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Automatic Classification

In STEP there are multiple approaches to the classification of objects:

• You can organize objects hierarchically in a primary hierarchy (the blue product hierarchy).
• You can organize objects in a classification hierarchy (the yellow hierarchy).
• You can use a reference to connect objects.

You can apply these three classifications manually on individual objects, but you can also apply them automatically on many objects in one setting.

Manual Classification

• You can move an object manually within its primary hierarchy, link it into a classification, or connect it to another object using a reference. This approach works well for small sets of objects. However, for large sets of objects, manual classification is a time-consuming and error-prone task.

For more detailed information about how to manually classify objects, see Object Types and Structures in the System Setup documentation.

Automatic Classification

• You can create a set of rules that are used to classify objects automatically. This approach requires that you create one or more rule sets, but once the rule sets have been defined, you can classify many objects automatically with minimal effort.

You can only apply automatic classification to product and entity objects. Products and entities can be moved automatically within their primary hierarchy, and they can be linked automatically into classification hierarchies. References can be maintained automatically if they originate from a product or an entity. It is, for example, possible to maintain product-to-product references, product-to-asset references, entity-to-asset references, and so on.

If you want to apply automatic classification to many objects, you can use a bulk update operation.

It is also possible to automatically classify individual objects using a business action operation. Support for business actions means that automatic classification can also be integrated into a workflow or activated during import.

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