hierarchy, leave your settings as they are and deactivate the error message in Customizing (  Customer Relationship Management   Master Data   Products   Basic Settings   Define System Message Characteristics  ). Note however that you are generally not advised to importERP product hierarchies into a customer-defined hierarchy.
  • Numbering scheme R3PRODHIER not maintained
    To import product hierarchies from SAP ECC you have to define the numbering scheme R3PRODHIER in SAP CRM. This numbering scheme must correspond to the structure PRODHS in SAP ECC. You do this in Customizing for Cross-Application Components, by choosing   SAP Product   Product Category   Define Category Numbering Schemes  .
  • Given category ID is not suitable for numbering scheme
    This refers to the download of product hierarchies. You should check your entries in table T179 in SAP ECC. The given product hierarchy does not comply with the R3PRODHIER numbering scheme defined in SAP CRM. You should correct either the entry in table T179 or the R3PRODHIER numbering scheme.
    After doing this, you restart the download for object DNL_CUST_PROD1 so that the new data is selected.

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