How To Fix COM_PARTNER038 - Maintain competitor product ID to maintain other comp. product details

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: COM_PARTNER - Partner Processing Messages

• Message number: 038

• Message text: Maintain competitor product ID to maintain other comp. product details

What causes this issue?

The competitor product ID has not been maintained, but other competitor
product information (such as main competitor flag, expected total
volume, probability %, and so on) has been entered.
Since a competitor product is identified by its ID, the information
entered cannot be stored until the product ID is entered. The ID enables
the system to identify the correct product, with which the entered
information is to be stored.
In the absence of the product ID, the competitor product cannot be
created and hence, the entered information cannot be stored and will be
lost.

System Response

The system issues a warning message, prompting the user to maintain a
product ID.
Until the competitor product ID is maintained, the system does not allow
the user to maintain any other competitor product data.

How to fix this error?

Maintain a product ID. This could be the ID of an existing competitor
product, or free text.

Procedure for System Administrators

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 COM_PARTNER038 - Maintain competitor product ID to maintain other comp. product details ?

  The SAP error message COM_PARTNER038 indicates that you need to maintain a competitor product ID in order to manage other competitor product details. This error typically arises in the context of SAP's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) modules, where competitor products are tracked for strategic analysis and competitive positioning.
  Cause:
  The error occurs when you attempt to maintain or view details related to a competitor's product without having a valid competitor product ID set up in the system. This could happen in scenarios such as:
  
  Trying to enter or modify competitor product details without first defining the competitor product ID.
  Attempting to link or associate other product details (like pricing, features, etc.) without the necessary competitor product ID being present.
  
  Solution:
  To resolve this error, you need to maintain the competitor product ID in the system. Here are the steps you can follow:
  
  
  Access the Competitor Product Maintenance:
  
  Navigate to the relevant transaction in SAP where you can maintain competitor products. This is often found under the CRM or PLM modules.
  
  
  
  Create or Update Competitor Product ID:
  
  If the competitor product ID does not exist, create a new entry for it. Ensure that you fill in all required fields, including the competitor's name, product details, and any other relevant information.
  If the competitor product ID exists but is incomplete, update it with the necessary details.
  
  
  
  Save Changes:
  
  After entering or updating the competitor product ID, save your changes.
  
  
  
  Retry the Original Action:
  
  Go back to the action that triggered the error and try again. The error should no longer appear if the competitor product ID is correctly maintained.
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Transaction Codes: Depending on your SAP version, you might use transaction codes like CRO1 (Create Competitor Product), CRO2 (Change Competitor Product), or CRO3 (Display Competitor Product) to manage competitor products.
  Authorization: Ensure that you have the necessary authorizations to create or modify competitor product IDs in the system.
  Documentation: Refer to SAP documentation or help files for more detailed instructions on managing competitor products, as the exact steps may vary based on your organization's configuration and the version of SAP you are using.
  Consult with SAP Support: If you continue to experience issues, consider reaching out to your SAP support team or consulting the SAP community for further assistance.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the COM_PARTNER038 error and maintain the necessary competitor product details in your SAP system.