SAP Characteristics

One can create characteristics through the use of transaction code CT04 in the cross
application classification system of SAP.
A characteristic is a Specification master data which defines the specification and gives
it an identity in SAP. Characteristics describe the properties of objects.
Example: Characteristic “COLOR” has the values 'red', 'green', and 'blue'. When you
classify an object, you use this characteristic to specify the color of the object.
Example: Characteristic “Viscosity” has the values ’10 cP', ’20 cP', and ’30 cP'. When you
classify an object, you use this characteristic to specify the color of the object.
SAP Characteristics are mostly used to define specifications and record their values for
example “width of product”, “length of product”, “color of paint”, “density of steel coil”,
“tensile strength of steel coil”, “pH value of product”, “viscosity of product”, “carbon content
in steel”, “magnesium content in steel”, “etc. On the other hand you can define
characteristics to record values for “manufacturing line”, “shift supervisor” etc, SAP also
provides standard reference characteristics with automatic value recording for
characteristics like the “Production date”, “shelf life”, “last goods receipt date” etc.,
referencing the same from a SAP table and field.
As a consultant we can use characteristics in the material class or batch or variant class
to record values for certain features or characteristics which are not available in SAP or
not provided by SAP.
SAP Characteristics can be used to define values for a given feature in:
 A Batch Class defining the specifications and their values for the produced goods
 A Material Class defining the standard theoretical material specifications
 A Variant classes where specifications are used to configure a product according
to customer provided values
 Any other Class type where you have to define certain features and specifications
and give predefined values to it, as required.
When creating a characteristics, one needs to define the format for the values it would
carry (character alphanumeric or date or numeric format) and if required a predefined set
of values which are allowed for use at the time of result recording (Values in the character
format if the characteristics is a character format characteristics or the values can be
numerical in the form of single value or tolerance range. If the Characteristics have no
values, then any value can be recorded for the characteristics provided the “additional
values allowed indicator in the characteristics is set).
Note: There can be situations where the allowed tolerances changes material wise; in
which case you can leave the values section in Characteristics as blank and maintain the
required tolerances in the characteristics at the material master classification view for the
batch class.
Characteristics are also called as General characteristics and they differ totally from the
Master inspection Characteristics. A Characteristic is linked with the Master Inspection
Characteristics, so that the QM inspection data recorded against a Master Inspection
characteristic can flow in to the Characteristics of the Batch Record.
Eventually the characteristics are grouped together in a class to specify the set of
characteristics that belong to a particular group of Materials. This grouping of
characteristics is called “Creation of Class”. This Class is further Assigned to a set of
Materials that have the same set of characteristics.
Creation of SAP Characteristics
For creating characteristics you have to maintain at least the basic data view to specify
the name, description, group and format of the characteristics.
You can use the description tab to specify the description of the characteristics in various
languages used for log-on.
The Allowed values tab can be optionally used to restrict the values that would be used
while recording the characteristics.
The Additional data tab can be used to make the characteristics a reference characteristic
so that its values can be fetched from a standard SAP table. At the same you can set to
be a hidden characteristic or characteristics which would not carry any values at all.
The Last tab called the restrictions tab allows you to restrict the use of the characteristics
to a certain class type only. This again is optional. Not doing this allows you to use the
characteristics in any class type across the client.
Basic Data View

