Defining alternative and replacement items

You can use alternative items and replacement items for items you sell to customers.

The difference between alternative items and replacement items:

An alternative item is an item that you can sell if the standard item is out of stock. A standard item can have multiple alternative items.
A replacement item is an item that replaces another item that is no longer sold. A replaced item can have only one replacement item.

You define both alternative items and replacement items in the Alternative Items (tcibd0505m000) session. The items must be of the Product, Purchased, Manufactured, or Generic type.

Alternative items

To define an alternative item for an item:

Start the Alternative Items (tcibd0505m000) session.
Specify the original item in the Alternative Items (tcibd0505m000) session.
Specify the original item's alternative item or items in the Alternative Items (tcibd0105s000) session. If several alternative items can substitute an original item, you must assign a priority to the alternative item in the Priority field.
Specify the values of the other fields as required.
If the sold-to business partner accepts a combined shipment of the available quantity of the original item as well as alternative items, select the Allow Shipment of Multiple Alternative Items check box in the Sold-to Business Partner (tccom4110s000) session.

Replacement items

A replacement item can be used as a replacement for the original item. In general, the replaced item has different properties than the original item.

For example, you sell a machine of which you created an improved version. The old and new versions have different item codes. You define the new item to be the replacement item of the original item.

An item can have only one replacement item. If, after some time, the replacement item itself is replaced, you can again define a replacement item for the replacement item.

To define a replacement item for an item:

Start the Alternative Items (tcibd0505m000) session.
Specify the original item in the Alternative Items (tcibd0505m000) session.
Specify the original item's replacement item in the Alternative Item field of the Alternative Items (tcibd0105s000) session.
Clear the Reverse and the Interchangeable check boxes.
Select the Replacement check box.
Specify the values of the other fields as required.

Type of replacement

The Type of Replacement field in the Alternative Items (tcibd0505m000) session shows the type of replacement for each alternative item and replacement item.

Example

Last year, item M0023 was replaced by item M0023A. Item M0023A was replaced by item M0023B.

You defined item M0044 as an alternative item for item M0023B, to be used if M0023B is out of stock. Item M0044 has no replacement relationships.

Item	Type of Replacement
M0023	Replaced
M0023A	Replaced Substitute
M0023B	Substitute
M0044	Not Applicable