In SAP Quality Management (QM), inspection characteristics are fundamentally classified by the type of results they record. Quantitative characteristics are used for measurable values that are recorded numerically, such as length, weight, or temperature. Qualitative characteristics are used for attributive inspections where the result is not a numerical value but a descriptive code or assessment, such as "pass/fail," "good/bad," or "color conforms/does not conform." These two categories are the primary types defined within the system to control how inspection data is processed and evaluated.

A. Engineering: This term typically refers to the source of a specification, like an engineering drawing, not a formal classification of an inspection characteristic within SAP.

B. Physical: This describes the nature of a property being measured (e.g., a physical dimension) but is not a system-defined type for an inspection characteristic.

1. SAP S/4HANA Help Portal

"Master Inspection Characteristic": "You use master inspection characteristics to standardize and simplify inspection planning. You can create master inspection characteristics for quantitative or qualitative inspections." (SAP Help Portal for SAP S/4HANA

Quality Management (QM) -> Basic Data (QM-PT-BD) -> Inspection Planning (QM-PT-IP) -> Master Inspection Characteristic).

2. SAP S/4HANA Help Portal

"Control Indicators for Master Inspection Characteristics": The control indicator "Characteristic type" explicitly defines the characteristic as either quantitative or qualitative. This setting determines how the system processes the inspection results. (SAP Help Portal for SAP S/4HANA

Quality Management (QM) -> Basic Data (QM-PT-BD) -> Inspection Planning (QM-PT-IP) -> Control Indicators for Master Inspection Characteristics).