QUALITYMANAGEMENT

SAP Functions in DetailmySAP Product Lifecylce Management

© Copyright 2002 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmittedin any form or for any purpose without the express permissionof SAP AG. The information contained herein may be changedwithout prior notice.

Some software products marketed by SAP AG and its distribu-tors contain proprietary software components of othersoftware vendors.

Microsoft®, WINDOWS®, NT®, EXCEL®, Word®, PowerPoint® andSQL Server® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

IBM®, DB2®, DB2 Universal Database, OS/2®, Parallel Sysplex®,MVS/ESA, AIX®, S/390®, AS/400®, OS/390®, OS/400®, iSeries,pSeries, xSeries, zSeries, z/OS, AFP, Intelligent Miner,WebSphere®, Netfinity®, Tivoli®, Informix and Informix®

Dynamic ServerTM are trademarks of IBM Corporation inUSA and/or other countries.

ORACLE® is a registered trademark of ORACLE Corporation.

UNIX®, X/Open®, OSF/1®, and Motif® are registered trademarksof the Open Group.

Citrix®, the Citrix logo, ICA®, Program Neighborhood®,MetaFrame®, WinFrame®, VideoFrame®, MultiWin® and otherCitrix product names referenced herein are trademarks ofCitrix Systems, Inc.

HTML, DHTML, XML, XHTML are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of W3C®, World Wide Web Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

JAVA® is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.

JAVASCRIPT® is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems,Inc., used under license for technology invented andimplemented by Netscape.

MarketSet and Enterprise Buyer are jointly owned trademarksof SAP AG and Commerce One.

SAP, SAP Logo, R/2, R/3, mySAP.com, and other SAP productsand services mentioned herein as well as their respective logosare trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germanyand in several other countries all over the world. All otherproduct and service names mentioned are the trademarks oftheir respective companies.

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Dear Reader, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-1Key Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-2

Modern Quality Management: Internal and External Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1Quality Management – A Global Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1Internal Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1External Integration: Quality Management and mySAP.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Quality Management with mySAP™ Product Lifecycle Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1The Planning Phase of the Product Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1– Life-Cycle Data Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2– Program and Project Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3– Life-Cycle Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3The Implementation Phase of the Product Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4– Procurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4– Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6– Sales and Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8The Usage Phase of the Product Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9– Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9– Inventory Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Inspection Planning: Putting Quality Strategies into Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1Integrated Inspection Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1– Task List Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1Basic Data for Inspection Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2– Inspection Characteristic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2– Inspection Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3– Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3– Sampling Procedure and Sampling Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3– Dynamic Modification Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3– Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4– Work Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4– Reference Operation Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4Planning Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4– Engineering Workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5– Product Structure Browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5– Where-Used Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5– Mass Data Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5– Engineering Change Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5– Cross-System Transfer of Master Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

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CONTENTS

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Quality Inspections: Achieving Reliable Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1Inspection Lot Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1– Inspection Lot Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2– Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2– Inspection Lot Completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2Inspection Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3– Characteristic Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4– Process-Optimized Results Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5– Results Recording on the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6– Mobile Results Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6– mySAP PLM QM Link for External Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6– Defect Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6Sample Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7– Processing Physical Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7– Unplanned Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Quality Certificates: Guaranteed Reliability – Printed or on the Internet . . . . . . . . . 5-1Certificate Processing in Sales and Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1– Flexible Certificate Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1– Certificate Creation – Meeting Your Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2Certificate Processing at Goods Receipt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3Collaborative Business: Certificate Data for the Whole Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3– Certificate Access on theInternet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3– Quality Data Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

Efficient Problem Management with Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1Improved Quality Through Targeted Problem Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1– Notifications in the SAP Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1– Optimized Processing Using Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1Using Quality Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2– Notification Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2Notification Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2Quality Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3Elements of the Quality Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3– Notification Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3– Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3– Notification Item . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3– Tasks and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Optimized Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3– Action Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-3– Solution Database. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4– Flexible Work Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4– Workflow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4– System Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4– Document Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4Analysis of Items and Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5– Immediate Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5– Corrective Task. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5– Follow-Up Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5– Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5Support Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5– Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5– Storage and Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

Sustained Quality Control – Planning, Evaluation, and Direct Intervention . . . . . . . 7-1Dynamic Modification of the Inspection Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1On the Right Track with Statistical Process Control (SPC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2– Quality Control Chart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2– Western Electric Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3– Quality Scores. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4Vendor Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5Evaluations: Keeping you Up-to-Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5– Results History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5– mySAP Business Intelligence (mySAP BI) with the SAP ® Business Information Warehouse 7-6– Quality Management Information System (QMIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7– Report Lists Using ABAP Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7– QM-STI Interface for External Evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7Quality Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8– Controlling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8– QM Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8– Appraisal Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8

Test Equipment Management: Calibration Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1Calibration Inspections and mySAP.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1– Releasing Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1

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– Test Equipment Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1– Monitoring Technical Installations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1Master Data in a Calibration Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2– Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2– Maintenance Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2– Maintenance Task List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2Planning a Calibration Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2Calibration Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3Evaluations for Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4– Results History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4– Trend Analysis Using Run Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5– Usage Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5– Test Equipment History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5

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In today’s economy, an investment in business software is aninvestment in the future of your company. To succeed, youmust ensure that all internal and external business processesare well managed. At SAP, we focus on the active participationof employees, and we recognize that employees are the focalpoint of your business processes.

By providing the mySAP™ Product Lifecycle Management(mySAP™ PLM) solution and the integrated mySAP™ PLMQuality Management (mySAP™ PLM QM), SAP AG has turnedthis vision into a reality. mySAP PLM QM allows you to controland maintain the quality of your products and assets through-out the entire life cycle. It also helps you to react to unexpect-ed events quickly and effectively.

If you are considering implementing or have already im-plemented mySAP PLM QM in your company, and you wantinformation on current themes and new developments, thenthis brochure contains all the information you need.

This brochure targets project planners, decision makers, and people interested in implementing mySAP PLM QM. It explains how mySAP PLM QM is integrated in the mySAP.com®e-business platform, an Internet-based business platform. Thisbrochure provides you with insight into the current functionalscope of mySAP PLM QM. It also shows how mySAP PLM QM is integrated in mySAP PLM and the business processes of thesupply chain.

This brochure is organized as follows:

• Chapter 1 explains the inclusion of mySAP PLM QM inmySAP PLM.

• Chapter 2 describes the influence of mySAP PLM QMthroughout the product life cycle and across the supplychain.

• Further chapters describe how standard quality managementtasks are supported by mySAP PLM QM: – Chapter 3 describes inspection planning.– Chapter 4 describes quality inspections.– Chapter 5 describes quality certificates.– Chapter 6 describes the processing of unplanned events

using notifications.– Chapter 7 describes quality control and different evalua-

tion methods.– Chapter 8 describes test equipment management.

For detailed information about mySAP Product LifecycleManagement (mySAP PLM), visit our homepage:http://www.sap.com/plm.

We hope this brochure fulfills your requirements.

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DEAR READER,

KEY EXPRESSIONS

mySAP.com®

An Internet-based platform that can include all SAP productsand those of other manufacturers.

mySAP™ ENTERPRISE PORTAL

A combination of functions tailored to the specific require-ments of the individual user and displayed in a browser.

iVIEW

An information or service that can be displayed in a Webbrowser. iViews provide employees with basic information and direct access to their most frequently used functions.

COLLABORATIVE BUSINESS

Collaboration between companies using a regulated exchangeof information and data on the Internet.

MOBILE BUSINESS

Business processes that involve an exchange of data betweenmySAP.com and mobile devices.

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QUALITY MANAGEMENT – A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

mySAP™ PLM Quality Management (mySAP™ PLM QM) recognizes the importance of e-Business and global com-munication. Quality management is no longer simply aboutintegrating internal business processes. The focus has shifted tothe employees and their dedication and skills, while efficientbusiness relationships remain critical factors for success. Thefast, direct exchange of internal process information and aworldwide information flow are key to staying ahead of thecompetition.

mySAP PLM QM provides the following advantages:

• One quality management system covers all your companyprocesses.

• Employees play a central role. They can access importantinformation and thereby perform a wide variety of tasksquickly and efficiently.

• Direct communication and controlled data exchange withemployees and business partners is always possible.

mySAP PLM QM not only offers all the advantages of inte-grated software as part of mySAP.com, but it also provides youwith access to a global business environment. Your companycan use mySAP PLM QM in the mySAP™ Enterprise Portal withintelligent solutions for collaborative business and mobile busi-ness allowing you to exchange information with externalsources.

The openness of mySAP.com and the seamless integration ofmySAP PLM QM into a complete business system support you in total quality management and satisfy the criteria forISO 9000 or the good manufacturing practice (GMP).

INTERNAL INTEGRATION

In the integrated mySAP.com platform, mySAP PLM functionsare incorporated into other solutions, such as mySAP™ SupplyChain Management (mySAP™ SCM) or mySAP™ CustomerRelationship Management (mySAP™ CRM). You can thereforeaccess all important processes.

The exchange of data with other areas prevents informationfrom being duplicated. For example, when a goods receipt isposted, mySAP.com automatically starts a quality inspectionand transfers any available information relating to material,vendor, and lot size to the inspection lot data record.

mySAP PLM Quality Management is directly linked to variousfunctions, which help you efficiently manage your businessprocesses. Examples of such functions include:

• Business Workflow A tool for targeted process control. Using the BusinessWorkflow, you can establish a clearly defined informationand processing network to quickly and efficiently processinspection lots and quality notifications.

• ArchiveLink A tool for storing documents. ArchiveLink stores documentsthat are linked to application functions in an optical archive.(Such documents include quality records, certificates,customer complaints, and other original internal or externaldocuments).

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MODERN QUALITY MANAGEMENT: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL INTEGRATION

EXTERNAL INTEGRATION:

QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND mySAP.com

With mySAP PLM QM, you have a global quality managementsystem that covers all aspects of your company. You can usethe mySAP Enterprise Portal as a cockpit for all your businessprocesses in mySAP PLM QM. It is a portal that allows allemployees to access business processes on the Internet orintranet at any time and from any location.

In addition to mySAP PLM, you can integrate other inde-pendent SAP solutions in the mySAP Enterprise Portal, such as mySAP™ Business Intelligence (mySAP™ BI) with the BusinessInformation Warehouse or Knowledge Warehouse. You canalso integrate non-SAP products. As a result, you can adaptand enhance your working environment to suit your ownrequirements.

Using clearly defined roles, users of the mySAP EnterprisePortal can access their own work areas. A role describes a specific activity profile and groups together the correspondingfunctions of that profile. Users can then target their involve-ment in business processes. The flexible mySAP EnterprisePortal allows you to adapt the roles to suit your individualneeds.

mySAP PLM QM supplies the following roles for the varioustasks in quality management:

• Quality manager • Notification processor

• Quality inspector • Inspection planner

• Quality planner • Test equipment manager

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Fig. 1-1: Internal and External Integration of mySAP PLM QM

mySAP ENTERPRISE PORTAL. . . . . .

. . .. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

MOBILE COMPUTING:RESULTS RECORDING

QUALITY PLANNING

QUALITY INSPECTIONS

QUALITY CONTROL

QUALITY CERTIFICATES

QUALITY NOTIFICATIONS

TEST EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT

mySAP PLM QM

CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

ARCHIVE LINK

DOCUMENTMANAGEMENT

SYSTEM

BUSINESSWORKFLOW

OFFICE

ENGINEERING CHANGE

MANAGEMENT

QUALITYMANAGER

QUALITY PLANNER

INSPECTION PLANNER QUALITY

INSPECTOR

NOTIFICATION PROCESSOR

TEST EQUIPMENT MANAGER

Controlling

Plant Maintenance

Customer Service

Sales & Distribution

Production Planning

Production Planning/Process

Industries

Materials Management

mySAP SCM

EXTERNAL URL

KNOWLEDGEMANAGEMENT

mySAP BIDATA

WAREHOUSING

With the mySAP Enterprise Portal, role users always haveimmediate access to current information. iViews supply youwith the key figures and work lists relevant to your role.

