How To Fix RTCMMD327 - Deactivating article hierarchy & may have consequences

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: RTCMMD - Article Hierarchy

• Message number: 327

• Message text: Deactivating article hierarchy & may have consequences

What causes this issue?

Deactivating an active article hierarchy can impair operational and
planning processes that directly access an active article hierarchy.
Examples:
There are applications, such as the Price Planning Workbench, which
depending on the Customizing settings, require an active article
hierarchy in the system for the determination of articles. If the
article hierarchy is deactivated, existing price plans in the system can
no longer be processed.
An active article hierarchy is required for processing purchasing lists.
If the article hierarchy has been deactivated, existing purchasing lists
cannot be processed and no new lists can be created.
If you intend to activate a new article hierarchy after deactivating an
active one, it may be the case that the previous operational processes
are impaired and that certain manual activities are necessary.
Examples:
If the categories are not numbered identically in the old and new
article hierarchies, all existing shops have to be closed and new shops
have to be created for the new categories. Accordingly, when using the
article hierarchy in other subsystems, for example, POS, the new data
needs to be loaded. For performance reasons, an initialization or a full
version should be used rather than change messages.
If you use markdown budgets at article hierarchy level in the Price
Planning Workbench and have planned the budgets using the old article
hierarchy ID, you have to create a new budget type in SAP BI and
transfer it to the ERP system.
If you perform planning in SAP BI at article hierarchy level, you have
to extract the new active hierarchy to SAP BI and create the plans (for
example, markdown plans, OTB plans) accordingly.

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 RTCMMD327 - Deactivating article hierarchy & may have consequences ?

  The SAP error message RTCMMD327 indicates that there is an issue related to the deactivation of an article hierarchy in the system. This message typically arises in the context of managing product hierarchies in SAP, particularly in the Retail or Material Management modules.
  Cause:
  The error message RTCMMD327 is triggered when an attempt is made to deactivate an article hierarchy that is currently in use or has dependencies. Deactivating an article hierarchy can have significant consequences, such as affecting reporting, pricing, and inventory management processes. The system warns that this action may lead to inconsistencies or issues in related processes.
  Solution:
  To resolve this error, consider the following steps:
  
  
  Check Dependencies: Before deactivating the article hierarchy, check for any dependencies or active processes that rely on the hierarchy. This includes checking if there are any active articles, pricing conditions, or reports that utilize the hierarchy.
  
  
  Review Usage: Analyze the usage of the article hierarchy in various transactions and reports. Ensure that no critical business processes will be disrupted by the deactivation.
  
  
  Consult Documentation: Refer to SAP documentation or guidelines regarding article hierarchy management. This can provide insights into the implications of deactivation and best practices.
  
  
  Communicate with Stakeholders: If the hierarchy is being used by other departments or processes, communicate with relevant stakeholders to understand the impact of deactivation and to plan accordingly.
  
  
  Consider Alternatives: If deactivation is necessary, consider whether there are alternative approaches, such as modifying the hierarchy instead of deactivating it, or creating a new hierarchy to replace the old one.
  
  
  Test in a Sandbox Environment: If possible, test the deactivation in a non-production environment to observe the effects and ensure that there are no unintended consequences.
  
  
  Execute Deactivation: If you have confirmed that it is safe to proceed, you can go ahead with the deactivation. Make sure to document the change and inform relevant users.
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  SAP Notes: Check for any relevant SAP Notes that may provide additional context or solutions related to this error message.
  Transaction Codes: Familiarize yourself with transaction codes related to article hierarchy management, such as MM01 (Create Material), MM02 (Change Material), and MM03 (Display Material).
  User Roles: Ensure that you have the appropriate authorizations to make changes to article hierarchies in SAP.
  Training: Consider training sessions for users involved in managing article hierarchies to minimize errors and improve understanding of the system.
  
  By following these steps, you can effectively address the RTCMMD327 error and manage article hierarchies in SAP with greater confidence.