How To Fix M3613 - The chain of follow-up materials is recursive

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: M3 - Material Master

• Message number: 613

• Message text: The chain of follow-up materials is recursive

What causes this issue?

A follow-up material has, in turn, been assigned to the follow-up
material. It is possible that this has been assigned a further
follow-up material, and so on.
However, one of the follow-up materials in this chain is identical to
the discontinued material.

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?

Enter another follow-up material or cancel it.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message M3613 - The chain of follow-up materials is recursive ?

  The SAP error message M3613, "The chain of follow-up materials is recursive," typically occurs in the context of material management and inventory control within the SAP system. This error indicates that there is a recursive relationship in the follow-up materials defined in the system, which can lead to infinite loops or circular references.
  Cause:
  The error is usually caused by one of the following scenarios:
  
  Recursive Follow-Up Materials: A follow-up material is defined in such a way that it points back to itself or creates a loop with other materials. For example, Material A follows Material B, and Material B follows Material A.
  Incorrect Configuration: The configuration of follow-up materials in the material master or BOM (Bill of Materials) may have been set up incorrectly, leading to circular dependencies.
  Data Entry Errors: Manual entry errors during the setup of materials or BOMs can inadvertently create recursive relationships.
  
  Solution:
  To resolve the M3613 error, you can take the following steps:
  
  
  Review Follow-Up Material Configuration:
  
  Go to the material master data for the materials involved and check the follow-up material settings.
  Ensure that no material is set to follow itself or create a circular reference with other materials.
  
  
  
  Check BOMs and Routing:
  
  If the error is related to a BOM, review the BOMs for the materials involved to ensure that there are no recursive references.
  Check the routing for any operations that might be causing the recursion.
  
  
  
  Correct Data Entry:
  
  If you identify any incorrect entries, correct them in the material master or BOM.
  Ensure that follow-up materials are set correctly and do not point back to any of the materials in the chain.
  
  
  
  Use Transaction Codes:
  
  Use transaction codes like MM03 (Display Material), CS03 (Display BOM), or CA03 (Display Routing) to review the relevant data.
  
  
  
  Testing:
  
  After making corrections, test the process again to ensure that the error no longer occurs.
  
  
  
  Consult Documentation:
  
  Refer to SAP documentation or help resources for more detailed guidance on managing follow-up materials and BOMs.
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  SAP Notes: Check SAP Notes for any known issues or patches related to this error message.
  SAP Community: Engage with the SAP Community forums for insights from other users who may have encountered similar issues.
  Training and Documentation: Consider training sessions or documentation on material management best practices to avoid similar issues in the future.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to identify and resolve the cause of the M3613 error in your SAP system.