If you decide to use the SAP® Knowledge Warehouse as a solu-tion for your company-specific quality manual, the role usercan access the most up-to-date version of the manual usingthe mySAP Enterprise Portal. This means that you can imme-diately access the procedures and work instructions that arerelevant to your business processes.

The mySAP PLM QM Internet scenarios have opened up a newrange of possibilities. You can record results on the Internetduring a source inspection at the vendor site, and vendors cansupply a quality certificate on the Internet for supplied goodsor electronically transfer certificate data to a specified destina-tion. With mySAP.com, you can establish lasting partnerships.

Often, inspection results are not directly recorded at the work center. This is the case, for example, for inspections ofmachines that are not in the vicinity of your work center. Insuch situations, you can use mobile results recording.

You can use mySAP PLM QM to control which inspectionsshould be performed on a mobile basis. The inspector recordsthe results on location using a mobile recording device. Usingthe docking station, the inspector starts a synchronization runto transfer the inspection results to mySAP.com or load thework list for additional inspections to the mobile recordingdevice. Mobile results recording is both simple and reliable.

Employees can enter internal requests or problems on theintranet and then forward them for further processing quicklyand efficiently. This involves all employees in the continuousimprovement of business processes in your company.

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Fig. 1-2: Mobile Results Recording with mySAP PLM QM

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mySAP PLM Quality Management (mySAP PLM QM) supportsyou, both internally and externally, throughout the entire lifecycle of a product. It provides complete support, from productand process planning in research and development (the plan-ning phase), through procurement, production, and sales anddistribution (the implementation phase), to service and usage(the usage phase).

Fig. 2-1: Quality Loop According to ISO 9004

THE PLANNING PHASE OF THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

mySAP PLM QM supports the process of quality managementin the planning phase of the product life cycle. This phase consists of the following:

• Life-Cycle Data Management provides an environmentwhere you can manage specifications, bills of material, routing and resource data, project structures, installationstructures, and master recipes, along with the correspondingtechnical documentation during the entire product andinstallation life cycle. The functions of Life-Cycle DataManagement include: – Document management– Product structure management to support product and

process development– Links to different computer aided design (CAD),

supervisory control and data aquisition (SCADA),and geographical information systems

– Engineering change management and configuration management, including the release of technical changesfor production purposes

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QUALITY MANAGEMENT WITH mySAP™ PRODUCT LIFECYCLEMANAGEMENT

MARKET RESEARCH

CONCEPT

DESIGN

TESTING

PRODUCTION PLANNING

PROCUREMENT

PLANNING

USAGE

IMPLEMENTATION

PRODUCTION

FINAL INSPECTION

STORAGE

SHIPPING

MAINTENANCE

DISPOSAL

PLANNING

USAGE

IMPLEMENTATION

• Program and Project Management supports the planning,administration, and controlling of the entire product development process. It allows project managers to controlproject structures, schedules, costs, and resources. The functions of Program and Project Management include: – Portfolio management and strategic program

management– Product profitability analysis– Investment projects, development projects, customer

projects, maintenance projects, and service projects

• Life-Cycle Collaboration allows collaboration between business partners, customers, vendors, and virtual development teams by facilitating the transfer of data (project plans, documents, service sheets, information, and product structures) between them. The functions ofLife-Cycle Collaboration include:– Collaborative engineering– Cross-company project management – Engineering marketplaces and enterprise portals

Life-Cycle Data Management Life-Cycle Data Management helps you plan product-relatedmaster data (such as products, plans, specifications, bills ofmaterial, and documents).

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

An important tool in mySAP.com is the document manage-ment system. You can use this central document managementsystem to create links between inspection outlines, designdrawings, technical delivery terms, specifications, productspecifications, inspection methods, and other quality-relevantdocumentation and the corresponding master data in mySAP PLM QM. You can manage data within this systemaccording to validity, version, and status.

MASTER DATA MANAGEMENT

You make the product-related settings that must be made inmySAP PLM QM during the implementation phase in thematerial master record in the Quality Management view.

For the management of quality information related to materials, vendors, and customers, and for the control of vendor and customer-related processes, you can maintainappropriate quality information records (you can, for example,assign quality assurance agreements and perform model processing).

In material-related inspection plans, you can define either customer- or vendor-specific inspection specifications. Whenyou are performing an inspection during production, theseelements are integrated into the routing or recipes.

You can make changes to the master data centrally, and youcan transfer the data from one source system to one or moretarget systems. In addition, there are tools available for researchand analysis of master data linked in a hierarchy, such aswhere-used lists and the product structure browser.

ENGINEERING CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Central engineering change management coordinates thechanges you make to master data. You can run such changesthrough an approval procedure (for example, according toGMP requirements). You can create different versions andthen distribute them using the workflow. It is also possible for you to allocate a revision level with regard to a specificvalid-from date when a change is made.

CLASSIFICATION

Using the integrated classification system, you can specify andassign data that is available in mySAP.com (such as materials,documents, and inspection plans), in order to be able to locatethis data later according to specific search criteria (such asbatch characteristics).

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Program and Project ManagementSeveral program and project management tools are available tohelp you strategically plan and control the product-develop-ment process.

QM MANUAL

The QM manual contains the basic quality policy of a com-pany, and a description of the organizational and process structures within this company. The QM manual also listsresponsibilities within the company.

AUTHORIZATION MANAGEMENT

A central system administration is responsible for data securityand protection. You can assign individual system authorizationsfor the processing of master data and movement data. Thisenables you, for example, to set up users so that they have toprovide a digital signature when performing certain operations.

BUSINESS WORKFLOW

You can use the business workflow to control certain complexprocesses and the output associated with these processes. Forexample, corrective tasks within a problem notification can auto-matically be transferred to the organizational unit responsible.

QUALITY COSTS

You can enter, collect, and bill costs related to prevention ofdefects, inspections, and nonconformity to different accountassignment objects using orders in Controlling.

KEY FIGURE ANALYSIS

With its quality key figures, mySAP Business Intelligence(mySAP BI) offers a wide range of possibilities for monitoringand controlling your quality processes.

QUALITY AUDIT

Defect catalogs provide you with a basis for failure mode andeffect analysis (FEMA) evaluations and quality audits. Theanalysis of defects helps bring problems within a company tolight and improves relationships with vendors.

Life-Cycle CollaborationLife-Cycle Collaboration makes it possible for you to transferproduct information across the entire supply chain. Partners,manufacturers, vendors, and customers can communicatedirectly with one another. They can, for example, exchangeCAD files, specifications, and inspection results.

INTERNET SCENARIO: QUALITY NOTIFICATIONS

In the product development stage, if you are cooperating with customers or partners, mySAP PLM QM offers you theopportunity to initiate product ideas or changes to productsusing quality notifications. Customer complaints that can beentered on the Internet can thereby be used to determine theproduct quality. Vendors can ask for permission to deviatefrom specifications if they cannot strictly adhere to customerspecifications.

INTERNET SCENARIO: CERTIFICATES

Working with your customers or vendors, you use certificateprofiles to plan exactly which characteristics are to appear on thecertificate. This certificate data can be exchanged electronicallyusing Quality Data Interchange (QDI), or it can be stored on theInternet. For example, you can store it as a PDF document.

INTERNET SCENARIO: RESULTS RECORDING

You can record inspection results using the Internet orintranet. Results can be recorded by external service providers(for example, commercial analysts) and internal inspectors (for example, in a source inspection) at their respective workcenters.

INTERNET SCENARIO: SERVICE REQUESTS

Internet service requests are used to enter and process queriesand problems. This tool is particularly useful when combinedwith the solution database and used as an intranet solution. Youcan use it, for example, to report a printer problem or sendimprovements to the internal recommendations department.

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THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE OF THE PRODUCT

LIFE CYCLE

mySAP PLM QM ensures quality across the entire supply chainand beyond company boundaries. It supports your quality management department in the following:

• Procurement. mySAP PLM QM manages vendor-relatedmaster data, controls the purchasing process according tocertain quality criteria, and handles inspection certificatesand goods receipt inspections.

• Production. mySAP PLM QM integrates inspection specifi-cations in routings and recipes, allows inspections duringproduction and goods receipt inspections for the manu-facturing order to take place, monitors the productionprocess using control charts, and confirms quality, quantity,and costs.

• Sales and distribution. mySAP PLM QM managescustomer-related master data, controls the sales and distri-bution process according to quality criteria, and handlesinspection certificates and inspections at goods issue.

ProcurementVENDOR EVALUATION

Materials Management provides information for the pur-chasing agent about vendor delivery reliability, price record,and service record. mySAP PLM QM provides the purchasing

agent with information about the quality management systemused by the vendor and the quality of previously deliveredgoods. In order to do this, mySAP.com summarizes qualityscores from vendor audits, goods receipt inspections, and complaints against the vendor.

VENDOR RELEASE

In some industry sectors, vendors must have a quality manage-ment system in their company. Such a system might, for ex-ample, be required to be compliant with the ISO 9000 series ofstandards. Such vendors must have this system certified by anaccredited organization. Your mySAP PLM QM system checks ifthe quality management system used by the vendor is ade-quate for certain materials and then either releases or blocksthe supply relationship accordingly.

You can limit the release of this supply relationship to a specific time frame and a maximum delivery quantity. If thevendor has serious quality problems, you can block requestsfor quotations, purchase orders, or goods receipts for specificmaterials supplied by this vendor.

mySAP PLM QM also monitors the step-by-step release of amaterial. Vendor deliveries must sequentially pass through aseries of user-defined statuses, such as model, preliminaryseries, and production series, using appropriately assignedinspection plans.

In many industry sectors, suppliers are middlemen (distributors).Therefore, the quality of produced goods is dictated primarily bythe manufacturer rather than the vendor. Consequently, youcan also apply the following functions to a manufacturer: vendorrelease, inspection planning, dynamic modification of the inspec-tion scope, and complaints against the vendor.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AGREEMENT, TECHNICAL DELIVERY

TERMS, CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENT

When the purchasing agent requests a quotation and issues apurchase order, the vendors that are released automaticallyreceive information about the technical delivery terms and the

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PLANNING

USAGE

IMPLEMENTATION

current quality assurance agreement. The vendors may also berequired to include a quality certificate with the delivery.

SOURCE INSPECTION

Occasionally, inspections can be performed at the vendor’spremises to replace a goods receipt inspection. If this occurs,the system takes the target delivery deadline into account andcreates an inspection lot in time for the source inspection. Youcan now perform a source inspection at the vendor’s site, because it is possible for you to access mySAP.com using themySAP Enterprise Portal in an Internet browser. This is possibleeven if the vendor does not use mySAP.com.

GOODS RECEIPT CERTIFICATE

If you have identified a material as requiring a certificate, thereceipt of this certificate must be confirmed. mySAP.com takesappropriate action if the certificate is missing (for example,posting the goods to blocked stock). mySAP.com supports themanagement of the certificate receipt process and sends re-minders if necessary. You can manually create the certificateand store it in the optical archive (ArchiveLink), or you cansend it in electronic form. Using the electronic quality datainterchange system (QDI), certificate data can be transferreddirectly to the goods receipt inspection lot.

