What are Requirements Classes in SAP?

Requirements Classes in SAP are fundamental components used in the logistics and supply chain management modules. They play a crucial role in controlling various functions related to material requirements in the system. Think of them as a set of rules or guidelines that determine how the system should handle specific logistics processes.

Key Functions of Requirements Classes

  1. MRP (Material Requirements Planning) Control: Requirements Classes dictate how the MRP system will process and handle material requirements. They determine the relevance of requirements for MRP calculations.
  2. Requirements Consumption Strategy: They control how customer requirements consume (use up) the planned independent requirements (like forecasts). This is crucial for ensuring that materials are available when needed and that forecasts are adjusted based on actual customer orders.
  3. Availability Check and Transfer of Requirements: Requirements Classes specify whether the system should check for material availability and transfer these requirements for a transaction (like in sales orders). This helps in managing inventory and ensuring timely fulfillment of orders.
  4. Settlement and Accounting Considerations: They include specifications like the settlement profile and results analysis key, which are mainly used in Materials Management. These aspects are essential for financial accounting and cost management related to materials.

Configuring and Customising Requirements Classes in SAP

  1. Assessing Standard Requirement Classes: SAP provides standard requirement classes. The first step is to check if these meet your business needs.
  2. Creating Custom Requirement Classes: If the standard classes are not sufficient, you can create custom ones. This involves defining a unique key (up to three characters) and setting up its characteristics.
  3. Defining Availability Checks and Transfer of Requirements: You need to decide if these processes should be activated for each requirement class. Remember, activating the transfer of requirements can be independent of the availability check.
  4. MRP Relevance: Decide if and how each requirement class will impact MRP calculations.
  5. Allocation Indicator for Customer Requirements Settlement: This determines how customer requirements are settled against planned independent requirements, using a specified consumption strategy.
  6. Requirements Reduction Indicator: This setting, if needed, helps in reducing the planned independent requirements based on actual consumption.

Additional Notes

  • Fine Tuning at Sales Document Level: While requirement classes control these functions globally, further fine-tuning can be done at the sales document type and schedule line category levels.
  • Costing and Account Assignment Settings: Specific settings related to costing and account assignment can be configured under the Sales and Distribution module.
  • Implementation Guide for Production Planning: For more details on independent requirements allocation and reduction, refer to the SAP manuals and implementation guides.

Conclusion

Understanding Requirements Classes in SAP is crucial for effectively managing logistics and supply chain processes. They provide a framework for controlling MRP, inventory management, order fulfillment, and financial aspects related to material management. Customizing these classes to fit your specific business needs ensures efficient and streamlined operations.