Name of Characteristics
If the name is more than one word then use underscores (underscore _) to separate the
words in the name. For example Characteristics steel carbon content can have a name
such as “CARBON_CONTENT”. It is always recommended that you should not use blank
or hyphens as a word separator.
Description of Characteristics
You can maintain a description of the characteristics name chosen. For example you can
have a description as – Carbon Chemistry %.
Characteristics Group
You can create a characteristics group in configuration, but you can choose not to use
this field.
Status
You should use the characteristics status to lock it for use or to release it for use in
classes. If you are creating in the process of creation, you can also choose the status –
“in Preparation”.
Format of Characteristics
One can create characteristics, to have a value in date format or character format
(alphanumeric value up to 30 characters) or a numeric value (with number of characters
and the number of decimals places within those characters and a UOM).
For example if you are creating a characteristics with characters as 5 and number of
decimals 3, it can carry a value as – 12.345 and if you are creating characteristics with
total characters as 7 and number of decimals as 2, then it can carry value as – 12345.67.
UOM
The UOM of the characteristics has to be pulled in from the drop-down available. If a
certain UOM does not exist in the drop down, you should create the UOM in the SPRO
(IMG customizing). Units of measure are defined in Customizing for Global Settings by
choosing Units of Measurement. Use the transaction code CUNI for creating or changing
the Unit of Measure (path SPRO >>> SAP NetWeaver >>> General Settings >>> Check
Unit of Measure.
Template of characteristics
You can have a predefined template with number of characters and decimals and UOM
preconfigured thereby avoiding the pain of entering characters, decimals and UOM.
Single or Multiple Values
You have to mention whether you want to maintain single value result or multiple value
(more than one value) result for the characteristics (when it is used).
Intervals allowed
When you choose intervals allowed, you can maintain values in the form of intervals for
numeric characteristics instead of maintain an absolute value. For example you can
maintain result value for the characteristics (wherever it is used in batch class or material
class) in the form of intervals. Note: If you want to activate the characteristics as an
intervals allowed then the characteristics should be marked as “Multiple Value”
Characteristics (This is a Mandatory requirement)
Restrictable Characteristics
You can restrict the allowed values for this characteristic in Variant configuration.
Entry required
When you feel that the users should always maintain/record a value for this
characteristics (wherever it is used), you should mark the characteristics as mandatorily
required for entry. If the characteristics is being used in a batch class with an entry
required indicator, then without a Characteristics value being entered for this
characteristics goods receipt is not saved (thus value becomes mandatory). Similarly if
the characteristic is used in a material class, a value entry for the characteristics in the
material master classification view becomes mandatory.
Assigning Object Dependencies
If you want to hide a characteristics value assignment or you want to hide the
characteristics, depending upon the value of other characteristics or if you want to assign
a value to a characteristics depending upon the value of other characteristics, then you
can make use of object dependencies and assign the same to the characteristics or to
the value of the characteristics which you want to govern.
You can assign the following type of object dependencies to a characteristics or
characteristics values:
A) Pre-conditions (Both Characteristics and Characteristcis values)
B) Selection Conditions (Both Characteristics)
C) Procedures (Both Characteristics and Characteristcis values)
1st Example: Pre-conditions for Characteristics Values
If you are producing a Honda car, then a "Accord EX" Brand can only have "Leather
Seating of Type AA".
Create two characteirstics "Brand" and "Seating" and assign both the characteristics the
material that is being produced, it can be a configurable material used in varaint
configuration or it can be a regular material whose value assignment needs to be
governed (it can be controlling the value assignment in materia class or a batch class or
in a variant class) see below:
Characteristics - BRAND -
01 - HONDA CITY
02 - HONDA CIVIC LX
03 - HONDA CIVIX EX
04 - HONDA ACCORD LX
05 - HONDA ACCORD EX
Characteristics - SEATING
01 - CLOTH SEATING TYPE TQ
02 - CLOTH SEATING TYPE HV
03 - LEATHER SEATING TYPE PT
04 - LEATHER SEATING TYPE AA ($SELF.BRAND = '05')
The object dependencies "Z01" - Precondition (just an example name) can be created as
a precondition with an algorithm $SELF.BRAND = '05'. The object dependency must be
assigned to the value 04 - Leather Seating of Type AA of the characteristics "Seating"
2nd Example: Pre-conditions for Characteristics Values
You may also want to hide the characteristics Value - "04" (Leather seating of type AA)
for characteristics "Seating", if the characteristics "Brand" does not have a value "05"
(Honda Accord EX), then you need to create a object dependency "Z02" and assign it to
the characteristics value "04" of the characteristics "Seating"
Object Dependency - Z02 - Precondition - $SELF.BRAND = '05' and SPECIFIED BRAND
3rd Example: Pre-conditions for Characteristics
The characteristics "Seating" is available for use and value assignment if the value of the
characteristics "Brand" is "05" (Honda Accord EX). To have the characteirstics open, you
can do so by assigning an object dependency (Z03) to the characteristics "Seating" at the
header level.
Object dependency Z03 - Precondition - $SELF.BRAND = '05'
4th Example: Pre-conditions for Characteristics Values
You may also want to hide the characteristics "Seating", if the characteristics "Brand"
does not have a value "05" (Honda Accord EX), then you need to create a object
dependency "Z04" and assign it to the characteristics "Seating" at the header level.
Object Dependency - Z04 - Precondition - $SELF.BRAND = '05' and SPECIFIED BRAND
5th: Selection Condition for Characteristics
Assigning Selection Conditions to a characteristics would make it mandatory for the value
assignment to the characteristics based on a value assigned to the other characteristics.
The characteristics "Seating" should be entered with a characteristics value if the value
of the characteristics "Brand" is "05" (Honda Accord EX). To have the characteirstics
mandatory for input, you can do so by assigning an object dependency (Z05) to the
characteristics "Seating" at the header level.
Object dependency Z05 - Selection condition = $SELF.BRAND = '05'
An object dependency - Z03 - Precondition added to the characteristics would unhide the
characteristics "Seating" if brand = 05 (Honda Accord EX) - $SELF.BRAND = '05'
Both the precondition and selection condition working together would firstly unhide the
characteristics and make an entry mandatory respectively.
6th: Procedures for Characteristics
Procedures are object dependencies which are used to infer the characteristics values.
Procedures can be used at characteristics header level or at characteristics value level.
In varaint configuration scenarios you can assign procedures to the configuration profiles.
In Variant configuration, procedures can be used to change BOM quantity or change the
Routing/Recipe Standard Values.
Procedures are also used to default values to characteristics.
For example:
When you are in a business of manufacturing of steel, you can have the theoretical weight
of the steel billets inferred through the weight and length of the billet as shown below:
Characteristics
Width = P m
Length = Q m
Height = R m
Weight = ? cubic meter
Packing_Type =
$SELF.Weight = $Self. width * $Self.Length * $Self.Height
Similarly, you can also infer the value of characteristics "Packing_Type" depending upon
the weight of the steel billet. Use a source code as below:
$Self. Packing_type = 'CONTAINER1' IF $Self.Weight < 100
$Self.Packing_type = 'CONTAINER2' IF $self.Weight > 100
Descriptions View

