Lesson 5 of 6
Production versions
9 min
Listen to this lesson
A production version says how a product is made: which BOM alternative and which routing, for which lot sizes and dates. SAP Learning's description is that production orders for a product reference a production version, and that a suitable version is selected automatically when the order is created, based on criteria such as quantity and date. In SAP S/4HANA the production version is the way MRP, order creation and costing find the BOM and routing for in-house production.
| Version 0001: Detroit line | Version 0002: Manual cell | |
|---|---|---|
| Valid | 1 January onward | 1 January onward |
| Lot size range | 50 to 9,999 pc | 1 to 49 pc |
| BOM | Usage 1, alternative 1 | Usage 1, alternative 2 (different fastener kit) |
| Routing | Group for line, counter 1 (WIND-10, ASSY-10, TEST-10) | Same group, counter 2 (manual assembly bench) |
| Lock | Not locked | Not locked |
What a production version contains
- A number and a text that people understand ("Detroit line", not "V1").
- Validity dates and a lot size range used for automatic selection.
- The BOM alternative and usage to explode.
- The routing (task list type, group and group counter) to copy operations from.
- Optional lines or repetitive manufacturing data, and a lock indicator.
Where you maintain them
You can reach a product's production versions from the MRP 4 view of the product master, maintain many at once with transaction C223, or use the Fiori app for managing production versions. Every tool offers a consistency check that tests whether the BOM and routing referenced actually exist and are valid for the dates. Run it every time; an inconsistent version saves without complaint in some tools and fails silently later.
Why MRP and costing need them
MRP uses the production version to explode the right BOM for planned orders and, with lead-time scheduling, the right routing. Order creation copies components and operations from the version it selects. The standard cost estimate uses a production version to determine the quantity structure, so the BOM and routing that are costed are the ones production actually uses. When a product has no valid version for the quantity and date, planned orders cannot explode components and production orders cannot be created.
- Is there a version valid on the order date?Yes → continue · No → no BOM or routing found
- Does the order quantity fall in its lot size range?Yes → continue · No → another version or none
- Is the version locked for automatic selection?No → selectable · Yes → only manual or not at all
- Does the consistency check pass?Yes → order explodes components and operations · No → fix BOM or routing reference
Versions also have a life cycle. When engineering moves alternator assembly to a new line, do not edit version 0001 in place: create a new version valid from the move date and limit the old one, or lock the old version so it is no longer selected automatically while existing orders finish. The history then shows which BOM and routing every past order used, which auditors and cost accountants will ask for.
What would you do?
A planner creates a production order for 30 alternators and the system picks version 0001, the Detroit line. The manual cell should build small lots. What is the most likely cause?
- A production version combines a BOM alternative and a routing for a lot size range and validity period.
- MRP, order creation and the standard cost estimate use it to find BOM and routing.
- Maintain versions in the product (MRP 4), in mass with C223, or in the Fiori app, and always run the consistency check.
- In a conversion, materials planned without versions in ECC need versions before go-live.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. What does a production version combine?
2. Which transaction maintains production versions for many materials at once?
3. Why does the standard cost estimate need a production version?
4. What does the consistency check confirm?