SCM745

SAP Processes in Manufacturing

Execution

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PARTICIPANT HANDBOOK
INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING
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Course Version: 01
Course Duration: 3 Day(s)
e-book Duration: 11 Hours 15 Minutes
Material Number: 50155325
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Contents

vii Course Overview

1 Unit 1: SAP Manufacturing Execution Overview and Application

Infrastructure

2 Lesson: Explaining Key Features and Benefits of SAP Manufacturing

Execution
7 Lesson: Navigating and Working With Records
10 Lesson: Managing SAP Manufacturing Execution Sites
13 Lesson: Executing a Basic Production Process
15 Lesson: Working With Activities and Groups

25 Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing

Execution

26 Lesson: Working With Work Centers and Resources in SAP

Manufacturing Execution
31 Lesson: Setting up Production Lines
39 Lesson: Working With Materials in SAP Manufacturing Execution
43 Lesson: Working With Bills of Material in SAP Manufacturing
Execution

56 Unit 3: Production Execution in SAP Manufacturing Execution

57 Lesson: Defining Numbering Patterns in SAP Manufacturing

Execution
58 Lesson: Running Production and Building a Product

63 Unit 4: Data Collection in SAP Manufacturing Execution

64 Lesson: Explaining Quality and Parametric Data in SAP

Manufacturing Execution
67 Lesson: Configuring Forms of Data Collection in SAP Manufacturing
Execution

79 Unit 5: Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution

80 Lesson: Working with Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution

84 Lesson: Configuring Discrete Component Traceability

92 Unit 6: Dashboards for Production Operators

93 Lesson: Configuring Dashboards for Production Operators

98 Lesson: Configuring Lists for Use in PODs

104 Unit 7: Management of the Product on the Shop Floor

105 Lesson: Managing the Product on the Shop Floor

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 112 Unit 8: Production Monitoring and Analysis

113 Lesson: Analyzing Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

118 Unit 9: Nonconformance Management in SAP Manufacturing Execution

(Optional)

119 Lesson: Setting Up Nonconformances in SAP Manufacturing

Execution

127 Unit 10: User Management in SAP Manufacturing Execution (Optional)

128 Lesson: Managing Users in SAP Manufacturing Execution

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Course Overview

TARGET AUDIENCE
This course is intended for the following audiences:

Application Consultant

Super / Key / Power User

Business User

© Copyright. All rights reserved. vii

© Copyright. All rights reserved. viii
 UNIT 1 SAP Manufacturing
Execution Overview and
Application
Infrastructure

Lesson 1
Explaining Key Features and Benefits of SAP Manufacturing Execution 2

Lesson 2
Navigating and Working With Records 7

Lesson 3
Managing SAP Manufacturing Execution Sites 10

Lesson 4
Executing a Basic Production Process 13

Lesson 5
Working With Activities and Groups 15

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Understand the basic capabilities of SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand the architecture of SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand the SAP Manufacturing Execution user interface

Understand how to navigate and interact with SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand how to create, display, or change a record

Explain the purpose of using sites in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand the flow of a basic production process

Explain the purpose of using activities and activity groups

Explain the purpose of activity rules

Explain the purpose of hook points

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 1

 Unit 1
Lesson 1
Explaining Key Features and Benefits of SAP
Manufacturing Execution

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the basic capabilities of SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand the architecture of SAP Manufacturing Execution

Functional Overview of SAP Manufacturing Execution

Figure 1: SAP Manufacturing Execution: Functional Overview

This figure shows a functional overview of the SAP Manufacturing Suite. The suite consists of
SAP Manufacturing Execution for the execution of the production process, SAP
Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence for reporting, and SAP Plant Connectivity for the
communication between the manufacturing execution system and devices, machines, or
equipment.
SAP Manufacturing Execution is compliant with Industry 4.0 standards and supports
paperless production up to lot size one. If offers quality inspection capabilities such as quality
inspection steps and the collection of related data, as well as an integrated nonconformance
management. During assembly, genealogy data is collected so that it is possible to trace
which components were assembled in which final product. In order to increase user
acceptance, role-specific access is provided so that the users are only exposed to relevant
information when working with the system. Labor records can be tracked and exchanged with
enterprise resource planning (ERP) in order to compare the planned to actual production
times. In order to fulfill compliance requirements of regulated industries, a certification
module is available. Here, the certifications of individual users are stored and the system can

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 Lesson: Explaining Key Features and Benefits of SAP Manufacturing Execution

check before the start of a manufacturing operation whether the user has sufficient
knowledge to execute this step.
By leveraging key performance indicator (KPI) data from the production process, the overall
equipment effectiveness, as well as other KPIs and alerts, can be calculated. It is possible to
define and design individualized dashboards for data analysis and display.
If standard functionality is not sufficient, SAP Manufacturing Execution offers an extensibility
software development kit (SDK) where customers and partners can implement their own
functionality that interacts with SAP Manufacturing Execution standard functions. Possible
examples are customer-specific plug-ins or checks that are able to verify whether the
manufacturing operation can be started (for example, if all components have been moved to
the shop floor).

Figure 2: SAP Manufacturing Execution: Production Operator Dashboards

This figure shows a typical user interface seen by the shop floor personnel. Using the
Production Operator Dashboard (POD), the production operator interacts with the SAP
Manufacturing Execution system. In a POD worklist, the current queued workload is displayed
and the user can select the item they would like to start working with. All manufacturing
actions (for example, start of the manufacturing operation, component assembly, data
collation, defect logging, and end of the manufacturing operation) are recorded. In addition,
the operator can read detailed work instructions or even review 3D assembly instructions
showing how to assemble certain components.
SAP Manufacturing Execution offers a pure browser-based UI that can be consumed on many
browsers. In order to optimize the interaction of the user with the system, role-specific access
and personalized dashboards for operators are available. By assigning roles to users, the
users only see what they need in order to perform their job, which should increase user
satisfaction. In order to support multiple working environments, touch and mobile devices are
also supported.

Figure 3: SAP Manufacturing Execution: Benefits

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Unit 1: SAP Manufacturing Execution Overview and Application Infrastructure

SAP Manufacturing Execution (SAP Manufacturing Execution) is a powerful, enterprise-level,

scalable, manufacturing business solution that enables global manufacturers to manage and
control manufacturing and shop floor operations. It provides a multi-faceted set of features
that integrates business systems to the shop floor, allowing for complete component and
material-level visibility for single and global installations. SAP Manufacturing Execution
ensures that product is designed and built right the first time, collecting data from multiple
sources and integrating data systems with shop floor activities, to create one comprehensive
production record. The result is an aggregate record of the entire product history, stored and
available for effective key decision-making and for meeting compliance requirements.
In detail, SAP Manufacturing Execution provides manufacturers with traceability and
genealogy as strategic capabilities to get the upper hand on competitors by delivering high-
quality products with minimum product recalls. This leads to a continuous increase in
profitability and cost reduction. SAP Manufacturing Execution UIs are easy-configurable, role-
based, and available on touch screens and mobile devices. Operators are prompted with
instructions for performing production activities, logging tools, assembling components,
recording component usage, and collecting quality test results. An out of the box integration
to SAP ERP for end-to-end process planning, traceability, and visibility of all activities across
systems is provided. In addition to the integration of SAP ERP, it is also possible to integrate
data from lower components such as sensors and devices in order to better orchestrate the
manufacturing process. Finally, SAP Manufacturing Execution allows access to
manufacturing data in real time, performing continuous process control to ensure product
quality and quick reactions to unexpected events in the production process.

Architecture Overview of SAP Manufacturing Execution

Figure 4: Typical Manufacturing Setup: Integration of SAP Manufacturing Execution With Other Business
Systems

SAP Manufacturing Execution (SAP Manufacturing Execution) is a manufacturing execution

system that can be highly integrated in your business system's landscape, as indicated in the
figure. In a typical manufacturing setup, SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA executes the supply chain
planning, procurement of raw materials, and the match between the demand of products to
the production capacities. At the end, the ERP system creates production orders with fixed
dates (for example, planned start and end of production), as well as an assignment of
manufacturing operations to work centers. The orders are then transferred to SAP
Manufacturing Execution for execution.
The main purpose of SAP Manufacturing Execution is the management and control of
manufacturing and shop floor operations. The tool tracks the entire manufacturing process
and documents all of the steps that are involved in the transformation of raw materials over
semi-finished goods to finished products. It works in real time to enable the control of multiple

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 Lesson: Explaining Key Features and Benefits of SAP Manufacturing Execution

elements of the production process, (such as components, resources, personnel, machines,

and support services), and is able to provide feedback from the shop floor to the top floor
enterprise management systems (for example, SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA).
SAP Manufacturing Execution can be connected to SAP Manufacturing Integration and
Intelligence. The main purpose of this application is to integrate plant and enterprise systems
in order to display integrated data that can be used for reporting processes spanning over
multiple plants or production facilities. Here, the performance of entire plants or individual
assets located in the same or different plants can be monitored and compared.
In addition, SAP Manufacturing Execution can integrate data from lower level systems (for
example, devices and equipment), using SAP Plant Connectivity. This application can be
connected to devices and sensors, data collection systems, plant databases and data
historians, or other data provisioning tools. The data provided can be leveraged by SAP
Manufacturing Execution to control and execute the manufacturing process. For example,
you can automatically record deviations at the production process if a temperature sensor
measures a temperature that lies outside of the specified temperature range. In addition,
devices can report their respective status (idle, operation started, operation finished) to SAP
Manufacturing Execution so that all steps of the production process are tracked.

Figure 5: SAP Manufacturing Suite High-level Architecture

The figure depicts the high-level architecture of SAP Manufacturing Execution. The user
opens the Production Operator Dashboard (POD) on their device. Depending on the use case
and business scenario, different PODs can be used. In the standard scenario, the user
interacts with SAP Manufacturing Execution using the web POD that is usually provided on a
normal desktop PC located on the shop floor. The touch screen POD addresses users that do
not want to interact with SAP Manufacturing Execution using a mouse or a keyboard, but
rather via a touch screen. This POD offers UI controls that are specifically designed for touch
interaction, for example, bigger buttons. In addition, mobile PODs can be used on scanning
devices, for example.
The presentation layer is responsible for transferring the user interactions to the business
layer where the SAP Manufacturing Execution business logic is executed in the manufacturing
API. In addition to user interactions, devices can directly interact with SAP Manufacturing
Execution using web services. This can be done via SAP Plant Connectivity or direct calls from
the device to the Manufacturing Execution web services.
Interaction and data transfer from and to SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA happens through the
Manufacturing ExecutionINT components located in SAP MII. In Manufacturing ExecutionINT,

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Unit 1: SAP Manufacturing Execution Overview and Application Infrastructure

the data flow between SAP Manufacturing Execution and SAP ERP is implemented via MII
transactions. Usually, master data (such as materials, work centers, routings, and so on), and
transactional data (such as production orders, material movements, and so on), from SAP
ERP to SAP Manufacturing Execution is provided via IDOCS. In the backward direction, that is,
from SAP Manufacturing Execution to SAP ERP, the data flow is orchestrated using BAPIs.
BAPIs are function modules in ERP that offer a standardized interface to external
applications. With BAPIs, it is possible to execute functions in ERP such as yield and scrap
confirmations, goods issue or goods receipt, quality data, or order status changes.
If the default capabilities of SAP Manufacturing Execution are not sufficient for the customer's
business case, a software development kit is available. For example, the customer can
develop their own POD plug-ins that can be embedded into different production PODs for the
execution of customer-specific logic. In addition, SAP Manufacturing Execution offers hook
points and extensions that can be leveraged to interfere with the standard application logic.
For example, customer-specific checks can be executed before a production operation can be
started at a specific resource.
SAP Manufacturing Execution runs on the SAP NetWeaver Java application stack. SAP
Manufacturing Execution as well as SAP MII data is saved in a database, for example, SAP
HANA.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the basic capabilities of SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand the architecture of SAP Manufacturing Execution

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 Unit 1
Lesson 2
Navigating and Working With Records

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the SAP Manufacturing Execution user interface

Understand how to navigate and interact with SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand how to create, display, or change a record

The SAP Manufacturing Execution User Interface

Figure 6: Overview: The User Interface of SAP Manufacturing Execution

When starting SAP Manufacturing Execution (SAP ME) in a web browser, the user sees a
screen that is organized as shown in the figure. On top of the screen, header information (for
example, current site) and various buttons, (such as home screen, application help, log out,
and so on), are displayed.
On the left side of the screen, the user sees the activity manager. SAP Manufacturing
Execution is made up of a series of activities which can also be organized into activity groups
in order to better organize different activities. For example, you can group different
maintenance activities, (for example, Material Maintenance, Routing Maintenance, Operation
Maintenance, and so on), or production-related activities, (Shop Order Maintenance, Shop
Order Release, Production Operator Dashboard / POD), together in order to give better
guidance to the users. Depending on the users role in the manufacturing plant, different
activity (groups) are available. Using an activity search field, the user can quickly locate an
activity in the tree of activities.
The main part of the screen is occupied by the activity that is currently active. Usually, on top
of the screen, the primary field is displayed. The primary key fields correspond to the fields in
the database that make the record unique. Close to the primary field, a Retrieve button is

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Unit 1: SAP Manufacturing Execution Overview and Application Infrastructure

displayed. Choosing this button, the user can retrieve the respective record from the
database in order to display and/or maintain the data. Depending on the complexity of the
respective object, data might be organized on different tabs for better overview.

Activity Navigation

Figure 7: Activity Navigation: Window Elements in Activities

SAP Manufacturing Execution consists of a series of activities. Production activities are

mainly used for execution of the production process. Shop floor personnel uses production
activities to give the system precise information about the work they are currently
performing. Maintenance activities are mainly used for maintaining master data and
configurational data. They are used by supervisors and system administrators in order to
configure the data that is required for the production process, and to set up the system. The
third type of activities is a report. Reports are used by production supervisors and
management, for example, in order to get an insight into the current production situation.
In an activity, the user can interact with SAP Manufacturing Execution using various window
elements.
Links are usually displayed in the upper-right corner of the screen. (for example, Lockout ,
Help, Site, and so on), or above tables (for example, Insert New, Remove Selected, and
Remove all Table Records ). By choosing the respective entry, the user can execute the related
activity. The Help button is especially important to mention as it usually guides the user to the
SAP Manufacturing Execution application help, (help.sap.com/Manufacturing Execution),
where additional information can be obtained. Also, note that the Help button is context
sensitive, so that the user is guided to the application help of the application they are
currently in.
Buttons can be displayed individually or grouped together in a menu or toolbar. The Save
button saves the respective record to the database. The Retrieve button retrieves the
respective record from the database. The Clear button clears the current activity so that the
user can display or edit another record. Note that this button does not delete the record from
the database. In order to delete a record, the Delete button must be used. Depending on the
degree of usage of a certain master or transactional data object, it is not always possible to
delete the record. In this case, the object must be deprecated by selecting a respective status
value.
Maintenance activities have primary key fields which are usually displayed at the top of the
screen. The primary key fields correspond to the fields in the database that make the
respective record unique.
If master or transactional data objects are more complex, the respective maintenance activity
may consist of more than one tab. Data is logically organized on the different tabs, and the
user can navigate between the tabs by choosing the respective tab header.

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 Lesson: Navigating and Working With Records

After many fields, SAP Manufacturing Execution displays the Browse icon. If the user clicks on
this icon, the system displays a list of all available entries for the field so that the user can
choose the respective entry from a value help. If the field contains an existing value, the
system displays only that value in the list. To display all values, the field must be cleared. To
narrow the list, the user can enter one or more initial characters for the value, and the system
displays only the values that begin with those characters.

SAP Manufacturing Execution Data Records

Figure 8: Procedure: To Display or Change a Record

Using maintenance activities, the user can enter information into the system. It is possible to
create a new record, to display or change an existing one, or to delete an existing record. If the
user creates a new record, the data base key must be entered. If it already exists, the system
will display an error message at save. In order to display or change an existing record, the user
must enter the primary key and retrieve the data. In contrast to SAP ERP, most SAP
Manufacturing Execution activities do not distinguish between a display and a change mode.
The respective object is usually displayed in change mode and the user can directly make
changes (provided that the status of the respective object allows a change).
Also note that the object is not locked against changes when choosing the Retrieve button. In
theory, more than one user can maintain the properties of the same object. The first user
committing their changes to the database will win. If another user has retrieved the same
record before the first user committed their changes and now tries to save the changes to the
database, the system will notify the other user that changes have been made in the meantime
and that the object must be retrieved again (optimistic locking). If this is the case, the
changes of the other user will be lost.
It is also possible to copy an existing record. In order to do so, the user retrieves an existing
record from the database and changes the primary key. At save, a new record with the same
properties as the copy model will be created.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the SAP Manufacturing Execution user interface

Understand how to navigate and interact with SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand how to create, display, or change a record

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 Unit 1
Lesson 3
Managing SAP Manufacturing Execution Sites

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Explain the purpose of using sites in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Sites in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Figure 9: Sites in SAP Manufacturing Execution

In SAP Manufacturing Execution, a site is defined as a specific, discrete area for production
where you want to gather and track information about the manufacturing process. In the
system, a site can be one of the following:

An entire plant where you manufacture product.

A separate, smaller facility at a plant where you manufacture product.

A specialized portion of a plant or facility, such as an area where you process returns or
reworks.

Sites are maintained in the Site Maintenance activity. With this activity, you can define one or
more sites. Each site operates independently and maintains its own master and transactional
data (for example, materials, bills of material (BOM), routings, operations, production orders,
and so on). It is mandatory to have at least one site in the system.
Each site is uniquely identified by a six-digit alphanumeric key (for example, DE1000). In
addition to physically existing production sites, there is one virtual global site (*) available in
the system. The global site is not used for production, but can be used for setting up global
default values that are common to all production sites and therefore inherited from the global
site.
Sites can have different attributes, for example, site type (production or transfer site) or time
zone. It is possible to have different sites with different time zones in the same system. When
executing production reports, the time zone of the respective site is taken into consideration.
Production sites correspond to physically existing sites where manufacturing work is

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 Lesson: Managing SAP Manufacturing Execution Sites

executed. Transfer sites are staging grounds that can be used to transfer data from one site
to another site. Some customers set up "master-data-only" sites where only master data is
managed, but no transactional data is created. With the site-to-site transfer functionality,
data can be transferred to different production sites.
A user can be assigned to more than one site. With the Site Selection activity (upper-right
corner), the user can navigate to all of the sites that they are assigned to. SAP Manufacturing
Execution administrators can use this function to manage users in different sites.

Figure 10: Site-to-Site Transfer

The site-to-site collaboration transfer feature provides the ability to copy master data from
one (master) site to one or more production site(s). A possible business scenario is the
"Golden Site" scenario. In this case, one site is especially dedicated to master data
maintenance. No transactional data (such as orders) is ever created in this site. After the
master data is set up correctly, it is transferred to the production sites where transactional
data (such as orders) are created and the production is executed.
Sites can either be located in the same database (local sites) or in different databases
(remote site). In the latter case, additional information must be supplied so that the SAP
Manufacturing Execution system knows where to send the data to be transferred.

