How To Fix COM_PRCAT049 - Cannot change object family; objects already exist for subcategories

COM_PRCAT049 - Overview

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: COM_PRCAT - Product Category

• Message number: 049

• Message text: Cannot change object family; objects already exist for subcategories

What causes this issue?

Categories pass on the object family assigned to them to all their
sub-categories. However, the sub-categories of this category have
already been assigned objects from another object family. The object
family can therefore no longer be changed.

System Response

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

How to fix this error?

Procedure for System Administrators

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

COM_PRCAT049 - Details

• The SAP error message COM_PRCAT049 indicates that there is an attempt to change the object family of a category in the SAP system, but the change cannot be completed because there are already existing objects (like materials, services, etc.) associated with the subcategories of that object family. This is a common issue when managing classifications and categories in SAP, particularly in the context of materials management or product categorization.
  
  Cause:
  The error occurs due to the following reasons:
  
  Existing Objects: There are already existing objects (e.g., materials, services) that are linked to the subcategories of the object family you are trying to change.
  Data Integrity: SAP enforces data integrity rules to prevent inconsistencies that could arise from changing the object family when dependent objects exist.
  
  
  Solution:
  To resolve this error, you can take the following steps:
  
  
  Identify Existing Objects:
  
  Use transaction codes like MM03 (Display Material) or CS03 (Display Material BOM) to check which objects are currently associated