Fig. 2-2: Certificate Processing at Goods Receipt

DYNAMIC MODIFICATION

If the quality of a supply relationship is consistently high, youmay want to waive the goods receipt inspection, particularly ifthe vendor has a certified QM system. For partial lots, you canset the system to inspect a goods receipt only once for eachpurchase order, goods receipt, or batch. If you do not want towaive the goods receipt inspection completely, you can reducethe scope of the inspection as far as the quality level allows.The reduction of the inspection scope may lead to a skip lot. If you allow a skip lot and an automatic usage decision for amaterial, the system processes the skipped lots without inter-vention. It then immediately posts the inspection lot quantityto unrestricted-use stock (ship-to-stock).

RECEIVING INSPECTION

If the prerequisites for ship-to-stock are not fulfilled,mySAP.com automatically triggers inspection lot processingupon goods receipt. In addition to the goods receipt docu-ment, the system also creates an inspection lot record, selectsan appropriate inspection plan, and determines the sample size based on the quality level.

PHYSICAL-SAMPLE DRAWING

If goods are delivered in containers, you can take samples inaccordance with a sample-drawing procedure. The documentsyou need (such as sample-drawing instructions, sample labels,and inspection instructions) are available for printing imme-diately. You can then proceed with the inspection.

RECORDING INSPECTION RESULTS AND DEFECTS

You can record the results for the goods receipt inspection inthe form of inspection characteristic values and/or defect datarecords or texts. If serious problems arise at goods receiptinspection, a quality notification can be created automatically.Inspection results can also be recorded automatically usingelectronic measuring equipment.

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INSPECTION LOT:Confirm receipt when or after making the usage decisionGOODS RECEIPT

REMINDER

NO

YES

CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENT

NO INSPECTION LOT:Post goods to blockedstock

UPDATE CERTIFICATE RECORD

CERTIFICATEINCLUDED ?

APPRAISAL COSTS

There are costs associated with every inspection and defect.Appraisal costs are determined using the activity confirmationsof the people involved in an inspection. You can allocate thecosts that are calculated on the basis of these confirmations forone or more inspection lots in several QM orders, and you canthen pass them on to the cost object. Costs associated withdefects are settled using quality notifications.

INSPECTION COMPLETION

The processing of an inspection lot in mySAP PLM QM endsafter the inspection is completed and the usage decision ismade. The accepted inspection lot quantity is manually orautomatically posted to unrestricted-use stock. Special stockpostings are available to you for rejected quantities. This in-cludes posting to blocked stock, transfer posting to a differentmaterial, returning to the vendor, or posting to scrap. If thematerial is handled in batches, the system proposes a batch status that is compatible with the usage decision.

Fig. 2-3: Inspection Lot Processing at Goods Receipt

Once the usage decision is made, mySAP.com updates the quality level and the QM information system and makes theinspection lot quality score available for the vendor evaluation.mySAP.com also updates material and vendor information inthe quality data record. For example, once the inspection lothas been completed, it updates the status of the supplyrelationship from model delivery to regular delivery.

mySAP PLM QM can trigger a series of user-defined follow-upactions on the basis of the usage decision. For example, you canprint specific inspection reports.

INVOICE VERIFICATION

If invoices for the delivery of goods are received before theusage decision is made for the goods receipt inspection lot, youcan prevent an automatic payment during invoice verification.

COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE VENDOR

Defects in a delivered material that have been caused by thevendor or manufacturer can be documented in a quality notification. You can use the business workflow to pass thisnotification on to the processor responsible. The processor canthen initiate various tasks (such as posting to blocked stock orsending a complaint against the vendor). Complaints can beentered on the Internet on the vendor’s Web site.

ProductionINDUSTRY SECTOR INDEPENDENT

mySAP PLM QM integrates quality inspections into the production process. It thereby supports different types of pro-duction, from order-related, lot-based production and theassembly process in mechanical engineering, throughrepetitive manufacturing in the automotive industry, to batch-based process manufacturing in the chemical, pharma-ceutical, and foodstuff industries.

MANUFACTURING ORDER INSPECTIONS

You can initiate inspections on the basis of different types ofgoods movements. Inspection lots can therefore be automati-cally created when a material component is removed or whena product for the production or process order is processed atgoods receipt.

MATERIALS PLANNING

When you are inspecting raw materials or semifinished products, the planned duration of the receiving inspection istaken into account in materials planning.

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PURCHASE ORDER

GOODS RECEIPT

STOCK IN QUALITY

INSPECTION

QUALITY NOTIFICATION

UNRESTRICTED-USE STOCK

YES

NO

INSPECTION

INSPECTION DURING PRODUCTION

Inspection lots for an inspection during production can be created in the following ways:

• As an inspection lot during production when a productionorder is released. This is not stock relevant.

• As an early inspection lot at goods receipt. This is stock relevant; in other words, the stock in the quality inspection is managed using the usage decision for the inspection lot.

• When goods are received from a subcontractor for externalprocessing operations.

PHYSICAL-SAMPLE DRAWING

The sample size is calculated, and the shop papers (such assample drawing, inspection instructions, and sample labels) are printed at previously determined work centers after thevalid routing or master recipe has been selected.

DIGITAL SIGNATURE

You can set the system to require a digital signature (electronicsignature) from the user who releases the physical-sampledrawing or makes the usage decision to ensure that that userhas the appropriate authorization.

RECORDING INSPECTION RESULTS AND DEFECTS

Inspection results can be recorded for the following objects:

• Inspection characteristics The inspection results can be recorded in summarized form,in classes, or as single values.

• Inspection points Several inspections are performed for each inspection charac-teristic. Inspection points can be user-defined, and they canbe planned in advance if necessary. They can be related toproduction quantities or production times (for example,inspection of a wire basket or silo once during each shift orevery two hours).

• Physical samples These can be planned in advance using a sample-drawingprocedure or they can be unplanned.

• Partial lots Production quantities of the same quality can be groupedtogether.

• Batches The inspection results can be used for batch determinationat a later stage (for example, they can be applied whenchoosing products at the delivery stage, or when decidingwhich subcomponents to use for production).

• Serial numbers This applies if the inspection results are to be assigned to asingle unit. In this case, the serial numbers can be copiedfrom the production order.

Defects can be recorded for inspection characteristics, inspection operations, or inspection lots.

STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL (SPC)

The inspection results are the basis for statistical process control(SPC) using control charts. A control chart can be valid for sev-eral inspection lots and production orders. The warning andaction limits of a control chart are calculated using the mostrecent inspection results or the results of an initial run. If anaction limit is exceeded, messages and notifications can be created.

Fig. 2-4: Inspection During Production

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NEIN Z

AUTOMATIC DEFECTS RECORDING

TASKS

QUALITY NOTIFICATION

INSPECTION POINT 1

CHARACTERISTIC

LENGTH

WIDTH

50mm

30mm

49.8

31.2

TARGET ACTUAL

INSPECTIONLOT 4711

APPRAISAL COSTS AND PRODUCTION QUANTITY

CONFIRMATIONS

When you are recording inspection results, you can also confirm production quantities and costs for the productionorder. Such confirmations control the subsequent productionprocess (for example, the release of operations and inspectionoperations or subsequent work that has yet to be performed).

Fig. 2-5: Quantity Confirmation and Inspection Point Valuation

INSPECTION COMPLETION

The inspection is completed when the usage decision is made.Users with the appropriate authorizations can post stock quantities, classify charges according to their quality, and perform follow-up actions. mySAP PLM QM provides a digitalsignature for the usage decision.

Sales and DistributionQUALITY ASSURANCE AGREEMENT AND TECHNICAL DELIVERY

TERMS

You can store customer-related quality documents in the quality information record for Sales and Distribution. In addition, you can use this quality information record to control the time and type of a quality inspection.

VARIANT CONFIGURATION IN THE SALES ORDER

At the time of sales order creation, customers can specify quality characteristics for the desired variant. This informationthen flows into all inspections during production in the formof inspection specifications.

Fig. 2-6: Characteristic Specifications from Variant Configuration

BATCH DETERMINATION

If you manage the stock of a material in batches, mySAP PLMQM allows you to select suitable batches at delivery using batchcharacteristics.

INSPECTION FOR DELIVERY OR FOR GOODS ISSUE

Inspection lots can be created at the picking stage or at goodsissue. After you have chosen a suitable inspection plan, thesample size is calculated and the shop papers (sample-drawingitems, inspection instructions, sample labels) are printed.When the inspection results have been recorded, theinspection is completed with the usage decision.

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SALES ORDER

CUSTOMER

4713

INSPECTION LOT 4718

OPERATION 10OPERATION 20

SMITH

BIKE 12

TITANIUM

LOW-PROFILE

FRAME

TIRE TYPE

TIRE PRESSURE: 2-3 BAR

ROUTING

MATERIAL NO.: BIKE 12

OPERATION 10OPERATION 20

CH10 TIRE SIZE 58 + 0.5

CH20 TIRE PRESSURE 1-5 BAR

CH10 TIRE SIZE 58 + 0.5

CH20 TIRE PRESSURE 1-5 BAR

PRODUCTION ORDER 4715

BIKE 12

FRAME: TITANIUM

TIRE PRESSURE: 2-3 BAR

TIRE TYPE: LOW-PROFILE

MATERIAL NO.

CERTIFICATE AT GOODS ISSUE

At goods issue, you can use a quality certificate to documentthat the inspection results are in accordance with the customerspecifications. You can enter inspection characteristics fromthe inspection plan and characteristics that were defined in thebatch determination as inspection specifications on the certifi-cate. The form, content, and means of output are customer-specific. These are derived from the specifications made by therecipient of the certificate at picking or at goods issue.

QUALITY DATA INTERCHANGE

Formatted quality data contained in a quality certificate can besent electronically and then automatically transferred into aninspection lot at the customer site. It is also possible to makethis data available on the Internet.

PROCESSING COMPLAINTS AND HANDLING RETURNS

You can create customer complaints as quality notificationson the Internet. You can document defects and tasks, and youcan also perform various follow-up functions using the actionbox. For example, you might process return or repair orders,enter costs, perform stock postings, or trigger inspections.

THE USAGE PHASE OF THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

In the usage phase of the product life cycle, service providerscan process inspections (outsourcing) with mySAP PLM QM.Service providers can use mySAP PLM QM to identify service-able items, plan and confirm services, and create invoices forservices rendered.

ServiceVARIANT CONFIGURATION IN THE SALES ORDER

Inspection laboratories perform inspections as a service (commercial analysis). When creating the sales order, these laboratories can select the inspections requested by thecustomer from inspection plans and transfer them into a service order.

SERVICE ORDER INSPECTION

The inspections can be selected using variant configuration in the sales order or by selecting inspection operations in theservice order. Once the inspections have been selected, in-spection lots can be created when the service order is released.Then the inspection can begin and inspection instructions andsample-drawing items can be printed.

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PLANNING

USAGE

IMPLEMENTATION

RESULTS RECORDING – USING A MOBILE DEVICE,

THE INTERNET, OR QDI

You can record inspection results using mobile devices ordirectly in the customer system using the Internet. If required,it is also possible to transfer inspection results in electronicform using QDI.

RESOURCE-RELATED BILLING DOCUMENT

After the inspection results have been confirmed, you are ableto invoice the customer for the inspection costs.

Inventory ManagementSTOCK CATEGORIES

Materials management categorizes inventory by the followingstock types: unrestricted-use, blocked, and in quality inspec-tion. Usually, the specified quantity of a received material isposted to inspection stock for the duration of the goods receiptinspection. This stock can only undergo a transfer posting during inspection lot processing. For example, when the usagedecision is made, it can be posted to unrestricted-use stock. Inthe inspection lot, you can view all of the posting documentsthat relate to the lot stock.

WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT

If you use Warehouse Management, mySAP PLM QM alsomanages the inspection lot samples and units created due tothe usage decision or while locating a storage bin. The in-spection lot identifies each unit and transfer requirement. Thesystem performs the following tasks according to the strategyrequired for placement in storage: it triggers the transport ofsamples and partial quantities, and it posts the stock.

HANDLING UNIT MANAGEMENT (HUM)

You can also use handling units as transport units. A handlingunit is a physical unit consisting of packaging and the goodsstored within or on this packaging. The system allows you tomove these handling units, as opposed to just moving thematerials. A quality inspection can therefore also be performedwith reference to handling units.

BATCH MANAGEMENT

Materials management can manage stocks for materials inbatches, and it can recognize the difference between batches inunrestricted-use or blocked stock.

You can use mySAP PLM QM to monitor the shelf life of batch-es and deadlines for recurring inspections. In addition, you canuse it to change the batch status and perform stock postingsautomatically. For example, you can post to blocked stockwhen the expiry date is exceeded.

BATCH TRACKING

The batch where-used list helps you determine which rawmaterial batches or semifinished products make up the batchof a finished product (top-down analysis) or, conversely, whichbatches of semifinished or finished products are made up of aparticular batch of a raw material (bottom-up analysis). Thewhere-used list also forms the basis for printing inspectionresults from the previous assembly stages (for example, semi-finished products) for an end product on a quality certificate.

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As inspection planner, you implement predefined planningstrategies in your company. This includes:

• Defining the trigger, type, and scope of quality inspections

• Creating and managing task lists as the basis for qualityinspections

• Managing and processing the basic data used in task lists

• Determining the procedure for statistical process control

To complete these tasks, you can use the reusable basic data asbuilding blocks and a flexible planning tool.

INTEGRATED INSPECTION PLANNING

With integrated inspection planning, you can create andprocess different task-list types to adapt quality inspections tosuit the respective business processes:

• Inspection plan for inspections during goods movements

• Routing for inspections during production in discrete manufacturing

• Rate routing for inspections during production (repetitive manufacturing)

• Master recipe for inspections in the process industry

• Material specification for simplified inspection planning

Task lists that differ only slightly in terms of content can begrouped together in task-list groups. The information that candiffer within a task-list group may consist of the task-list usage,vendor assignment, or the validity of certain lot size intervals.

Task List StructureA task list consists of the task-list header, operation, character-istic, and production resources and tools.

Fig. 3-1: Task List Structure

TASK-LIST HEADER

You define the following information in the task-list header:

• Material task-list assignments Assignment of a task list to materials. For example, you canassign several materials to a task list and there can be severaltask lists for one material. You can also assign inspectionplans to a vendor or customer, in addition to the material.

• Administrative data This type of data can include the validity date, change status,responsible planner group, task-list usage, and processing status

• Control data This type of data can include the dynamic modification rulefor adapting the inspection scope

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INSPECTION PLANNING: PUTTING QUALITY STRATEGIES INTO ACTION

INSPECTION PLAN 1

TASK LIST GROUP

TASK LIST HEADER

MATERIAL 1

MATERIAL 2

VENDOR 2

VENDOR 1CUSTOMER 1

CUSTOMER 2

PRT 1

OPERATION 4

OPERATION 1

OPERATION 2

INSPECTION PLAN 1

INSPECTION PLAN 2

INSPECTION PLAN 3

INSPECTION PLAN 4

INSPECTION PLAN 5

INSPECTION PLAN 6

INSPECTION PLAN 7

CHARACTERISTIC 1

CHARACTERISTIC 2

OPERATION 3

METHOD 1

OPERATION

You can store the following information for each inspectionoperation:

• A description of the operation and control parameters for the operation

• Reference to a work center

• Specifications for scheduling and calculating the appraisalcosts

INSPECTION CHARACTERISTIC

In the inspection characteristic, you can:

• Specify the characteristic description and define the controlparameters for results recording

• Reference an inspection method, sampling procedure, or adynamic modification rule

• Define qualitative or quantitative specifications for theinspection and results recording, depending on the characteristic type

• Define individual specifications for every task-list assignmentto a material, vendor, or customer. This means you do nothave to create redundant inspection plans to modifycustomer- or material-dependent target values and tolerances.

TEST EQUIPMENT

Test equipment is listed for each operation. For each inspectioncharacteristic, you can specify with which equipment the characteristic values must be measured.

BASIC DATA FOR INSPECTION PLANNING

Basic data consists of reusable building blocks for inspectionplanning. To simplify your work as an inspection planner, youshould plan and include this data in your task lists.

Fig. 3-2: Inspection Plan Structure and the Use of Master Data in Inspection Plans

Inspection CharacteristicAn inspection characteristic describes what should be in-spected. You can create an inspection characteristic directly ina task list or predefine it as an inspection characteristic masterrecord (master inspection characteristic). Master inspectioncharacteristics can be:

• Referenced in several task lists or material specifications

• Linked to characteristics in the classification system, for example, to transfer inspection results for a batch to thebatch classification

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• Reference operation set

• Work center

• Material

• Equipment

• Other production resources/tools

• Document

• Master inspection characteristic

• Inspection method

• Sampling procedure

• Dynamic modification rule

• Catalog

TASK LIST HEADER

MATERIAL

INSPECTION OPERATION

TEST EQUIPMENT

INSPECTIONCHARACTERISTIC

• Dynamic modification rule

• Sample-drawing procedure

Inspection MethodAn inspection method describes how a characteristic is to beinspected. You can also assign documents that are stored in thedocument management system (such as drawings and descrip-tions) to an inspection method. Inspection methods areassigned to master inspection characteristics or inspectioncharacteristics in task lists. You can assign several inspectionmethods to a master inspection characteristic.

CatalogA catalog is a summary of codes for content-related terms.Catalogs make it easier to uniformly describe qualitative data(for example, attributes for qualitative characteristics, defecttypes, or usage decisions). For each catalog, you can:

• Define code groups with codes and enter explanatory textsin different languages.

• Select codes from one or more code groups and combinethem in a selected set. This allows you to create a value listthat applies to a specific application.

Sampling Procedure and Sampling SchemeThe sampling procedure specifies how the sample size is calculated and how the inspection characteristic is valuated(attributive, variable, or manual). You assign sampling procedures in the material master or in the task list at characteristic level.

mySAP PLM QM supports all common sampling types (forexample, 100% inspection, sample based on percentage, fixedsample, and sample in accordance with a sampling scheme). Ifthe sampling types and valuation rules provided with the stan-dard system are not sufficient, you can supplement them withyour own self-defined function modules.

You can also plan independent and dependent multiple sam-ples and record the inspection results from several samples foran inspection characteristic. Each of these samples may containseveral values and each is valuated individually. On the basis ofthe individual sample results, mySAP.com automatically deter-mines the characteristic result (for example, based on theworst-case principle).

Ready-to-use sampling schemes are contained in the deliverysystem in accordance with ISO 2859-1 for qualitative in-spections and ISO 3951 for quantitative inspections. You canalso create your own acceptable quality level (AQL) samplingschemes and define rules for automatic stage changes up to aninspection skip. You can also implement industry-specific pro-cedures.

Dynamic Modification RuleIn a dynamic modification rule, you define the number ofinspections and skip stages and the rules that control suchstage changes, either in accordance with appropriate standardssuch as ISO 2859-3 or to suit your own requirements. The sample size may vary between a 100% inspection and a skip.When you use a sampling scheme, the system switchesbetween a normal, reduced, and tightened inspection, depending on the quality level.

The inspection stage is then changed depending on the in-spection results for inspection lots or characteristics. You cancontrol the dynamic modification of the inspection stageseither by accepting or rejecting the inspection lot or inspectioncharacteristics. You can also assign a dynamic modification ruleto the inspection type in the material master (inspection typelevel) or at the header or characteristic level in the task list.

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Test EquipmentTest equipment consists of fittings, objects, documents, ormaterials that are needed for a quality inspection. Test equip-ment can be fixed parts of a work center or consist of moveableequipment. In the inspection plan, you can represent testequipment using various master records, such as productionresource/tools (PRT), material, equipment, or document.

The PRT master record contains administrative data and in-formation relating to status, location, and a possible PRTgroup assignment. If you use the classification system, you candefine additional properties. In addition, you can referencedocument master records from the PRT master record or usedocument master records as test equipment in task lists. Usingthe document management interfaces to CAD systems or toArchiveLink, you can access drawings and other documents.

Work CenterThe work center specifies where an operation is to be per-formed and who should process it. The available personneland machine capacities are also managed by the work center.You provide the basis for capacity planning and scheduling ofoperations when you specify the work centers in which theoperations are to be performed in the task lists.

Each work center is assigned to a cost center. The activities in awork center are valuated using rates that are determined bycost centers and activity types (for example, working time orquantity). In a single step, you can record both inspectionresults and the activities performed. You can also generatework lists for specific work centers when you record results ormake the usage decision.

Reference Operation SetIn a reference operation set, you define frequently requiredinspection operations and corresponding inspection characteristics. A reference operation set can be used as a part of inspection plans or routings, or as a template.

PLANNING TOOLS

The following sections discuss various planning tools providedwith mySAP PLM QM. Such tools include the engineeringworkbench, product structure browser, where-used lists,and more.

Engineering WorkbenchThe engineering workbench is an efficient tool that you canuse to process several task lists simultaneously (routings, reference operation sets, and inspection plans). The data yourequire can be read from different task lists and restructured.You can perform a variety of tasks using the engineering work-bench, including the following:

• Generate work lists for processing data within task lists (for example, by selecting task lists that use a certain dynamic modification rule or sampling procedure)

• Process individual operations from different task lists in onework step

• Simultaneously process complex task lists by selectivelyblocking objects (at task list header or operation level)

• Create where-used lists (for example, for productionresources/tools, dynamic modification rules, sampling procedures, sample-drawing procedures, and selected sets)

• Display documents defined in the document managementsystem in your own screen area (for example, technicaldrawings)

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Fig. 3-3: Inspection Planning with the Engineering Workbench

Product Structure BrowserUsing the product structure browser, you can hierarchicallydisplay related objects in a product structure. During in-spection planning, for example, you can determine whether or not task lists or material specifications exist for a certainmaterial. If you expand the product structure further,additional detailed information can be displayed (such asinspection characteristics and documents).

Where-Used ListsA where-used list shows you the task lists in which masterinspection characteristics, inspection methods, and samplingprocedures are used.

Mass Data ChangesWith the function mass data change, you can adapt objectsfrom the where-used list (master inspection characteristics,inspection methods, or sampling procedures) to suit new conditions. You can also use this function to create and change inspection setup data in the material master.

Engineering Change ManagementmySAP PLM QM maintains separate engineering changestatuses for each structural element in a task list. When youmake a change using a change number, you can determinewhat was contained in a plan at a specific date and the date onwhich a change is to become effective.

Cross-System Transfer of Master DataUsing SAP Application Link Enabling (ALE), you can transferspecific basic data (for example, inspection setups, inspectionmethods, inspection characteristics, and catalog or codegroups) from a source system to one or more target systems.This means that it is quick and easy to transfer basic data usedin one plant to another plant.

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Benefits:

• Integrated inspection planning

• Lighter workload as a result of modular, re-usable basic data

• Efficient management of inspection data using mass processing tools

• Parallel task list processing using the EngineeringWorkbench

• Time and money savings by using our cross-system data transfer by means of ALE

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As quality inspector, you are responsible for proving that amaterial meets predefined quality requirements. With mySAP PLM QM, you can show that these requirements havebeen met. Inspections can be triggered for inspection pointsduring production, physical samples in the process industry, or automatically for goods movements.