Figure 11: Configuration Data Transfer

The configuration data transfer feature provides the ability to copy the entire system
configuration and master data, (for example, worklists, Production Operator Dashboards,
BOM, routing, operations, materials, and so on), from one master site to one or more child
sites. The feature exports the data from a SAP Manufacturing Execution site to a .zip file that
can then be imported to one or multiple other sites on the same or a different server.
With this process, a template-project can easily be rolled out from a master site that contains
all relevant data to a production site where SAP Manufacturing Execution is newly introduced.

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Unit 1: SAP Manufacturing Execution Overview and Application Infrastructure

In the system, two different activities ( Configuration Data Transfer Export and Configuration
Data Transfer Import ) are available to execute this process. The first activity allows the user to
define an export template, specify the objects to be transferred, and export the selected data
to a file. It also allows to transfer dependent data groups along with the selected objects to
ensure the data integrity on the destination site. The second activity is executed in the target
system. It allows you to import master configuration that you have exported from the source
site. It recreates the record from the source site, but does not overwrite records that already
exist on the destination site.
It is recommended to export and import among the same minor/major release versions in
order to avoid data inconsistencies.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Explain the purpose of using sites in SAP Manufacturing Execution

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 Unit 1
Lesson 4
Executing a Basic Production Process

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the flow of a basic production process

Basic Production Process

Figure 12: Demo Flow: Run a Basic Production Process

The figure shows a very basic production process from the creation of the shop order with
required data over release to production to the execution.
In the first step (maintain shop order data), the user creates a new shop order and specifies
the material, (for example, finished or semi-finished product), and quantity that shall be
produced. In addition, the user can maintain the BOM and routing as well production dates
and other related data.
In the second step (release shop order), the user releases the shop order to production. At
release, shop floor control units (SFCs) numbers are created. An SFC number can uniquely
identify an instance of the manufactured product (provided that each SFC number
corresponds to a quantity of one). Depending on the available production capacity, it is
possible to release one, several, or the entire order quantity to the production process.
In the third step (execute shop order), the product is manufactured and the shop order
personnel documents the individual manufacturing operations in the system. In order to do
so, the user opens the Production Operator Dashboard (POD) and selects one or more SFC
numbers. The start of processing of the SFC(s) is logged. If available and configured, the user
can review production documents, capture data about assembled components, obtain the bill
of material for this operation, and record defects that occurred during the production
process. After the production operation is finished, the SFC(s) is released from this operation
and transferred to the following operation as defined in the production routing.
After the SFC is finished at the last production step, the SFC will have the status done and can
be transferred from the production location to a warehouse for storage, for example. Using
reports, production managers and production supervisors can get an overview of the current
production situation at any time in order to make the required decisions.

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Unit 1: SAP Manufacturing Execution Overview and Application Infrastructure

Execute a Production Order Sent from SAP ERP

Before the course, data was created in SAP ERP and sent to SAP Manufacturing Execution
using IDOCS. In the following demonstration, the basic production flow should be
demonstrated. Only demonstrate shop order maintenance, shop order release and execution
of the first step in the POD. Limit the explanations to the very basic and give the participants a
general overview how a production process is executed in SAP Manufacturing Execution. All
further details will be covered throughout this course.

1. Assign your user to the following work centers using the User Maintenance application:

T-E##

T-F##

T-L##

T-M##

T-P##

T-V##

2. Open the Shop Order Maintenance application and retrieve an ERP order for the T-F1##
material using the value help of the Shop Order field.

3. Release 1 pc of this shop order to production using the Shop Order Release application.

4. Execute the first operation of this shop order using the POD - Operation POD.

A shop order was partially released to production and the first manufacturing operation was
executed.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the flow of a basic production process

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 Unit 1
Lesson 5
Working With Activities and Groups

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Explain the purpose of using activities and activity groups

Explain the purpose of activity rules

Explain the purpose of hook points

Activity Groups and Activities

SAP Manufacturing Execution is made up of a series of smaller applications, called activities.
Each of the activities is used to run a certain functionality to perform specified business
requirements. The activity manager is a launching point for activities.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, activities are maintained in the Activity Maintenance activity.
To access the Activity Maintenance activity from the activity manager, choose
Maintenance System Configuration Activity Maintenance .

Caution:
Activities are global to all sites in the database. When a new activity is added to
one site, all sites can view and use the activity once permission is given.

Activity Groups
Activity groupsenable activities to be organized in a hierarchical and logical format. In SAP
Manufacturing Execution, activity groups are maintained in the Activity Group Maintenance
activity. To access the Activity Group Maintenance activity, use the following path in the
Activity Manager: Maintenance System Configuration Activity Group Maintenance . An
activity group that has no activities or other activity groups assigned to it is not displayed in
the Activity Manager.
Additionally, you can use Activity Group Maintenance to add activity groups to other activity
groups to create subgroups. The SAP Manufacturing Execution system comes with a set of
activity groups and activities already assigned to them. You can make changes as needed for
your site. The system displays activities within a group in alphabetical order.

Activity Rules
Activity rulesallow you to control precisely how an activity behaves. When you install the
application, each rule of the activity is set to a default value. If this default value meets your
needs, you do not need to change it. Several types of activities in the application have rules
you can change. Activities that fall into each of the following types have rules:

POD button activities

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Unit 1: SAP Manufacturing Execution Overview and Application Infrastructure

Hookable activities

Other activities, such as production activities

Activity rules can be changed on the Rules tab in Activity Maintenance.

In SAP Manufacturing Execution, you can only change the setting for an activity rule. When
changing rule setting for an activity, we recommend that you rename the activity before
saving. A new activity rule can be added to a customer release to meet a customer
requirement, or as an enhancement to a new release of SAP Manufacturing Execution to
support existing or new functionality. Activity rules are hard-coded and cannot be deleted
easily.
If you change the rule setting for the original activity, the change will take affect for all cases
where the activity is used, for all sites in the database.

Hook Points
A hook point is a trigger governing when and where an activity hook is executed. It allows you
to configure when the system executes hook point activities during the manufacturing
process. You can add attach hook point activities to hook points in the following activities:

Operation Maintenance

Routing Maintenance

Resource Maintenance

NC Code Maintenance

Site Maintenance

Hook point activities can be executed at various points at the site level or at the individual
object level. At the site level, the system can execute hook point activities whenever any
operator throughout your entire site performs certain actions. At the object level, the system
can execute hook point activities each time operators do the following:

Perform a specific operation

Perform a specific step on a routing

Use a specific resource

Log a particular NC code

Several hook points occur before or after the execution of POD button activities, such as
Start , Complete , and Signoff . The system executes all codes associated with a hook point in
the same database transaction. The hook point transaction occurs with a single button
activity, such as Start (PR500). If the hook point activity fails, the system rolls back, or
cancels, the entire transaction. For example, if you associate Check Configuration (CT520)
with the POST_START hook point and the components have not been assembled, the system
rolls back the Start as well. This is true for all hook points.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 16

 Lesson: Working With Activities and Groups

Hookable Activity

Figure 13: Different timepoints where hookable activities can be attached

A hookable activity is an activity that the system automatically triggers at the specified point
in the manufacturing process. The application provides a set of hook points and hook point
activities that automatically perform repetitive routine tasks, such as data validation, creation
of SFC numbers and batch numbers, printing of bar code labels, and so on.
A possible business scenario could be that the printout of certain documents will be executed
every time an operator completes a packaging operation. This would allow you to print a
packing list for each SFC number you are ready to ship. Alternatively, the system will validate,
using a hook point activity, whether all components of a product have been assembled, and
make sure that no open nonconformances exist.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Explain the purpose of using activities and activity groups

Explain the purpose of activity rules

Explain the purpose of hook points

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 17

 Unit 1

Learning Assessment

1. How does the user interact with SAP Manufacturing Execution?

Choose the correct answer.

X A SAP Logon (SAP GUI)

X B Web browser

2. In SAP Manufacturing Execution, a comprehensive authorization concept is available, so

that users only see what they need to perform their daily work.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. Which of the following can be captured using SAP Manufacturing Execution?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Traceability Data

X B Genealogy Data

X C Finance and Controlling Data

4. SAP Manufacturing Execution communicates with SAP ERP using SAP Plant Connectivity.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

5. Using SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (MII), data can be obtained from
devices and exchanged with the ERP system.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 18

 Unit 1: Learning Assessment

6. The activity manager is used to access all activities in SAP Manufacturing Execution.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

7. It is possible that more than one object exists with the same entry in the primary field.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

8. Which of the following window elements are available in production and maintenance
activities?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Links

X B Primary Fields

X C Tabs

X D Graphical reports and hierarchical lists

9. SAP Manufacturing Execution has a locking concept, where only one user at a time can
access an object in write mode.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

10. There can be only one site per installation.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 19

Unit 1: Learning Assessment

11. A site in SAP Manufacturing Execution can be which of the following:

Choose the correct answers.

X A An entire production plant

X B A separate production facility in a plant

X C A logistics center

X D A specialized area used for reworks

12. Sites are always used for manufacturing activities.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

13. Explain the concept of Configuration Data Transfer.

14. Explain how a basic production process can be executed in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

15. Explain the concept of hook points.

16. Where is it possible to attach hook point activities?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Operation Maintenance

X B Routing Maintenance

X C Resource Maintenance

X D Material Maintenance

X E User Maintenance

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 20

 Unit 1

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. How does the user interact with SAP Manufacturing Execution?

Choose the correct answer.

X A SAP Logon (SAP GUI)

X B Web browser

2. In SAP Manufacturing Execution, a comprehensive authorization concept is available, so

that users only see what they need to perform their daily work.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. Which of the following can be captured using SAP Manufacturing Execution?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Traceability Data

X B Genealogy Data

X C Finance and Controlling Data

4. SAP Manufacturing Execution communicates with SAP ERP using SAP Plant Connectivity.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 21

Unit 1: Learning Assessment - Answers

5. Using SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (MII), data can be obtained from
devices and exchanged with the ERP system.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

6. The activity manager is used to access all activities in SAP Manufacturing Execution.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

7. It is possible that more than one object exists with the same entry in the primary field.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

8. Which of the following window elements are available in production and maintenance
activities?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Links

X B Primary Fields

X C Tabs

X D Graphical reports and hierarchical lists

9. SAP Manufacturing Execution has a locking concept, where only one user at a time can
access an object in write mode.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 22

 Unit 1: Learning Assessment - Answers

10. There can be only one site per installation.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

11. A site in SAP Manufacturing Execution can be which of the following:

Choose the correct answers.

X A An entire production plant

X B A separate production facility in a plant

X C A logistics center

X D A specialized area used for reworks

12. Sites are always used for manufacturing activities.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

13. Explain the concept of Configuration Data Transfer.

The configuration data transfer feature provides the ability to copy the entire system
configuration and master data, (for example, worklists, Production Operator Dashboards,
BOM, routing, operations, materials, and so on), from one master site to one or more child
sites. The feature exports the data from a SAP Manufacturing Execution site to a .zip file
that can then be imported to one or multiple other sites on the same or a different server.

14. Explain how a basic production process can be executed in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

In the first step, a production order with relevant master data settings is created. Then,
the shop order is released to the shop floor. During execution, the workers execute the
individual production operations, capture data, review work instructions, and so on.

15. Explain the concept of hook points.

A hook point is a trigger governing when and where an activity hook is executed. It allows
you to configure when the system executes hook point activities during the manufacturing
process.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 23

Unit 1: Learning Assessment - Answers

16. Where is it possible to attach hook point activities?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Operation Maintenance

X B Routing Maintenance

X C Resource Maintenance

X D Material Maintenance

X E User Maintenance

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 24

 UNIT 2 Master Data Setup for
Production in SAP
Manufacturing
Execution

Lesson 1
Working With Work Centers and Resources in SAP Manufacturing Execution 26

Lesson 2
Setting up Production Lines 31

Lesson 3
Working With Materials in SAP Manufacturing Execution 39

Lesson 4
Working With Bills of Material in SAP Manufacturing Execution 43

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Understand the difference and relationship between work centers and resources

Understand the purpose of using work centers

Understand the purpose of using resources

Understand the relationship between work centers and resources and the possibility to
nest them

Understand the purpose and settings of operations

Understand the purpose and settings of routings

Understand the usage of in-line work instructions

Explain the purpose of using materials and its settings

Explain the purpose of using a bill of material (BOM) and explain its structure

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 25

 Unit 2
Lesson 1
Working With Work Centers and Resources in
SAP Manufacturing Execution

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the difference and relationship between work centers and resources

Understand the purpose of using work centers

Understand the purpose of using resources

Understand the relationship between work centers and resources and the possibility to
nest them

Work Center and Resource Overview

Figure 14: Work Centers and Resources in SAP Manufacturing Execution

In SAP Manufacturing Execution, a work center is defined as a specific location in the site
where goods are produced, processed, or stored. Work centers are used to divide the
portions of a routing along functional work lines, and therefore, a work center corresponds to
a sequence of resources required to produce or assemble a material. In SAP Manufacturing
Execution, work centers are mainly used for the following purposes:

Determination of the granularity of the work in progress (WIP) reports

To group together different equipments that are system-wise managed as resources, for
example, several identical drills are available at the same workbench

To control where a product is released

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 26

 Lesson: Working With Work Centers and Resources in SAP Manufacturing Execution

To determine the order of resources that SFCs should follow in the work center, for
example, 1) drill holes using a drill, 2) thread using a thread cutter, 3) mount screws with a
screw driver

A resource is defined as a machine or other piece of equipment used to perform an operation.

A resource may be very simple (for example, a drill, a thread cutter, a screw driver), or a
complex machine (for example, a painting robot or an automated assembly machine for
manufacturing electronic circuits). A resource can also represent a workbench or a basic
processing area where operations are performed without using equipment, such as a staging
area where individual components for the different production orders are staged.

Work Centers

Figure 15: Work Centers in SAP Manufacturing Execution

As already stated, a work center is defined as a specific location in the site where goods are
produced, processed, or stored. Possible settings for the work center are shown in the figure.
On header level, the work center is defined per site and characterized by a main key for
example, ASSY-BENCH-00. On the Main tab, the user can maintain a language-specific
description, the work center status (such as enabled or disabled), the work center type (for
example, assembly, dispatch, production control, and so on), and ERP-related data.
When a shop order is released, the system places the SFC(s) in queue at the first operation on
the routing in the default work center, which is maintained in the routing step. This setting can
be overwritten in Shop Order Maintenance and/or Shop Order Release apps, for example, by
supervisors in order to balance the workload between different work centers. In order to be
able to release SFCs to individual work centers, such as production lines, the indicator SFC
can be released to this Work Center must be set for this work center.
On the Users tab, several users that are working at this work center can be assigned. If a work
center POD is used by the production operators, the user must be assigned to this work
center in order to be able to enter the work center in the POD. If the user is not assigned, the
work center will not be visible to this user, although it exists in the system.
In addition, it is possible to set up a hierarchical structure of work centers and resources in
order to sequence resources within a work center. In this case, the header work center, for
example a production line, can contain several nested sub-work centers and/or resources. In
the case of a production line, the nested items perform the individual steps and the system
enforces that the steps are executed exactly in the specified sequence, using the assigned
resources. If different production lines are available on your shop floor, the system will route

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 27

Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

the SFCs through the production line in the specified sequence. In this case, the header work
center can also be interpreted as a routing.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, work centers are set up using the Work Center Maintenance
activity.

Resources

Figure 16: Resources in SAP Manufacturing Execution

As already stated, a resource is a machine or piece of equipment that performs work at an

operation in order to manufacture a product. Similar to work centers, the resource
information is also distributed between tabs. On header level, the resource is defined on site
level and characterized by a main key, for example, DRILL-00. On the Main tab, the user can
maintain the description, the status, (for example, enabled, disabled, scheduled
downtime,and so on), and ERP data if the resource is imported from ERP.
Resources can be assigned to different resource types. Resource types are used to categorize
similar machines or other resources into groups, such as drills, as indicated above. The
resource type determines which resource is available for the shop floor worker when starting
an operation in the POD as the resource type must be maintained when setting up an
operation. As an example, let's assume that the first manufacturing step consists of drilling
holes. On the operation level, the resource type drills is assigned. If an operator starts the
drilling step, the system offers all drills assigned to the resource type drill for selection. Note
that there is a m:n relationship between resources and resource types, so that a resource can
be assigned to more than one resource type.
Usually, one resource is only used by one operator, and the same operator starts and stops
working on an SFC with this resource. However, there might be production setups where one
operator of one shift starts the SFC at a resource and another operator who is assigned to a
later shift finishes the SFC at this resource (for example, an oven in which components are
heated over several hours). In this case, the process resource indicator must be set and it is
then possible that the same SFC is started and stopped by different operators at the same
resource. Note that this setting is also important when performing in-process quality
inspections with ERP. If a passed quality inspection will move the SFC from one to the
adjacent step and the valuation of the quality inspection is performed by ERP, the process
resource indicator must be enabled for the quality inspection resource.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 28

 Lesson: Working With Work Centers and Resources in SAP Manufacturing Execution

If it is required to track the productive time of each resource, for example, for calculating a
productive utilization, the corresponding system rule must be enabled. Note that enabling this
setting might negatively impact your system performance.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, resources are maintained in the Resource Maintenance app,
whereas resource types are managed in the Resource Type Maintenance app.

