Product variants in Sales

In Sales, you can generate product variants for configurable items, which are items that have the Configurable check box selected in the Items (tcibd0501m000) session.

In the Items (tcibd0501m000) session, Manufactured, Purchased, or Product items with the Default Supply Source set to Assembly and Generic items, are always configurable.

Note

For items with the default supply source set to Assembly in the Items (tcibd0501m000) session, the following are applicable:

If the Sell Multiples of Same Configuration check box is cleared in the Assembly Planning Parameters (tiapl0500m000) session, the order quantity is limited to one on a sales order line. Only if the Sell Multiples of Same Configuration check box is selected in the Assembly Planning Parameters (tiapl0500m000) session, you can enter an item with an order quantity greater than one and sell multiples of the same assembly product variant, which results in several assembly orders linked to one sales order line. To identify the product variant, the various assembly orders and the sales order line have the same specification. These items are also called assembly items. For more information, refer to Selling multiples of product variants for assembly and Assembly items.
The Configurator check box in the Assembly Planning Parameters (tiapl0500m000) session determines whether you must configure the item in Product Configuration or whether LN automatically generates a product variant for the item in the Product Variants - Inventory (Assembly) (tiapl3600m000) session.

Linking product variants

If the item is a configurable item, you can choose to immediately configure the item at line entry in the Sales Order Lines (tdsls4101m000) and Sales Quotation Lines (tdsls1501m000) sessions. If you want to configure the product variant after the sales line is saved, on the appropriate menu, click Configurator to configure the product variant from the Product Configurator (tipcf5120m000) session.

You can also choose to link an existing product variant in the Product Variant field of the Sales Order Lines (tdsls4101m000) and Sales Quotation Lines (tdsls1501m000) sessions.

Product variants can be configured or selected here:

Default Supply Source	Item on sales order/quotation	Configure by PCF parameter	Configure product variant	Select product variant from session:
Job Shop	Generic	Not applicable	Product Configurator (tipcf5120m000)	Product Variants (tipcf5501m000)
Assembly	Generic	Selected	Product Configurator (tipcf5120m000)	Product Variants - Inventory (Assembly) (tiapl3600m000)
Assembly	Generic	Cleared	Not applicable	Product Variants - Inventory (Assembly) (tiapl3600m000)
Assembly	Manufactured/Purchased/Product	Selected	Product Configurator (tipcf5120m000)	Product Variants - Inventory (Assembly) (tiapl3600m000)
Assembly	Manufactured/Purchased/Product	Cleared	Not applicable	Product Variants - Inventory (Assembly) (tiapl3600m000)

Note

If LN is integrated with the Product Configuration Management configurator, the product variant is configured in CPQ Configurator and not in the Product Configurator (tipcf5120m000) session. For more information, refer to CPQ Configurator set up.

Reusing product variants

On different sales order/quotation lines of the same sales order or quotation, a specific product variant can be used multiple times.

This functionality can only be used if the following settings are applicable:

The Identifying Item Code check box is selected in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session.
The Equate Project (PCS) with Sales Order check box is selected when generating a project structure for the configured item in the Generate (Project PCS) Structure for Sales Orders (tdsls4244m000) session.
The Allow reuse of Configurations check box is selected in the Product Configuration Parameters (tipcf0100m000) session.

Example

Generic item	Feature	Options
100: Chair X	Color	1: Red
	Color	2: Blue
	Height	1: A
	Height	2: B

Sales order/quotation after the configuration is saved:

Order	Position	Item	Description	Variant	Options chosen
123	5	Text	Classroom 1a	-	-
	10	100	Chair X	10	Color Red, Height A
	15	100	Chair X	11	Color Red, Height B
	20	Text	Classroom 1b	-	-
	25	100	Chair X	10	Color Red, Height A
	30	100	Chair X	11	Color Red, Height B

Sales order/quotation after the project structure is generated in the Generate (Project PCS) Structure for Sales Orders (tdsls4244m000) session:

Order	Position	Item	Description	Variant	Options chosen
	5	Text	Classroom 1a	-	-
123	10	100-1-A	Chair X, Color Red, Height A	10	Color Red, Height A
	15	100-1-B	Chair X, Color Red, Height B	11	Color Red, Height B
	20	Text	Classroom 1b	-	-
	25	100-1-A	Chair X, Color Red, Height A	10	Color Red, Height A
	30	100-1-B	Chair X, Color Red, Height B	11	Color Red, Height B

Checks applied in the example

After configuration of order line 15, the same item is found on line 10. The new item code of position 10 (123/100-1-A) and the item code of line 15 (123/100-1-B) are different. Therefore, order line 15 is accepted.
After configuration of order line 25, the same item with the same options is found on line 10. The new item code of position 10 and the item code of line 25 are the same: 123/100-1-A. Order line 25 can only be accepted if the Allow reuse of Configurations check box is selected.

