Material Status Management in SAP with APICON Data Master
During the lifecycle of a material in SAP, it passes through various material statuses that must be set accordingly. The following use cases from a customer project illustrate how materials can be efficiently managed and, if necessary, deactivated through SAP status changes and automation in the Data Master.
Initial Situation
In this case, there are three key statuses for materials:
01: Released for production
02: Phase-out: No further production, remaining stock available
03: Material is deactivated: i.e., no longer sold or produced
Managing Obsolete Finished Parts in the Data Master
In the first use case, it was decided to deactivate certain finished parts because they are no longer actively used in sales or production. The goal is to maintain a list of these materials in the Data Master and carry out the necessary steps for status adjustment.
Steps for Status Change in SAP
To make the deactivation process effective, the following steps are planned in the first use case:
Maintain an internal note: Every material being deactivated receives an internal note.
Attach a document: A document explaining this status change is attached to the material.
Set material status: The status is changed from 01 to 02, placing the material in the “phase-out” state.
Adjust procurement: The material is set to “non-disposable” (not available for procurement).
Check usage in BOMs: For semi-finished products in bills of materials (BOMs), it is checked whether they are still used in other BOMs. If not, the material number is noted and the responsible recipients are informed. This allows further checks and prepares the semi-finished parts used in production for deactivation.
Check packaging materials: Finally, a check is performed for packaging materials and other components that can also be deactivated.
Automated Check of Raw Materials
The second use case involves checking semi-finished products and their raw materials for further usage. The Data Master is used to make the internal material phase-out planning cycle more efficient:
Reading materials: Semi-finished products are identified, and it is checked whether their raw materials are still used in other BOMs.
Status adjustment for raw materials: If there is no further usage, the raw material status is set to 02 (phase-out).
Information to relevant recipients: The affected recipients are informed via notification email about the status change.
Final Deactivation of Materials
In the third use case, materials that are already in the “phase-out” status are finally set to inactive.
Reading materials: Materials in “phase-out” status with no remaining stock are listed.
Status adjustment of materials: Since no stock remains, the status can be set to 03 (inactive). These materials can no longer be used in purchasing, production, or other areas. The material is considered fully deactivated.
Automation and Objectives
The goal of this process is to automate all steps that were previously performed manually by employees and to handle them centrally in the Data Master. Automation offers the advantage of faster status adjustments and reduces the risk of errors. Every status change is documented with an internal note and communicated to the relevant parties via notification email.
Conclusion
Through automation in the Data Master and targeted status adjustments in SAP, material phase-out is significantly simplified in this company. These processes ensure not only optimized management but also smooth communication within teams. The use case demonstrates how crucial efficient and well-documented material management is to optimize production processes and keep inventory under control.