Use Cases for Nesting and Sequencing

Figure 17: Nesting Work Centers and Resources

The figure, Nesting Work Centers and Resources, shows a commonly used approach with
several nested work centers and their various categories. WC1 corresponds to the building
where the pumps are assembled. Pump manufacturing takes place in two separate, but
identical assembly lines, WC3 and WC6. Due to reporting reasons, the identical lines WC3 and
WC6 are grouped to a line group WC2.
The smallest boxes in the figure represent resources that execute the individual assembly
steps. Some resources are also work centers. For example, WC8 / WC10 could correspond to
a work center that contains only a single resource, such as a painting robot.
WC3 and WC6 are Line category work centers. Each of these work centers categorizes an
entire routing. These routings have identical routing steps (operations), but each of the two
corresponding steps will be executed on a different resource. For example, if the first step on
routing 1 is ASSEMBLY-00, the first step on routing 2 is also ASSEMBLY-00. However, the
operator on routing 1 enters BENCH-01 (located at work center WC7) as the resource in the
Production Operator Dashboard, while the operator on routing 2 enters BENCH-02 (located
at work center WC9). This approach allows you to track information, for example, usage time
for calculating the utilization, about each resource separately.
The SFCs Can Be Released to This Work Centercheckbox in Work Center
Maintenance controls where users can release SFC numbers. In the example, this checkbox is
selected for WC3 and WC6 only. All other work centers are used for reporting purposes.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 29

Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Figure 18: Sequencing Resources Within a Work Center

It is possible to set up a hierarchical structure of work centers and resources in order to

sequence resources within a work center. As shown in the figure, Sequencing Resources
Within a Work Center, the work center ASSY-BENCH-00 has three resources (R-DRILL-00, R-
SCREWDRIVER-00, and R-CALIPER-00) assigned. If the system rule Queue SFC at a resource
is set to true, a user can start the first operation (for example, drill) of a production routing at
resource R-DRILL-00. If the first operation is completed, the system will put the SFC in queue
at the second operation (for example, apply screws) and resource R-SCREWDRIVER-00 as
this resource is the next resource in the sequence. The third operation (quality inspection)
must also be completed inside work center ASSY-BENCH-00 by resource R-CALIPER-00. It is
not possible to move the pump SFC 4711 to the second work center ASSY-BENCH-01 and
finalize the assembly with resource R-CALIPER-01.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the difference and relationship between work centers and resources

Understand the purpose of using work centers

Understand the purpose of using resources

Understand the relationship between work centers and resources and the possibility to
nest them

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 30

 Unit 2
Lesson 2
Setting up Production Lines

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the purpose and settings of operations

Understand the purpose and settings of routings

Understand the usage of in-line work instructions

Operations

Figure 19: Properties of Production Operations

Operations are defined as individual, basic steps that are required to manufacture a product.
Before you create routings, you must define operations that will serve as building blocks for
routings. Each operation is started and completed by production operators or machines on
the shop floor. As usual, operation details are maintained on several tabs as indicated in the
figure. On header level, the operation key and the site where the operation is valid are defined.
On the Main tab, the description, the status (for example, new, releasable, obsolete), and the
operation type (normal, test, special), are defined. In addition, information about the default
resource type or even a specific default resource can be entered. If only the default resource
type is maintained, the operator can choose from the list of available resources that belong to
this resource type, if an SFC is started for a specific operation. If the default resource is given,
the SFC will be started at this resource. For example, if the resource type of
the ASSEMBLY-00 operation is RT-BENCH-00, and the RT-BENCH-00 resource type
includes BENCH1-00, BENCH2-00, and BENCH3-00, an operator who
enters ASSEMBLY-00 as the operation in the PODs can enter BENCH1-00, BENCH2-00,

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 31

Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

or BENCH3-00 as the resource. Furthermore, ERP-related data is displayed if the operation

was replicated from an ERP routing.
Operations of the type normal are usually required for manufacturing purposes. Test
operations are used to perform quality inspections. Operations belonging to both types are
usually added to production routings and it is possible to queue and release SFCs to these
operations. In addition, operations of the type special can be defined. These operations
cannot be used in standard manufacturing routings, but require the use of the routing type
special. A special operation is an operation that allows an operator to pull SFCs from another
arbitrary routing/operation to this operation and start the SFC here, for example, in order to
execute a random quality inspection. In order to be able to pull SFCs from another routing to
the special operation, the special operation must be the first step in the respective routing.
On the Certifications tab, the required certification and user group can be assigned to this
operation, in order to ensure that only trained and qualified personnel are able to execute this
manufacturing operation.
On the Activity Hooks tab, activities can be assigned to hook points (for example, pre_start,
post_start, pre_complete, post_complete, and so on), in order to execute automated checks,
for example, before an operation is completed. In the example above, the activities CT520
(Check Configuration) and NC520 (Check SFC for open NC codes) are performed before the
operation is completed. The first operation checks whether all components specified in the
BOM have been assembled. The second operation checks whether open defect codes (NC
codes) exist. If not all of the components have been assembled, or open NC codes exist, the
operation cannot be completed and an error message is displayed.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, operations are defined in the Operation Maintenance
activity.

Figure 20: Example: Setting up an Routing by Leveraging Operation Building Blocks

As shown in the figure, when setting up a routing, one or more operation building blocks are
put together into the routing and brought into the sequence that is required in order to
execute the manufacturing process. As operations are building blocks, it is possible to reuse
one operation in multiple routings. For the second step, special instructions that describe the
quality inspection process in detail are supplied and displayed to the operator.
As indicated for the first operation, an elapsed time check is performed before the operation
is finished by assigning the ELAPSED_TIManufacturing Execution_CHECK activity to the hook
point PRE_COMPLETE. When the operator tries to complete the SFC at the first operation,
the system checks whether the required time, which is maintained on operation level, has
passed. If this is not the case, the operator cannot complete the SFC and must wait until (at

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 32

 Lesson: Setting up Production Lines

least) the required time has passed. A business example could be a painting operation where
a certain waiting time is required so that the paint is dry enough for the execution of the
subsequent manufacturing steps.
In addition, the QUAL-INSP-00 operation might be set up to enable the recording of
nonconformances. On the Main tab, it is also possible to assign a nonconformance client to
this operation which will be displayed in the POD. The operator can then log one or more
noconformance codes for the SFC at this operation.

Routings

Figure 21: Properties of Routings

In SAP Manufacturing Execution, a routing is defined as a set of work steps that are required
to execute the production of a good. The routing contains the relevant operations, their
sequence, and the work centers at which the operations will be executed. The routing data is
organized into different tabs. On the Main tab, the routing description, the status, and the
maintenance mode (tabular or graphical) are maintained. The latter setting determines the
content of the second tab. If tabular maintenance mode is chosen, the user can maintain the
routing in a tabular mode where the different operations and their respective settings are
maintained in a table. If graphical maintenance mode is chosen, the user can graphically
maintain the operations in the routing and their sequence. On the left side of the graphical
routing window, the repository of available operations displays, and the user can add
operations via drag-and-drop to the routing. By drawing arrows from one step to another, the
operation sequence is determined.
The routing type determines the flow of an SFC through the production process. Production
routings are used to manufacture a product. Nonconformance (NC) routings are used to
analyze and resolve a nonconformance. These routing types are not used when an order is
released to production. Instead, NC routings are usually connected to NC codes and triggered
if an operator detects an NC, for example, when performing a quality inspection operation.
Routings of the type special are used for special processes. It is possible to directly move an
SFC to a special routing, for example, for an unscheduled, ad-hoc quality inspection.
The example in the figure shows a very simple routing flow consisting of three steps
(assembly, quality inspection, and packaging). The first step (ASSEMBLY-00) is marked as
entry step so that the SFC can be released at order release to the first operation of the
routing. On the shop floor, the operator performing the assembly step opens the POD, selects
operation ASSEMBLY-00 and the used resource, and starts the SFC at this operation. When

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 33

Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

finished, the operator completes the SFC and the system routes the SFC to the quality
inspection step (QUAL-INSP-00). After start and complete, the SFC is routed to the
packaging (PACKAGING-00) step. After the operator finishes the SFC here, the SFC is
produced and the respective SFC status is done.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, routings are maintained using the Routing Maintenance app.
Note that this activity starts a Java application. Therefore, it is not possible any more to
execute this app if this is not supported by your browser (for example, Google Chrome). As of
now, the app can still be used in Internet Explorer. Alternatively, a stand-alone package can be
deployed to PC users, (see SAP note 2814817), so that the routing maintenance can be
started locally. The same applies to Dynamic Routing Maintenance .

Routings with Branches, Repair Loops, and Dependent Steps

Figure 22: Graphical Routing With Repair Loop

In the figure, Graphical Routing With Repair Loop, a more complex routing including an
additional repair step is displayed. Similar to the previous example, the manufacturing
process consists of three steps (assembly, quality inspection, and packaging). After the
quality inspection, a branching point (1) is introduced. If the operator detects failures during
the quality inspection step, an additional repair step (REPAIR-00) is required, where the
broken device may be repaired. After repair, the device is routed back to the quality
inspection step where the quality inspection is re-executed. If the operator does not detect
any failures, the device is routed to the packaging step. Note that the repair branch is not
limited to one step. It is possible to add an arbitrary number of additional steps (such as
disassembly, repair, and so on) to the rework branch.
At the branching point (1), a decision about the SFCs next step is required. The decision can
be taken by the operator, automated using a script, or by using a nonconformance code. The
decision can be made by the operator performing the current step or by the operator(s)
performing the next steps. In the first case, the system displays a popup and the completing
operator can select. In the second case, the SFC is put in queue at all possible follow-up steps
and the first operator starting the SFC at their step wins. If the decision is automated, it is
possible to define a script at the branching point or use a nonconformance code disposition.
The script could check whether there are defects or open nonconformances, for example. In
the case of a defect, the SFC is automatically routed to the repair step. If there are no defects,
the SFC is processed at the packaging step. Based on the entered nonconformance code,
special analysis and repair routings could be required. It is therefore possible to assign
routings of the NC Routing type to defect codes. If the operator logs the defect code, the
system can automatically route the SFC to the assigned routing.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 34

 Lesson: Setting up Production Lines

Figure 23: Graphical Routing With Branches

The figure, Graphical Routing With Branches, shows a routing flow containing three alternate
steps. After assembly, the painting operation can be executed manually (PAINT-00), or with
two different painting robots (PAINT-01/02). If the system completes the first step, the
branching point (1) is reached and the system displays a popup, where the operator can
choose the subsequent step. For example, the operator could select an operation with free
capacity in order to balance work between the three available possibilities. Note that after
choosing one next step, the SFC can only be started at this step. It is not possible to start the
SFC at one of the other two steps.

Figure 24: Graphical Routing With Dependent Steps

The figure, Graphical Routing With Dependent Steps, shows two alternative routing options
leveraging the any order and the simultaneous group settings. All operations in the any order
group (on the left side of the figure) can be executed in an arbitrary order. However, it is not
possible to execute these operations simultaneously. After completing the assembly
operation (ASSEMBLY-00), the SFC is put in the queue at all operations in the any order
group. If the operator starts the SFC, for example, at the DRILL-00 operation, the SFC are
dequeued from all other operations in the any order group. After the SFC is finished at the
DRILL-00 operation, the SFC is again put in the queue of all operations in the any order group.
The system continues this until all operations of the any order group are completed. Then, the
SFC is put in the queue of the packaging operation (PACKAGING-00).

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Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

The simultaneous group (on the right side of the figure) is used for operations that can be
executed in parallel (for example, different quality inspection) for the same SFC. After
completion of the assembly operation (ASSEMBLY-00), the system puts the SFC in the
queue of both operations included in the simultaneous group (BEND-00 and DRILL-00). The
SFC can be started at the different operations at the same time. After the SFC is finished at
both operations, the system routes the SFC to the packaging operation (PACKAGING-00).
Note that it is also possible to define more complex flows, such as more than one subsequent
step, in the simultaneous group.

Nested Routing Types

Figure 25: Nesting Different Routing Types

The figure shows a very complex work flow with tree nested routings. The default production
routing (orange box) consists of three steps (assembly, quality inspection, and packaging). If
there are errors identified in the quality inspection step (1), the SFC is routed to the defect
routing (blue box). This routing is of the NC type. Here, a different operator analyzes the
product and executes a repair. In case of successful repair (2), the product is routed back (3)
to the original step in the default production routing and the production continues.
Alternatively, the product can also be routed to the next operation in the production chain. In
the example in the figure, this would correspond to the packaging operation
(PACKAGING-00).
If the operator cannot identify the defect, another operator with more specialized analysis
equipment might be involved (4). In this case, the product can be routed to a third routing of
type special (purple box). Here, additional analysis and repair steps may be executed.
Depending on the outcome, this operator can decide to scrap (5) the SFC or return (6) the
SFC to the next step in order to continue the production process. Note that since the third
routing is of type special routing, the return step does not route the SFC back to the previous
step in the chain ( defect routing), but transfers the SFC back to the routing which initiated
the deviation process flow ( default production routing).

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 Lesson: Setting up Production Lines

In-Line Work Instructions

Figure 26: Types of Work Instructions and Assignment to Objects

A work instructionis an explanation of what to do in a particular production circumstance. As

shown in the figure, work instructions can be files of various file types that are uploaded to the
system, or links to external storage systems. The documents are attached to material groups,
materials, routings, operations, work centers, resource types, resources, individual shop
orders, or even SFCs. If multiple attachments are defined at a single point, the sequence by
which the system processes these work instructions must be specified.
If the operator executes a production step where a document is attached using one of the
attachment points stated above, the document can be displayed either manually or
automatically. The operator can review the detailed instructions and then execute the work as
specified.
Work Instruction Viewer (WI500)
The Work Instruction Viewer activity is attached to a POD button and launches work
instructions to the production operator based upon the POD configuration. The administrator
can configure the POD to display work instructions in the following ways:

Add a standalone button to the POD, specifically designed to run the Work Instruction
Viewer activity.

Add the Work Instruction Viewer activity to an existing POD button, such as Start or
Complete , to launch the Work Instruction Viewer when the operation is started or
completed by the operator against an SFC.

A primary POD button must be associated with the Work Instruction List plug-in or the Work
Instruction Viewer plug-in. The Work Instruction List plug-in (WI_LIST_DISPLAY) displays a
list of all of the work instructions that are associated with the SAP Manufacturing Execution
objects currently in effect in the POD. It also contains a View button that invokes the Work
Instruction Viewer plug-in for the selected work instructions.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, work instructions and their attachment points are
maintained in the Work Instruction Maintenance activity.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the purpose and settings of operations

Understand the purpose and settings of routings

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 37

Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand the usage of in-line work instructions

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 38

 Unit 2
Lesson 3
Working With Materials in SAP Manufacturing
Execution

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Explain the purpose of using materials and its settings

Materials Overview

Figure 27: Materials in SAP Manufacturing Execution

A material in SAP Manufacturing Execution is defined as a unique manufactured or purchased

part that is processed or consumed on the shop floor. As all master data, it is defined on site
level. As indicated in the figure, the material data is organized on different tabs. On the Main
tab, the most important data is displayed, such as the language dependent description, the
status, and the material type.
Materials in SAP Manufacturing Execution can be of different types. Manufactured materials
are produced on the shop floor. If a component is manufactured or purchased from suppliers,
the type Manufactured/Purchased can be chosen. For purchased components that are not
manufactured, the type Purchased is available. It is possible to create production orders for
materials of the type Manufactured or Manufactured/Purchased. On the contrary, it is not
possible to create production orders for materials of the type Purchased. In addition to the
material type, the default routing and BOM can be specified on material level per order type. If
no other information is supplied (for example, by transferring order specific information from
ERP or by specifying different information in the shop order or at shop order release), the
default BOM and routing are used when the shop order is released.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 39

Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

The lot size setting, in combination with the quantity restriction, controls the received (in case
of purchased) or manufactured quantity. The lot size defines whether the material on the
shop floor is managed as a separate unit (lot size 1) or whether individual units are grouped
together as a lot (lot size > 1). The setting applies both to manufactured and purchased
materials. In the case of manufactured materials, the lot size determines how many SFCs will
be created at release of a shop order. Assuming a lot size of 10 pc and a manufacturing
quantity of 30 pc, three SFCs managing 10 pc, respectively, will be created. In case of
purchased materials, the lot size is taken into consideration during floor stock receipt and
determines how many pieces are managed by one floor stock unit.
The quantity restriction (only 1.0, any number, or whole number) influences the lot size. If
quantity restriction is set to only 1.0, the lot size must be 1 as well. This usually corresponds to
serialized materials that are individually built and managed through the entire production
process. If quantity restriction is set to whole number, the lot size can only be an integer. If
quantity restriction is set to any number, the lot size can be an arbitrary, also floating point
number. The latter two cases correspond to a situation where SAP Manufacturing Execution
cannot track individual pieces. Instead, multiple items are managed in the same SFC as a
homogenous quantity.
On the Build tab, it is possible to define data to be collected during assembly and floor stock
receipt, for example, for traceability purposes. A potential business scenario could be the
assembly of a serialized component into a serialized finished good, such as a medical device.
Another scenario corresponds to the situation where components bearing a supplier serial
number are purchased.
The ERP production storage location and ERP putaway storage location fields are taken into
consideration when SAP Manufacturing Execution is connected to SAP ERP and material
movements are posted. The first field determines the default storage location for
components, whereas the latter field determines where the finished goods will be stored.
On the Alternate Materials tab, it is possible to define alternate components that can be
assembled instead, for example, if this material is not available. A similar setting can also be
made on BOM level for each BOM item. If the setting is made on material level, the alternate
component applies to all BOM items that reference this material. If the alternative component
setting is made on BOM item level, the alternate component only applies to the BOM item.
On the Documents tab, it is possible to assign documents, such as drawings, labels, and so on,
to the material containing additional information. Documents must be set up in the Document
Maintenance activity.
On the Certifications tab, certifications can be assigned to the material. The certification
process ensures that only trained and certified personnel are able to perform specific jobs or
tasks for a material and the system prevents users without the certification to work with this
material.
On the Material Groups tab, the material can be assigned to one or more material group(s) in
order to logically group similar materials. For example, it is useful to define material groups if
similar manufactured materials will have the same SFC numbering scheme, as the numbering
scheme can be defined either on material or on material group level.
In the system, material master settings are performed with the Material Maintenance activity.
Material groups are defined and managed in the Material Group Maintenance activity.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 40

 Lesson: Working With Materials in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Figure 28: Additional Settings in the Material Master

The quantity multiplier and panel settings mainly apply to electronic circuits. The quantity
multiplier represents the planned number of pieces of a material that will be produced. As
shown in the figure, eight units (A-H) of a material will be produced. However, due to handling
purposes, the eight individual units are grouped together at the beginning of the
manufacturing process. At a certain step, the eight units are cut into individual pieces and the
SFCs quantity is multiplied by the quantity multiplier. Multiplication can occur either manually
by the operator in the POD, or by assigning the hook point activity PR597 to the cutting
operation.
If the indicator panel is set, the system assumes that more than one piece will be produced
from the same material. For each piece, a location identifier (A-H in the figure) can be defined
and the amount of available locations depends on the materials lot size. At a predefined
operation, the panel is cut into individual pieces and the SFC is split up into individual SFCs by
executing the Serialize activity (PR550). After serialization, the old SFC number is invalid with
zero quantity and new SFCs are created with a respective quantity. This process allows the
operator to scrap individual slots in case of defects even before the SFC is serialized.
Time-sensitive materials are materials where the chemical and physical properties change
over time, such as paint, glue, or other materials that are sensitive to moisture and/or oxygen.
As these materials deteriorate under ambient conditions, the system must make sure that
they cannot be consumed after a certain time. Using the time-sensitive materials
functionality, shop floor operators can be notified that materials have expired during the work
process. Once the respective checkbox is selected, it is possible to maintain the shelf life and
the floor life times, respectively. The shelf life time is the time a material can be stored under
controlled conditions, for example, in a fridge. The floor life time corresponds to the time a
material can stay in good order on the shop floor under ambient conditions. The system
counts both times and informs the operator if, for example, the maximum shelf life has been
reached. Note that the floor life time is not accumulated over multiple usages. Each time the
operator checks a time-sensitive material out, the system resets the floor life clock. The shelf
life clock however keeps running. In order to use the time-sensitive materials functionality, the
POD plug-in Time-Sensitive Material Check In/Out must be configured in the POD.