Planned inspections in mySAP PLM QM can be used to docu-ment quality using quantitative and qualitative inspectionresults. In addition, you can also create a record of unplannedevents in the form of defect data or quality notifications.

For all quality inspection tasks, the mySAP Enterprise Portalprovides you with the tools you require for the role of qualityinspector, as well as the opportunity to customize the settings.

• With collaborative business, it is possible for your internaland external business partners to record inspection resultson the intranet or Internet.

• Using mobile computing, you can record inspection resultson-site and later transfer the data to your mySAP PLM QMsystem.

INSPECTION LOT PROCESSING

Supported by quality-planning specifications, inspections supply important data for quality control purposes. Theinspection lot is the central element for the quality inspectionin mySAP PLM QM. It contains all information related to thequality inspection, such as inspection specifications, inspectionresults, and usage decisions.

Fig. 4-1: Stages in Inspection Lot Processing

There are different variants for inspection lot processing. In mySAP PLM QM, these are defined as inspection types (for example, goods receipt inspection and inspection duringproduction). The variants include:

• Inspection with or without a task list or materialspecification

• Recording of inspection characteristic results and defect data

• Manual or automatic specification assignment, sample determination, and usage decisions

• Control of inspection stock posting

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QUALITY INSPECTIONS: ACHIEVING RELIABLE RESULTS

INSPECTIONLOT CREATION

INSPECTION

INSPECTION LOT COMPLETION

CREATE INSPECTION LOT

SELECT INSPECTION SPECIFICATIONS

DETERMINE SAMPLES

PRINT SHOP PAPERS

CONFIRM ACTIVITIES

COMPLETE INSPECTION

RECORD DEFECT DATA

REQUEST CHARAC. INSP. RESULTS

PERFORM FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS

UPDATE QM INFORMATION SYSTEM

UPDATE QUALITY LEVEL

DETERMINE QUALITY SCORE

MAKE USAGE DECISION

Inspection Lot CreationmySAP PLM QM generally creates inspection lots automatical-ly, but you can also create these lots manually. Inspection lotsmay be created as a result of the following:

• Goods movements (for example, goods receipt, goods issue,stock transfer, and return delivery from a customer)

• Deadline monitoring for batches (recurring inspection)

• Release of production orders, process orders, maintenanceorders, service orders, and production versions

• Delivery creation in shipping

Fig. 4-2: Inspection Lot Creation

For inspections with an inspection plan, mySAP.com selectsthe corresponding inspection specifications (for example, theinspection plan or material specification). If a customer hasspecific product requirements, these can be copied from vari-ant configuration or batch determination to the inspection.Shop papers are printed and inspection results are recorded onthe basis of the inspection specifications.

Some examples of shop papers include:

• Sample-drawing instructions Contain the information required for the physical-sampledrawing and for distributing samples to work centers or laboratories.

• Physical-sample labelsAre used to label samples.

• Inspection instructions Lists information about the test equipment and inspectioncharacteristics for each inspection operation and specifies theinspection methods, specifications, and sample size for eachinspection characteristic. Quality inspectors can recordinspection results on the inspection instructions, if thelayout is suitable.

InspectionDuring an inspection, you can:

• Record, valuate, and close inspection results for characteristics

• Record defect data and quality notifications.

• Confirm activities

Direct transfer of inspection results is possible if you link electronic test equipment to mySAP PLM QM. You can alsorecord inspection results for serial numbers and batches, andyou can transfer the inspection results recorded in mySAP PLMQM to batch classification.

Inspection Lot CompletionAfter results recording is completed or the inspection is cancelled, you make the usage decision for the inspection lot.An automatic usage decision can be made if no inspection characteristics have been rejected and no defects are recorded. Ifa material requires documentation, you must enter a commentfor the usage decision if the inspection is cancelled or the usagedecision differs from the valuation for the inspection results.

Fig. 4-3: Inspection Lot Completion

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Sampledetermination

Printing the shop papers

Inspection lot creation

Determining the inspection

specifications

Updating the quality level

Follow-up actions

Determining the quality score

Making the usage decision

STOCK POSTING

If materials are posted to inspection stock using an inspectionlot, they can only be posted from this stock using the usagedecision (for example, posting to unrestricted-use stock orreturn to vendor).

QUALITY SCORE

If the usage decision has been made, mySAP.com determinesthe quality score for the inspection lot using a proceduredefined in the inspection setup for the material master record.It then updates the vendor evaluation.

QUALITY LEVEL

The quality level is also updated. Consequently, the inspectionstages for the next inspection are determined.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS

The usage decision can also trigger a chain of automaticfollow-up actions, such as sending a message to purchasing ifan inspection lot is rejected. In addition, the statistical data forthe inspection lot is updated in the information system.mySAP PLM QM logs all user actions using the name, date, andtime. This means that you have the ability to track all actions.You can also create an electronic batch record for materialsthat are managed in batches.

AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USAGE DECISION

The usage decision has significant consequences. Using mate-rial-specific authorizations and digital signatures, you canensure that only authorized users can make the usage decision.

INSPECTION RESULTS

There are two types of inspection results in mySAP PLM QM.These are:

• Results for the planned inspection of inspection characteristics (characteristic inspection results)

• Unplanned defects defined during the inspection (defect data)

Characteristic inspection results are generally recorded foreach operation. For this, inspection specifications must beassigned to the inspection lot and sample calculation must becompleted. You can record both characteristic inspectionresults and defect data for an inspection lot with a task list. If characteristics are rejected, defect data records can be createdautomatically. Also, you can record defects in an inspectionwithout inspection specifications.

Fig. 4-4: Types of Inspection Results

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RECORDING INSPECTION RESULTS

UNPLANNED PLANNED

DEFECT DATA

ACTIVATE QUALITY NOTIFICATION

CHARACTERISTIC RESULTS

QUALITY CONTROL

QUALITATIVE CHARACTERISTICS

QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERISTICS

DEFECT DATA

• DEFECT TYPE

• DEFECT LOCATION

• CAUSE

Characteristic ResultsYou record and valuate characteristic results according toinspection specifications.

CHARACTERISTIC TYPES

You can record inspection results for the following types ofcharacteristics:

• Qualitative characteristicsNonnumerical characteristic values or variables stemmingfrom these values (for example, the number of defects) areentered as results.

• Quantitative characteristics Measured values or variables stemming from these values(for example, the mean value) are entered as results.

RECORDING FORMS

Depending on the detail you require, you can choose from thefollowing recording forms for a characteristic:

• Summarized values For example, the mean value and standard deviation of several measured values or an individual measured value

• Classed values Number of results within value classes

• Single values For example, several measured values. In addition to singlevalues, you can note the serial numbers of the items to beinspected

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS

Within results recording, you can also:

• Define unplanned characteristics.

• Process conditional characteristics. This deals with plannedcharacteristics that must be inspected only if a correspondingcontrolling characteristic has either been accepted or rejected.

• Record inspection results for characteristics that are in a skip stage.

• Calculate results using calculated characteristics. For calcu-lated characteristics, you calculate results using the resultsfor other characteristics.

SAMPLES

If the sampling procedure specifies independent multiple sam-ples, you can record results for more than one sample for eachinspection characteristic. The number of samples may then begreater than the number specified in the sampling procedure.

In an attributive inspection, you can also plan dependent dou-ble and multiple samples. If the result for the current samplelies between the acceptance and rejection numbers, the samplesize is increased according to the sampling scheme. Once youhave recorded the results for this new sample, the sample isvaluated again using the updated valuation parameters.

VALUATION

You can confirm the characteristic inspection results recordedin different inspection operations. During results recording, aninspection characteristic undergoes a series of status changes.The authorization management function controls who has the authorization to record, valuate, or close results. To fulfillspecial security requirements for example, good manufac-turing practices, (GMP), a digital signature may be required.

You can use the following valuation modes to accept or rejectan inspection result:

• Manual valuation

• Attributive inspection based on the number of nonconform-ing units or defects

• Decision based on the attribute codes of qualitative characteristics

• Decision based on the tolerance range of quantitative characteristics

• Variable inspection with single-sided or double-sided tolerance limits

• Valuation based on the action limits of a control chart

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Characteristics with independent, multiple samples are valuat-ed at sample level. For example, you might valuate such sam-ples based on the worst-case principle, last-case principle, orbest-case principle. You must also valuate inspection points.

INSPECTION POINTS

You can use inspection points to perform several inspectionson one characteristic. You can define various inspection pointsin the system, including:

• Time-dependent (for example, one inspection every hour)

• Quantity-related (for example, an inspection after 100 unitshave been produced)

• Freely-defined (for example, one inspection per shift)

DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS

After results recording, the system determines the fraction ofnonconforming units for all inspection characteristics and usesthis information to estimate the fraction of nonconformingunits in the inspection lot. The most common mathematicaldistribution methods are supplied (normal, binomial, andPoisson distribution).

STATISTICS

You can display the following graphics in results recording:

• Histogram A histogram illustrates the frequency distribution of thesample results in the form of a bar chart. In this chart, youcan identify typical and extreme values for a sample, as wellas the location, dispersion range, and form of thedistribution.

• Run chartThis displays the run of measured values for a characteristicover a period of time as a line chart. You can identify the dis-persion and systematic location changes. You can also displaytrends.

• Control chartThe control chart shows the time-run of characteristic values in the production process with warning and actionlimits.

Process-Optimized Results RecordingWORK LISTS

Personalized work lists provide you with a flexible selection ofinspection lots. Examples of work lists include the following:

• Results recording for samples during laboratory inspections

• Results recording for equipment or functional locations during calibration inspections

TABULAR RESULTS RECORDING

You can also record inspection results in tabular form asfollows:

• Processing characteristics for several inspection lots In this view, you can record results for the inspection charac-teristics that occur in several inspection lots. In the recordingtable, the inspection lots selected in the work list aredisplayed in columns; the characteristics are displayed inrows.

• Processing several inspection points in an operation In this view, you can record results for several inspectionpoints in an operation. In the recording table, the inspectioncharacteristics are displayed in columns; the correspondinginspection points are displayed in rows.

• Processing master inspection characteristics for all inspectionlots . In this view, you can record the results for a specificmaster inspection characteristic for all inspection lots. In the recording table, the inspection lots are displayed in rows forthe master inspection characteristic that has been selected.

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Results Recording on the WebThe Internet provides you with new possibilities for resultsrecording. An example of this is recording results for sourceinspections.

You provide your vendor with access to a specific Internet orintranet page. This requires special authorizations. The vendorrecords inspection results directly on the Web and saves thedata. As a result, the quality management data can be furtherprocessed in your mySAP PLM QM system.

Mobile Results RecordingThe mobile results recording function in mySAP PLM QM supports you when performing quality inspections in inacces-sible locations, when there is no PC available. You plan whenmobile results recording should be used for inspections andtransfer the inspection specifications to the mobile recordingdevice using a docking station. As a result, the inspector canrecord measured values, codes, nonconforming units, and thenumber of defects. When these inspections are completed, thedata is transferred to mySAP PLM QM using a docking station.

mySAP PLM QM Link for External InspectionsmySAP PLM QM offers interfaces to connect to externalsystems for special tasks within quality inspection. These arediscussed in the following sections:

KEYBOARD INTERFACE

You can link test equipment, such as electronic caliper gauges,barcode readers, or laboratory balances, using a keyboardwedge. Various interface boxes are available on the market.These differ in the number and type of test equipment thatcan be connected. Keyboard interfaces convert the measuredvalues that have been entered into keyboard entries.

