---
title: "Equipment: Rules SAP Applies"
description: "What SAP S/4HANA Cloud allows and refuses for equipment, in plain words, and what MDM does about each rule."
source: "https://help.rikaiso.com/public-cloud/2026.2/equipment-sap-rules"
edition: "public-cloud"
editionLabel: "S/4HANA Public Cloud"
version: "2026.2"
latest: true
language: "en"
section: "Objects and Fields > Asset Management > Equipment"
updated: "2026-11-05"
---

# Equipment: Rules SAP Applies

> What SAP S/4HANA Cloud allows and refuses for equipment, in plain words, and what MDM does about each rule.

> **Draft brief for authors.** From the findings of the help-portal notes: one entry per rule with "what SAP does" and "what MDM does", the SAP source in the SAP background callout.

**Rules:** SAP numbers new equipment; the validity end date is SAP's; category and validity start are taken only on Create; equipment cannot be deleted through the interface, only flagged; every change and operation needs the record's current state ("Precondition required" when it changed meanwhile); Install needs exactly one location; installation date and time follow SAP's clock; Dismantle with Data Transfer needs the same plant and a partner determination profile; long text line breaks become spaces; a long text keeps the communication user's language; units of measure follow the user's SAP language; custom fields reach the interface only when enabled for it.

**Related information:** `messages-from-sap`, `equipment-actions`, `concept-languages`.

**Source in the product repository:** `docs/help-portal/equipment.md` §2, `docs/help-portal/findings/API_EQUIPMENT.json`.