Variant Configuration with SAP

Dr. Uwe Blumöhr is Senior Education Consultant at SAP Germany. Since 1996, he has worked in the training and consulting area and he has many years of experience in the area of training, further education and qualification, in particular in variant configuration segment. Parts of the SAP training will form the basis for some sections of this book. Marin Ukalovic first experienced variant configuration in a training conducted by Dr. Uwe Blumöhr. Dr. Manfred Münch is Application Platform Process Architect at SAP Germany's Product Management and has worked at the development labs focusing on variant configuration since 1999. Moreover, he worked as a secretary of the SAP user group, Configuration Work Group (CWG), from 2001 to 2004. Marin Ukalovic is a Solution Architect for IM&C/Mill, Market Development, LE Manufacturing & High Tech at SAP Germany. Since 1999, he has committed his work on the subject of variant configuration. Moreover, he has been Member of the Board of Directors of the SAP user group, Configuration Work Group (CWG). He his familiar with every single aspect of this topic and he can give explanations that even laymen can understand easily.

Foreword
Introduction
Basic Principles of Variant Configuration
What Is Product Configuration?
What Is SAP Variant Configuration?
Enhancing Business Processes with Variant Configuration
Summary
Creating a Product Model for SAP Variant Configuration
Overview of the Modeling and Integration of Variant Configuration
Tools from the Classification System
Material Master, BOM, and Routing
Configuration Profile and Configuration Scenarios
Overview of Object Dependencies
Object Dependencies for the Value Assignment Interface or the Sales View
Object Dependencies for BOM and Routing
Pricing for Configurable Materials
Product Costing for Configurable Materials
Material Variants
How to Create a Product Model for the IPC
Summary
Business Processes in SAP ERP
Introduction--Variant Configuration in Business Processes
Variant Configuration with iPPE--Modeling
Integration of Variant Configuration--The Classic Process
Processes with Extended Integration Aspects
Planning and Variant Configuration
Summary
Customizing SAP ERP for Variant Configuration
Explicit Customizing of Variant Configuration
Classification System Customizing
Business Process Customizing Relevant for Variant Configuration
Summary
Special Features of Product Configuration in SAP CRM
Product Configuration in Different Channels
Configuration of Products versus Services
Procedure for Integrated Production in SAP ERP
Creating a Product Model Using the PME
IPC User Interface
Special Functions of the IPC User Interface
UI Designer (as of SAP CRM 7.0)
Summary
Challenges in Variant Configuration
Performance Optimization
Change Management
Complex System Configurations
Master Data Distribution with Product Data Replication (PDR)
Summary
Enhancements in SAP Industry Solution DIMP
Overview
DIMP--Discrete Industries and Mill Products
Special Requirements of the Mill Industry
Product Configuration Enhancements in SAP for Mill Products
Summary
Enhancements and Add-Ons in the SAP Partner Environment
Sybit Model Tester (Company: Sybit GmbH)
Sybit Configuration Visualizer (Company: Sybit GmbH)
VCPowerPack (Company: AICOMP Group)
it.cadpilot (Companies: itelligence AG and ACATEC Software GmbH)
Convenience Features for Sales, Marketing, and Modeling (Company: encoway GmbH)
top flow Framework and top flow-Variant Engine (Company: top flow GmbH)
Product Model Validation with ConfigScan (Companies: Fysbee SA and eSpline LLC)
Managing Variant Configuration (Company: eSpline LLC)
Summary
Project Lead Reports on Projects and Project Structures
""We're Implementing SAP!""--A Project Lead's Experience Report
Roles in a Variant Configuration Team
ASAP for Variant Configuration Projects
Summary
Customer Reports on the Introduction of SAP Variant Configuration
Progress of the Project at Getriebebau NORD
Configurable Materials at Krones AG
Progress of the Project at Hauni Maschinenbau AG
Variant Configuration at the Felix Schoeller Group
SAP at H&lsta and in the H&ls Corporate Group
Lenze Group--Past, Present, and Future Configuration
Product Configuration at Baldor Electric
Summary
Configuration Workgroup Introduction to the CWG
Tasks and Objectives
History
Organizational Structure
CWG Conferences
CWG Portal
CWG Sandbox System
Summary
Outlook for SAP Business ByDesign
SAP Business ByDesign
Product Configuration in Medium-Sized Businesses
Make to Order in SAP Business ByDesign
Product Configuration in SAP Business ByDesign
Summary
Appendices
Database Tables of Variant Configuration
APIs of Variant Configuration
User Exits of Variant Configuration
Comprehensive Examples of Variant Functions
The Authors
Index