PC INTERFACE

You can transfer inspection results from a measuring device to QM using a file transfer. You can trigger the results transferfrom both external systems and mySAP PLM QM using driverprograms. SAP provides examples for the driver programs.

INSPECTION DATA INTERFACE (QM-IDI)

The QM Inspection Data Interface (QM-IDI) supports dataexchange with external quality systems, such as CAQ/LIMS.You use these interfaces to process inspections in a subsystem.

During inspection planning, you decide in which system aninspection operation should be processed. The inspection specifications are transferred to the external system duringinspection lot creation in mySAP PLM QM. After results arerecorded in a subsystem, the inspection results or usage decisions are confirmed in mySAP PLM QM. Your capital isprotected using a certification for subsystem providers.

Defect DataDefects recording provides information to control quality andoptimize processes. It enables Pareto analyses of defect typesand causes, according to their weighting or how frequentlythey occur. It also provides empirical values for risk indicatorsin failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA).

You record defects with reference to an inspection lot, inspection operation, or inspection characteristic. To recorddefects, you do not need inspection specifications. If an inspection plan is available, the defect data records can beassigned to an inspection characteristic contained in the plan.mySAP PLM QM then suggests the type of defects recordingthat is suitable for the material, work center, or user.

You can describe qualitative defect data with the help of cataloged terminology (for example, defect type, defectlocation, or defect cause) and additional text.

A defect data record can be converted into a quality noti-fication. As a result, the whole range of functions in notifica-tions can be used (for example, the link to workflow).

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SAMPLE MANAGEMENT

When sample management is active in mySAP PLM QM, youcan use the system to manage samples. To allow you to managesamples effectively, a unique physical-sample record is created inthe system for each physical sample. The physical-sample recordcontains the following information for the sample:

• Physical-sample number

• Physical-sample type, such as sample from goods receipt,production, or customer complaint

• Physical-sample category, such as primary sample, pooledsample, or reserve sample

• Information for the physical-sample drawing with data onthe sample origin, such as material, batch, materialdocument, and order

• Detailed information about the physical sample, such as theinspection lot or storage information

• Processing status of the physical sample

When the inspection planner defines a sample-drawing pro-cedure and assigns it to the inspection plan, routing, or masterrecipe, physical-sample records are automatically created forthe inspection lot. You define the following information in thesample-drawing procedure:

• Type and number of samples– Primary samples (one-stage physical-sample drawing)– Primary and pooled samples (two-stage physical-sample

drawing)– Reserve samples (to be stored for subsequent inspections).

• Whether the system should calculate the physical sampleson the basis of the lot container type or the lot quantity

• Whether the drawing of the physical samples needs to be separately confirmed

Processing Physical SamplesSAMPLE-DRAWING INSTRUCTION

For a planned physical-sample drawing, the system can print asample-drawing instruction at inspection lot creation. Thisinstruction contains information from the inspection plan andphysical-sample drawing procedure about drawing, processing,and distributing samples at work centers or laboratories.

PHYSICAL-SAMPLE DRAWING

When the system creates the physical-sample records for theinspection lot, it assigns a unique physical-sample drawingnumber. This number helps you identify the physical samplesthat were drawn from the lot. You can also identify how manypooled and reserve samples were formed.

The following functions are available for the physical-sampledrawing:

• Confirmation of the physical-sample drawing and release ofthe samplesYou can control whether or not the physical-sample drawingmust be confirmed. A confirmation would result in therelease of all samples associated with the relevant physical-sample drawing. A digital signature may be required to makethe confirmation. This digital signature ensures that onlypeople with the relevant authorization can confirm a physical-sample drawing.

• Label printingYou can trigger label printing for physical samples using thephysical-sample drawing. The labels can be printed with barcodes.

SAMPLE CHECK

The physical samples are displayed automatically in a work listfor results recording. You can process these samples immedi-ately, provided that they have the appropriate status.

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VALUATION

Once you have performed all inspection operations and haverecorded the inspection results, the physical samples must bevaluated on the basis of the operations (that is, accepted orrejected). When all physical samples in the inspection lot arevaluated, you make the usage decision for the lot.

Fig. 4-5: Types of Planning and Processing for Physical Samples

Unplanned SamplesIt is also possible for you to manage unplanned samples usingmySAP PLM QM. You can perform the following tasks:

• Create the physical samples manually without reference toan existing physical-sample drawing or inspection lot

• Supplement an existing physical-sample drawing by creatingadditional physical samples

• Create a new physical-sample drawing manually, with refer-ence to an existing inspection lot, production order, processorder, or production version

You must create inspection lots manually to be able to recordinspection results for unplanned physical samples. You can usethis function to perform the following tasks:

• Check the stability of reserve samples

• Inspect samples from competitors

• Inspect samples from a customer complaint

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Benefits:

• Integrated in the processes of the product life cycle and thesupply chain

• Allows you to work independently of the system withmobile results recording or by recording results on theWeb

Manual creation of physical samplesManual creation of physical-sample drawing with reference to an inspection lot

Automatic creation of physical samples at inspection lot creation

Manual creation of inspection lots for existing physical samples

CREATION

PLANNED PHYSICAL SAMPLES

UNPLANNED PHYSICAL SAMPLES

MANUAL INSPECTION LOTS

CERTIFICATE PROCESSING IN SALES AND

DISTRIBUTION

Your company produces high-quality products. As qualitymanager, it is your responsibility to provide evidence of thequality of your goods for your customers. Whether you require certificates of analysis for the chemical or pharma-ceutical industry, or certificates of conformity, test certificates,works test certificates, or inspection certificates for material inspection laboratories in the steel industry – the quality certificate will fulfill all of your requirements.

In addition to the usual output forms for certificates (printeror fax), you can make certificates available to your customerson the Internet or transfer certificate data electronically forfurther processing.

Flexible Certificate PlanningYou define the layout and content of a certificate in certificateplanning. The form determines the layout of the document –that is, the appearance and logo. You define required contentin the copy model. Due to the flexible interaction of thecertificate profile and form, you can meet multiplerequirements using few forms.

You specify the data origin for each characteristic in the certificate profile. For each characteristic, you can include texts (such as inspection methods) and values (specificationvalues and inspection results) in the certificate.

mySAP.com selects data from inspection lots, batch specifications, or characteristic master records. Texts for characteristics can also be obtained directly from the certificateprofile. Only those inspection lots that meet specific selectioncriteria that have been defined in the certificate profile areconsidered for data formatting.

Consequently, inspection lots that have, for example, reached a predefined quality score can be selected. If there is no in-spection result for a characteristic due to a skip, mySAP.comsearches for other data sources using predefined strategies. The data procurement functions and replacement strategiesavailable in mySAP.com can be enhanced using function modules programmed by the user.

The form master record allows you to tailor your certificatesto your company's needs. mySAP.com contains an example ofa form to simplify this process.

In addition to printing characteristics that are directly linked to the product requiring the certificate, you can also definewhich characteristic data (from raw materials and semi-finished products used when creating the finished product)are printed on the certificate.

5-1

QUALITY CERTIFICATES: GUARANTEED RELIABILITY – PRINTED OR ON THE INTERNET

5-2

At this point, you can refer to inspections or batch classi-fications. mySAP.com selects batches for data formatting thatare linked to one another by production orders, process orders,or production versions. The characteristic values for thesematerials in the production chain can also be taken from otherplants.

Apart from the characteristic data defined in the certificateprofile, you can structure the certificate to contain all otherinformation that is available at certificate creation. Such infor-mation might, for example, include data from the sales order.

Fig. 5-1: Example of a Quality Certificate for a Finished Product with Characteristic Values from Raw Materials and Semifinished Products

Certificate Creation – Meeting Your RequirementsFor single delivery items, certificates are issued automaticallywhen goods are shipped, together with delivery notes. Thesecertificates are then included with goods deliveries. You cancreate certificates at any stage of the shipment process, as longas the data required is accessible; for example, when picking is

completed or goods are issued. If you want to make certificatesavailable to customers before goods delivery, you can makethem accessible on the Internet or send them electronically.

The mySAP.com e-business platform finds the correct certifi-cate profile, recipient, and shipping terms with the help of theflexible condition technique. The system can search for theaddress of the certificate recipient by using, for example, thesold-to party, the ship-to party, delivery type, or shippingpoint. The system then decides whether the certificate is to beissued in printed form, by fax, or electronically. Next, the

system searches for thecorresponding profile forthe material group, mate-rial, customer, or a com-bination thereof. All theinformation required forthese searches is con-tained in data for thedelivery.

As a last step, mySAP.comdetermines the contentsof the certificate based onthe requirements in thecertificate profile, such ascharacteristic values inpicking batches. It struc-

tures the information according to the specified form and ittransfers the resulting certificate to the output medium, and, ifrequired, the optical archive.

You can also manually trigger the creation of certificates fordeliveries, inspection lots, or batches, and control their output.You can create a print preview to check the contents of thecertificate, before it is finally issued.

CERTIFICATE

CH R10CH S20CH S41CH F10

PRODUCTBATCHCHCH

PRODUCTBATCH

RAW01R1-1R10R11

PRODUCTBATCHCHCH

RAW02R2-2R10R11

PRODUCTBATCHCH

SEMI02S2-1S20

PRODUCTBATCHCHCH

SEMI3-1S3-1S31S32

PRODUCTBATCHCHCH

SEMI04S4-1S41S42

PRODUCTBATCHCHCH

FIN01F1-1F10F11

PRODUCTBATCHCH

RAW03R3-1R30

SEMI01S1-1

5-3

The processing status of delivery item data is consistentlymaintained so that you can always tell if a certificate was created properly.

CERTIFICATE PROCESSING AT GOODS RECEIPT

As quality inspector, you are responsible for monitoring thereceipt of certificates during the procurement process. If youhave marked a material as requiring a certificate, you mustconfirm that a quality certificate has been received forpurchase orders or goods receipts.

You generally confirm this information at goods receipt.However, you can wait to confirm that a certificate has beenreceived until the usage decision is made for the incominginspection lot. If a certificate has not been received,mySAP.com may post the stock to restricted-use stock.

You can store certificates that have been received usingArchiveLink. You can also send reminders for missing certif-icates and monitor reminder statuses. In addition, you have the ability to process the receipt of certificates before the goods have actually been received. This is often the case withcertificates that are sent electronically. If you receive anelectronic certificate with reference to a delivery, you can copythe quality data from the certificate for further processing.

COLLABORATIVE BUSINESS: CERTIFICATE DATA FOR

THE WHOLE COMPANY

Certificate Access on the InternetAs the vendor, you can allow your customers to accessmySAP.com over the Internet and call up a quality certificatefor their purchased goods. Depending on their needs, it is possible for customers to call up a certificate that is createdwhen called or one that was created for a delivery item and isalready stored using ArchiveLink.

Fig. 5-2: Quality Certificate

Quality Data ExchangeIf you want to enable a recipient to use the quality datadisplayed on your certificate, you must send the certificateelectronically (using EDI) to the target system.

If the quality certificate refers to a delivery to a customer, youcan automatically transfer the inspection results printed onthe certificate to a goods receipt inspection lot. You can alsomanually copy the results to another inspection lot, for example, a source inspection lot.

The certificate data can also be transferred to a recipientsystem without a link to a specific delivery and be processedfurther there. In such cases, the certificate data refers to theinspection lot or batch.

It is also possible to transfer data to your business partners thatdo not use SAP software.

Fig. 5-3: Quality Data Exchange

5-4

Benefits:

• Easy creation of certificates, and warnings are sent automatically if a certificate is missing at goods receipt

• Fewer errors by using electronic data transfer at goodsreceipt

• Time and money savings through using individualized andfully automatic certificate creation for deliveries

• System-independent accessing of certificates on theInternet or intranet.

