How To Fix PO166 - Character number & already exists

PO166 - Overview

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: PO - Spooler message

• Message number: 166

• Message text: Character number & already exists

What causes this issue?

The character number cannot be added to the list as it already exists.

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?

Press Enter and then add another character number.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

PO166 - Details

• The SAP error message PO166 ("Character number & already exists") typically occurs when there is an attempt to create or modify a character string (such as a material number, vendor number, or other identifiers) that already exists in the system. This can happen in various contexts, such as when creating purchase orders, materials, or other master data.
  
  Cause:
  
  
  Duplicate Entry: The most common cause of this error is that the character string you are trying to enter already exists in the database. This could be due to:
  
  A previous entry that was not deleted or modified.
  An attempt to create a new entry with the same identifier as an existing one.
  
  
  
  Data Migration Issues: If data has been migrated from another system, there may be duplicates that were not properly handled.
  
  
  
  Configuration Issues: Sometimes, the configuration settings in SAP may allow for certain entries to be duplicated, leading to conflicts.
  
  
  
  Solution:
  
  
  Check Existing Entries: 
  
  Before creating a new