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Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Selection of Routing and BOM at Order Release for Different Order Types

Figure 29: Selection of Routing and BOM at Order Release for Different Order Types

On the material level, default settings for routing and BOM can be defined for different order
types, for example, standard production order, inspection order, or rework order. Upon
release of the specific shop order, default BOM and routing are assigned, provided they have
not been received via the production order download from ERP, or manually entered in the
shop order through the Manage Shop Order or Release Shop Order apps, respectively.
Potential business scenarios include the following: Your company manufactures a finished
good in a make-to-stock scenario. As the production process is well defined, it is possible to
assign a default routing and BOM on material level so that all production orders, independent
of the lot size, are executed in the same way. In a rework scenario, defect goods can be
reworked in order to be able to sell them. In this case, no BOM might be required as all
components have already been assembled. However, a special inspection or repair routing
(for example, REWORK-T-F100, as shown in the figure) must be executed in order to analyze,
identify, and resolve the defect. Inspection orders are mainly used if incoming inspections, for
raw materials for example, will be performed on the shop floor. The BOM could contain
measuring devices for analyzing the raw materials quality and the inspection routing could
define the quality inspection process.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Explain the purpose of using materials and its settings

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 42

 Unit 2
Lesson 4
Working With Bills of Material in SAP
Manufacturing Execution

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Explain the purpose of using a bill of material (BOM) and explain its structure

BOM Overview - BOM Header and BOM Items

Figure 30: Bill of Materials (BOM) for Production

A bill of material (BOM) is defined as a structured list of all the components, and their
quantities that make up an assembly. The BOM consists of the header and the item level.
On the header level of a BOM, the BOM type (master, shop order SFC, or configurable) is
maintained. The key fields are the BOM ID and the version, for example, T-F100-1-1 / A. If the
BOM is imported from ERP, the ERP key field is displayed. Finally, a BOM has a text
description and a status that indicates whether a BOM is still in draft mode (status new) or
can be used in a production process (releasable).
The BOM type indicates for which scenario the BOM can be used. A master BOM is the default
type that is used when manufacturing a product. A shop order BOM is usually created when
BOMs are imported from SAP ERP. If the master BOM is different from the BOM that is sent
together with the ERP order, shop-order specific BOMs are created (if the system rule "Ignore
BOM Update" is set to false). Finally, it is possible to have SFC-specific BOMs if a certain SFC
requires the assembly of specific components that differ from the master or shop-order BOM.
When trying to identify which BOM to use, the SFC BOM takes precedence over the shop-
order BOM, and the latter takes precedence over the master BOM.
On the item level of a BOM, the individual components, their respective assembly sequence,
the assembly quantity, and the assembly operation are maintained. The item quantity

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Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

corresponds to the quantity that is required to produce one manufactured product. In the
example shown in the figure, the pump consists of one casing, one fly wheel, one hollow shaft,
one electrical turbodrive and eight screws, respectively. Note that, in contrast to ERP, the
BOM in SAP Manufacturing Execution is always normalized to one piece of the manufactured
product.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, BOMs are maintained in the BOM Maintenance activity. In
BOM maintenance, you create, update, display, or change BOMs.

Figure 31: Additional Settings on BOM Item Level

In addition to the previous section, it is possible to make additional settings for each BOM
item.
The component type further identifies a component. The default type (normal) corresponds
to a component that is assembled. The test type corresponds to a test part and needs to be
removed at a defined disassembly operation. Operators should remove all defined test parts
for a material before completing the assembly process. The system can perform a
corresponding check if the TEST_PART rule of the Check Configuration activity is set to true.
Phantom assembly components are parts that have a bill of material (BOM), but are not
usually produced with a production order. They are produced as part of a parent assembly.
The material requirements for a production order include all components of the phantom
component, but the phantom component is not included. This allows a more structured
organization of the bill of material, without adding more work orders or stocked assemblies.
Reference designators specify where operators or machines must load components onto
assemblies. For example, reference designators can tell an operator that you want the same
component, such as a specific resistor model, loaded in four different places on a specific
board.
It is possible to enforce the system to record additional data during assembly, such as the
serial number of the used component. If this information is required for traceability purposes,
the assembly data type must be specified. Note that it is also possible to define this setting on
material level. If a respective setting is available on the material and on the BOM item level,
the BOM item setting takes precedence and overrides the settings on material level.
Usually, the BOM item corresponds to the component that will be assembled. However, it
might be possible that this component is not available, for example, if the component cannot
be delivered by the supplier. If this is the case, it is possible to specify alternate components
which can be used as a substitute. Similar to the previous setting, BOM item level settings
take precedence over the settings on the material level.
In some cases, the required component quantity cannot be preplanned (for example, lube,
paint, and so on) and might therefore differ from the BOM item quantity. For these
components, the Assembly Quantity as Required flag can be set. If set, the production
operator enters the consumed quantity of the respective component in the operation POD.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 44

 Lesson: Working With Bills of Material in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Components bearing this indicator will have no value in the Assembly Quantity field in the
POD. However, reports (such as an As-Build Summary Report) will show the right quantity.

BOM Building Blocks

Figure 32: Building BOMs by Using Building Blocks

If a set of components is used in many BOMs, it is possible to define building block BOMs in
the system. The latter contain a list of components. When creating a new BOM, instead of
supplying all components individually, the user can enter the building block BOM which is
automatically exploded by the system. After BOM explosion, the user can maintain further
details on the item level.

Hook Point Activities

Figure 33: Hook Point Activities Check Configuration (CT520) and Auto Assemble Component
(AUTOASSY_COMPONENT)

It is possible to set up the SAP Manufacturing Execution system to verify whether all BOM
components have been assembled correctly during the manufacturing of a product. To do
this, the CT520 hook point activity can be used to compare the components in the build
history of an SFC number to its BOM, to ensure that the SFCs have the correct number of
assembled components. This activity is commonly used with
the PRE_START, PRE_COMPLETE, and POST_COMPLETE hook points. If this activity is
executed at PRE_START, it checks for components of the previous operations only. If this
activity is executed at PRE_COMPLETE or POST_COMPLETE, it checks for components at the
current operation and all previous operations. For example, if CT520 is enabled as

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Unit 2: Master Data Setup for Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

PRE_COMPLETE step of the last assembly operation of a routing, the system will check
whether all BOM components have been assembled in the correct quantity.
If the Assembly Quantity as Required flag is set for a BOM item, the system will verify whether
or not the respective component was assembled at all, but it will not check the assembly
quantity.
Usually, the operator must specify the assembled components and their respective quantity
in the POD. If the system will automatically assemble the BOM components without the
operators input, the AUTOASSY_COMPONENT hook point activity can be used. This activity
automatically assembles components that have the assembly data type NONE and a defined
assemble operation, and saves the data to the SFC number's as-built record. This can occur
upon shop order release or at a specific operation by enabling the activity at one of the hook
points PRE_START, PRE_COMPLETE, or POST_ORDER_RELEASE.

To Create a BOM Template

1. In the SAP Manufacturing Execution activity manager, choose Product

Genealogy Genealogy Maintenance BOM Maintenance.

2. Enter BOM-TEMPLATE-##in the BOM field and A in the Version field.

3. Select the BOM Template checkbox.

4. Choose Save to save the BOM header and ignore the following message: No current
version defined for BOM TEST .

5. Maintain BOM items and respective quantities.

6. In the Status field, select Releasable and save the data.

7. Choose Clear to clear the page and create a new BOM.

8. In the new BOM, add a new BOM item. On the Component Details screen, browse for the
template BOM created above in order to add all components from the template BOM into
the current BOM.

9. Afterwards, change the quantities and assign assembly operations to each BOM item.

A template BOM is created. The template BOM can be used when other BOMs are set up.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Explain the purpose of using a bill of material (BOM) and explain its structure

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 46

 Unit 2

Learning Assessment

1. In SAP Manufacturing Execution, a work center is defined as a specific location in the site
where goods are produced, processed, or stored.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

2. It is not possible to define a work center hierarchy that corresponds, for example, to a
production line.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. Discuss when work centers or resources are used.

4. Explain the concept of operations.

5. Before routings can be created, it is mandatory to create the respective operations.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 47

Unit 2: Learning Assessment

6. It is not possible to use the same operation in more than one routing.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

7. Which of the following operation types are available in the system?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Normal operation

X B Test operation

X C Special operation

X D Non conformance operation

X E Repair operation

8. Define the concept of routings in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

9. How can routings be created in the system?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Replication from ERP

X B Manually as a tabular routing

X C Manually as a graphical routing

10. Routings cannot be nested hierarchically.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

11. Routings can have a complex hierarchy to model analysis-repair loops of different
complexity.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 48

 Unit 2: Learning Assessment

12. Define the concept of work instruction in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

13. Work instructions can be automatically displayed to the operator using the Work
Instruction plug-in.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

14. Work instructions must always be maintained in the material master.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

15. Define the concept of materials in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

16. Which of the following material types are available?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Manufactured

X B Purchased

X C Manufactured/Purchased

X D Tool

17. Materials must always be configured as lot size 1.0 in SAP Manufacturing Execution.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 49

Unit 2: Learning Assessment

18. Explain how the default BOM and routing are selected at order release.

19. Explain the concept of BOMs in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

20. BOM item quantities can be specified for quantities other than one header material.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

21. Which of the following BOM types are available in the SAP Manufacturing Execution
system?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Master BOM

X B SFC BOM

X C Order BOM

X D Nonconformance BOM

22. Define the concept of test items in BOMs.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 50

 Unit 2

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. In SAP Manufacturing Execution, a work center is defined as a specific location in the site
where goods are produced, processed, or stored.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

2. It is not possible to define a work center hierarchy that corresponds, for example, to a
production line.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. Discuss when work centers or resources are used.

A resource is defined as a machine or other piece of equipment used to perform an

operation. Work centers are used to divide the portions of a routing along functional work
lines, and therefore, a work center corresponds to a sequence of resources required to
produce or assemble a material.

4. Explain the concept of operations.

Operations are defined as individual, basic steps that are required to manufacture a
product.

5. Before routings can be created, it is mandatory to create the respective operations.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 51

Unit 2: Learning Assessment - Answers

6. It is not possible to use the same operation in more than one routing.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

7. Which of the following operation types are available in the system?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Normal operation

X B Test operation

X C Special operation

X D Non conformance operation

X E Repair operation

8. Define the concept of routings in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

In SAP Manufacturing Execution, a routing is defined as a set of work steps that are
required to execute the production of a good. The routing contains the relevant
operations, their sequence, and the work centers at which the operations will be executed.

9. How can routings be created in the system?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Replication from ERP

X B Manually as a tabular routing

X C Manually as a graphical routing

10. Routings cannot be nested hierarchically.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

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 Unit 2: Learning Assessment - Answers

11. Routings can have a complex hierarchy to model analysis-repair loops of different
complexity.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

12. Define the concept of work instruction in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

A work instruction is an explanation of what to do in a particular production circumstance.

13. Work instructions can be automatically displayed to the operator using the Work
Instruction plug-in.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

14. Work instructions must always be maintained in the material master.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

15. Define the concept of materials in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

A material in SAP Manufacturing Execution is defined as a unique manufactured or

purchased part, that is processed or consumed on the shop floor. As with all master data,
it is defined on site level.

16. Which of the following material types are available?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Manufactured

X B Purchased

X C Manufactured/Purchased

X D Tool

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 53

Unit 2: Learning Assessment - Answers

17. Materials must always be configured as lot size 1.0 in SAP Manufacturing Execution.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

18. Explain how the default BOM and routing are selected at order release.

On the material level, default settings for routing and BOM can be defined for different
order types, for example, standard production order, inspection order, or rework order.
Upon release of the specific shop order, default BOM and routing are assigned, provided
they have not been received via the production order download from ERP, or manually
entered in the shop order through the Manage Shop Order or Release Shop Order apps,
respectively.

19. Explain the concept of BOMs in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

A bill of material (BOM) is defined as a structured list of all the components, and their
quantities, that make up an assembly. The BOM consists of the header and the item level.

20. BOM item quantities can be specified for quantities other than one header material.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

21. Which of the following BOM types are available in the SAP Manufacturing Execution
system?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Master BOM

X B SFC BOM

X C Order BOM

X D Nonconformance BOM

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 54

 Unit 2: Learning Assessment - Answers

22. Define the concept of test items in BOMs.

The test type corresponds to a test part and needs to be removed at a defined
disassembly operation. Operators should remove all defined test parts for a material
before completing the assembly process. The system can perform a corresponding check
if the TEST_PART rule of the Check Configuration activity is set to true.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 55

 UNIT 3 Production Execution in
SAP Manufacturing
Execution

Lesson 1
Defining Numbering Patterns in SAP Manufacturing Execution 57

Lesson 2
Running Production and Building a Product 58

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Understand the usage and setting of numbering schemes

Understand the lifecycle of a production order

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 56

 Unit 3
Lesson 1
Defining Numbering Patterns in SAP
Manufacturing Execution

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the usage and setting of numbering schemes

Next Number Maintenance

The Next Number Maintenance activity gives you the ability to define special numbering
schemes to assist the shop floor in identifying specific types of product. For example, you can
set up the system so that when you release SFCs for the T-F100 material, they all start with T-
F100- prefix. Additionally, you can use replaceable parametersas a prefix or suffix for the
number, for example, %WEEKOFYEAR%, %PARENT_SHOP_ORDER_BO.(1)%, %DATE_TIME
%, and so on. Replaceable parameters are variables that you can use in the system. You
create a replaceable parameter by surrounding the uppercase name of an element with
percentage signs (%): %FIELD_NAME% When the system reads the percentage signs (%), it
replaces the field name with the value of the field.

Hint:
Refer to the Replaceable Parameters for Use with Next Number Maintenance
topic in the SAP Manufacturing Execution online help to see the list of
replaceable parameters that you can use as prefixes and suffixes to create a
numbering pattern in Next Number Maintenance.

Next Number Maintenance supports number bases of 2 to 36. The number base specifies
what digits the system will use to build a number. The number base 10 (ten) uses digits 0-9,
while higher number bases (10 to 36) use letters A-Z to represent digits higher than 9. The
Sequence Length setting represents the number of characters between the prefix and the
suffix in the number. In addition, it is possible to set up when the numbering sequence is reset
to the first value (for example, never, daily, weekly, yearly, and so on.)
If the number will be validated, for example, when releasing an SFC, the EN520 hookable
activity can be used at the PRE_START hook point of the first operation of the SFCs routing.
To access the Next Number Maintenance activity from the activity manager, choose
Maintenance System Configuration Next Number Maintenance .

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the usage and setting of numbering schemes

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 57

 Unit 3
Lesson 2
Running Production and Building a Product

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the lifecycle of a production order

Production Orders Overview

Figure 34: Properties of Shop Orders in SAP Manufacturing Execution

A shop order authorizes the shop floor to produce a specified quantity of a single material. A
shop order is identified by the shop order ID. As in other applications, the data is organized on
different tabs.
On the Main tab, the order type (for example, production, repetitive, inspection, rework, and
so on), the status (for example, releasable, on hold, done, closed) and the material that will be
produced, together with the quantity, are maintained. It is possible to specify the planned
BOM and routing that will be used for the production of the material. It is possible to leave the
fields empty and maintain them during order release. If no information is given then, the
default settings maintained in the material master are used. Note that it is not possible
anymore to change the BOM and routing after the order has been released to production.
The shop order type indicates the production process. In a classical make-to-order scenario,
the order type usually is production. Once the specified build quantity has been reached, the
order is done and it is not possible to create additional SFCs for this order. In a make-to-stock
scenario, the repetitive order type can be used. This corresponds to using planned orders in
repetitive manufacturing in ERP. For repetitive orders, it is possible to create more SFCs than
specified in the ordered quantity field. However, once the expiration date of the order is
reached, it is not possible anymore to create new SFCs for this order.

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 Lesson: Running Production and Building a Product

On the Production Quantities and Build Status tabs, the user can get information about the
current processing status. For example, the amount of released, queued/in work, scrapped,
and done SFCs is shown. In addition, the system shows the actual start and end date of the
operation together with the BOM and routing that were used for producing the product.
On the SFC Numbers tab, the SFC numbers that are associated with this order are shown.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, shop orders are created in the Shop Order Maintenance app.
The (partial) release of shop orders is done using the Shop Order Release app.

The Livecycle of a Production Order

Figure 35: The Lifecycle of a Shop Order

The typical lifecycle of a shop order in SAP Manufacturing Execution is displayed in the figure.
It starts with creation of the shop order. At creation, the shop order supervisor specifies how
many units of a product will be manufactured with this order. In the next step, the shop order
is released. The order release instructs the shop floor to produce the specified quantity of the
material. It is possible to release the entire quantity or less to the shop floor, in order to
balance production capacity load, for example. In the latter case, multiple releases can be
performed until the specified quantity is reached. At order release, the SFC numbers are
created according to the quantity settings of the material master of the produced good.
Furthermore, the system assigns a BOM and a production routing either based on the data
maintained at shop order release, the data maintained during order creation, or the data
maintained in the material master. Based on the identified routing, the SFC(s) is (are) put into
the queue of the first manufacturing operation.
The operator who is responsible for the execution of the first step reviews the SFCs that are
queued at their operation using a Production Operator Dashboard (POD). In the POD, the
operator usually enters the used resource and logs the start of the manufacturing operation
by choosing a respective button. If required and maintained, work instructions can be
displayed to the operator explaining the details of the manufacturing process. In addition, the
operator can enter the amount of components that were consumed during the operation and
collect additional data (for example, component serial numbers, used inventory numbers,
other data) that is required in order to document the production process. If in-process quality
inspection is required, the respective data can be entered by the operator in the POD. If
nonconformances are detected, the operator can maintain the respective data (for example,
type of defect and a description, immediate actions, and so on) in a nonconformance record.
After the operator has finished their work, the SFC is completed at this operation and the
system routes the SFC to the following operation. Based on the data provided by the

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Unit 3: Production Execution in SAP Manufacturing Execution

operator, this can be the next manufacturing step that is maintained in the routing (default
flow), or special operations triggered by a captured defect.
The production process continues until all production steps are executed for the SFC. When
the operator at the last manufacturing step releases the SFC to complete, the SFC status is
set to done and the product is put into inventory.
The POD is the user interface which is used by the users to perform a multitude of activities
on the shop floor against the SFC. This user interface is highly customizable and can be
adapted to a multitude of use cases, from a very simple production process over capturing of
assembly or quality data, to the display of 3D working instructions. The possibilities of
adapting the POD will be covered in a later unit of this course.

Production Order Reports

Figure 36: Reviewing Work in Progress Information

As shown in the figure, the system offers multiple reports to production supervisors to get an
insight into the current production situation. In addition to aggregated data, detailed SFC data
can be displayed:

The Activity Log Report displays activities (such as start, stop, complete, and so on)
performed on SFC numbers along with the activity code and date/time the activity was
performed.

The SFC report displays detailed information about an SFC, for example, SFC status,
related shop order, and so on.

The As-Built Summary Report is a genealogy report which displays information about the
assembled components in an SFC.

The NC Log Report is a quality report that shows an overview of NC codes that were
logged against an SFC or their components.

The Production Report is used to obtain information about the first pass and
nonconformance quantities on the shop floor.

Note that this is not complete a complete list, and shows only a subset of the available
reports. We recommend to check the default activity group Reports in the system for a full list
of the available reports.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the lifecycle of a production order

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 Unit 3

Learning Assessment

1. When defining numbering patterns for floor stock receipt, only integer numbers can be
used.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

2. When using numbers in a numbering scheme, it is only possible to use the numbers 1 to 6
as a number base.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. Explain the typical life cycle of a shop order.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 61

 Unit 3

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. When defining numbering patterns for floor stock receipt, only integer numbers can be
used.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

2. When using numbers in a numbering scheme, it is only possible to use the numbers 1 to 6
as a number base.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. Explain the typical life cycle of a shop order.