• Multiple output formats: XML, PDF, fax, or print

• Electronic transfer of quality data to your customers

mySAP.com

CERTIFICATE RECORD

INSPECTION LOT

VENDOR

IDOCIDOC

EDI

OTHER

XML

CUSTOMER

OPTICAL ARCHIVE

mySAP.com

CERTIFICATE CREATION

REFERENCE DATA

QUALITY DATA

CERTIFICATE (PDF)

REFERENCE DATA

QUALITY DATA

CERTIFICATE

IMPROVED QUALITY THROUGH TARGETED PROBLEM

HANDLING

To optimize business processes in a company, you must respond to requests and problems quickly and efficiently. As notification processor, you coordinate the processing ofincoming requests or problem notifications and propose suitable tasks. You can therefore ensure that all problems are correctly assigned and solved. You are involved in the analysis,cause determination, and handling of problems. You are alsoresponsible for checking the implemented tasks for their effectiveness.

Notifications in the SAP EnvironmentThe integrated notification system supports you when youcreate and process various subjects and problems. As a specialfeature of mySAP PLM QM, you can record quality problems,document defects and causes, and implement corrective tasksfor quality improvement using the quality notification.

The following notifications are available to you in addition tothe quality notification:

• General notification For general requests or subjects (without a businessassignment)

• Maintenance notification For recording and processing problem notifications for technical objects

• Service notification For processing service activities

• Feedback notificationFor requests or problems related to mySAP.com

• Claim For documenting deviations from a project plan (for example, schedule deviation or cost variance)

Optimized Processing Using NotificationsNotifications are an efficient tool for processing exception situations. Using quality notifications, you can deal with bothsimple problems and problems related to complete processes inthe logistics supply chain (for example, complaints processingfor deliveries or processing of returns).

Fig. 6-1: Notification System for Continuous Process Improvement in aCompany

6-1

EFFICIENT PROBLEM MANAGEMENT WITH NOTIFICATIONS

Workflow Status management

Solution database

Solution

NOTIFICATION PROCESSING

Analysis Tasks/activities Entering costsUnplanned

eventDescription/assignment

Actionbox

EvaluationsInternet/intranet

USING QUALITY NOTIFICATIONS

Notification TypesThe subjects defined in quality notifications generally refer toexceptions in everyday business processes. If you create a notifi-cation, you use the notification type to define the subject froma business viewpoint. This then determines the remainder ofthe process flow. mySAP.com contains the following qualitynotification types:

• Customer complaint

• Complaint against the vendor

• Internal problem notification

Fig. 6-2: Quality Notification Types

Requests or problems that cannot, at first, be assigned at abusiness level are entered using the general notification. As theresponsible notification processor, you assign a suitable notifi-cation type to a general notification, depending on the subjectof the notification. This controls all further processing.

Quality notifications can be recorded manually or auto-matically:

• You can create a notification manually on the Internet,intranet, or directly in mySAP.com.

• For defects recording during inspection processing, a qualitynotification can be created automatically.

NOTIFICATION PROCESSING

If you manually enter and process general notifications, youcan use simplified or enhanced processing views. Thesimplified view is meant for occasional users who do notrequire the whole range of notification functions. This view isused to quickly record problems. All notification functions areavailable in the enhanced view. This view is particularly usefulif the user’s responsibility extends beyond the creation of thenotification.

If you are responsible for creating the notification, you mustfirst describe the subject in text form, then name a referenceobject, if possible (for example, a sales order or delivery), andfinally, assign an appropriate priority to the problem. mySAP PLM QM copies the linked information to the notification.

When you enter the notification, you can immediately see if,for example, notifications already exist for the same material orcustomer. You can immediately switch to one of these notifica-tions and call up information about how to solve the problem.

As the responsible notification processor, you are informedabout notifications using work lists or the workflow. You canimplement tasks and record costs. You can also performdefects analysis for the individual problems. You define thenecessary corrective tasks and assign them to the appropriateemployees.

You complete the problem notification after all tasks havebeen successfully completed and their costs have been calculated. The steps you perform mirror the status of theindividual tasks and the complete quality notification. You can display the most significant processing steps of a notification inthe action log.

6-2

CUSTOMERS

CUSTOMER COMPLAINT

INTERNAL PROBLEMS

VENDORS

COMPANY COMPLAINT AGAINST THE VENDOR

Q

QUALITY NOTIFICATIONS

You can adapt the structure and information in a quality notification to meet your requirements. In addition to thenotification types supplied by SAP, you can define your ownnotification types. For each notification type, you can:

• Select a simple or enhanced processing view

• Determine screen areas and their content

• Structure notification data using tab pages

• Include your own functions in an action box

• Configure shop papers for printing

ELEMENTS OF THE QUALITY NOTIFICATION

Notification HeaderFigure 6-3 shows the layout of data in a quality notification.The header data record contains a description of the subjectmatter and depending on the notification type, assigns objectsaffected by the notification (for example, purchase order, mate-rial, vendor, and inspection lot, or sales order, material, andcustomer). The priority and processing status are documentedin the notification header. You can also call up other objectslinked to the notification in the notification header, such asdocuments or QM orders used for recording costs.

Fig. 6-3: Structure of a Quality Notification

PartnersThe partners involved in the creation or processing of a notification (for example, vendors or customers) are listed inthe notification. You can also include departments and peoplewithin your company who are involved in notification pro-cessing as partners.

Notification ItemIndividual problems or errors that have occurred are docu-mented as notification items. They contain information re-lating to defects analysis, such as the defect type and location.You can assign various causes to a notification item. You canaccess user-defined catalogs to describe the defect type,location, and cause.

Tasks and ActivitiesThe tasks and activities used to correct the defects are sub-ordinate to the notification item. Tasks and activities can alsobe assigned to the notification header, so that you can take the first steps to resolve a problem even before the analysis is available.

OPTIMIZED USAGE

Action BoxYou can use the action box to flexibly enhance the functions inthe notification to suit your needs. You can simplify usage andcontrol problem processing with regard to procedures. Theaction box includes typical tasks and activities for processingnotifications. These tasks or activities are known as follow-upfunctions and can be executed with a mouse click. Thesefollow-up functions are available:

• Creating letters of complaint or 8D reports for complaintsagainst the vendor

• Sending request for permission to deviate from specifications

• Creating a new quality notification from an existing notifica-tion

6-3

QUALITY NOTIFICATION

PARTNER DEFECT ITEM ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITIES TASKS CAUSES

TASKS

• Sending decisions by e-mail, fax, or print preview (for example, confirmation of receipt, interim notice, or final notice)

• Calling up the solution database

• Documenting calls related to the notification

The follow-up process is simplified through the use of colorsto mark the processing statuses of follow-up functions anddependent follow-up functions. In this way, you can immedi-ately recognize those follow-up functions that have alreadybeen processed and those that are outstanding.

Solution DatabaseComplaints must be processed quickly and efficiently. With theintegrated solution database, you can quickly find solutionswhen processing notifications. You call up the solution data-base from the action box and start a free-text search in thedatabase using the entered problem description. You cantherefore quickly determine whether similar problems haveoccurred in the past and which tasks were used to successfullysolve them.

Flexible Work ListsWork lists are available to you for processing quality notifi-cations, defect items, tasks, and activities. In particular, fornotifications or tasks, you can select and process objects that you:

• Created

• Processed last

• Are responsible for processing or which are within your area of responsibility

• Are responsible for processing within a specific partner function

WorkflowIf you use the business workflow, all parties involved in notifi-cation processing are informed about their tasks. Dependingon the status of notifications or tasks, work items are enteredin the mailbox of the responsible parties.

You can call up the necessary processing functions directlyfrom a work item. If the processor responsible is unable tocomplete the task within the deadline, the workflow forwardsthe operation to a department responsible for urgent out-standing tasks. This is also referred to as escalation.

System ResponseDepending on the priority of the notification, you can define asequence of standard tasks using a response profile. These taskscan then be proposed on request in the notification; they mustbe completed within a specified period of time.

Document FlowYou can display all documents that are linked to the notification in a list or as a graphic.

ANALYSIS OF ITEMS AND DEFECTS

Quality notifications are designed to analyze defects. There isone notification item (defect data record) for each defect thathas been recorded. In this record, you can describe the defecttype and location, and you can document the problem usingcompany-specific codes. These codes can later be evaluated.Additional input fields are available for each notification item, including fields for defective quantities and a field for a quantitative defect valuation.

Using the classification system, you can classify defects, defineadditional defect characteristics, specify value ranges for thesecharacteristics, and record characteristic values. In addition,you can enhance defect analysis by documenting the causes ofthe defects and by defining corrective tasks.

6-4

TASKS

A task is a processing step that is performed during notificationprocessing. With a user-defined status sequence, you can trackthe processing status of the task. You can define the com-pletion deadline and the person responsible for each task.mySAP.com manages the status of each task and only allowsyou to complete a quality notification once all the tasks havebeen processed. The structure of the quality notification differ-entiates between immediate and corrective tasks.

Immediate TaskThe purpose of an immediate task is to provide an immediateresponse to the problem that produced the quality noti-fication, and to prevent any further damage from occurring.These types of tasks are assigned to the quality notificationheader and can be implemented without specifying a defect or defect cause. Examples of immediate tasks include the following:

• Blocking the warehouse stock

• Triggering an additional inspection

• Sending a confirmation letter

Corrective TaskThe purpose of a corrective task is to eliminate the defect andits cause, and to prevent it from recurring. You assign correc-tive tasks to an individual notification item (defect). Examplesof corrective tasks include the following:

• Changing a work instruction

• Implementing training

• Modifying a routing

Follow-Up ActionsYou can link tasks with automatic follow-up actions. As aresult, you can, for example, initiate inspections, block supplyrelationships, or create a purchase order for a return delivery.

ActivitiesYou can also define activities. An activity merely documentsthat a specific action has been implemented.

SUPPORT FUNCTIONS

CommunicationNOTIFICATIONS ON THE INTERNET AND INTRANET

Using the Internet connection for quality notifications, you can reduce the resources and time needed for recording a complaint, thereby improving notification processing. The customer records the problem on the Internet. mySAP PLMQM then triggers internal operations using the workflow. The customer can display the processing status of the notification at any time on the Internet.

If notifications are created for general requests or problemsfrom the user's working environment, the Internet servicerequest is the Internet and intranet medium for findinganswers and solutions quickly. The Internet service request isthe medium through which the following are performed:

• Recording of different subjects

• Searching for solutions using the integrated solutiondatabase

• Triggering of multiple internal service processes

• Forwarding of the notification to the person responsible forprocessing using the business workflow

SAPPHONE

SAPphone enables you to integrate computer and telephoneservices. Quality notifications support incoming and outgoingcalls as follows:

• If a customer calls to complain, the customer data is copieddirectly to the customer complaint.

• If you process a quality notification, you can initiate atelephone call to the customer, vendor, or another partnerdirectly from the notification.

6-5

SENDING E-MAILS

When processing a notification, you can send information toan internal or external address as a fax or by e-mail.

PERMISSION TO DEVIATE FROM SPECIFICATION

If a vendor part does not meet your specification, youdocument this as a defect in a quality notification. Duringnotification processing, you can then use the action box torequest permission from an internal or external notificationpartner to use the same vendor part in production.

