Integration with Other Applications > Introduction to Windchill ESI > Integrating Windchill ESI with SAP > Supported Business Processes > Process Material Numbers Over Eighteen Characters
  
Process Material Numbers Over Eighteen Characters
There is a difference in the allowed database character length for the process material number attribute in Windchill MPMLink and the equipment/process material attribute in SAP to which it is mapped. The Windchill MPMLink material number field limit is 40 characters, whereas the SAP equipment/material number field limit is 18 characters. If process materials fromWindchill MPMLink have numbers that are greater than 18 characters, an error appears and middleware processing ends.
To prevent this from happening, you can do one of the following:
Ask your administrator to add validation to the Windchill GUI to prevent process materials numbers that are over 18 characters. For more information on how to limit attribute lengths in Windchill MPMLink, refer to the Windchill Customizer's Guide.
Ask your administrator to modify SAP to allow equipment or material s to be created with numbers up to 40characters.
Modify the EAI software components to truncate material numbers to meet the required SAP field length.
For more information, refer to the Windchill Enterprise Systems Integration Installation and Configuration Guide - SAP.