Material Master Tables and Field Selection Configuration in SAP MM | Explained with SAP Demo

Main ideas / lessons

• Material master data in SAP MM is stored across multiple tables, organized by organizational level (client-level, plant-level, storage-location level, etc.).
• Which table holds which field depends on the type of data you’re maintaining (e.g., descriptions vs. valuation vs. purchasing/MRP data).
• Every table has key fields; to maintain a field, SAP requires you to enter the minimum key-field combination relevant to that table.
• Field selection controls how fields appear during material master maintenance, letting you set each field (indirectly) to:
  • Hidden
  • Display
  • Optional entry
  • Mandatory entry
• Field selection cannot be configured per individual field. Instead, SAP groups related fields into Field Selection Groups, and you configure those groups.
• Field selection behavior is influenced by 6 factors (transaction, material type, industry sector, plant, procurement indicator, SAP delivery), mapped through Field References.
• When multiple field selection rules apply, SAP resolves conflicts using a priority order:
  • Hidden > Display > Mandatory > Optional

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Method / configuration flow (field selection, detailed)

A) Identify where a material master field is stored

• SAP stores material master fields in different tables depending on data category and level.
• Examples referenced:
  • MA: general material data (client-level)
  • MAKT: material descriptions (by language)
  • MARM: units of measurement
  • MARC: plant-level data (purchasing/MRP and other plant-related fields)
  • MD: storage-location data
  • MBEW: valuation/accounting data
  • MV: sales data
  • Additional mentioned tables:
    • tax classification
    • warehouse number / warehouse-related

B) Understand key fields to maintain records

• Each table has key fields that uniquely identify a record.
• Examples given:
  • MA (general): Client + Material number
  • MARC (plant): Client + Material number + Plant
  • MD (storage location): Client + Material number + Plant + Storage location
  • MAKT (descriptions): Client + Material number + Language
  • MBEW (valuation): Client + Material number + Valuation area (and valuation type for split valuation)

C) Configure field selection via SAP customizing

1. Go to: SPRO → SAP Reference IMG → Logistics General → Material Master

2. Use: the Field selection configuration area:

   • Assign fields to field selection groups

Key rule: You cannot set field selection per single field. You must: - find the field’s technical name - locate which Field Selection Group it belongs to - configure that group

D) Field selection groups (group-based control)

• SAP provides multiple field selection groups (example mentioned: group 14, containing fields like size/dimension, standard description, basic material).
• Fields within the same group inherit the same visibility/requiredness setting.

E) Field references and influencing factors

• SAP uses 6 influencing factors to decide field selection:
  • Transaction
  • Material type
  • Industry sector
  • Plant
  • Procurement indicator
  • SAP delivery
• Each influencing factor maps to a Field Reference.
• Video emphasis:
  • Field references for Transaction, Procurement indicator, and SAP delivery are predefined by SAP (not changeable).
  • Field references for Material type, Industry sector, and Plant can be defined/configured by the customer.

F) Link rules / conflict resolution using priority

• When multiple rules apply, SAP chooses the effective state using priority:
  1. Hidden (highest)
  2. Display
  3. Mandatory
  4. Optional (lowest)

G) Practical demo logic (as shown)

• The speaker demonstrates configuring Field Selection Group 14 using a custom field reference “Z1”.
• Then they create materials under different combinations of:
  • material type (e.g., YRH, RO)
  • industry sector (e.g., Z, “mechanical engineering”)
• Observed outcomes:
  • If Z1 is assigned to mandatory for group 14 and the material’s factors match Z1 → fields become mandatory.
  • If another configuration marks the same group as display for one matching factor (e.g., material type RO) → display overrides mandatory due to priority.

H) Create your own field reference (custom “Z1”) and assign it

• Create field reference:
  • New entries in field reference maintenance
• Assign Z1 to:
  • Material type (in material type configuration)
  • Industry sector (industry sector field selection assignment)
  • Plant (plant-specific field selection assignment)

I) Verify assignments and active behavior

• Verification steps shown include:
  • Check which field selection group a field belongs to
  • Check what settings are maintained for a field selection group across field references
  • Use the “hierarchy” view to see field states ordered by:
    • hidden → display → required → optional

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How SAP tables were verified in the demo

• Tables are checked using SE16N.
• Example technical-field lookup:
  • In MM03, use F1 on a field → “technical information”
  • Identify table + field name
  • Verify in SE16N
• The demo illustrates that field selection group assignment can be traced similarly from technical field names.

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Speakers / sources

• Speaker: The video creator/presenter (no name provided in subtitles).
• Source system/vendor: SAP (SAP MM / SAP HANA / S/4HANA) via standard SAP configuration and transactions (SPRO, SE16N, MM03, MM01, etc.).