| # Purchasing manufacturer's items Companies often order components from purchase business partners who do not produce the components themselves. These intermediate purchase business partners offer equivalent components, which are items that conform to their original item's specifications, from different manufacturers. These functionalities are available to specify, approve, and use manufacturer's items: Manufacturer part number (MPN) item functionality Multiple manufacturer item functionality Important! If you did not use the multiple manufacturer item functionality in a previous version of LN, you cannot set up multiple manufacturer items in the current version. You must use the MPN functionality to purchase manufacturer's items because the MPN item functionality is the preferred and most extensive functionality. If you already used the multiple manufacturer item functionality in a previous version of LN, for each item, you can choose whether you want to define it as a multiple manufacturer item or as an MPN item. MPN items To use the MPN item functionality, select these check boxes: Implemented Software Components (tccom0100s000) Manufacturer Part Numbers Implemented Item - Purchase (tdipu0101m000) MPN Item For more information, refer to Setting up and using MPN items. Multiple manufacturer items These restrictions apply to the multiple manufacturer item functionality: Multiple manufacturer items can be used only in purchase orders and purchase requisitions. You cannot use these items in purchase contracts, purchase schedules, and RFQs. The master data cannot be changed when the effective date lies before the current date. To use the multiple manufacturer item functionality, select the Multiple Manufacturer Item check box in the Item - Purchase (tdipu0101m000) session. For more information, refer to Setting up and using multiple manufacturer items. Note You can convert the multiple manufacturer master data to the MPN master data for an item. For more information, refer to Converting multiple manufacturer items to MPN items. Related topics Setting up and using multiple manufacturer items Setting up and using MPN items Converting multiple manufacturer items to MPN items |