Maintaining Descriptions
You can maintain descriptions in various languages to have the description shown when
a user logs on in various other languages other than English. The other use of
descriptions is for printing them on forms or certificates that you may send to the customer
with the characteristics value.
If you want to maintain in other languages other than English, then you can enter the
language code and enter the description in that language. If you don’t maintain the
description in other languages, then on, logging-in SAP in that given language, you would
not see the description of the characteristics.
Values View

In this view, you can predefine allowed values for the characteristics.
If the characteristic is a character format characteristic (COLOR), you can manually define
the allowed value as RED, YELLOW, BLUE, GREEN. The number of characters used to
define the value should be equal to the allowed characters define in the basic data view
of the characteristics.
If the characteristic is a numeric format characteristic (pH), you can manually define the
allowed value as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 pH. The number of characters used to define the value
should be equal to the allowed characters define in the basic data view of the
characteristics. For numerical characteristics you can also define tolerance ranges within
which the characteristics values should be set or you can define the allowed values to be
equal to or greater than or less than a certain value.
Other Value Check
The “other value check” option allows you to enter the allowed values manually or fetch
the same through a ‘check table’ maintained in SAP or to restrict the allowed values
through a logic programmed in a functional module or have the allowed values directly
brought in from a QM catalog for character format characteristics as shown below:
Additional Data View:

You can define the characteristics as reference characteristics to pull in the values of the
characteristics from a standard ‘SAP Table – Field Combination’. Enter the Table name
and the field name in the tab area as shown in the screen below:
a) Table Name – Define the SAP Table name where the values are referenced from while
recording the Characteristics
b) Field Name – Define the SAP Field name where the values are referenced from while
recording the Characteristics
Not ready for input
If you select this indicator for the characteristic, the values cannot be entered manually
and would be referenced automatically or entered through other programmatic methods.
No Display
The Characteristics is hidden and you have to press the “Hidden Characteristics” Button
to see these characteristics.
Display Allowed Values
The allowed values are shown on the screen below the characteristics; you don’t have to
pull-down to see the allowed values.
Restriction View

