Master data for unit effectivity

Unit effective item

An effectivity unit exists only in combination with an item and does not exist independently. The items for which units are generated are called unit effective items. Usually, the unit effective item is the top-level item of a multi-level structure for which a sales order is created. However, end items do not have to be unit effective. If, for example, you create a sales order or production order for an item, you can enter an effectivity unit even if the item is not unit effective, or even if the unit belongs to a different unit effective item. In this way, selling spare parts or subassemblies for a specific configuration is supported.

If multiple unit effective end items exist, you can use the connection between unit and end item to trace easily for which top-level item an activity is performed upstream in the production process.

Suppose that a conveyor belt is a unit effective end item, and unit 15 is defined for the conveyor. In that situation, a user can trace back lower level purchase orders and production orders to that specific conveyor. Refer to the following figure:

To define an item as unit effective, in the Items (tcibd0501m000) details session, on the Unit Effectivity tab, select the Unit Effective End Item check box.

Effectivity series

Units are unique numbers generated by LN. These numbers do not make any sense to users. Instead, users want to have codes that make sense to them. Therefore, before the unit is generated, users can enter an identification code for each occurrence of an item. This code consists of a series code and a sequence number. To define multiple sequence numbers simultaneously, you can simply enter the first sequence number and the last sequence number that you want to define. For every sequence number in combination with the series code, LN generates a unique unit code.

For example, you can generate 20 sequence numbers for the AGR (agricultural) series. You can perform this process in the Items - Effectivity Series (tcuef0101m000) session.

Units

After you define the first and the last sequence number of the series, LN generates the units for every sequence number of the series. Start the Items - Effectivity Series (tcuef0101m000) session, and on the appropriate menu, click Generate Units.

LN generates a unit for every sequence number.

Standard configuration and exceptions

For many entities in LN, you can determine whether the entities belong to the standard configuration, or whether the entities are only valid for a specific unit.

You must define on the entity, for example, the BOM line, whether the entity belongs to the standard configuration or to a specific unit. A so-called exception, which is related to the entity, is used to define whether that entity is valid or not for a specific unit. LN uses the following logic to verify if an entity is valid, that is effective or selected, for a specific entity:

If one of the following statements is true, an entity is valid for a unit:

  • The entity belongs to the standard configuration.
  • The entity does not belong to the standard configuration, but the entity is valid for the specified unit.

If one of the following is true, an entity is invalid for a unit:

  • The entity does not belong to the standard configuration.
  • The entity belongs to the standard configuration but the entity is invalid for the specified unit.

In other words, if an entity belongs to the standard configuration, the entity is valid for all units unless an exception specifies that the entity is invalid for a unit. If an entity does not belong to the standard configuration, the entity is invalid for a all units, unless an exception specifies that the entity is valid for a specific unit.

For example, you can define that two BOM lines of the conveyor, BELT LONG and BELT THICK, belong to specific units. Those BOM lines do not belong to the standard configuration. The other BOM lines of the conveyor belong to the standard configuration.

Exceptions enable you to specify whether entities are valid or invalid for specific units. To define exceptions, you must use the Exceptions (tcuef0105m000) session, which you can start from the sessions in which unit effective entities are defined, for example, the Bill of Material (tibom1110m000) session and the Routing Operations (tirou1102m000) session.

In the example, the conveyor component BELT LONG is valid for unit 9584. You specify this in an exception for that BOM line. To start the Exceptions (tcuef0105m000) session, click Exceptions in the Bill of Material (tibom1110m000) session.

The Exceptions (tcuef0105m000) session already contains the BOM line data. You must only specify for which unit the BOM line is valid or invalid. In the example, you specify that the BOM is valid for unit 9584.

After you define exceptions for a unit effective entity, you can exclude the entity, in this case, the BOM line, from the standard configuration by clearing the Standard Configuration check box in the Bill of Material (tibom1110m000) session.

If the entity does not have any exceptions, you cannot specify whether or not an entity belongs to the standard configuration. If no exceptions are linked, and you can clear the Standard Configuration check box, the entity is valid neither for the standard configuration nor for an effectivity unit.