It starts with creation of the shop order. At creation, the shop order supervisor specifies
how many units of a product will be manufactured with this order. In the next step, the
shop order is released. At order release, the SFC numbers are created according to the
quantity settings of the material master of the produced good. Furthermore, the system
assigns a BOM and a production routing. The production process continues until all
production steps are executed for the SFC. When the operator at the last manufacturing
step releases the SFC to complete, the SFC status is set to done and the product is put
into inventory.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 62

 UNIT 4 Data Collection in SAP
Manufacturing
Execution

Lesson 1
Explaining Quality and Parametric Data in SAP Manufacturing Execution 64

Lesson 2
Configuring Forms of Data Collection in SAP Manufacturing Execution 67

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Understand how parametric data can be collected leveraging DC groups

Understand where customer-specific data can be used in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand how customer-specific fields can be added to master data objects

Understand how customer-specific fields can be added to transactional data objects

Understand how SAP Manufacturing Execution can be configured for in-process quality
inspection

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 63

 Unit 4
Lesson 1
Explaining Quality and Parametric Data in SAP
Manufacturing Execution

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand how parametric data can be collected leveraging DC groups

Properties of Data Collection Groups

Figure 37: Scenario: Attaching Data Collection Groups to Manufacturing Operations and Resources for the
Collection of Parametric Data

Data Collection (DC) provides a configurable manual data collection feature that is available
from a POD. It provides the capability for a user to record data for SFC numbers, resources,
and work centers. The collected data can then be used in the following example scenarios:

Monitoring the quality of the production process in general

Document quality-related or other manufacturing data for individual SFCs that can be
used in case of deviations and/or warranty claims

Document the manufacturing process in a regulated environment, for example,

manufacturing of medical devices

Provide input data for statistical analysis of the production process, for example, statistical
process control (SPC)

As displayed in the figure, the manufactured product (for example, the pump) which is
serialized (SFC 4711) is produced in several manufacturing operations. These are illustrated
using the orange boxes, for example, assembly and paint, in-process quality inspection after

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 Lesson: Explaining Quality and Parametric Data in SAP Manufacturing Execution

assembly, and a drying step involving a dry oven. To each of the manufacturing operation, one
or more data collection groups, shown in the grey boxes, are attached. For example, during
assembly and paint, the operator documents various assembly parameters. Each DC group
contains one or more parameters, as shown in the blue boxes, for example, the torque and
the screwdriver used, in the case of the assembly parameters. While the SFC moves through
the individual production operations, the shop floor operators can collect DC parameters
using a POD plug-in, and the DC parameters are stored with respect to the manufactured
SFC.
In addition to the documentation of SFC-related data, it is also possible to attach a DC group
to a resource or work center. In this case, the parameters are independent of the SFC that is
currently processed and parameters are collected as a function of time, for example. In our
example, this is the case for the third DC group (oven parameters) that is attached to a
resource (oven). DC parameters for resources and work centers can be calculated either
manually in a specific POD (Standalone Data Collection, DC550) or automated by using a web
service which receives data from the resource without operator interaction.
For further processing and analysis purposes, SAP Manufacturing Execution offers apps for
editing the collected data ( Data Collection Edit ) as well as predefined reports, for example, the
Data Collection Results Report.

Figure 38: Collecting Data for SFC: Detailed Settings

Let us now have a closer look at the DC group and parameter settings for SFC data
collections. On the DC group level, for example, the functional parameters shown in the grey
box, the collection type, (SFC, resource, or work center), can be chosen. If SFC is selected, it
can be specified when the data collection plug-in is opened in the POD, for example, at the
start or at the completion of the SFC. The collection method applies if data for multiple SFCs
will be collected. If the data point will apply to all selected SFCs, the manual-multiple option is
selected; otherwise the manual-single option can be chosen. The pass/fail group setting
influences the properties of the DC groups parameters and is often selected for quality-
related DC groups.
On the parameter level, for example, the max. power consumption or max. pressure, shown in
the blue box, minimum, maximum, and target values can be defined, respectively. If not
specified otherwise, the operator cannot maintain values that lie outside of the range
specified by the minimum or maximum range. However, for quality-related data, it must also
be possible to capture values that may lie outside the minimum or maximum range, in order
to document deviations. To do so, the override min/max indicator can be enabled. At the

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Unit 4: Data Collection in SAP Manufacturing Execution

same time, an NC code must be specified, that is automatically created by the system if the
entered parameter lies outside the min/max range. Furthermore, the number of mandatory/
optional data entries can be specified if, for example, a parameter will be collected multiple
times.
In order to ensure that the shop floor personnel has collected all of the required parameters,
SAP Manufacturing Execution offers a hookable activity (DC520) that can, for example, be
attached to a PRE_COMPLETE validation step at the last manufacturing operation. Attaching
and enabling the activity here ensures that all DC parameters are collected before the SFC is
done. If it will only be possible to set the done status for an SFC if all parameters lie inside the
limits defined by the DC collection parameters, the hookable activity DC521 can be attached
to an operation hook point, for example. The respective validation fails if one measured
parameter lies outside of the specification limits and the SFC cannot be completed.
Using SFC-specific DC groups with an enabled pass/fail setting and automated logging of NC
codes, a quality inspection scenario for in-process inspection can be enabled in SAP
Manufacturing Execution. To do so, one or more quality inspection operations must be added
to the manufacturing routings. To each quality inspection operation, one or more DC groups
with the shown settings must be attached. If the SFCs move through the production process,
the shop floor personnel collects quality-related data and the system automatically creates
NC codes in case of parameter violations. Based on the severity of the NC code(s), it can, for
example, check whether an SFC is still suited for sale, or whether additional analysis/repair
loops are required. If additional repair is required, the SFC could be automatically routed to a
respective quality routing at a branching point in the manufacturing routing. Here, the SFC is
checked, repaired, and then routed back to the normal manufacturing process after
successful repair.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand how parametric data can be collected leveraging DC groups

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 66

 Unit 4
Lesson 2
Configuring Forms of Data Collection in SAP
Manufacturing Execution

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand where customer-specific data can be used in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand how customer-specific fields can be added to master data objects

Understand how customer-specific fields can be added to transactional data objects

Understand how SAP Manufacturing Execution can be configured for in-process quality
inspection

Overview: Where is it Possible to Define Customer-Specific Fields?

Figure 39: Customer-Specific Data in SAP Manufacturing Execution

In SAP Manufacturing Execution, it is possible to enhance the predefined master data objects
as well as the transactional data objects with additional fields so that the user can log all of the
required information. Usually, SAP delivers a comprehensive set of fields where customers
can maintain their data. However, due to customer-specific requirements or other regulatory
standards, customers must be able to enhance the predefined field set with their own fields.
In the figure, a decision tree is displayed. The first question that needs to be answered is the
following: Will additional data be available in order to add extra information to master data
objects, (for example, material, BOM, document, operation, and so on), or do we need
additional information about the production process itself? In the latter case, SAP
Manufacturing Execution offers the possibility to log data at predefined points in the
production process, (for example, component assembly, replace of a component, logging of a

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 67

Unit 4: Data Collection in SAP Manufacturing Execution

nonconformance code against an SFC, receipt or maintenance of floor stock, and so on), or at
any time (for example, additional SFC, resource or work center data).

Addition of Customer-Specific Fields to Master Data Objects

Figure 40: Scenario 1: Adding Additional Fields to Master Data Objects

In the first scenario, additional data fields are required for the master data object material. In
the first step, the available data fields are specified for the category material using the Custom
Data Maintenance application. As shown in the upper part of the figure, the additional data
fields have the properties sequence, data field key, field label, and a required indicator. The
sequence field determines the order in which the fields are displayed in the Material
Maintenance application. The (language dependent) field label determines the label of the
field seen by the user. If the required indicator is set, the user must specify a field value before
the object can be saved to the database. In addition to site-specific additional fields as shown
in the figure, it is also possible to define additional fields in the global site (*) which are then
passed to each site available in the system.
After having defined the abstract list of fields for the material object, each material has an
additional set of fields that can be maintained using the Material Maintenance application. The
data fields are displayed on the Custom Data tab.
The approach that is described here is similar for all master data objects. The first step
consists of defining additional data fields for each category using the Custom Data
Maintenance application. In the second step, the respective fields appear in the respective
master data maintenance applications and can be maintained by the users on object level.

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 Lesson: Configuring Forms of Data Collection in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Addition of Customer-Specific Fields to Transactional Data Objects

Figure 41: Scenario 2a: Collecting Additional Data at Predefined Points of the Manufacturing Process

In this scenario, the manufacturing process is defined such that additional data about some of
the assembled components is required. The first step consists of defining the data field in the
Data Field Definition Maintenance application (1). Then, all required data fields are grouped
together as a data type in the Data Field Assignment Maintenance app (2). In the last step, the
data type is either assigned to the material master of the component, or to the BOM item
where the component is maintained (3).
The data field is defined on site level. For each data field, a type (checkbox, text, date,
number) can be specified that determines the expected data format. In addition, a (language-
specific) field label can be defined. In the pre-save activity, an activity that is executed before
the data is saved can be assigned, for example, for consistency validation or data
manipulation purposes.
A data type, (for example, EXTERNAL_DATA), is defined and groups all data fields together.
Here, the display sequence and a required indicator can be specified for each data field. The
selected category, (for example, assembly, NC, SFC, and so on), influences the predefined
point where the data will be collected, for example:

Assembly: Displays the defined fields when the operator 1) adds or removes components
to or from assemblies, 2) adds materials to floor stock or maintains them, or 3) places
components on hold

NC: Displays defined fields when an operator logs a nonconformance, if a data type is
assigned in NC Code Maintenance

SFC: Displays defined fields for SFC numbers in the SFC Data Entry activity if defined in the
POD

On the right side of the figure, the master data maintenance apps Material Maintenance and
BOM Maintenance are displayed. Here, the data type (for example, EXTERNAL_DATA) can be
specified on material or BOM item level, respectively. If the data type is specified in the Data
to Collect on Assembly field on material level, every time the component is assembled, the
system offers the user the possibility to capture additional data in the Assembly Point
(CT500) or As-Built Configuration (CT510) apps, respectively. If the data type is specified in
the Assembly Data Type field on BOM level, the system offers the user the possibility to

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Unit 4: Data Collection in SAP Manufacturing Execution

capture additional data during a manufacturing process where this BOM is used. If the
manufacturing process uses a different BOM (and no data type is maintained on material
level), additional data is not required. In summary, as BOM item settings are more specific
than material master settings, the more specific settings overrule the more granular settings.
In order to enable the collection of additional data for NCs, the data type must be assigned to
an NC code in the NC Code Maintenance application. When creating an NC code in the Log NC
(NC_DATA_ENTRY) activity, the user can capture additional data to the NC code. In the case
of SFC data collection, the SFC Data Entry (SFC_DATA_ENTRY) activity must be available in
the POD.
In order to ensure that the data has been collected properly by the shop floor personnel,
different hookable activities (such as CHECK_SFC_DATA or CT520) are available in SAP
Manufacturing Execution standard that can be assigned, for example, for the
PRE_COMPLETE hook point of an operation.

Figure 42: Process: How to Set up the Collection of Additional Data at Predefined Points of the Manufacturing
Process

To define the process of the collection of additional data at predefined points of the
manufacturing process, the following approach, which is also shown in the figure, should be
followed:

1. Define data fields in the Data Field Definition Maintenance application. Then group all data
fields together in a data type in the Data Field Assignment Maintenance application.

2. Choose a category (process) where the data type should be activated. This is also done in
the Data Field Assignment Maintenance application.

3. Now assign the data type to the respective master data object (for example, material or
BOM). Depending on the desired process, different fields are available in the material
master, such as data to collect on assembly, data to collect on removal, floor stock
receipt. For the NC code, only the field NC data type is available for assignment of a data
type.

4. After the master data objects have been configured, the shop floor personnel can capture
the additional data. If additional data for the processing of floor stock is required, the
respective data is captured in the Floor Stock Receipt application. Component assembly
and removal, as well as NC code creation, are usually captured using a POD. In the POD,
different activities (CT500, CT510, and NC_DATA_ENTRY) are available in SAP

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 Lesson: Configuring Forms of Data Collection in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Manufacturing Execution standard which can be assigned to POD buttons in order to

execute the required functionality.

Figure 43: Scenario 2b: Collecting Additional Data at any Time During the Manufacturing Process

In this scenario, it is required to collect parametric data at any time during the production
process, for example, for monitoring the state of a resource. On the right side of the figure, a
resource for example, an oven, is displayed. For the resource, parametric data, for example,
temperature, will be collected at certain time points, for example, every minute. The data
points are independent from the component that is currently processed by the resource.
The data points that will be collected can be defined in SAP Manufacturing Execution using
data collection (DC) groups. The DC group is defined on site level and can be characterized by
a data base and version key field, respectively. On the Main tab, the collection type (resource,
SFC, work center) can be chosen and a description can be entered. For the collection types
resource and work center, no additional collection conditions can be specified. For the SFC,
additional collection time points (collect SFC data at start, complete, start/complete,
anytime) or collection methods (manual single, manual multiple) are available. Details about
SFC data collection in the context of quality data will be explained later in this unit.
On the Attached tab, attachment points, such as material, material group, routing, operation,
work center, resource type, resource, shop order, and SFC, can be specified for the data
collection group. In this example, two resources, Oven-00 and Oven-01, are attached to the
DC group so that parametric data can be collected for the two resources.
The data that will be collected can be specified by defining parameters in the DC group. The
parameter type, for example, numeric, Boolean, text, or data field list, defines the format of
the data to be collected. For numeric values, it is also possible to define minimum, maximum,
and a target value together with a unit of measurement. Boolean values can be used to
capture the state (on/off) of a resource as a function of the time, for example. Text values can
be used to capture the ID of the SFC that is currently processed by the resource or for
example the name of the operator who is currently working with the resource.
Once the DC group has been defined and attached to an object, it is possible to capture data
against this object. In order to do so, two options exist: In the standalone mode, parametric
data can be captured for resources and work centers by shop floor personnel at any time in a
special POD for data collection ( the Data Collection Standalone application). In the second
option, data collection is possible directly in the operator's working POD. In this case, a button
is defined in the POD from which the operator can access the data collection functionality.
Here, it is also possible to collect data for DC groups of collection type SFC.

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Unit 4: Data Collection in SAP Manufacturing Execution

In order to set up DC groups, the Data Collection Maintenance application is available in SAP
Manufacturing Execution.

In-Process Quality Inspection in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Figure 44: Configuration Example: Enabling In-Process Quality Control Leveraging Data Collection Groups

The example outlined in the figure shows how SAP Manufacturing Execution can be
configured to enable in-process quality inspection with a rework loop and consistency checks
at each manufacturing operation. The routing consists of the four steps assembly and
painting, quality inspection, packaging, and repair. The SFC is started at the assembly and
painting operation. To this operation, a DC group containing parameters is attached.
Furthermore, the hookable activity DC520 is attached to the operation at a PRE_COMPLETE
hook point. This configuration ensures that the operator cannot complete the SFC at this
operation before all parametric data has been collected. After collection, the SFC can be
completed at the first operation and is transferred to the in-process quality inspection
operation. Here, an in-process quality inspection is executed and quality data is collected in a
DC group with one or more parameters. The parameters are configured such that an NC code
is automatically logged in case of a min/max threshold violation. Again, the DC520 hookable
activity is attached to the second operation, in order to ensure that all DC parameters have
been collected. The operator now completes the SFC at the second operation. As shown in
the figure, a branching point is included in the manufacturing routing. At the branching point,
a script checks the existence of open NC codes. If there are open NC codes attached to this
SFC, it is automatically routed to the repair operation below. Otherwise, the SFC goes to the
packaging operation where the product is packed and the SFC finally reaches the done status.
In case the SFC is routed to the repair operation, it is repaired and - if successful - routed
further to the final packaging operation. If repair is not successful, the SFC can be scrapped.
In order to ensure that no SFC with defects can ever reach the done status, the NC520
operation is attached to the PRE_COMPLETE hook point of the packaging operation. This
activity checks whether open NCs exist for the SFC. If this is the case, the SFC cannot be
completed at this step, and therefore, cannot have the done status unless the NC is solved or
closed.
Note that further details regarding NC codes and the related processes will be discussed in a
later unit of this course.

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 Lesson: Configuring Forms of Data Collection in SAP Manufacturing Execution

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand where customer-specific data can be used in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Understand how customer-specific fields can be added to master data objects

Understand how customer-specific fields can be added to transactional data objects

Understand how SAP Manufacturing Execution can be configured for in-process quality
inspection

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 73

 Unit 4

Learning Assessment

1. Define the concept of data collection.

2. Data collection can be used in which of the following scenarios?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Monitoring the quality of the production process in general

X B Document quality-related or other manufacturing data for individual SFCs that can
be used in case of deviations and/or warranty claims

X C Document the manufacturing process in a regulated environment, for example,

manufacturing of medical devices

X D Add additional data to the material master, for example, material classification

3. Which of the following technical objects are part of the data collection functionality?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Data Collection Group

X B Parameter

X C Sampling Schema

X D Valuation rules for data parameters

4. Data collection can be performed at which of the following time points?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Goods receipt to inventory

X B Start SFC

X C Complete SFC

X D Scrap SFC

X E Anytime for resources and work centers

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 74

 Unit 4: Learning Assessment

5. Where is it possible to define customer-specific fields?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Master data objects (for example, material, BOM, routing, and so on)

X B Predefined points in the production process (for example, component assembly,

component remove, floor stock receipt)

X C Reports and dashboards

6. Customer-specific fields can be defined in the material master using the Manage Materials
app.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

7. It is possible to define global (site *) and site-specific user fields.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

8. A custom-specific data type can only contain up to 10 fields of the same type (for
example, numeric or text).
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

9. In SAP Manufacturing Execution, explain how and to which objects additional fields can be
added?

10. Explain how in-process quality inspection can be enabled using data collection.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 75

 Unit 4

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. Define the concept of data collection.

Data Collection (DC) provides a configurable manual data collection feature that is
available from a POD. It provides the capability for a user to record data for SFC numbers,
resources, and work centers.

2. Data collection can be used in which of the following scenarios?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Monitoring the quality of the production process in general

X B Document quality-related or other manufacturing data for individual SFCs that can
be used in case of deviations and/or warranty claims

X C Document the manufacturing process in a regulated environment, for example,

manufacturing of medical devices

X D Add additional data to the material master, for example, material classification

3. Which of the following technical objects are part of the data collection functionality?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Data Collection Group

X B Parameter

X C Sampling Schema

X D Valuation rules for data parameters

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 76

 Unit 4: Learning Assessment - Answers

4. Data collection can be performed at which of the following time points?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Goods receipt to inventory

X B Start SFC

X C Complete SFC

X D Scrap SFC

X E Anytime for resources and work centers

5. Where is it possible to define customer-specific fields?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Master data objects (for example, material, BOM, routing, and so on)

X B Predefined points in the production process (for example, component assembly,

component remove, floor stock receipt)

X C Reports and dashboards

6. Customer-specific fields can be defined in the material master using the Manage Materials
app.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

7. It is possible to define global (site *) and site-specific user fields.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

8. A custom-specific data type can only contain up to 10 fields of the same type (for
example, numeric or text).
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

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Unit 4: Learning Assessment - Answers

9. In SAP Manufacturing Execution, explain how and to which objects additional fields can be
added?

In SAP Manufacturing Execution, it is possible to enhance the predefined master data

objects, (for example, material, BOM, and routing), as well as the transactional data
objects (SFC), with additional fields so that the user can log all of the required information.
In addition, it is possible to activate data collection at predefined points (for example,
assembly of a component) or any time for a resource or work center.

