Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Manual Item category with standard materials ....................................................................................... 3
Manual schedule line category with standard materials .......................................................................... 4
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 5
Manual Item category with AFS materials ................................................................................................ 5
Manual schedule line category with AFS materials .................................................................................. 6
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Technical background ................................................................................................................................... 7



Introduction
In SAP, we have an option to change the item category or schedule line category manually in the sales
order. Prior to do it in the sales order, you need to customize the item category / schedule line category
assignment.
You can assign Manual Item category in the IMG path, Sales and Distribution / Sales / Sales Documents
/ Sales Document Item / Assign Item Categories


Same manner you can assign Manual Schedule Line category in the IMG path, Sales and Distribution /
Sales / Sales Documents / Schedule Lines / Assign Schedule Line Categories


If you have above settings in place, you can manually override the default item category / Schedule line
category in the sales order item.
Manual Item category with standard materials
Lets see this scenario with a standard material AW99. When I create the sales order, system
determine the item category TAN in to the line item.

But I can change the item category field in the sales order Item Overview tab. (Provided new item
category is assigned as a Manual Item category in the customizing)

Manual schedule line category with standard materials
Lets see this scenario with my standard material AW99. System automatically determines the
schedule line category CP based on the item category and the MRP group of the material.

But I can change this schedule line category in the Schedule lines tab to a new one.

Conclusion
Therefore both item category and schedule line category can be manually changed in the sales order for
standard materials.

Manual Item category with AFS materials
Now lets look at the same scenario with my test AFS material AW01
System determines the item category TAN automatically.

I can manually change it in the sales order to an item category which is assigned as a manual item
category in customizing.


Manual schedule line category with AFS materials
Schedule line category CP determined automatically as well.

But this field is not editable in the Schedule Lines tab.
Now lets try adding a new schedule line (In to the same line item) with a Manual schedule line
category which is assigned in customizing. Once you change it and press the enter key, below message
will appear;


Details of the message:

This means we cannot change the schedule line category for AFS materials, like the way we do with
standard materials.
Conclusion
With AFS materials only item category can be changed manually in the sales order. Schedule line
category change is not supported by AFS.
If you want to change the schedule line category in the sales order, you have to start changing the item
category.
Technical background
This limitation is coded in the Include - MJ3ASF8Z under the Form - J_3A_FIELD_MODIFICATION
System is checking whether the material entered is an AFS material or not. If it is an AFS material,
program is not let you change it.

Lets look at this in the debug mode for more details:

As per above, if the material is AFS (J_3A_AFS = X), system blocks you there (SCREEN-INPUT = 0).
Now lets try to add a new schedule line manually with a different schedule line category and see where
system is generating this information message 8W-345. It is coming from the below code.
Include - FV45EF0V_VBEP-ETTYP_PRUEFEN

Here I can see system is checking for the AFS materials using Form routine J_3A_AFS_CHECK and the
result is = 6.

Therefore now system set the manually entered schedule line category (VBEP-ETTYP) to blank, so that
system can determine it automatically based on the configuration.
Note:
Exception 5 and 6 are defined to identify AFS materials.

After that system issue the information message 8W 345


Author: Anupa Wijesinghe
E-Mail: anupaw@gmail.com / anupaw@learnsaptips.com
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