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Enhancing SAP AVC for Real-World Product Complexity

Master Data-Driven Variant Configuration (mdVC) is a lightweight but powerful add-on framework that extends SAP S/4HANA Advanced Variant Configuration (AVC) — designed specifically for complex configuration scenarios where standard AVC tooling reaches its limits.

Built by configuration experts from metalsXP, mdVC addresses a common challenge: while AVC offers a constraint-based modeling approach, real-world business logic — particularly in industries like metals, machinery, and industrial manufacturing — often requires more than what constraints, variant tables, and procedures can express.

mdVC bridges that gap.

❓ Why mdVC?​

AVC (Advanced Variant Configuration) is SAP’s modern replacement for LO-VC — bringing a rule-based engine, configuration models, and dependency management into the S/4HANA stack. However:

  • You can’t use variant functions anymore.
  • Business logic needs to be expressed inside the model, which quickly becomes unmanageable.
  • Master data–driven restrictions or cross-characteristic rules require workarounds or duplication.
  • Advanced scenarios (e.g. order dressing, technical validations, or conditional routing logic) require external logic execution, which AVC does not natively support.

mdVC is not a replacement of AVC — it is a focused extension layer.

🔍 What mdVC adds to AVC​

mdVC connects AVC to modern SAP technologies in a controlled and transparent way:

📄 CDS-Driven Dependencies​

Use Core Data Services (CDS) to define restrictions and characteristic filters based on live SAP master data — materials, plants, BOMs, customer info, etc. No more hardcoded values or duplicated data.

⚙️ BRF+ for Config Logic​

Plug in BRF+ rules as part of the configuration process — cleanly separated from the model. This allows:

  • Centralized rule management
  • Business-side governance
  • Easy maintenance and version control

🧩 PRO Code – Embedded ABAP Logic​

For scenarios where decision logic depends on runtime context or complex algorithms, mdVC allows controlled injection of ABAP logic (with pre-defined interfaces). Ideal for:

  • Complex pricing adjustments
  • Rule-based routing
  • Post-configuration validations or enrichments

🏭 Built for Complexity – Especially Metals​

mdVC was born in the metals industry, where standard variant configuration simply doesn’t scale. Think of use cases like:

  • Configuring coils or sheets with chemical, mechanical, and dimensional constraints
  • Adjusting routings and BOMs based on plant-specific capabilities
  • Applying customer-specific finishing processes or tolerances
  • Order dressing logic that requires multiple steps and context-aware decisions

This is where mdVC shines — linking configuration to actual execution logic without burying complexity in the model.

🔧 Transparent Architecture – S/4 Native​

With mdVC you can use:

  • CDS Views for data modeling
  • BRF+ for business rule execution
  • ABAP exits for advanced logic
  • No black-box logic, no framework lock-in

It works with AVC, not around it — and it's fully extensible using SAP-standard tools. This means standard integrations, such as SAP CPQ, work out of the box — with mdVC logic executed as part of the native AVC configuration process.

➡️ Explore the sidebar to learn how mdVC works, how to extend it, and how it’s been applied in real-world projects.