A material document is a record of a goods movement that affects the inventory quantity or value of a material. For example, when you receive goods from a vendor, issue goods to a production order, or transfer goods from one storage location to another, a material document is created.
A material document consists of a header and one or more items. The header contains general information such as the document number, document date, posting date, movement type, and reference document. The items contain specific information such as the material number, quantity, unit of measure, plant, storage location, batch, valuation type, and accounting documents.
In SAP S/4HANA, material document tables are simplified and harmonized compared to the previous SAP ERP system. The main tables for material document are:
| Table Name | Description |
| MATDOC | This is a new table introduced in SAP S/4HANA to store material document information. This table replaces the previous Material Document Tables (MSEG and MKPF) and stores header and item data in a single table for better performance and scalability. The MATDOC table contains the material document header data (such as document number, document type, posting date, etc.) and item data (such as material number, quantity, storage location, and movement type). It also includes additional fields that provide more detailed information about the material document, such as the company code, plant, and storage location. One of the key benefits of the MATDOC table is that it enables faster processing of material documents, as the header and item data are stored in a single table, reducing the need for database joins. Additionally, the table structure is optimized for in-memory computing, which further improves performance. |
| MARD | This table stores material master data at the storage location level. It contains information such as the stock quantity, available quantity, and reserved quantity. In SAP S/4HANA, the MARD table has been simplified and some fields have been removed. |
| MARC | This table stores material data at the plant and storage location level. It contains information such as the plant, material number, material type, base unit of measure, and other key data. In SAP S/4HANA, the MARC table has been optimized for better performance and scalability. The table structure has been simplified and some fields have been removed, making it more efficient and easier to use. |
| MSEG | This table stores the actual material document items. It contains information such as the material number, quantity, storage location, and movement type. In SAP S/4HANA, the MSEG table has been simplified and optimized for better performance. |
| MKPF | This table stores header information for material documents. It contains information such as the document type, document number, posting date, and other administrative details. In SAP S/4HANA, the MKPF table has also been optimized for better performance. |
| MARA | This table stores material master data at the plant level. It contains information such as the material number, material type, base unit of measure, and other key data. In SAP S/4HANA, the MARA table has been simplified and some fields have been removed. |
| MLGN | This table stores information about the material’s storage location. It contains information such as the storage location number, plant number, and storage bin number. In SAP S/4HANA, the MLGN table has been optimized for better performance. |
