Hierarchy
SAP_APPL (Software Component) Logistics and Accounting⤷
CA-GTF (Application Component) General Application Functions⤷
BAM (Package) Technical Application Analysis
Basic Data
| Data Element | NODE94000 |
| Short Description | Documentation for variant configuration node |
Data Type
| Category of Dictionary Type | D | Domain |
| Type of Object Referenced | No Information | |
| Domain / Name of Reference Type | CHAR1 | |
| Data Type | CHAR | Character String |
| Length | 1 | |
| Decimal Places | 0 | |
| Output Length | 1 | |
| Value Table |
Further Characteristics
| Search Help: Name | ||
| Search Help: Parameters | ||
| Parameter ID | ||
| Default Component name | ||
| Change document | ||
| No Input History | ||
| Basic direction is set to LTR | ||
| No BIDI Filtering |
Field Label
| Length | Field Label | |
| Short | 10 | 1 |
| Medium | 15 | 1 |
| Long | 20 | 1 |
| Heading | 1 | 1 |
Documentation
Description
The key figures here are related to the core areas in variant configuration within SAP Sales and Distribution Processing (SD).
Variant configuration is often the cause of bottlenecks in processing because the configuration can be extremely complex and may need to be used frequently (once for every item) within one document.
Critical factors include the number of characteristics and characteristic features of a standard product as well their descriptions and dependencies. Bills of materials and their items with characteristics as well as the related object dependencies have a considerable influence on the results and length of the configuration transaction.
The way in which the configuration is modelled optimizes performance and determines how many system resources are needed when you use variant configuration.
In some of the detailed overviews, you can call up a special analysis tool for checking a standard product.
The variant configuration is also used by other SAP applications.
Focus points
Includes the parts of the function that need a lot of resources.
Experience has shown that this depends on how complex the standard product is, in other words
the number of characteristics
the number of features for each characteristic
how complex the dependencies are (global/local/constants/functions)
how efficient the function coding is
whether pre- and selection conditions exist and what their features are
the choice of overview elements in the user interface
the choice of configuration results
where the configuration can be used (production planning, sales and distribution and so on)
the features of batch determination (charge tables in the configuration or standard SD batch determination)
the way in which follow-up processes are configured (planned or production orders for assembly or make-to-order production with or without availability checks)
how often it is used
and whether steps are taken in the SAP standard system to optimize performance such as "runtime" objects, table buffers,and the use of existing categories.
If master data constellations are configured unfavorably this could adversely affect runtimes during document processing. This is particularly the case if the model is "deep" and "narrow" (few standard products with several characteristics and extensive dependencies) instead of being "wide" and "shallow" (several standard products with few characteristics and few dependencies).
For example:
One standard product has 100 characteristics each with 4 features. The product is sold 2000 times a day and this is likely to increase. However the system can only process the volumes required with difficulty.
To improve performance, it would be better to define 10 standard products each with 10 characteristics.
This would make it quicker to structure document items and dependencies would be less complex. This would require less calculation time, service and entry would be quicker and easier and maintaining the models would also be easier and more secure. Test phases would be reduced.
In this example, by dividing the standard product into several "smaller" standard products, each with fewer characteristics, an optimized model is created which allows you to keep up with production rates and stay on top of expanding markets.
To define and change models in variant configuration, you need to think carefully about both the business and technical decisions you will make, particularly if different areas within a company will be affected.
You should not do it without the help of an experienced person, trained for this particular task.
Test scenarios as well as extensive function and performance tests are crucial.
In addition, you should also consider any other system parts (such as user exits) that are normally used for customer-specific enhancements in a standard SAP implementation.
Note
See the relevant documentation in SAP-TechNet.
History
| Last changed by/on | SAP | 19990223 |
| SAP Release Created in |
