How To Fix BRAIN396 - Reference characteristic &1 is probably not suitable for &2

BRAIN396 - Overview

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: BRAIN -

• Message number: 396

• Message text: Reference characteristic &1 is probably not suitable for &2

What causes this issue?

In formula or key figure &V4& aggregation &V2& is used with reference
characteristic &V1& . The basic key figure going into &V4& is not a
non-cumulative key figure, however.
The query now uses the finer time characteristic &V3& or a time
characteristic that cannot be derived from&V1& .
Formation of averages will therefore produce confusing results if &V3&
is expanded.

How to fix this error?

Check the query definition, in particular &V4&

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message BRAIN396 - Reference characteristic &1 is probably not suitable for &2 ?

  The SAP error message BRAIN396 indicates that a reference characteristic is not suitable for the context in which it is being used. This error typically arises in the context of SAP BW (Business Warehouse) or SAP BI (Business Intelligence) when dealing with characteristics and key figures in queries or data models.
  
  Cause:
  The error message BRAIN396 can occur due to several reasons:
  
  Incompatible Data Types: The reference characteristic may have a data type that is not compatible with the key figure or the context in which it is being used.
  Missing Attributes: The reference characteristic might not have the necessary attributes or properties defined that are required for the specific operation or query.
  Hierarchy Issues: If the reference characteristic is part of a hierarchy, there may be issues with how the hierarchy is defined or used in the query.
  Aggregation Issues: The reference characteristic may not be suitable for aggregation in the context of the key