How To Fix COM_PRCAT050 - Cannot change object family; products exist for subcategories

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: COM_PRCAT - Product Category

• Message number: 050

• Message text: Cannot change object family; products 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 products. As an object family can only be
maintained if no products have yet been assigned to the category, the
object family cannot be maintained for this category.

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.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message COM_PRCAT050 - Cannot change object family; products exist for subcategories ?

  The SAP error message COM_PRCAT050 indicates that there is an attempt to change the object family of a product category that has existing products assigned to its subcategories. This restriction is in place to maintain data integrity and ensure that the relationships between products and their categories are preserved.
  Cause:
  The error occurs when:
  
  You try to change the object family of a product category that has products assigned to it or its subcategories.
  The system prevents this change because it could lead to inconsistencies in the product categorization.
  
  Solution:
  To resolve this error, you can follow these steps:
  
  
  Identify Products: Check which products are assigned to the subcategories of the product category you are trying to change. You can do this by navigating to the product category in the SAP system and reviewing the assigned products.
  
  
  Remove Products: If possible, remove or reassign the products from the subcategories before attempting to change the object family. This may involve:
  
  Unassigning products from the subcategories.
  Moving products to a different category that is not affected by the change.
  
  
  
  Change Object Family: Once there are no products assigned to the subcategories, you can proceed to change the object family of the product category.
  
  
  Reassign Products: After successfully changing the object family, you can reassign the products back to the appropriate subcategories if needed.
  
  
  Consult Documentation: If you are unsure about the implications of changing the object family, consult the SAP documentation or your organization's SAP support team for guidance.
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Transaction Codes: You may use transaction codes like COMMPR01 (for managing product categories) to view and manage product categories and their relationships.
  Data Integrity: Always ensure that changes made in the product hierarchy do not violate any business rules or data integrity constraints.
  Testing: If you are working in a development or test environment, consider testing the changes before applying them in the production environment to avoid disruptions.
  
  If the issue persists after following these steps, it may be beneficial to consult with your SAP support team or refer to SAP Notes for any specific patches or updates related to this error message.