If you want to restrict a Characteristics for use in a particular Class Type, then you can
enter the Class types that you are restricting the characteristics to, in the Restrictions Tab,
For Example if you want to use a characteristics “G2I_VISCOSITY” in the Batch Class
type 023, and not in the Material Class type- 001, then don’t enter 001 in the restrictions
tab.
If you don’t use the restrictions, you can use the characteristics in any class type as
required.
SAP Class and Class Type

SAP Class and Class Type

Define Class and Class Type
You can use SAP transaction code CL01 (CL02/CL03) to create a characteristics.
Instead of directly assigning the characteristics to an object like the material master or a
batch, SAP has come up with a simpler solution, where it first assigns the characteristics
to a class and then assigns the class to the object.
Classes are created for a class type, for example, if you want to create a class assigned
with characteristics for defining the material features, then the class type is called
“material class type – 001”, if you are creating a class with a set of characteristics to be
used for recording the batch related values, then you have to create the class with a
“batch class type – 022 or 023” etc, etc. A class is created for a purpose, for assignment
to a certain object and for a certain reason; this very reason defines the class type of the
class.
A class is created with a class type, name and description (in languages required) and
with the set of characteristics required for recording values against the class.
The class type determines how classes are processed, and how objects can be classified
and retrieved in these classes. You define class types for a specific object type, such as
materials.
 Material class
 Batch class
Class Where-Used List
If you run the where-used list for classes, you can see the assigned objects to the classes.
For this you would need to go to CL02 or CL03 Transaction menu >>> environment >>>
Press where-Used List. You could also use the transaction codes CL30N - Find Objects
in Classes or CL31 - Find Object in Class Type or CL6BN - Object List
Class List Report
You can use the class list to check the list of classes and the assigned characteristics
with their formats. Similarly you can check the class hierarchy using the CL6B transaction
code in SAP.
Creation of SAP Class and Class Type
Classes are created individually in SAP using the CL01 transaction code while class types
are pre-configured by SAP.
Following steps are required to create a class:
Basic Data View

The Basic Data view contains the following. You should first enter values for the Basic
data view explained as below:
• The class type for which you are creating the class for
• The Name of the class
• The Description of the class. You can also define keywords for the class.
• The Validity of the class with the “valid from” and the “valid to” dates
• Status: You should use the characteristics status to lock it for use or to release
it for use in classes. If you are creating in the process of creation, you can also
choose the status – “in Preparation”
 • Class Group: The classification of a class or the grouping of the class helps
in reporting or retrieving a certain class.
• Assignment of the class to an organization area like Sales, purchasing,
production, where the characteristics of the class are going to be used. This is
really optional
• “Do not check” for identical characteristics values in the classification of an
different object of the same class
• When identical values are assigned to the classification of different object
using the same class, the system issues a warning – Check with warning
• When identical values are assigned to the classification of different object
using the same class, the system issues a error – Check with error
• Authorization restriction for maintaining, using the class for classification and
searching objects of the class.
• Assignment indicator – defines whether objects are already assigned to the
class.
Characteristics View

In the characteristics tab, you have to enter the name of the characteristics which is
required to be assigned to the class. Pressing F1 on the characteristics in the
characteristics tab would divert you to the characteristics master data. When you insert
characteristics in the characteristics tab, the format of the characteristics is also pulled in.
Documents View
You can also assign documents to the class through the documents view
Assignment of SAP Classes to Objects

