In a project for our global client producing semiconductors and supporting the construction of the so-called smart cities, operating in over 30 countries, All for One Poland’s Digital Transformation Center project team, together with the client and its leading partner, agreed on the scope of support during migration to SAP S/4HANA. Due to the complexity of the required change and in order to avoid creating too many transports with changes during the migration, the client commissioned us to support the remodeling of the material hierarchy and integration in the transformation tool. The product hierarchy can consist of eighteen characters, and aggregation levels can be combined in various ways.

The tasks of DTC in the area of changing the product hierarchy model included:

  • Restructuring the hierarchy levels in the T179 and T179T configuration tables;
  • Change of hierarchy assignments for material data at the master data level (MARA-PRDHA, MVKE-PRODH);
  • Customization of data at the transactional data level:
    • Sales order line items (VBAP-PRODH);
    • Document line item profitability segment;
    • Delivery document line items (LIPS-PRODH);
    • Billing line items with profitability segment (VBRP-PRODH);
    • Profitability analysis documents;
  • Custom tables, the so-called Z-tables (e.g. Zxxx*);
  • Tables with price conditions Axxx – Ayyy (field mappings, e.g. A516 -> A543);
  • Material listing/exclusion tables;
  • LIS (Logistics Information System) statistical tables.

The change to the product hierarchy model involved changing the length of the hierarchy from 18 characters to 9, and changing the aggregation levels from 8 levels to 4. In simple terms, the task of the DTC team was to remove the first 10 characters from an 18-character hierarchy and add the prefix “R", resulting in a new hierarchy of 9 characters in length. Example 1. illustrates the expectations regarding the change for the T179 configuration table. Example 2. illustrates the expectations regarding the product hierarchy mapping for master data – MARA and MVKE tables.

Example 1. Change of the hierarchy length from 18 characters to 9 for T179 configuration table

Example 2. Product hierarchy mapping rules for master data – MARA and MVKE tables

The tasks on the customer/partner side in the area of changing the product hierarchy model included:

  • Defining the list of tables and rules for changing the hierarchy model;
  • Changing the way the hierarchy is displayed in the SAP system configuration (hierarchy layout);
  • Customization of fields in the tables with a change in the hierarchy aggregation level (e.g. PRODH4 with 2 characters to PRODH1 with 3 characters);
  • Customization of customer programs (code changes).

All persons involved in the change of the material hierarchy model developed an appropriate form of communication in order to efficiently submit questions. Supervision of the work was established appropriately between the partner representing the customer and the DTC consultant specializing in the material hierarchy model area.

The model change and data update steps were integrated in CrystalBridge in the Transformation Cockpit module and are an integral part of the tasks performed during the migration to S/4. Our SD and MM consultants duly provided feedback to the customer to overcome any difficulties related to the data change during the test phase. The requirement was also added to the project documentation and is being updated on an ongoing basis as agreed in the project.