For example, if BELT STANDARD is part of the standard configuration, but that item must be invalid for unit 9584 and 9585, you can specify this by exceptions.

Requirements

You can define the validity of entities at requirement level. In the exceptions, you can define for which requirement an entity is valid or invalid.

You define requirements in the Requirements (tcuef0106m000) session.

For every requirement, you define the related effectivity units in the Requirement - Effectivity Units (tcuef0107m000) session.

Linking effectivity units to requirements is useful if you want to define an exception for multiple effectivity units simultaneously. If, for example, an exception is required in the BOM of item conveyor, you can define the exception for a specific requirement, after which the exception is valid for all effectivity units linked to the requirement. In this way, you do not need to define the exception for every effectivity unit separately.

In the example, the long belt, a BOM component of the conveyor, is valid for requirement LB. If you define this in an exception, the BOM line is automatically valid for unit 9584 and 9587.

You cannot refer both to a requirement and a unit in one exception. You can define an exception at requirement level or at unit level.

Group requirements

In the Item - Requirements (tcuef0108m000) session, you can group requirements by linking them to a specific entity or entity combination. The following entities can be used to group requirements:

  • Sold-to business partner
  • Ship-to country
  • Ship-from warehouse
  • End item

You can use grouped requirements during sales order entry. If you enter a sales order for a specific sold-to business partner, ship-to country, ship-from warehouse, end item, or combination of entities, you can start the Item - Requirements (tcuef0108m000) session from the Effectivity Unit (tcuef0102m000) session to find the applicable requirements. If required, however, you can still select requirements that are not defined in the Item - Requirements (tcuef0108m000) session.

Default requirements

In the Item - Requirements (tcuef0108m000) session, you can also define requirements as defaults. If you enter a sales order, and multiple sets of requirements apply to the sales order, LN retrieves only the default requirements.

For example, you define a number of requirements for a specific end item, of which some of the requirements are defaults. You also define some default requirements for a specific sold-to business partner. If you create a sales order for this specific end item and sold-to business partner, LN retrieves only the default requirements.

Setting up interchangeability

You can set up interchangeability at various levels:

  • Company level
  • Item level
  • Series level

Company level

If the All Effectivity Units are Interchangeable check box is selected in the Unit Effectivity Parameters (tcuef0100s000) session, all units in a specific company are interchangeable. This setting overrules all other interchangeability settings at lower levels.

Item level

If the Effectivity Units are Interchangeable check box is selected in the Items (tcibd0501m000) details session, all units of a specific item are interchangeable. This setting overrules interchangeability settings at series level.

Series level

The most detailed level at which you can define interchangeability is the series level. At series level, you can select the following check boxes:

  • If the Interchangeable in Series check box is selected in the Items - Effectivity Series (tcuef0101m000) session, all units in the series specified in the Unit Series field are interchangeable.
  • If the Interchangeable with other Interchangeable Series check box is selected in the Items - Effectivity Series (tcuef0101m000) session, the units of the series specified in the Unit Series field are interchangeable with the units of any other series of the same item for which the Interchangeable with other Interchangeable Series check box is selected.
  • If the Interchangeable with Standard Configuration and vice versa check box is selected in the Items - Effectivity Series (tcuef0101m000) session, the units of the series that is specified in the Unit Series field are interchangeable with the standard configuration. Technically speaking, the standard configuration is unit 0 (zero).

The All Effectivity Units are Interchangeable check box and the End Item is Interchangeable check box in the Items - Effectivity Series (tcuef0101m000) session display the settings you made on company level or item level. If one of those check boxes is selected, you cannot select the other check box.

Configuring units

You can configure units in the Effectivity Unit (tcuef0102m000) session. In this session, you can carry out the following processes:

  • Link requirements
  • Calculate standard costs by unit
  • Link sales characteristics
  • Define process variables

You usually configure units on sales order lines. You can, however, configure every unit in LN.

Sales prices

You can specify an upgrade price for every requirement. Based on the selected requirements for an effectivity unit, LN adds the upgrade prices to the sales price, which can result in a different sales price for every effectivity unit. The final sales price that is displayed on the sales order line includes the requirements’ upgrade prices.

You must define unit upgrade prices in the Requirements (tcuef0106m000) session.