10. Explain how in-process quality inspection can be enabled using data collection.

For in-process quality inspection, a respective operation in the routing can be defined. At
this operation, a data collection group with parameters is attached. The parameters are
configured such that an NC code is automatically logged when a measured value lies
outside the specified limits. The SFC could then be routed to a analysis-repair loop where
the defect is repaired before the SFC continues through the normal production routing.

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 78

 UNIT 5 Floor Stock in SAP
Manufacturing
Execution

Lesson 1
Working with Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution 80

Lesson 2
Configuring Discrete Component Traceability 84

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Understand the concept of floor stock

Understand how to create and manage floor stock

Understand discrete component traceability

Set up discrete component traceability

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 79

 Unit 5
Lesson 1
Working with Floor Stock in SAP
Manufacturing Execution

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the concept of floor stock

Understand how to create and manage floor stock

Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Figure 45: Overview: Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Floor stock management is an essential component of materials management and is

embedded in the entire logistical process. The floor stock management functionality of SAP
Manufacturing Execution gives users the possibility to manage, track, and trace individual
units in the form of inventory records. An inventory ID is defined as a unique identifier
representing a specific instance of material that is, for example, consumed during the
assembly of the material in the manufacturing process. As displayed in the figure, Overview:
Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution, floor stock can be stored at different storage
locations. A storage location is a physical place where components and finished goods can be
stored. If the SAP Manufacturing Execution system is connected to SAP ERP, storage
locations in SAP Manufacturing Execution usually correspond to storage locations maintained
in SAP ERP. It is also common practice to distinguish between storage locations for
components and finished products, for example, 0001 and 0002, respectively, as shown in
the figure.
Each storage unit is uniquely identified by an inventory ID. For each inventory ID, the amount
of managed components and additional data, such as vendor ID, serial numbers, and so on,
can be specified. In full lot-size 1.0 scenarios, each inventory ID manages exactly one
individual component, and the inventory ID can also be compared to a serial number.

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 Lesson: Working with Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution

However, it is also possible that an inventory ID manages higher quantities, for example, for
bulk materials. In this case, the smallest distinguishable unit is the inventory ID and it is not
possible to differentiate between the units that are contained in the inventory ID.

Figure 46: How is Floor Stock Created?

The figure describes how floor stock can be created in SAP Manufacturing Execution. If a
delivery arrives at the warehouse, the goods are counted, inspected, and then received into
the company's inventory (a). If there is an ERP system present (for example, SAP ERP or SAP
S/4HANA), the receipt is usually posted against a delivery in the ERP system. This approach
has the advantage that the inventory must only be maintained in one place and it can then be
used for different follow-up processes without needing to synchronize the data across
different silos. Inventory records of materials that are relevant to production, such as raw-
materials and other components, are further synchronized to SAP Manufacturing Execution,
where they are managed in the form of inventory records. The inventory records can then be
used and consumed during the production process. If a component (such as casing) is
assembled into the final product (for example, a pump), the SAP Manufacturing Execution
inventory quantity is decreased by one unit and the decrease must also be synchronized with
the inventory of the ERP system. Note that there are different strategies for synchronizing the
ERP inventory and the SAP Manufacturing Execution inventory which will not be discussed
further in this unit.
If there is no ERP system available or connected, for example, due to regulatory
requirements, floor stock can also be directly received into SAP Manufacturing Execution (b).
In this case, the operator posts the receipt of floor stock using the Floor Stock Receipt
application. In addition to Floor Stock Receipt, the Maintain Floor Stock application and the
Floor Stock Report can be used when working with floor stock in SAP Manufacturing
Execution.
If the SFC of a manufactured product reaches the done status (for example, after completing
the last assembly step), the system automatically creates an inventory record (c).

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Unit 5: Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Floor Stock Creation and Management

Figure 47: Manually Creating Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution

The figure displays how floor stock receipt is entered in SAP Manufacturing Execution. First,
the user needs to specify which material and quantity will be received into the floor stock. The
system checks the lot size that is maintained in the material master and then creates
inventory records. If the materials lot size is set to one, a receipt of six units will create six
different inventory IDs each containing one pc, respectively, as shown in the figure. If the lot
size was five, the system would create two inventory IDs, managing five and one pc,
respectively.
For each inventory record, additional data can be maintained. As shown in the figure, an
inventory data type (ERP_INV_DATA) can be assigned to the material in the material master
of the respective component. The data type contains additional fields, (such as vendor ID,
production date, and serial), which must be filled during goods receipt by the operator. As a
result, each inventory record is characterized by a unique set of identifiers which can then by
used for traceability purposes during the entire manufacturing process.
When creating floor stock, it is also possible to peg the inventory record to a specific shop
order, work center, resource, or operation, by setting the respective indicator. If set, the
inventory ID can only be consumed when processing an SFC that is assigned to the shop
order specified, for example. If another shop order tries to consume this inventory record, an
error message is displayed and the operator cannot consume this inventory ID.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, floor stock is created in the Floor Stock Receipt activity
(IN500). As usual, the application's behavior can be fine-tuned by setting application rules.
The generated floor stock ID can be influenced using Next Number Maintenance .

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 Lesson: Working with Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Figure 48: Floor Stock Management: Other Activities

In addition to the creation of floor stock records, it is possible to change the floor stock
records in SAP Manufacturing Execution as follows:

Splitting the initial inventory record leads to the creation of a new inventory record
containing the split quantity. The remaining quantity stays in the initial inventory ID. In the
example in the figure, the inventory ID initially contained 10 pc. After the split of 4 pc to a
new inventory ID, 6 pc stay in the initial inventory ID, while 4 pc are transferred to the new
inventory record.

It is also possible to transfer the entire inventory ID to a new storage location, for example,
if the order is transferred to another assembly line that is assigned to another storage
location.

As shown on the left of the figure, the amount of components can be changed, for
example, in order to correct errors, or components can be scrapped, for example, if they
are faulty.

If SAP Manufacturing Execution is connected to an ERP system, it might be required to also

synchronize these changes from SAP Manufacturing Execution to SAP ERP.

To Create a Storage Location in SAP Manufacturing Execution

1. Open the Storage Location Maintenance application.

2. In the Storage Location field, enter 0002 .

3. In the Description field, enter Finished Goods .

4. Move the work centers of all users ( FAB-## ) from the list of Available Work Centers to the
list of Assigned Work Centers .

5. Choose Save.

A storage location for finished goods is created and assigned to the work center used for the
pump manufacturing.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the concept of floor stock

Understand how to create and manage floor stock

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 83

 Unit 5
Lesson 2
Configuring Discrete Component Traceability

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand discrete component traceability

Set up discrete component traceability

Discrete Component Traceability Overview

Figure 49: The Concept of Genealogy

The figure outlines a genealogy record for a manufactured product, for example, a pump. The
finished pump is managed as lot-size one material, so that an individual SFC number
corresponds to a uniquely identifiable item, for example, a pump with a serial number.
The manufacturing process contains two steps. In the first step, the semi-finished material,
for example, turbodrive, is assembled from different raw materials, such as circuit board and
casing. In the second step, the semi-finished component and other raw materials (the casing
and fly wheel) are assembled to the finished product. For traceability reasons, it is required to
know exactly which components were used at which manufacturing step to assemble the
finished product. This process can be enabled in SAP Manufacturing Execution using the
discrete component traceability functionality.
The process starts on raw material level. Here, when the inventory record is created in SAP
Manufacturing Execution, information provided by the suppliers can be recorded, such as
vendor, vendor lot, vendor serial number, manufacturing date, and so on. In the next step, the
system collects for each processed SFC (for example, for the semi-finished or finished
product) which component was assembled at which operation, and provides the possibility to
collect additional data, such as inventory ID, serial number, quality-related information, and
so on, for each component. All recorded data is added to the as-built record of the SFC.
Leveraging data collection groups, further information, such as process- or quality-related
information, can also be captured for the SFC in order to enable full traceability.

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 Lesson: Configuring Discrete Component Traceability

As explained, collecting comprehensive genealogy data provides visibility and traceability of

the components, for example, in the case of product claims. A typical business use-case
follows the top-down approach from product to components: If a customer files a complaint
for a purchased product, such as a defect, the as-built record of the unit is available to the
quality assurance team and helps to quickly analyze the issue by providing information about
the manufacturing process and the assembled components. Assuming the root-cause of the
product defect is a defective component, the responsible supplier can be identified and
involved into the process.
After having identified a defective component, a follow-up process using the bottom-up
strategy can be triggered. Here, the path from a defective component to all finished products
where this component was used can be followed. Assuming that some finished products are
still in the warehouse, it can be prevented that they are sold to customers before the defect
was fixed. In the worst case scenario, the respective finished goods were already sold and
shipped to customers. In this case, the respective customers can be informed pro-actively
about the defect and related containment measures can be initiated to prevent further issues.

Discrete Component Traceability Set Up

Figure 50: How to Enable Traceability for Components

The figure shows how to enable traceability on component level. The raw material (T-B100,
casing) is purchased from a supplier and assembled in the first step (ASSEMBLY-00) of a
manufacturing routing. On material level, three different data types are assigned to the
material enabling full component traceability:

1. In order to collect data for the raw material when the inventory record is created, a
respective data type (for example, ERP_INV_DATA) is assigned to the material. When the
operator receives inventory into SAP Manufacturing Execution, the data fields that are
assigned to the data type (such as vendor, production date, external serial) must be
maintained and the data is stored on inventory ID level for the respective material.

2. When the component is assembled into a product, the collection of further data is
required. Therefore, an additional data type (COMP-ASSY-DT) is assigned to the material.
The data fields that are available in the data type (such as vendor, inventory ID,
comments) must be maintained by the operator in the POD when the component is
processed at the respective manufacturing operation (for example, ASSEMBLY-00).

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Unit 5: Floor Stock in SAP Manufacturing Execution

3. Assuming an in-process quality inspection is available in the manufacturing routing where

it is also possible to disassemble components, a third data type (for example, COMP-REM-
DT) can be assigned to the material that must be filled by the operator when a component
is removed from the assembly.

Note that SAP Manufacturing Execution also offers an alternative approach for the second
step. Instead of assigning the data type to the component material, it is also possible to define
an assembly data type in the BOM on the BOM item level. If maintained here, assembly data is
only collected if this specific BOM is used in the manufacturing process.

Figure 51: How to Configure Discrete Component Traceability in SAP Manufacturing Execution

An assembly point is an operation where production operators track the building of

assemblies. An assembly point allows you to record that each component was added to or
removed from an assembly at a particular operation.
Implementing discrete component traceability requires configuration of assembly points in
SAP Manufacturing Execution. For this, you have to make the following settings in several
SAP Manufacturing Execution activities:

1. Data Field Definition Maintenance and Data Field Assignment: Define the data fields to be
tracked and collected for material components. Use the Assembly category in Data Field
Assignment Maintenance to define this data.

2. Material Maintenance : Assign the assembly data types to the material components
requiring build history on your shop floor.

3. Floor Stock Receipt in SAP Manufacturing Execution: Receive material component or

components into the SAP Manufacturing Execution inventory for inventory tracking.

4. BOM Maintenance: Create a BOM for the assembly and add an assembly operation to
each component that must be consumed.

5. Routing Maintenance : Define which routing steps are to be assembly points and hook in
the Check Configuration (CT520) hookable activity.

6. Material Maintenance : Assign BOM and routing to the parent material and associate the
validation mask group, if any.

7. Activity Maintenance : Perform the Retrieve Assembly Point (CT500) activity and check or
change the assembly mode.

8. POD Maintenance: Define how the POD operator runs the assembly point. Associate
CT500 with a new or existing button.

The activity parameters of the CT500 activity determine the assembly mode that must be
followed by the operator, for example. It is either possible to enforce the exact sequence as

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 Lesson: Configuring Discrete Component Traceability

maintained in the BOM, or allow the operator to assemble components in any desired order.
The CT520 activity is often attached to a pre_complete hook point of an operation used in a
manufacturing routing. The activity compares the build history of the SFC to the BOM and
checks whether all components have been assembled. If so, the SFC can be routed to the next
step. It is also best practice to assign this check activity only to the last assembly step of the
manufacturing routing in order to execute a final assembly check and compare the build
history to the BOM for all manufacturing operations.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand discrete component traceability

Set up discrete component traceability

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 Unit 5

Learning Assessment

1. Define the concept of Floor Stock and Inventory in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

2. It is possible to manage more than one material in the same inventory ID if both materials
are managed as lot size 1.0.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. Floor stock can be created in SAP Manufacturing Execution by which of the following?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Goods receipt into the ERP inventory followed by data replication

X B Direct receipt of floor stock into SAP Manufacturing Execution

X C Finishing an SFC

X D Unpackging a handling unit in SAP Manufacturing Execution

4. Explain how the system calculates the number of inventory IDs that are created during
floor stock receipt.

5. Explain when Discrete Component Traceability would be enabled in a business process.

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 Unit 5: Learning Assessment

6. Discrete Component Traceability can only be used if all materials are managed as lot-size
1.0 materials in SAP Manufacturing Execution.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

7. If assembly data should be collected when a component is assembled, this must be

defined in the material master of the respective component.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

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 Unit 5

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. Define the concept of Floor Stock and Inventory in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

The floor stock management functionality of SAP Manufacturing Execution gives users the
possibility to manage, track, and trace individual units in the form of inventory records. An
inventory ID is defined as a unique identifier representing a specific instance of material
that is, for example, consumed during the assembly of the material in the manufacturing
process.

2. It is possible to manage more than one material in the same inventory ID if both materials
are managed as lot size 1.0.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. Floor stock can be created in SAP Manufacturing Execution by which of the following?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Goods receipt into the ERP inventory followed by data replication

X B Direct receipt of floor stock into SAP Manufacturing Execution

X C Finishing an SFC

X D Unpackging a handling unit in SAP Manufacturing Execution

4. Explain how the system calculates the number of inventory IDs that are created during
floor stock receipt.

First, the user needs to specify which material and quantity will be received into the floor
stock. The system checks the lot size that is maintained in the material master and then
creates inventory records. If the materials lot size is set to one, a receipt of six units will
create six different inventory IDs each containing one pc, respectively. If the lot size was
five, the system would create two inventory IDs, managing five and one pc, respectively.

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 Unit 5: Learning Assessment - Answers

5. Explain when Discrete Component Traceability would be enabled in a business process.

Discrete Component Traceability is enabled if it is required to know exactly which

components were used at which manufacturing step to assemble the finished product, for
example when producing medical devices.

6. Discrete Component Traceability can only be used if all materials are managed as lot-size
1.0 materials in SAP Manufacturing Execution.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

7. If assembly data should be collected when a component is assembled, this must be

defined in the material master of the respective component.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 91

 UNIT 6 Dashboards for
Production Operators

Lesson 1
Configuring Dashboards for Production Operators 93

Lesson 2
Configuring Lists for Use in PODs 98

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Understand the pupose of PODs

Describe and work in default PODs

Configure your own PODs

Understand the purpose of lists

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 92

 Unit 6
Lesson 1
Configuring Dashboards for Production
Operators

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the pupose of PODs

Describe and work in default PODs

Configure your own PODs

POD Overview

Figure 52: Production Operator Dashboards (POD): Overview

The Production Operator Dashboard (POD) is the primary interface between the shop floor
operator and the SAP Manufacturing Execution system. The POD is a highly configurable
screen that can be adapted to many scenarios, user personas, and processes. Leveraging the
POD, the operator can perform various activities against the manufactured product such as
Start SFC, Complete SFC, Display Work Instructions , Collect Data, and so on.
The POD content can be configured by adding plug-ins to different sections in the POD, by
defining the layout of the various lists, and by defining one or more buttons with attached
activities that are called when a user clicks on the respective button.
The figure displays a typical POD focusing on processing individual SFCs in an operation-
based mode. In the top section of the POD, the POD selection plug-in is displayed. Using the
fields displayed in this plug-in (for example, Operation, SFC, Resource, and so on), the shop
floor operator can provide search parameters that determine the data displayed in the
sections below. Furthermore, entering an SFC ID enables the user to execute actions, for

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Unit 6: Dashboards for Production Operators

example, Start SFC, for the entered SFC number. In the next section, various buttons are
displayed. Choosing a respective button executes one or more actions that are linked to the
button. For example, choosing the Start SFC button, the user can start working on the entered
SFC at this operation and resource. At the same time, the work instruction plug-in could be
displayed as a popup, where the list of available work instructions is displayed to the user so
that they can get additional information about the assembly process. If data collection on SFC
level is also required when the SFC is started, the data collection activity could also be added
to the Start SFC button in order to display the respective data collection plug-in after the user
has closed the work instruction list.
Below the button list, several sections are available where plug-ins can be assigned. In the
example in the figure, two sections are displayed in the same line next to each other. In the left
section, the POD Work List is displayed. The list shows a list of SFCs that are currently active
and queued at the operation and resource entered in the selection plug-in (for example,
operation and resource ASSEMBLY-00 and ASSY-BENCH-00, respectively). For each line
item, the SFC ID, the status, and the shop order is displayed. By configuring the list, it is
possible to add additional fields to the list. In the section on the right side, the component list
is displayed. For a selected SFC in the left list, the list of components that must be assembled
at this operation are displayed. For each line item, the material number, assembly sequence,
and the assembled/total amount of each component is displayed. It is also possible to
remove and/or add additional columns from/to the worklist.
Choosing one of the components in the Components List might display a sub-screen that is
rendered as a popup or a popover list. In this example, the sub-screen displays the Assembly
Point activity which displays additional information about the respective component.
Furthermore, data collection for the component can be executed in order to collect assembly-
related data (for example, Inventory ID, and so on).
A POD may be set up to be displayed on a standard display device such as a monitor or a
touch display device on the shop floor. Setting up the latter version provides larger buttons
and other UI elements that enable the user to interact with the system directly using a touch
screen, without the need of an additional keyboard.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, various default POD configurations for different use cases
are provided (for example, POD - Operation, POD - Operation Touch, POD - SFC, POD SFC
Touch, POD - Work Center, POD - Work Center Touch,and so on). When setting up new PODs,
the predefined PODs can be used as a copy template in order to simplify and reduce the
required configuration steps. In the system, the POD Maintenance application can be used to
set up customer-specific PODs.

Default POD Usage

Figure 53: POD Types Available in SAP Manufacturing Execution

The list above shows the various POD types that can be set up in SAP Manufacturing
Execution and their respective use case. In parenthesis, the predefined PODs are mentioned.

