Material Classification – RFMS EC (eCommerce)

Applies to: RFMS E-Commerce (EC)
Use this article to set up and troubleshoot Material Classification for supplier catalog imports in EC.
This article does not cover general RFMS product classification outside the E-Commerce import process.

Material Classification controls how RFMS E-Commerce assigns a Product Code to items during catalog import. Setting it up before your first supplier catalog import helps products import with the correct Product Code and reduces manual cleanup later.

About Material Classification

In most cases, Material Classification is set up once during initial EC implementation and needs very little maintenance afterward. You may only need to revisit it when new supplier classifications appear or when your Product Code structure changes.

Why this setup Matters

If Material Classification is not set up correctly, imported items may appear with a blank Product Code, import under the wrong Product Code, or remain on the review screen until a Product Code is assigned.

To avoid rework, complete this setup before importing supplier catalogs into RFMS E-Commerce.

Recommended System Option

For most users, the recommended option is Use universal material classification only.

This setting applies the same classification across all suppliers and is the simplest option to maintain.

System Option	Setting	Purpose
Universal Material Classification	Use universal material classification only	Applies classification to all materials regardless of supplier.

Only use supplier specific classification when you have a true exception, such as two suppliers using the same classification values for products that need different Product Codes.

How Supplier Classification Works

Suppliers typically classify products using a Class value and, in some cases, an SClass value.

Class is the broader material category
SClass is a more specific sub-class within that category

In most cases, you can assign the main Product Code by Class first, then refine specific lines by SClass when needed.

If you use supplier-specific classification

If your company uses supplier-specific classification, additional mapping may be required for individual suppliers.

Most users will not need this setup. Use it only when universal classification does not meet your import needs.

Batch Update Tools

These tools are used when you maintain individual supplier classifications. You cannot copy universal settings to an individual supplier.

These options are found under the Batch Update section of the Material Classification Setup screen.

Batch Update option	What it’s for
Copy Supplier Codes	Copy all material codes from one supplier to another (or a single selected class).
Update Samples and Misc	Update miscellaneous products to a specific Product Code, or update items labeled as samples to your company’s sample Product Code (for all suppliers or one supplier).
Batch Supplier Class	Update supplier class mappings by Product Code, rather than selecting each supplier and setting values manually.

Steps to Setup Material Classification

Note: With the system option Use Universal Material Classification enabled, the Batch Update section of the screen will be disabled.

Go to E-Commerce > Utilities > Setup > Material Classification.
Select the Class you want to map.
Select the Product Code that should be assigned to the class during import.
Click Update Universal Class to populate the table for that class.

This creates the main Product Code mapping for the supplier classification.

Apply sub-class mappings when needed

After the main Class mapping is in place, review the list for any entries that need a different Product Code at the sub-class level.

Select a material line from the list.
In the PC column, choose the correct Product Code for that sub-class entry.
Continue reviewing the list and assign Product Codes where needed.

Tip: To make this easier, use Show only Blank Product Codes to display only entries that still need a Product Code.

If your Product Codes change later

If you change Product Codes after Material Classification has already been set up, you must update the classification mapping to match. Existing products may also need to be reclassified in the Product File.

Because of this, it is best to confirm your Product Code structure before completing Material Classification.

Troubleshoot Material Classification

Use this section when imported products have a blank Product Code, import under the wrong Product Code, or are not importing because a required classification mapping is missing or incorrect.

If this happens	Check this	What to do
Products show a blank Product Code	Check whether the affected Class or SClass has a Product Code assigned in Material Classification.	Assign the correct Product Code to that classification line. Use Show only Blank Product Codes to find entries that still need a Product Code.
Products are not importing as expected	Check whether the item is remaining on the import or review screen because no Product Code is assigned.	Review the affected classification line and assign the needed Product Code so the item can be processed correctly.
Products import under the wrong Product Code	Check the Product Code assigned to the affected Class or SClass.	Correct the mapping. If needed, remove the incorrect Product Code assignment so the item can be reviewed and assigned correctly during import.
Problems started after Product Codes were changed	Check whether Material Classification still matches your current Product Code structure.	Update the classification mappings to match the new Product Codes. Existing products may also need to be reclassified in the Product File.

Review the affected classification

If the issue appears to be related to Material Classification:

Go to E-Commerce > Utilities > Setup > Material Classification.
Review the affected Class and SClass values.
Confirm that the correct Product Code is assigned.
Update the mapping if needed.

To make review easier, use Show only Blank Product Codes to display only entries that still need a Product Code.

If an item is importing under the wrong Product Code

If a product is importing under the wrong Product Code because of a supplier catalog classification issue, remove the Product Code assignment for that classification line. This keeps the item on the import or review screen until the correct Product Code is assigned manually, instead of allowing it to import under the wrong code.

In Material Classification Setup, select the line you want to correct.
Click Remove Product Code.

Note: This removes the Product Code one line at a time.

If the issue affects only one supplier

In most cases, Material Classification is maintained as a universal setup across suppliers. If the issue affects only one supplier, review whether your company uses supplier-specific classification settings before changing universal mappings.

When to review this setup

Revisit Material Classification when:

products have a blank Product Code
products are importing under the wrong Product Code
products are not importing because no Product Code is assigned
Product Codes have been changed since Material Classification was originally set up