Production Versions: Choosing the BOM and Routing for an Order

Business scenario

FG-2000 can be built on manual line ASSY-01 (lots up to 499) or automated line ASSY-02 (lots from 500). A planned order for 800 EA is converted.

All companies, numbers and documents are fictional demo data.

Step-by-step flow

1. 01

   Two production versions open in twin

   Version 0001: BOM alt. 1 + manual routing, lots 1–499. Version 0002: BOM alt. 2 + automated routing, lots 500+.

   It tells planning and costing exactly how a given lot will be made.

2. 02

   MRP plans 800 EA open in twin

   Planned order 46000 for 800 EA.

   Component requirements differ by version (here: loose parts vs a pre-assembled kit).

3. 03

   Which version applies? open in twin

   The lot is 800 EA. Which version does SAP select?

   The wrong version would plan the wrong components and capacity.

4. 04

   Wrong line, wrong components open in twin

   Version 0001 would plan loose parts and load the manual line with 800 EA — far beyond its capacity.

   Planners can override the version manually if needed, but the default follows the ranges.

5. 05

   Convert with version 0002 open in twin

   Production order 1000090 copies BOM alternative 2 and the automated routing; capacity loads ASSY-02.

   Costing (actual and planned) uses the same version, so variances compare like with like.

6. 06

   Right recipe for the lot open in twin

   Version → BOM + routing → order → work center.

   That is why version maintenance (C223) is a standard part of master data in S/4HANA projects.

SAP documents

Stock impact

This part of the process does not change stock.

Accounting impact

Movement type

This flow spans several documents rather than a single movement type.

Defines the valid ways to make a product and lets planning pick the right one automatically for each lot.

Transactions & Fiori apps

Configuration

• Selection method

  Configuration dependent

  By lot size and date, by production version only, or by quota arrangement.

Prerequisites

• BOM alternatives and routings
• Selection method on the material (MRP 4)

Master data

Production version

BOM alternative + routing + lot size + validity.

Organizational structure

• Plant 1000

Tables

Integration

• COCost estimates per production version.

Common errors

• “No production version found for the order”

  Likely causes: Lot size outside all ranges; Version validity expired; Version locked

  Where to look: C223 · Material MRP 4 view

Troubleshooting

Something went wrong? Work through these checks in order. They are diagnostic questions, not configuration instructions — confirm changes with your system owner.

1. CHECK 1

   Selection

   • Lot size within a version's range?
   • Version valid on the date?

Interview questions

• Why are production versions mandatory in S/4HANA?

  S/4HANA uses production versions as the single way to determine which BOM and routing an order uses. Each version links a BOM alternative, a routing or recipe, a lot-size range and validity dates; orders and costing select the version, not the BOM directly.

Quiz

Related processes

• 261 · 101Production Order
• FlowCapacity Levelling

References

• SAP SE — SAP Help Portal: Production Versions (source)
• SAP SE — SAP Help Portal: BOM and Routing Selection (source)

Explanations are original. They summarize standard behaviour; always validate against your system's release and configuration.

Version history