SAP PP Material Master

What is a Material Master in SAP PP?

The Material Master is the central database record that stores all information about a material used in a company—such as raw materials, semi-finished goods, finished products, spare parts, packaging, etc.

In SAP PP, the material master acts as the foundation for all planning and production activities. It tells SAP how the material should be planned, produced, stored, procured, and managed in the system.

Think of it as a “master profile” for each material.

Why Material Master is Important in SAP PP?

SAP PP depends on material master data to run MRP, create BOMs, generate production orders, and manage stock. A well-maintained material master ensures smooth manufacturing in SAP.

Important Material Master Views Used in PP

Below are the key views relevant for Production Planning:

  • Basic Data View - Contains general information: material description, base unit of measure, material group, weight & dimensions and shelf life. It is used across all SAP modules.
  • MRP Views (Most Important for PP) - It contains MRP 1 view, MRP 2 view, MRP 3 view and MRP 4 view.
  • Work Scheduling View - This view is critical for production execution: scheduling type, production scheduler, backflush indicator, setup time formula, automatic GR indicator. This view controls how production orders are scheduled on the shop floor.
  • Costing View - Used to calculate material cost: standard price, costing lot size, valuation class. Costing integrates with FI/CO.
  • Accounting View - Defines valuation and financial details: valuation class, price control (S → Standard, V → Moving Avg), standard price and price unit.

How Material Master Supports SAP PP Activities –

  • MRP Planning - Material master determines how much and when to plan materials.
  • BOM Explosion - During planning, SAP uses material master + BOM to calculate component needs.
  • Routing and Production Version - Material master links BOM & routing to create production orders.
  • Production Orders - Material master decides: issue storage location, backflush or manual GI, scheduling rules and lot sizes.
  • Procurement & Purchasing - Material master specifies procurement type, lead time, and vendor roles.

Advantages –

  • Accurate MRP planning
  • Smooth production scheduling
  • Correct BOM/routing selection
  • Perfect stock visibility
  • Reduced planning errors
  • Proper capacity and cost calculation