The item code of position 10 and 25 are the same. In the Items (tcibd0501m000) session, the Product Variant for item 123/100-1-A is 10.

Important

The Generic Item - Settings for Data Generation (tipcf3101m000) session affects the expected result:

In the example, the settings from this session are used: the selected options are part of the generated item code. If you select another option, a different customized item code is generated.
If the settings for data generation are not specified in the Generic Item - Settings for Data Generation (tipcf3101m000) session, the customized item code is based on order number – item code, that is 123-100. In this case, position 15 would have resulted in an error message: the customized item code is the same as position 10 but the options are different.

Updating sales order lines and sales quotation lines

When you insert an existing product variant on the sales order/quotation line, these fields are updated on the sales order/quotation line:

Effectivity Unit	For items with the Default Supply Source set to Assembly and an effectivity unit linked to the product variant in Assembly Planning (APL).
Warehouse	For Manufactured, Purchased, or Product items with the Default Supply Source set to Assembly.
Work Center	For Generic items with the Default Supply Source set to Assembly.
Sales Price	-
Serial Number	Is updated when the linked assembly order is sequenced. The sales order cannot be released to Warehousing without this number.
Standard Cost	Is updated after you do one of the following: Click Calculate Standard Costs in the Product Variants (Assembly) (tiapl3500m000) session. Freeze the assembly order.

Note

For Manufactured, Purchased, or Product items with the Default Supply Source set to Assembly and the Sell Multiples of Same Configuration check box selected in the Assembly Planning Parameters (tiapl0500m000) session, multiple assembly orders can be linked to one sales order line, which means the sales order line cannot be updated with a serial number. Therefore, Warehousing enters serial numbers in a lot and serial set, which you can view by clicking the Lot and Serial Set button in the Sales Order Actual Delivery Lines (tdsls4106m000) session. Using this set, multiple serials are linked to the delivery line.

Updating product variants

When you change the Planned Delivery Date or the Order Date/ Quotation Date on the sales order/quotation line, the following fields are updated on the linked product variant:

Changed field on sales order/quotation line	Updated field on product variant	Update restrictions
Planned Delivery Date	Requested Offline Date	None
Planned Delivery Date	Planned Offline Date	Product variant status is Open. No assembly orders exist.
Planned Delivery Date	Product Configuration Date	Product variant status is Open. No assembly orders exist. The Configuration Date (PCS) is set to Delivery Date in the Sales Parameters (tdsls0100s000) session. The product variant is not configured by Product Configuration.
Order Date/ Quotation Date	Product Configuration Date	Product variant status is Open. No assembly orders exist. The Configuration Date (PCS) is set to Order Date in the Sales Parameters (tdsls0100s000) session. The product variant is not configured by Product Configuration.

Note

For Manufactured, Purchased, or Product items with the Default Supply Source set to Assembly and the Sell Multiples of Same Configuration check box selected in the Assembly Planning Parameters (tiapl0500m000) session, multiple assembly orders can be linked to one sales order line, and therefore multiple planned delivery dates can be applicable for a sales order line. As a result, date changes are not updated to the product variant.

Unlinking product variants

On the sales order/quotation line, you can unlink a product variant.

Unlinking does not remove the product variant, but removes only the reference to the sales order or quotation on the product variant and on the assembly order, if applicable. In the Product Variants (Assembly) (tiapl3500m000) and Product Variants (tipcf5501m000) sessions, the Reference Type remains Sales Order, Sales Quotation, or Standard Variant.

The unlinked product variant can be reused by another sales order/quotation.

Note

For items with the Default Supply Source set to Assembly, the following are applicable:

In the Assembly Planning Parameters (tiapl0100s000) session, the Allow Assembly Orders for unsold Product Variants check box determines when you can unlink product variants.
If the item is rejected during warehouse inspection, the product variant status changes to Canceled. You can then cancel the linked sales order line or remove the product variant from the sales order line. If required, you can link another product variant.