SAP Procurement Type, Special Procurement Keys and BOM Item Categories
Procurement type and special procurement key on the MRP 2 view of the material master tell SAP whether to make, buy, transfer or subcontract. BOM item categories control how a line behaves in the BOM and MRP. This reference puts them in one table.
| Group | Key | Meaning | Effect in planning or BOM |
|---|---|---|---|
Procurement type | E | In-house production | MRP creates planned orders |
Procurement type | F | External procurement | MRP creates purchase requisitions or schedule lines |
Procurement type | X | Both procurement types | Source decided by special procurement key, quota or order creation rules |
Special procurement | 10 | Consignment | Purchase requisition for consignment info record; stock stays vendor-owned |
Special procurement | 20 | Stock transfer | Requirement transferred to the supplying plant as a stock transport requisition |
Special procurement | 30 | Subcontracting | Subcontract requisition; components are provided to the vendor |
Special procurement | 40 | Production in another plant | Demand passed to the plant that produces the material |
Special procurement | 50 | Phantom assembly | Assembly is not stocked; its components are exploded into the parent order |
Special procurement | 52 | Direct production | Dependent requirements pass through without a separate order for the item |
Special procurement | 60 | Phantom in planning | Treated as phantom during MRP, produced with its own order in execution |
BOM item category | L | Stock item | Material with a master record; included in MRP and inventory management |
BOM item category | N | Non-stock item | Free text part bought for the order, no stock managed |
BOM item category | D | Document item | Links a document info record, e.g. a drawing, no quantity planning |
BOM item category | T | Text item | Text line for information only |
BOM item category | K | Class item | Selects materials by class characteristics |
BOM item category | R | Variable-size item | Uses size formulas to calculate quantity |
BOM item category | M | Intra material | Intermediate material used inside the BOM structure |
These are standard delivered values. Special procurement keys are defined per plant in Customizing and can be changed or extended, so a key such as 60 may not exist in your system. Check the MRP 2 view of a sample material to see which keys are used.
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How to use this reference
Filter on a group (procurement type, special procurement, BOM item category) or search for words such as 'phantom' or 'subcontracting'. Compare your own materials against the keys when you suspect MRP is creating the wrong document, for example a purchase requisition for an item you intended to produce.
How MRP uses these settings
Procurement type E creates planned orders, F creates purchase requisitions and X relies on the special procurement key or quota arrangement. Key 30 turns a purchase into a subcontract order and brings the component supply into planning. A phantom (key 50) removes a level from stock but keeps the explosion, which is helpful for sub-assemblies that are never stored. Key 52 differs: it skips order creation for the item entirely.
- Check the MRP group on the material before blaming the key.
- A phantom needs a BOM; without one MRP cannot pass requirements on.
- Stock transfer needs a supplying plant on the MRP 2 view.
Common mistakes
Two mistakes cause most trouble. First, setting X without a special procurement key or quota arrangement, so MRP cannot decide the source and produces unexpected documents. Second, using phantom keys on materials that should be stocked, which hides inventory and breaks costing. Review changes in a test plant with MD03 before changing live materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does procurement type X mean?
X means the material can be both produced in-house and procured externally. SAP then needs more information to choose, normally a special procurement key, a quota arrangement or order proposals set by the planner. Without it the result can be unpredictable.
What is the difference between phantom 50 and direct production 52?
A phantom assembly (50) is exploded straight through into the parent order without its own order and without stock. Direct production (52) means the item has no separate order creation in MRP and its requirements pass through to the lower levels, commonly used for repetitive manufacturing flows.
Which BOM item category should I use for a bought-in consumable?
Use L if the item has a material master and you want stock managed, and N only if you purchase it per order without stock management. If the item is a drawing or work instruction, D or T are correct.
Where is the special procurement key maintained?
On the MRP 2 view of the material master (MM01, MM02) in the Procurement section. The available keys are defined per plant in Customizing, so the list on screen is the authoritative one for your system.
Netray can scan your material master export and list materials whose procurement setup is inconsistent with their BOM and routing, as a quick data quality exercise.
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