Overview of unit effectivity

Unit effectivity is a method to control the validity of variations on an end item. You can use unit effectivity for pegging purposes, or to model exceptions from a standard end item so that you can make variations without having to define separate item codes. As a result, you do not need to maintain separate BOMs for every combination of variations. End items can be, for example, airplanes or touring cars.

The deviations consist of relatively small variations of the end item. For example, fitting red seats instead of blue ones, or a special type of radar or air-conditioning, in an otherwise standard type of airplane.

You can use unit effectivity to apply changes if:

  • Few changes are made.
  • The changes apply to relatively small subsets of the end item.
  • The changes result from customer requests, engineering, or production.
Maintaining concepts in unit effectivity

In unit effectivity, a number of concepts can be distinguished:

  • Effectivity unit

    An effectivity unit is a code that is linked to an end item for identification, and which can represent the deviation(s) from the standard end item. You can link an effectivity unit to manufactured items and purchased items. For more information, refer to Effectivity units.

  • Requirement

    A requirement in unit effectivity is a business reason that you define to describe the modifications and the variations for an item (the exceptions). The requirement is expressed by exceptions.

    Requirements can indicate, for example, regulations:

    • USA: USA regulations
    • EUR: European regulations
    • ASIA: Asian regulations

    Requirements can also, for example, concern an item’s model:

    • LIGHT: Model with limited features
    • NORMAL: Model with the normal features
    • ADVANCED: Model with advanced features
  • Exception

    An exception in unit effectivity is the definition of a deviation that applies to a unit effective item. An exception indicates, for example, whether a specific BOM line or a specific routing operation is used for an effectivity unit. Exceptions are often created as a result of customer requirements, or technology upgrades. For more information, refer to Exceptions in unit effectivity.

How to use unit effectivity

You can use unit effectivity in these ways:

  • To configure effectivity units

    Use effectivity units to define exceptions for an item’s series, or series’ subset. You can use this approach in low-volume production of complex products, for example, in aerospace and defence industries. Series are defined for a specific end item, for example, for an airplane. Exceptions are then defined, for example, for numbers 50-100 of an item’s series. This method is the way in which unit effectivity was used in former releases. For an example of this approach, refer to To configure effectivity units.

  • As a lean configurator in Sales

    Use effectivity units to configure items on individual sales order lines. You can use this approach in high-volume industries, such as electronics industries. Unit effectivity is then used as lean configurator. For an example of this approach, refer to Unit effectivity as a lean configurator in Sales.

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