Manufacturer Part Number (MPN) in SAP

In SAP MM we define materials which are used inside a company. These can be raw materials, semi-finished materials, finished materials, packing materials and many other types of materials. The material definitions are company specific and the same material names and numbers will be different if they are used for any other company.

When raw materials are procured from vendors, the manufacturer usages its own definition of materials when they procure. the vendors are forced to use this definition of materials.

In many cases, it is not possible for vendors to use this definition of materials. They have their own material definitions. In many cases, the vendor is actually a trader who procures materials from some other manufacturer and supplies materials to other manufacturers. This scenario results in a situation where there are 2 names for the same material. In such cases, how the vendor definition of materials and manufacturers definition of the same materials can be paired so that vendors can supply materials to the manufacturer without the confusion of material names?

In SAP MM there is a facility to pair these 2 types of definitions of the same material. A manufacturer part number (MPN) is created for each material number used by the manufacturer. This manufacturer part number is paired to the material number used by the manufacturer. Once this pairing is done then on the PO, the manufacturer puts the MPN number. After good receipt, the same material is stored with the manufacturer internal number.

There are some limitations as to how the MPN number and internal material number can be used in the SAP system. For instance, it is possible to create Info Record for both MPN number as well as the internal material number for standard Info Record category. But it is not possible to create Info Record for MPN number in case of consignment.

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN)

A material master record containing the manufacturer part number (MPN) and the manufacturer number, which is assigned to one of our firm's own materials.

Stocks are managed under your firm's own material number. Materials for manufacturer parts have the material type HERS.

The firm's own material contains a profile with various parameters defining (among other things):

• Whether  the MPN material must be entered in the purchase order
• Whether purchasing info records are created for the firm's own material or for the MPN materials
• Whether  the purchase order text for the firm's own material or for the MPN     material is used

If we wish to influence the precise source or quality of materials, we can tell the vendor from whom we want to procure a material which manufacturer the material is to be supplied by and the part number used by that manufacturer.

We can also tell our vendor exactly which of a manufacturer’s plants is to supply the material we wish to procure.

The manufacturer’s part number (MPN) and description, as well as the specific manufacturing plant (if applicable), are included in the data sent to the vendor with the purchase order.

Example :

Our vendor gets the steel bolts he supplies to you from the manufacturers Zenith Co. and Miller Corp.

However, we are not satisfied with the quality of the Zenith product. we wish to have the steel bolts that are manufactured by Miller Corp. we can advise our vendor of this in the purchase order by specifying the manufacturer and the MPN.

For procurement purposes, we can use the material or part number used by the manufacturer (MPN) alongside your firm’s own material number.

If we wish to check whether a certain manufacturer part may be ordered and used within our enterprise, we should make use of the approved manufacturer parts list (AMPL). The latter indicates exactly which of a manufacturer’s plants the materials included on the list are to be procured from.