How To Fix WN474 - New plant will overwrite referenced plant in customer master

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: WN - Plant master data maintenance (integrated)

• Message number: 474

• Message text: New plant will overwrite referenced plant in customer master

What causes this issue?

You are creating a plant and need to assign an existing business
partner.
The customer of the business partner you want to assign has a reference
to a plant maintained in the customer master data. The referenced plant
is different to the plant that you want to create now.

System Response

The assignment of the business partner to the new plant overwrites the
current reference.

How to fix this error?

Check whether the existing business partner should be assigned to the
new plant.

Procedure for System Administrators

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

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message WN474 - New plant will overwrite referenced plant in customer master ?

  The SAP error message WN474 indicates that there is an issue with the customer master data when trying to create or modify a customer record in a new plant. Specifically, it means that the new plant you are trying to assign to the customer master will overwrite the existing plant that is already referenced in the customer master data.
  Cause:
  The error typically arises in the following scenarios:
  
  Plant Assignment Conflict: The customer master record already has a plant assigned, and you are trying to assign a new plant that conflicts with the existing assignment.
  Data Consistency Issues: There may be inconsistencies in the data where the new plant does not align with the existing customer data.
  Configuration Issues: The configuration settings in the SAP system may not allow for multiple plants to be assigned to a single customer in the way you are attempting.
  
  Solution:
  To resolve the WN474 error, you can take the following steps:
  
  
  Check Existing Plant Assignments:
  
  Go to the customer master record and check which plants are currently assigned. You can do this by navigating to the customer master data in the relevant transaction (e.g., XD02 for changing customer data).
  Review the plant assignments and determine if the new plant can be added without overwriting the existing one.
  
  
  
  Modify Plant Assignment:
  
  If the existing plant is no longer needed, you can remove it or change it to the new plant you want to assign.
  If you need to keep both plants, consider whether you can create a new customer master record for the new plant instead.
  
  
  
  Consult Configuration Settings:
  
  If you are unsure about the configuration settings, consult with your SAP administrator or a functional consultant to understand how plant assignments are managed in your system.
  Ensure that the configuration allows for multiple plants to be assigned to a customer if that is your requirement.
  
  
  
  Data Consistency Check:
  
  Ensure that all related data (such as sales areas, distribution channels, etc.) is consistent and correctly set up for the new plant.
  
  
  
  Documentation and Support:
  
  If the issue persists, refer to SAP documentation or reach out to SAP support for further assistance. They may provide insights specific to your version of SAP or any known issues.
  
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Transaction Codes: Common transaction codes related to customer master data include XD01 (Create Customer), XD02 (Change Customer), and XD03 (Display Customer).
  Master Data Management: Understanding how master data is managed in SAP can help prevent such issues in the future. Familiarize yourself with the concepts of customer master data, including the roles of different views (general data, company code data, sales area data).
  SAP Notes: Check for any relevant SAP Notes that might address this specific error or provide additional guidance.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the WN474 error and successfully manage your customer master data in SAP.