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 Lesson: Configuring Dashboards for Production Operators

Operation PODs queue SFC numbers at specific operations in the manufacturing process. An
operator works on one or more SFC numbers at an operation. Operations are being
performed sequentially, and routing operation sequence is enforced. The operator needs to
log a resource for traceability during manufacturing. Operators can assemble components,
collect data parameters, view work instructions, and log nonconformances. The primary
advantage of these PODs is the ability of the operator to work effectively on multiple SFC
numbers at an operation.
Work Center PODs queue SFC numbers or shop orders in a work center and specific
operations within a work center in the manufacturing process. One or more operators work on
a complex assembly that remains in a work center and has multiple operations being worked
for a long period of time. Operations are being performed simultaneously and often require
components to be assembled, tools to be logged, data to be collected, or work instructions to
be viewed. The primary advantage of these PODs is the visibility of the necessary key
manufacturing data without paper being introduced.
The primary advantage of the SFC PODs is that a single SFC scan can start the production.
There is no need to select additional parameters manually. If configured, tabbing out from the
SFC field will automatically retrieve the SFC and populate all related fields.
Message Board PODs are used to display messages that are broadcast by supervisors,
operators, and resources so that the shop floor personnel can quickly react to these
messages. For example, logging an NC code for an SFC could trigger an alert message that
informs the quality control team that their assistance is required in order to analyze and
mitigate the defect.

POD Setup

Figure 54: Setting up PODs: Defining the Layout (I)

The figure displays a list of options that are available for the configuration of the POD layout.
The configuration options are organized on various tabs. On the MAIN tab, the overall look
and feel of the POD can be defined, for example, the display device (standard or touch), the
display size (small, medium, large, and so on), and the NC client. The display device setting
influences the size and type of various UI elements. Choosing a touch device displays special
UI elements (such as big buttons) that have been designed to enable touch interaction with
the system. The NC client setting defines the layout and options that are available with
respect to management of defects. For example, the operator might only need a simple NC
client where defects can be logged. However, quality control might need a more

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Unit 6: Dashboards for Production Operators

comprehensive NC client where it is not only possible to log defects against an SFC, but also
capture root-causes and immediate actions.
On the BUTTONS tab, the buttons that are available to the operator are configured. It is
possible to influence the button sequence and type (normal or dropdown) and to assign
hotkeys to each button for easier user interaction. For each button, the button details can be
configured in a sub-screen. Here, the button text, label, size, and the respective icon can be
set up. In addition, the activity and the calling sequence are set up in the buttons details. For
example, the Start SFC button could start the SFC at the entered operation and resource by
calling the Start (PR500) activity. If data collection and the display of work instructions should
be triggered immediately at the start of each SFC, the activities Work Instruction List
(WI_LIST_DISPLAY), Work Instruction Viewer (WI500), Data Collection List
(DC_LIST_DISPLAY), and Data Collection (DC500) could also be attached to the button in the
required sequence.
If a button will group multiple buttons, the dropdown type can be chosen. In this case, the
assigned activities are displayed as a dropdown list, where the user can choose the activity
that will be started. This is common practice when a list of reports will be available to the
operator in the POD.
On the LIST OPTIONStab, the lists for displaying information are assigned. The Browse Work
List corresponds to the value help of the SFC field. The POD Work List is the default work list
that displays the active and queued SFCs to the operator. Assigning a worklist layout to the
Assemble and Work Instruction List defines the layout of the lists that are presented to the
user when choosing the Assemble Comp. button and Display WI button, respectively.
After a POD has been fully configured, it can be executed from the Activity Tree of SAP
Manufacturing Execution. Note that it is also possible to directly call a specific POD in the
browser by calling a URL. For example, the following URL http://
<servername>:<serverport>/manufacturing/com/sap/me/wpmf/client/template.jsf?
WORKSTATION=OPERATION_DEF&ACTIVITY_ID=DEF_OPER_POD calls the default operator
POD.

Figure 55: Setting up PODs: Defining the Layout (II)

The POD's layout can be configured on the LAYOUT tab. Here, plug-ins are assigned to the
different POD sections (for example, POD Selection, A, B, C, D, Popover, and Popup). In the
example layout in the figure, a selection plug-in consisting of two rows is assigned to the
selection section of the POD. Below this section, the WORKLIST_DISPLAY plug-in is displayed
filling 100% of the screen width. Note that the list layout that is displayed in the plug-in is
defined by assigning a list layout to the POD Work List on the LIST OPTIONStab. Section B is

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 Lesson: Configuring Dashboards for Production Operators

empty and therefore not displayed when the operator starts the POD. In section C, the plug-
ins NC_DATA_ENTRY and DC500 for capturing of NC codes and performing data collection,
respectively, are assigned. For sections A, B, and C, it is possible to assign one default plug-in
and multiple other plug-ins. A default plug-in will always be called at start of the POD. A plug-
in assigned in the other plug-ins section will only be opened after the operator has executed
the calling action by choosing the respective POD button.
Plug-ins assigned to the Popover and Popup sections, respectively, are also only displayed
after the operator pressed the respective button. A popover plug-in is moved over other plug-
ins contained in sections A, B, and C, respectively. Popup plug-ins are displayed in a separate
popup.

Figure 56: Setting up a new POD: Proposed Process

The figure proposes a process which should be followed when setting up a new POD. In the
first step, the main properties of the POD are configured (for example, POD type, display type,
and size). In the second step, the available buttons must be configured. For each button, one
or more activities must be assigned which are called when the operator chooses the
respective button. Note that a very simple POD could for example only contain a start and a
stop button. By assigning further activities to the start button, (for example, display of work
instructions and data collection), the manufacturing process can be highly automated and
standardized such that the system supports the operator as much as possible, collecting the
right information at the correct time point. However, it is also possible to set up more complex
PODs for power users, with many buttons that allow the user to perform a lot of actions for
the SFC. The fourth step is defining a layout. Here, the different plug-ins that are displayed by
default and called by the operator when pressing a button are assigned to the different layout
sections. In the fifth step, the list layout is assigned. Note that list layouts are not defined in
the POD Maintenance, but must be defined in the List Maintenance application. Defining lists
separately has the advantage that the same list only needs to be maintained once and can
then be used afterwards in as many PODs as desired. Should there be a change in the list
necessary, the list settings can be maintained in one single place and the changes are
automatically propagated to all PODs using the respective list. In the last configuration step,
the selection details of the POD are set up. For example, the Operation and/or Resource field
can be set to read only if the respective fields should not be changeable by the operator.
Enabling this setting makes sense if PODs are specifically assigned for individual workstations
on the shop floor where the same sequence of actions will always be executed. However, for
power users and shift supervisors who need to flexibly interact with the system, setting these
fields to read-only does not make sense.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the pupose of PODs

Describe and work in default PODs

Configure your own PODs

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 97

 Unit 6
Lesson 2
Configuring Lists for Use in PODs

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the purpose of lists

List Overview and Configuration

Figure 57: Setting up PODs: List Configuration

In addition to configuring the layout of the POD, the list layout can also be influenced by
setting up different lists. In the example in the figure, a list of the type Worklist is defined. The
worklist is the main list displayed in the POD that allows the operator to interact with the SAP
Manufacturing Execution system. The worklist displays the SFCs that are currently in work
and/or in queue at the entered resource. As shown, it can be defined whether the operator
can change the lists layout by exchanging the column sequence and/or by sorting. In addition,
it can also be defined whether one or multiple SFCs can be selected at the same time, for
example, in order to force a sequential processing of each individual SFC, or to relax the SFC
processing sequence by simultaneously releasing multiple SFCs to this operation/resource.
For each list, the available columns, their sequence, and the default sorting order can be
influenced by assigning columns from the column repository to the list. Note that is possible
to display standard fields as user-specific fields. The list of available fields is mainly
determined by the selected list category. Besides the Worklist category, the system offers
lists for nonconformances, tools, work instructions, operations, and so on, that are displayed
when the respective plug-in is opened.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, lists are configured in the List Maintenance application.

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 Lesson: Configuring Lists for Use in PODs

Figure 58: Icons in Lists

For ease of use, it is also possible to display status icons in operator PODs. In the example
shown in the figure, a Status and an Info column are added to a touch POD. The status icon
displays the status of the respective SFC and is automatically updated when a specific status
is valid. The Info column is mainly used in touch PODs. The main purpose of this column is to
quickly inform the operator about the actions that need to be performed against the SFC. If,
for example, data collection is required and a work instruction is available, the respective
icons will be displayed for the SFC. After the operator has performed the required action, for
example data collection, the respective icon will have a check mark indicating that the action
was performed successfully.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the purpose of lists

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 Unit 6

Learning Assessment

1. Define a POD in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

2. It is possible to attach only one activity to a button in the POD.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. Which POD types are available in SAP Manufacturing Execution?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Operation POD

X B Work center POD

X C Message Board POD

X D Resource POD

4. If a new plug-in is added to a POD which should display data, it is sufficient to add the
activity to the POD button.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

5. When adding a plug-in to the POD, the user can decide where the data should be displayed
(for example, in a popup or as a popover).
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

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 Unit 6: Learning Assessment

6. Explain how status icons can be added to worklists.

7. For each POD, only one worklist of each type (for example, active SFC) can be defined.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

8. When defining a worklist, which of the following settings can be made:

Choose the correct answers.

X A Allow operator to change column sequence

X B Allow operator to sort rows

X C Allow multiple selection

X D Allow the operator to define user-specifc layouts

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 Unit 6

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. Define a POD in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

The Production Operator Dashboard (POD) is the primary interface between the shop
floor operator and the SAP Manufacturing Execution system. The POD is a highly
configurable screen that can be adapted to many scenarios, user personas, and
processes. Using the POD, the operator can perform various activities against the
manufactured product such as Start SFC, Complete SFC, Display Work Instructions ,
Collect Data and so on.

2. It is possible to attach only one activity to a button in the POD.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

3. Which POD types are available in SAP Manufacturing Execution?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Operation POD

X B Work center POD

X C Message Board POD

X D Resource POD

4. If a new plug-in is added to a POD which should display data, it is sufficient to add the
activity to the POD button.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

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 Unit 6: Learning Assessment - Answers

5. When adding a plug-in to the POD, the user can decide where the data should be displayed
(for example, in a popup or as a popover).
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

6. Explain how status icons can be added to worklists.

Status icons are set up by adding a respective column to the worklist. In the detail settings
of the column, it can be defined which icons will be displayed.

7. For each POD, only one worklist of each type (for example, active SFC) can be defined.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

8. When defining a worklist, which of the following settings can be made:

Choose the correct answers.

X A Allow operator to change column sequence

X B Allow operator to sort rows

X C Allow multiple selection

X D Allow the operator to define user-specifc layouts

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 103

 UNIT 7 Management of the
Product on the Shop
Floor

Lesson 1
Managing the Product on the Shop Floor 105

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Manage the product on the shop floor

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 104

 Unit 7
Lesson 1
Managing the Product on the Shop Floor

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Manage the product on the shop floor

Split, Merge, and Adjust Quantity of an SFC on the Shop Floor

Figure 59: SFC-Related Activities on the Shop Floor

The SFC Split activity allows you to divide a non-serialized quantity under one SFC number
into one or more SFCs containing a partial or total quantity of the originating SFC. Depending
on the activity rule setting for the SFC Split activity in Activity Maintenance, the new SFC
number that will appear after the split can be generated automatically or entered manually.
The SFC Split activity can be launched from the Production Operator Dashboard (POD) or
from the SAP Manufacturing Execution activity manager.
The SFC Merge activity allows you to combine one or more non-serialized SFC numbers in the
same shop order into a single SFC number, as controlled by an activity rule. The SFC Merge
activity can be launched from the POD or from the SAP Manufacturing Execution activity
manager.
The SFC Qty Adjustment activity allows for the adjustment of an SFC quantity by an amount
specified by the user. The specified SFC quantity adjustment amount is added or subtracted
from the existing SFC quantity. The SFC Qty Adjustment activity can be launched from the
POD or from the SAP Manufacturing Execution activity manager.
The SFC Qty Multiplication (PR597) hookable activity is typically used at operations where
operators or machines cut SFC numbers into pieces, but the SFC numbers continue to be
tracked under the same SFC number. Such operations are called DICE operations. It
automatically multiplies the SFC's quantity by a multiplier defined in the SFC's material

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Unit 7: Management of the Product on the Shop Floor

definition. An SFC can be multiplied only once. If an SFC passes through two operations set to
perform a multiplication, the system ignores the second multiplication. Usually, the activity is
used at PRE_COMPLETE hook point.
To configure multiplication of an SFC quantity in SAP Manufacturing Execution, you need to
perform the following tasks:

In Material Maintenance, for each material you want multiplied, enter the number by which
you want the material's quantity multiplied in the Qty Multiplier field.

In Operation Maintenance, Resource Maintenance, or Routing Maintenance, define when

you want the SFC quantity to be multiplied and assign the SFC Qty Multiplication (PR597)
hookable activity.

Change Production

Figure 60: How to Change SFC Data

The Change Production activity provides the ability to change material, routing, bill of material
(BOM), or shop order for one or more SFCs. This activity is typically used to fix problems on
the shop floor, or to reconfigure assemblies to meet new requirements, such as engineering
change orders. This is used for immediate changes to product on the shop floor.
The Engineering Change Order (ECO) activity is very similar to Change Production , however
ECO adds the ability to change the SFC number. With an SFC number, the change can be
automatic or entered manually by the user. An engineering change order is the definition of a
change, actions to be taken, and the subsequent application to it to the shop floor. The
changes can be defined to occur at a predetermined point on the shop floor. The engineering
change order will tag SFCs with the predefined criteria and make the changes at the
appropriate point on the shop floor.
You can use the AUTO_CHANGE_WIP hook point activity to change the material, routing,
BOM, or shop order for a Done SFC number to allow the use of this SFC number in higher level
assemblies.
This scenario can be applied when you need to transform one material into another material,
for example, you start with producing a material FRAME, which later on should become a
material MOTORCYCLE, however, the SFC number should remain the same, when routing,
BOM, and shop order may change.

Holds
Occasionally, as a product is being produced on the shop floor, production may need to be
halted on particular items. SFCs and shop orders can be placed on hold to fix any problems,
and then released to finish the production process.

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 Lesson: Managing the Product on the Shop Floor

The SFC Place Hold activity allows you to place an immediate hold against a shop order or one
or more SFCs that have been released to the shop floor. To place a hold on one or more SFCs
or shop orders, select the option to place a hold on multiples. The SFC Place Hold activity lets
you place an immediate or future hold on SFCs, shop orders, materials, and routings.
The SFC Release Holdactivity enables the continuation of production on a held product. You
can release a hold on an SFC, multiple SFCs, or shop orders. The status of an SFC, shop
order, material, or routing is reset before being placed on hold. You can use the Remove
Future Hold activity to view and remove future holds that have been applied to SFCs, shop
orders, or a particular hold ID.
The Component Hold Release activity allows you to hold and release components.

Process Lot
A process lot is a set of SFCs that work together as a group. You can add SFCs to process lots
based on production requirements, or remove selected SFCs from process lots because of
issues such as nonconformances. You can perform work on a process lot or an SFC within a
process lot. If you perform work against a single SFC in a process lot, then you must identify a
confirmation of whether or not to remove the SFC from the process lot. In addition, if the
process lot is broken, the POD will process each SFC in the process lot individually. Failures
can be logged against a process lot or individual SFCs in the process lot. Select the Apply to
All SFCs checkbox to log the nonconformance against all SFCs. Otherwise, the POD will force
the logging of a nonconformance against each SFC of the process lot.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Manage the product on the shop floor

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 Unit 7

Learning Assessment

1. Explain how the Split SFC activity works in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

2. Explain how, for example, in the case of data error, it is possible to change the SFCs
quantity.

3. Using the Change Production application, BOM, routing, or material can be changed at a
predefined point in the execution process.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

4. Once an SFC has been released to production, it cannot be put to hold, for example in case
of machine malfunction.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

5. Explain when process lots can be used.

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 Unit 7: Learning Assessment

6. When multiple SFCs are grouped together as a process lot, it is impossible to carve one
SFC out in order to manage the respective SFC individually.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

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 Unit 7

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. Explain how the Split SFC activity works in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

The SFC Split activity allows you to divide a non-serialized quantity under one SFC number
into one or more SFCs containing a partial or total quantity of the originating SFC. The SFC
Split activity can be launched from the Production Operator Dashboard (POD) or from the
SAP Manufacturing Execution activity manager.

2. Explain how, for example, in the case of data error, it is possible to change the SFCs
quantity.

SAP Manufacturing Execution offers the SFC Quantity Adjustment application where such
a change can be made.

3. Using the Change Production application, BOM, routing, or material can be changed at a
predefined point in the execution process.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

4. Once an SFC has been released to production, it cannot be put to hold, for example in case
of machine malfunction.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

5. Explain when process lots can be used.

A process lot is a set of SFCs that work together as a group. All SFCs belonging to that
group are moved together through the production process.

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 Unit 7: Learning Assessment - Answers

6. When multiple SFCs are grouped together as a process lot, it is impossible to carve one
SFC out in order to manage the respective SFC individually.
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 111

 UNIT 8 Production Monitoring
and Analysis

Lesson 1
Analyzing Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution 113

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Analyze production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 112

 Unit 8
Lesson 1
Analyzing Production in SAP Manufacturing
Execution

LESSON OVERVIEW
This lesson explains what tools can be used to analyze production in SAP Manufacturing
Execution. This lesson is intended to provide sufficient information to enable the SAP
Manufacturing Execution Reports feature to be easily utilized to meet business intelligence,
reporting and query needs, and to make use of available reports.

Business Example
Peter is a consultant with the high-tech ABC Company. The company needs the ability to
analyze the data collected during the production process. Peter needs to explain to company
executives what tools can be used to analyze production in SAP Manufacturing Execution and
SAP ERP.

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Analyze production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Reports in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Figure 61: Reporting in SAP Manufacturing Execution: Material Yield Report

SAP Manufacturing Execution provides out-of-the-box reports designed to track activities

completed and evaluate progress made in production over a certain period of time. Reports
are generated automatically based on the real-time production data that is collected in the
system. These reports provide users with access to real-time and recent history data

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Unit 8: Production Monitoring and Analysis

associated with the manufacturing activities. This data is presented through various useful
reports that are easy to read and understand.
The figure shows an example report ( Material Yield Report ) is displayed. When running a
report, the report processing combines the report layout information with data from the data
source, and renders the report in either text or graphical. The user can switch between
graphical and tabular views of report results.
Most reports offer a drill-down capability which allows users to drill down on relational data to
uncover more details. In the example in the figure, the user can obtain additional information
about nonconformances that occurred during the manufacturing process.

