<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ManualTopic ID="/baanerp/ts/onlinemanual/000143" xml:lang="en">
	<Header>
		<Title xmlns:ssa="http://www.ssaglobal.com" xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">Cluster, Service</Title>
		<Keyword><Level1>cluster</Level1>
		</Keyword>
	</Header>
	<AimSection><Paragraph>A cluster is set of serialized items that have the same location and are owned by the same business partner. Grouping serialized items into a cluster enables you to maintain them collectively. Clusters help you to relate multiple objects for a particular customer, site, or contract.</Paragraph>
		<Paragraph>You can also define a cluster as a location for a group of objects. The key data include the location details and service center details of a cluster. The other details serve only as defaults for the lower-level objects.</Paragraph>
	</AimSection>
	<GeneralSection><Paragraph>A cluster is at the highest level in the bill of objects and includes header information for all the objects that belong to the cluster, such as the business partner, location, and calendar. You can register the specific cluster (installed base) and the bought by the customers.</Paragraph>
		<Figure><HTML:IMG SRC="../images/tr_graph_clusterstructure.gif" height="416" width="614" xmlns:ssa="http://www.ssaglobal.com" xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"/></Figure>
		<Paragraph>To include the serialized items or physical breakdown structures, you can include the item or top item in the cluster lines linked to the cluster.</Paragraph>
	</GeneralSection>
	<ConceptSection><SectionTitle>Defining clusters</SectionTitle>
		<Paragraph>You can define a cluster and its structure manually. Alternatively, you can generate the clusters from service BOMs, purchase orders, sales orders, and project work breakdown structure or element structures.</Paragraph>
		<ExampleSection><SectionTitle>Example</SectionTitle>
			<List><ListIntro>For example, you can define the following clusters:</ListIntro>
				<ListItem>All computer hardware in a particular building</ListItem>
				<ListItem>An automobile or a truck</ListItem>
				<ListItem>A production machine, for example, a CNC operated milling machine</ListItem>
				<ListItem>An air-conditioning unit in a large building</ListItem>
			</List>
		</ExampleSection>
	</ConceptSection>
	<ConceptSection><SectionTitle>Linking Clusters</SectionTitle>
		<List><ListIntro>You can link the cluster in one of the following ways:</ListIntro>
			<ListItem>Link the cluster to a business partner to designate the cluster as an external cluster</ListItem>
			<ListItem>Link the cluster to a work center or department to designate the cluster as an internal cluster.</ListItem>
		</List>
	</ConceptSection>
	<RelatedTopics><SectionTitle>Related topics</SectionTitle>
		<RelTopic>Cluster lines, Service</RelTopic>
		<RelTopic>Serialized items, Service</RelTopic>
	</RelatedTopics>
</ManualTopic>