Assign of Classes to Objects

The classes have to be assigned to the objects. Objects in SAP are mostly materials;
though they can be other objects in SAP where classification is required (this is not
discussed here). Assignment of classes to material, indirectly assigns the characteristics
to the objects or the material master.
Class Where-Used List
If you run the where-used list for classes, you can see the assigned objects to the classes.
For this you would need to go to CL02 or CL03 Transaction menu >>> environment >>>
Press where-Used List. You could also use the transaction codes CL30N - Find Objects
in Classes or CL31 - Find Object in Class Type or CL6BN - Object List
What are Objects
 If you wish include batch class to capture batch management characteristics
values at the point of goods receipt from the order, you should assign the material
with a ‘batch classes’ (class type 022 or 023)
 If you wish include material class to capture material (product features)
characteristics values at the point of creating a material, you should assign the
material with a ‘material classes’ (class type 001)
 If you wish include variant configuration class to capture configuration values with
characteristics at the point of creating a sales order, you should assign the
configurable material with Variant class (300)
 Similarly if you are trying to use configurable class – 200 to the materials so as to
use the same in variant configuration, you should assign the class 200 in the
material variants (and not in the configurable material).
Create Assignment of Classes to Objects
The assignment of the classes to the objects is carried out using the following methods:
 The material master (MM01 or MM02) itself in the classification view
Example:
Material Master Classification View:
Material = M1
Assignment Class 1
Assignment Class 2
Assignment Class 3
Assignment Class 4
Assignment Class n
 Or through the use of CL20 (Assignment of classes of single class type to
single material master)
Example:
Material = M1
Class Type = 023
Assignment Class 1
Assignment Class 2
Assignment Class 3
Assignment Class 4
Assignment Class n
 Or through the use of CL24N (Assignment of single class of a single class
type to multiple materials)
Example:
Class = XYZ
Class Type = 023
Assignment Material 1
Assignment Material 2
Assignment Material 3
Assignment Material 4
Assignment Material n
  Or assign classes to a superior class, thus creating class hierarchies through
the use of CL22N
Example:
Class = XYZ
Assignment of class 1
Assignment of class 2
Assignment of class 3
Assignment of class 4
Assignment of class n
Other Points about SAP Classification

Other Points about SAP Classification

Other important points and tricks about SAP Characteristics and Classes:
Changing characteristics or removing characteristics from the class:
When a SAP Characteristic is used in any class and assigned to the objects (for example
– material, batch etc) and further classified in objects with values (like in material master
or batches), it becomes really difficult to remove the assignment of the characteristics
from the class or change the characteristics master data (especially for format).
If you wish to really remove the assignments or change the characteristics (you would
have to go back in the same route you have come):
1st: First you would have to use the where used list for the characteristics and find out the
objects to which it is assigned. You will get a list of classes and the objects (materials and
batches) to which the characteristic is assigned to.
2nd: You would have then ‘remove or delete’ any classification values set on all the objects
for the characteristics or class (material or batch). For deleting the whole classification,
there is a provision especially in the batches initiated by pressing the “delete classification
button”. On the other hand, you may also removing values for the required characteristics
from all the objects. To go to the classification area, you should go to classification tab in
the batches or in the classification view of the material master.
3rd: After the steps 1 and 2 are done, the system would let you remove the ‘characteristics’
from the class or classes. This removes any connection of the characteristics with the
classes and the objects.
4th: Then you can change the characteristics master data for the format; you may create
new characteristics with the correct details and then reassign it to the class or classes.
Note: There is a program in SAP to remove or delete the characteristics from the classes
even though they are classified in objects. This Standard SAP program “RCCLZUOB”
can be used.
Deleting the class:
Follow the below steps so to delete a class. The system will not let you delete the class,
if the class is already assigned to objects and they are classified in materials or in batches
or in variant classes.
1st: For deleting the class, you would have to go in to the where-used list of the class and
find out the objects to which it is assigned to (for example – materials, batches).
2nd: Then you should go individually in to the materials to remove the assignment of
classes from the materials; alternatively you can go in to CL24N to remove the
assignment of materials for the class and class type.
If the system does not let you remove the assignment of the classes from the materials
then you should delete the classification (i.e., delete all the classified value for the material
or in other words remove the classified values for all the assigned objects). If the class is
a batch class you should go and delete the classification from the batches classification
view and for material class you should go in to the material master and remove the
material classification values. This will let you delete the class… 
3rd: Deleting the assignment of the objects would let you delete the class using CL02
transaction.