Report Window Layout

Figure 62: Reporting in SAP Manufacturing Execution: Report Format Overview

Reports in SAP Manufacturing Execution have a predefined layout consisting of various

sections, as shown in the figure. In the first section, the header information is displayed, which
contains the name of the report and a button which triggers the print out of the displayed
data. In the second section, search criteria fields are displayed. Search criteria fields can, for
example, point to master (such as material, operation, work center, and so on), or
transactional (for example, SFC or NC code) data fields. In a lot of reports, the reporting
period can be specified either by providing date ranges (for example, 01.01.2020 -
31.12.2020) or dynamic date ranges (for example, the current month). If search fields are
marked with a green triangle, at least one of the respective fields must be filled, in order to
execute the report. In the third and last section, search results are displayed in either a
tabular or graphical format. The user can switch between the two representations by
choosing the respective button on the right (if supported by the report).
The search criteria fields enable users to input values to narrow a search for the report
results. A blank value in a search field means that all values for that field will be displayed in
the results. Some search criteria fields use a wildcard (%) to make the search faster and
easier. A wildcard is a character string that means: “Find any character or set of characters”.
Wildcards can be used either separately, or at the beginning or end, or wrapping a word. For
example: %, %ABC, ABC%, %ABC%.
As shown in the figure, the user can drill down to view further information using the links that
are available in the rightmost column.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, reports are accessible through the activity manager, some
production activities (for example, SFC Report, BOM Report, Hold Report, Pegging Results,
and Shop Order By Step Report), the Reports button on the POD (for example, Activity
Report, As-Built Summary Report , Buyoff Report, Comment Report, Hold Report, NC Log

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 Lesson: Analyzing Production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Report, SFC Report, Shop Order Report), a link in another report, or on the Executive
Dashboard.

Types of Reports in SAP Manufacturing Execution

Types of Reports Available in SAP Manufacturing Execution
SAP Manufacturing execution offers approximately 50 different reports that can be classified
into the following types:

System Reports

NC Reports

Production Reports

Work in Progress (WIP) Reports

Genealogy Reports

Labor Reports

Executive Dashboard

System reports provide, for example, audit trail information (Audit Log Report) or information
about the exchange with the ERP system (collaboration log report).
NC Reportsserve as quality reports to review nonconformances that occurred and were
recorded during production activities. For example, the system offers reports that summarize
NC information with respect to various parameters (NC Log Report, NC Summary by Material
or NC Code, Open NC Summary Report, and so on).
Production reportsprovide yield data for materials or operations, cycle time results, and
production quantities on the shop floor (for example, Operation / Material Yield Report,
Production Report, SFC Average Cycle Time by Operation / Shop Order, Work Center Yield).
Yield is recorded when an SFC number passes through an operation.
WIP reports provide users the ability to execute queries about the status of SFCs, materials,
and buyoffs currently in work (for example, Activity Log Report, SFC Report, Hold Report,
Shop Order by Step Report, WIP by Material / Operation / Work Center, and so on).
Genealogy Reportsprovide assembly details of individual SFC numbers that were processed
in the system (for example, As-built Summary Report, BOM Report, Device History Report,
Floor Stock Report, and so on). The information includes the current configuration data as
well as any modifications made to the SFC configuration such as removed or replaced
components.
Labor Reportsprovide basic information with regard to Labor Cost Code and when an
employee has been on premise (for example, Labor Charge Code Summary Report, Resource
Utilization Report, On Premises Report, and so on).
The Executive Dashboard is a web page containing several sections that can display the
results of a report. By specifying a report for each section, several different reports can be
displayed in a single dashboard.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Analyze production in SAP Manufacturing Execution

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 Unit 8

Learning Assessment

1. Reports in SAP Manufacturing Execution are highly customizable (for example the user
can change the sequence of fields or the displayed columns).
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

2. Which of the following window elements are contained in a report?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Header

X B Search fields

X C Results in graphical and/or tabular form

X D Jump links to related information

X E Link to a setup activity where reports can be easily configured

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 Unit 8

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. Reports in SAP Manufacturing Execution are highly customizable (for example the user
can change the sequence of fields or the displayed columns).
Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

2. Which of the following window elements are contained in a report?

Choose the correct answers.

X A Header

X B Search fields

X C Results in graphical and/or tabular form

X D Jump links to related information

X E Link to a setup activity where reports can be easily configured

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 117

 UNIT 9 Nonconformance
Management in SAP
Manufacturing
Execution (Optional)

Lesson 1
Setting Up Nonconformances in SAP Manufacturing Execution 119

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Understand the nonconformance functionality

Understand NC hierarchies

Understand NC disposition

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 118

 Unit 9
Lesson 1
Setting Up Nonconformances in SAP
Manufacturing Execution

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the nonconformance functionality

Understand NC hierarchies

Understand NC disposition

NC Overview

Figure 63: Nonconformance Functionality in SAP Manufacturing Execution

The nonconformance functionality in SAP Manufacturing execution provides a mechanism for

the logging, tracking, and dispositioning of failed or defect parts or assemblies. It allows you
to assign one or more nonconformance (NC) codes to an SFC. An NC code is defined as a
distinct set of characters that represents a failure, defect, or repair code indicating that the
SFC does not meet the approved product quality definition. Assigning an NC code to an SFC
usually indicates the following:

That the SFC has minor quality issues and therefore does not comply to quality standards,
for example, scratches.

That the SFC has major or critical quality issues, for example a failure, and further analysis
is required before the SFC can continue the regular manufacturing process.

That the SFC must undergo special processing steps, for example rework.

When the operator logs an NC code against an SFC, the SFC can remain at the current
operation for local repair. If this is not possible, the SFC can be moved automatically, for

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Unit 9: Nonconformance Management in SAP Manufacturing Execution (Optional)

example, based on the chosen NC code, or manually (by the operator) to a next step where
further actions can be initiated. Afterwards, the SFC can come back to the quality inspection
operation and continue the default manufacturing process.
In the example in the figure, a three-step manufacturing process of a product (for example
the pump) is shown. During assembly, the operator documents minor defects, for example
scratches on the surface of a purchased component, by assigning a nonconformance code to
the respective SFC. Using a report, the quality assurance team can get an overview of these
minor defects and introduce respective counter measures if required. The second step of the
manufacturing process consists of a comprehensive in-process quality inspection that is
executed before final packaging. If the outcome of the quality inspection is negative, the
operator can document the type of the deviation as a nonconformance. In the example in the
figure, the pump cannot be switched on, so it does not make sense to continue the production
process for the respective SFC. When logging the NC code against the SFC, the operator can
provide additional data (for example comments, pictures, immediate actions, and so on), and
then decide what should further happen with the SFC (for example local repair or routing of
the SFC to other, more specialized analysis-repair stations). After analysis and repair have
been executed, the SFC can come back to the original manufacturing routing where the
assembly and packaging process can be continued.

Figure 64: Setting up Nonconformance Codes

A prerequisite for being able to execute the nonconformance functionality in SAP

Manufacturing Execution is the set up of nonconformance (NC) codes. An NC code is defined
on site level. On the Main tab, a multi-language description of the NC code can be maintained.
The NC code category (failure, defect, or repair) determines the NC process, as follows:

The type failure is normally set for a primary NC and describes how the SFC does not
comply with quality standards, for example device failure. However, a primary NC does not
describe the underlying, real defect, or the root cause of the defect.

The type defect is typically set for a secondary NC and corresponds to the diagnosis of the
quality defect (confirmed defect).

The type repair is typically set of a tertiary NC and corresponds to the repair of the
confirmed defect.

If additional data will be collected when the operator logs an NC, a respective data type can be
assigned and it can be selected whether the data will be collected when opening or closing the
NC. In order to enable a more comprehensive NC process, the indicator Secondary required

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 Lesson: Setting Up Nonconformances in SAP Manufacturing Execution

for closure can be selected. If enabled, a secondary NC code (for example a confirmed defect)
must be assigned to the primary NC before the operator can close the primary NC code.
On the Secondaries tab, a list of secondary NC codes can be assigned to the primary code.
This list will be presented to the operator in the POD. On the NC Groups tab, NC codes can be
assigned to groups in order to organize the master data. Note that it is possible to assign one
NC code to multiple NC groups. Using the settings on the Disposition Routings and Disposition
Groups tabs, NC disposition functions can be set up determining what should happen with the
defective SFC. This will be discussed later in this unit.
In SAP Manufacturing Execution, NC codes can be set up using the NC Code Maintenance
application.

NC Hierarchies and Clients

Figure 65: Hierarchy of NC Codes

An NC code hierarchy shows the relationship of the NC codes that operators have logged in
the system. As shown in the figure, different scenarios of varying complexity are possible.

In the simplest scenario, only a failure code is collected against an SFC as a primary NC
code. This business scenario is usually chosen for documenting minor defects during the
production process for reporting purposes, or due to compliance reasons.

In a more complex scenario, a failure code is collected against an SFC on the primary level.
It is possible to assign a secondary NC code to the primary NC code. The primary failure
code documents the type of NC, for example the confirmed defect, and the secondary NC
code is used to document the immediate repair action that was executed by the operator
during the manufacturing process.

The most complex scenario consists of a three step approach: First, the operator assigns a
failure NC code on the primary level to the SFC. This failure code corresponds to the type
of defect that is immediately visible to the operator. However, the underlying "real" defect
or root cause may only be detected during a comprehensive analysis which cannot be
executed by the operator. Therefore, the SFC is routed to a specialized analysis-repair
work center, where expert personnel perform an in-depth analysis, where the "real" defect
is found and documented as a secondary NC code. If it is possible to repair the device, a
respective repair action can be documented as a tertiary NC code before the SFC is routed
back to the originating work center.

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Unit 9: Nonconformance Management in SAP Manufacturing Execution (Optional)

When logging an NC code against an SFC, the system displays this hierarchy graphically in the
NC data tree in the POD, so that the operator can easily select one or more NC codes. When
setting up NC codes using the NC Code Maintenance application, the position of an NC code,
(failure, defect, repair), and the respective relationship can be set up.
For each POD, it is possible to assign an NC client in order to determine the complexity of the
NC process for the operator. For example, a simple NC client (LOG_NC) can be assigned to a
production POD which allows the operator to capture only the primary NC code and execute
the NC disposition. More comprehensive NC code processing is then executed using another
POD (LOG_NC_W_SECONDARY) that also allows the assignment of secondary and tertiary
NC codes. Alternatively to logging an NC code in the POD, a Standalone NC Logging POD is
available for supervisors or quality assurance personnel. By using the Visually Rest and Repair
POD, the operator can interact with a graphical model of the device and choose the defect
location, so that the data maintained in the model is automatically transferred to the NC
record.

NC Disposition

Figure 66: NC Disposition

When NC disposition is used in SAP Manufacturing Executing, the system offers a screen to
the operator listing the possibilities, and sends the SFC to the work center or function chosen
by the operator. To control the flow of SFCs and the list, the following types of NC dispositions
are available:

1. Function-based disposition

2. Routing-based disposition

3. Scripts included in the routing

4. Manual selection by the operator

If more than one disposition function is available at the same step, the above order is taken
into consideration. For example, if a disposition function is assigned to an NC code, the
routing, script, and manual selection options are not possible and the system will only execute
the function based disposition.
When using function-based disposition, a group of one or more disposition functions is
assigned to an NC code to control the flow of SFCs. When an operator logs an NC in the POD,
the system displays a list of disposition functions to choose from that determine the next
processing step of the SFC, for example:

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 Lesson: Setting Up Nonconformances in SAP Manufacturing Execution

FUTURE_HOLD: Allows the operator to select any future step on the current routing. The
system returns the SFC number to the current step and places a hold on the SFC number
when it reaches the selected step.

IMMEDIATE_HOLD: Places the SFC number on hold at the current step.

LOCAL_REWORK: Keeps the SFC number at the current step and indicates that the SFC
number is in rework (RW) in the status columns in the POD. The system removes the
rework status when the operator completes the SFC number.

RETURN_TO_xxx (xxx = ANY, NEXT, ORIGINAL): Is used in special routings and allows the
operator to route the SFC back to a routing step.

SCRAP: Scraps SFC.

For some disposition functions, disposition routings can be assigned where detailed
processing steps are set up. The set of functions the operator sees in the list is the set of
functions defined in the assigned disposition group.
When using routing-based disposition, special and NC routings are assigned to NC codes to
control the flow of SFC numbers. When an operator logs an NC in the POD, the system sends
the nonconforming SFC number to the associated special and NC routing where the detailed
processing sequence is set up. If more than one special or NC routing is assigned to an NC
code, the system displays a list with all options. The operator chooses an option in the list to
send the SFC number to that special or NC routing and the respective functions are executed.
The last step of a special or NC routing is usually a RETURN_TO step that returns the SFC
back to the original routing, for example, to the next step in the default routing, or the step
where the NC code was logged.
Due to the fact that routing-based disposition must be preplanned when setting up NC codes,
this approach is less flexible than function-based disposition. However, a more strict
processing workflow requiring minimal operator input can be enforced.
If the choice of the next step should be fully automated, SAP Manufacturing Execution offers
the possibility to include scripts in the routing. In scripts, conditions can be checked and,
based on the outcome, the SFC can be directed to a respective branch of the routing. For
example, a manufacturing routing could contain an analysis-repair operation where the SFC is
automatically directed to if the operator logs an NC code. Scripts are maintained directly in
the routing in the Routing Maintenance application by double-clicking the arrow that connects
two operations.
If no functions, routings, or scripts are maintained, the system requires manual operator input
in order to determine where the SFC should be moved next.

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand the nonconformance functionality

Understand NC hierarchies

Understand NC disposition

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 Unit 9

Learning Assessment

1. Define the nonconformance functionality in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

2. Explain the concept of NC code disposition.

3. When setting up NC codes, it is not possible to define a hierarchy.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

4. NC codes can only be assigned to one NC group.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

5. Which of the following disposition functions are available in SAP Manufacturing

Execution?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Function-based disposition

X B Routing-based disposition

X C Scripts

X D Manual disposition

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 Unit 9

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. Define the nonconformance functionality in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

The nonconformance functionality in SAP Manufacturing execution provides a mechanism

for the logging, tracking, and dispositioning of failed or defect parts or assemblies. It
allows you to assign one or more nonconformance (NC) codes to an SFC.

2. Explain the concept of NC code disposition.

When using function-based disposition, a group of one or more disposition functions is

assigned to an NC code to control the flow of SFCs. When an operator logs an NC in the
POD, the system displays a list of disposition functions to choose from that determine the
next processing step of the SFC.

3. When setting up NC codes, it is not possible to define a hierarchy.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

4. NC codes can only be assigned to one NC group.

Determine whether this statement is true or false.

X True

X False

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Unit 9: Learning Assessment - Answers

5. Which of the following disposition functions are available in SAP Manufacturing

Execution?
Choose the correct answers.

X A Function-based disposition

X B Routing-based disposition

X C Scripts

X D Manual disposition

© Copyright. All rights reserved. 126

 UNIT 10 User Management in
SAP Manufacturing
Execution (Optional)

Lesson 1
Managing Users in SAP Manufacturing Execution 128

UNIT OBJECTIVES

Understand user management

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 Unit 10
Lesson 1
Managing Users in SAP Manufacturing
Execution

LESSON OBJECTIVES
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand user management

User Management

Figure 67: Integrated User Management

The User Management features of SAP Manufacturing Execution integrate with the SAP
NetWeaver User Management Engine (UME) to provide a single-source User Management
facility, that manages all users that access the Manufacturing Execution application set. In
addition, many of the base user management functions are owned by UME and are inherited
to the SAP Manufacturing Execution application when users are added to SAP Manufacturing
Execution through the User Management activity. In the User Management activity, users are
still required to be created per the sites they need to be able to access, and their appropriate
configurations applicable to SAP Manufacturing Execution are to be managed there. SAP
NetWeaver UME is not intended to manage all of the application-specific permissions and
roles and responsibilities to SAP Manufacturing Execution, therefore it is still a requirement to
have User Management capabilities in SAP Manufacturing Execution to properly configure a
user for SAP Manufacturing Execution. UME is used as a single-source user management
location that manages all users for applications running on SAP NetWeaver. SAP NetWeaver
UME also uses specialized roles that grant access (or permissions) to users to access
application engines running on SAP NetWeaver. Without the appropriate roles, they will be
denied access to SAP Manufacturing Execution upon login.
Users of SAP Manufacturing Execution and other applications running on SAP NetWeaver use
this single user management engine to manage and maintain users and apply specialized
roles that allow them access to the appropriate applications, while denying access when

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 Lesson: Managing Users in SAP Manufacturing Execution

those roles have not been assigned to a user. For example, a user with the role SAP_ME_ROLE
will be able to access the SAP Manufacturing Execution application, as long as they have a
valid user ID and password. Those without the role will not be able to access SAP
Manufacturing Execution, even with a valid user ID and password. These roles in SAP
NetWeaver are defined to specifically provide security measures that enhance the overall
security of the system, beyond unique login/password security measures. There are
additional SAP Manufacturing Execution roles available, for example, a display-only role
(SAP_ME_READONLY). UME also provides a standalone mechanism for allowing a user to
change their password through the User Self Services screen, integrated into the SAP
Manufacturing Execution application, so that it can be run as a standalone activity or from a
POD, relieving the burden on the user system administrator.
In UME, additional settings for SAP Manufacturing Execution can be made, for example, the
default site as a custom attribute that can be assigned to a user in UME. If a default site is
assigned, when the user logs in to SAP Manufacturing Execution, they are always logged in to
that default site. This ensures that users are always logged in to the site where they are
intended to do work. The site switch in SAP Manufacturing Execution is used to change sites if
the user wishes to work in a site other than their default site. If no sites are assigned to a user
as a default, they will be logged in to the first site assigned to them on their list of sites.
In the figure, the relationship between the UME and the SAP Manufacturing Execution User
Management is displayed. On the left side, a user is created in UME and a role
(SAP_ME_ROLE) is assigned to the user. The user can only log in to SAP Manufacturing
Execution if this role is assigned to them. However, until this point in time, the user is not able
to do anything in the manufacturing execution system. In order to be able to execute activities
in SAP Manufacturing Execution, a site administrator must create the newly created user for
each site, and assign the user to a user group containing the required permissions. As
displayed in the figure, the same UME user can have different roles, (for example production
supervisor at site 1001 and production operator at site 1000), at each site in the
manufacturing execution system.

To Create New Users

The following procedure should be followed to create a new user for SAP Manufacturing
Execution.

1. Open the SAP NetWeaver User Management Engine by accessing <system>:<port>/

nwa.

2. Open the Identity Management application by accessing the following path:

Configuration Identity Management Overview.

3. Choose Create User to create a new user. Enter Logon ID and Last Name. On the
Customized Information tab, enter the DEFAULT SITE (e.g. 1000 ) and assign the
SAP_ME_USERrole to this user on the Assigned Roles tab.

4. Open the User Maintenance application in SAP Manufacturing Execution in the site where
the user should be created.

5. In the User ID field, enter the Logon ID created above and choose Retrieve.

6. Assign the user to one or more User Groups and choose Save.

7. Now log in to SAP Manufacturing Execution with the new user. The default site should be
opened and the activities correspond to the authorization of the chosen User Group.

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Unit 10: User Management in SAP Manufacturing Execution (Optional)

LESSON SUMMARY
You should now be able to:

Understand user management

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 Unit 10

Learning Assessment

1. Briefly explain how new users are created in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

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 Unit 10

Learning Assessment - Answers

1. Briefly explain how new users are created in SAP Manufacturing Execution.

A new user must be created in SAP NetWeaver User Management Engine (UME).
Afterwards, they can be added to SAP Manufacturing Execution through the User
Management activity.

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