Storage and DocumentationSHOP PAPERS

Although mySAP.com supports paper-free processing of quality notifications, it is sometimes useful to have printedshop papers to present the information either in the form of a fax, or to store them in a file. mySAP PLM QM provides thefollowing shop papers:

• Notification overview

• Notification items

• Complaint report

• Confirmation report

• Interim notice

• Final report

• 8D report

If required, you can also create your own shop papers andstructure them with the help of the SAPscript text-processingfunction. You can use the examples delivered with thestandard mySAP.com as copy models for your own design.

ASSIGNMENT OF DOCUMENTS

Using the document management system, you can assign documents, such as CAD drawings, Word, and HTML to thenotification. These documents are then available to you during notification processing.

STORAGE WITH ARCHIVELINK

Using ArchiveLink, which is accessible in the quality notifica-tion, you can archive and manage printed or electronicallytransmitted documents. Outgoing documents, printed ortransmitted by fax, are stored in an optical archive. Incomingdocuments can be recorded with ArchiveLink and assigned to anew or an existing quality notification. If processing is to startimmediately, a workflow can be triggered when the incomingdocument is recorded. The workflow forwards the tasks to thepartner responsible for processing (work items) using theBusiness Workplace function.

6-6

Benefits:

• Rapid processing of unplanned events

• Active participation by employees in the continuousimprovement of processes

• Easy communication and work processing by using theInternet and intranet – independently of the system

• Time and money savings because of the optimal control ofsubsequent processes

Quality control involves strategic planning, continuous moni-toring, and rapid intervention to deal with unexpected events.SAP offers you a complete set of instruments for this purpose.

The role of quality manager in the mySAP Enterprise Portalprovides the basis for your quality control-related tasks, whichrange from strategic planning to monitoring and evaluatinginspections and notifications.

iViews provide an overview of all important key figures andevaluations in mySAP PLM QM. As a result, you can con-tinuously evaluate your quality strategy and modify it on thefly if a problem arises.

The easy-to-use data warehouse, which is included in mySAP Business Intelligence (mySAP BI), brings bits of relatedinformation together to give you the reliable company key figures you need.

DYNAMIC MODIFICATION OF THE INSPECTION SCOPE

Dynamic modification controls the inspection scope (based on inspection characteristics and sample sizes) for a series ofinspection lots, to achieve a predetermined quality goal.General technical rules, such as the sampling systems of ISO 2859-1 and ISO 3951, follow this principle. mySAP PLM QMcontains a complete set of sampling tables for these standards.

To reach the quality goal, the mySAP.com e-business platformdetermines inspection stages for the next inspection lot aftereach usage decision. It uses the dynamic modification rule inthe task list to determine inspection stages and then writesthem to a quality-level data record.

mySAP PLM QM takes the quality level into account whendetermining the inspection scope and defining the inspectionspecifications in the inspection instruction. The inspection lotsare summarized in a quality level according to specific criteria.For example, inspection lots in production are summarizedaccording to material, plant, and task list, while inspection lotsfor goods receipt inspections are summarized according tomaterial, vendor, manufacturer, plant, and task list.

Figure 7-1 shows how master data and transaction data interactduring dynamic modification of the inspection scope. Themain features of this interaction are as follows:

• Dynamic modification rules apply uniformly for all in-spection characteristics of a task list, or individually for cer-tain inspection characteristics, or generally for the inspectiontype that is active for the material.

• Tightening or reducing the inspection scope based on theresults of a previous inspection is controlled either by thevaluation of the inspection lot (dynamic modification by lot)or by the valuations of the individual inspection characteris-tics (dynamic modification by characteristic).

7-1

SUSTAINED QUALITY CONTROL – PLANNING, EVALUATION, AND DIRECT INTERVENTION

When several lots of the same material are to be inspectedsimultaneously, there are two times when the system candynamically modify the inspection scope. These are:

• The inspection scope is modified in advance by assumingthat all open characteristics will be accepted. If a lot is re-jected unexpectedly as a result of an inspection, the inspec-tion scope will be updated again after the usage decision hasbeen made.

• The inspection scope is modified after the usage decision forthe current inspection lot has been made.

Fig. 7-1: Dynamic Modification of the Inspection Scope

ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH STATISTICAL PROCESS

CONTROL (SPC)

Statistical process control (SPC) allows you to monitor, regulate, and improve the quality of processes.

Fig. 7-2: Illustration of an x-bar-s Control Chart

Quality Control ChartThe most important tool for statistical process control is the quality control chart, a graphic tool for documenting, analyzing, and controlling processes. You can use this chart inan inspection during production and during the procurementor shipping process.

You choose one or more control variables for the relevantcharacteristic, determine their values at regular intervals bytaking samples from the process, and enter them in the chartin chronological order.

Types of Control Charts mySAP PLM QM provides the following types of control charts:

• Mean value chart with tolerances (acceptance chart)

• Mean value chart without tolerances (Shewhart chart)

• Standard deviation chart (Shewhart chart)

• Range chart (Shewhart chart)

• Moving average chart

7-2

INSPECTION PLAN

• Header

• Characteristic

• Sampling plan • Stage change

SAMPLING SCHEMEAQL

MASTER DATA

MOVEMENT DATA

INSPECTION LOT PROCESSING

ASSIGNMENT

SAMPLING PLANS BASED ON LOT SIZE

INSPECTIONSTAGES

Inspection lot creation Sampling

Task list selection Inspection instruction

Inspection scope Quality inspection Usage decision

Characteristic inspection results

DYNAMICMODIFICATION

RULE

SAMPLING PROCEDURE

Lot level

Quality level

Characteristic level

• Exponentially weighted moving average chart

• Individual moving range chart for sample size n=1

• Charts for qualitative characteristics (np-, p-, u- and c-chart)

For quantitative characteristics, normal distribution is used,and for qualitative characteristics, Poisson distribution is used.You can show the mean value and standard deviation of acharacteristic on one control chart with two tracks.

In addition to the control variable, each track also containscontrol limits. If these limits are exceeded, you have the abilityto intervene in the process. For some control chart types, youcan predefine warning limits or a centerline. The limits aredetermined using statistical methods from the current processdata or from the results of an initial run. You can also enterthem manually on the basis of existing data. You can use various algorithms for the calculation.

Acceptance charts are based on your predefined tolerances.They determine the share of scrap of the process. The limits ofthese charts are extended if a long-term reduction in theprocess variance is achieved.

If you are using a Shewhart chart, the limits become tighter asa result of a long-term reduction in the process variance.These charts only take internal process parameters intoaccount, not external tolerance specifications. They use a con-tinuously recurring statistical test to check that the controlledstatus of the process has not changed.

As inspection planner, you determine whether a quality control chart is to be maintained for a given inspection characteristic. The charts may include several inspection lotsor production orders. mySAP.com creates the quality controlcharts when preparing the quality inspection and updatesthem when you record results. As quality inspector, you candisplay the charts when you are recording results and, if youhave the appropriate authorization, you can use them to calculate the intervention and warning limits. If necessary, youcan exchange the algorithms.

You can evaluate inspection results using the quality controlchart. mySAP PLM QM contains a valuation rule that rejects asample as soon as any action limit is exceeded. When thisoccurs, the workflow automatically notifies the department (as long as the defect class has been set appropriately in thedefect code of the task-list characteristic).

You can view all of the control charts you are responsible for ina work list. An iView shows you all charts where control limitshave been exceeded if you are working in the quality managerrole.

Western Electric RulesApart from showing where control limits were exceeded, control charts can indicate that a process may be running out of control on the basis of unusual patterns (for example,runs or trends). The criteria you use to detect such patternsare referred to as Western Electric Rules. In the work list forcontrol charts, you can check the stability of processes according to the following criteria:

• 1 point outside of control limits

• 2 of 3 consecutive points outside 2/3 of the control limits

• 4 of 5 consecutive points outside 1/3 of the control limits

• 8 consecutive points above or below the center line (run)

• 15 consecutive points within 1/3 of the control limits

• 6 consecutive points in ascending or descending order(trend)

On the selection screen, you can decide whether:

• The check according to Western Electric Rules should becarried out immediately. In this case, all control charts thatcorrespond to the selection criteria are checked.

• You want to view a list of control charts, from which youcan then choose individual control charts to be checked

Violations of the Western Electric Rules are displayed in a listalong with the chart number, track, and sample number. Fromthis list, you can branch to the inspection results to displaydetailed information on the individual inspections and to viewthe control chart.

7-3

In the mean-value chart, you can display the process capabilityindices cp and cpk in a second window.

Fig. 7-3: Process Capability Index cpk

You can use a histogram evaluation to display the frequencydistribution of measured values in a bar chart. This allows youto recognize typical and extreme values of a sample, as well asto judge the location, dispersion, and form of the distribution.You can blend the histogram out and replace it with a normaldistribution if required.

The histogram contains the following data:

• All valid results for the sample

• Upper and lower specification limits

• Target value

• Distribution function and statistical values

If the inspection results are already divided into classes,mySAP.com uses these classes to display the histogram.Otherwise, it divides the existing values into appropriate classes. You can increase or decrease the number of classesusing the zoom function.

Fig. 7-4: Depiction of a Histogram

Quality ScoresQuality scores for inspection lots are a proven tool for qualitycontrol. mySAP PLM QM provides you with several ways ofdetermining the quality score. It uses information from thefollowing sources:

• Usage decision

• Estimated fraction of nonconforming units in the lot

• Estimated fraction of nonconforming units for characteristics – Maximum share of defects– Weighted average share of defects

• Quality score of the characteristic defect classes – Minimum (worst) quality score– Weighted average quality score

7-4

VENDOR EVALUATION

When procuring materials, you can use the vendor evaluationfunction to select a suitable vendor. This function provides you(as the purchaser) with a summarized score that has been calculated for the vendor according to main and subcriteria.

Fig. 7-5: Vendor Evaluation

The subcriteria for the main criterion quality come from thefollowing sources:

• Goods receipt inspection – The average of the quality scoresof all goods receipt lots from the vendor for a specific timeperiod

• Complaints – The number of accepted complaints inrelation to the turnover

• QM system audit – Either the average quality score of all system audits executed during a specified time period or thequality score of the most recent system audit.

You define the criteria and their relative weighting accordingto your company requirements.

EVALUATIONS: KEEPING YOU UP-TO-DATE

The following evaluation tools are available in QualityManagement:

• Results history of mean and single values with integratedanalysis of trends

• mySAP Business Intelligence (mySAP BI) with integratedBusiness Content

• QM Information System (QMIS)

• Report lists programmed using ABAP– Predefined SAP Reports – Logical databases as the basis for customer-specific reports

These tools complement each other. Report lists primarilyevaluate operative data. mySAP BI and QMIS, however, analyzesummarized data that can be stored for a long period of time.

Results HistoryWith the help of the results history, you can analyze single values that were recorded for a characteristic in the resultsrecording function and when you made the usage decision.You define the period of time to be analyzed. You can preparethe data in list form and graphically represent the progressionof values over a period of time using a run chart. With the helpof a trend analysis, you can represent the predicted course ofthe values. Exporting the data, for example, to a MicrosoftEXCEL file provides additional options for processing the infor-mation.

7-5

Price level

Price behavior

GR inspection

Complaint

Audit

On-time delivery performanceQuantity reliability

Uniform shipping instructions

Technology

Other

Other

Other

Other

SUBCRITERIA WEIGHTING

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

A1

A2

A1

A2

A3

A1

A2

A3

A1

Determined automaticallyA

PRICE 30%

QUALITY 40%

DELIVERY 20%

SERVICE 10%

MAIN CRITERIAWEIGHTING

VENDOR EVALUATION

PROCUREMENT

mySAP Business Intelligence (mySAP BI) with theBusiness Information WarehousemySAP BI offers modern data warehousing, which fits effort-lessly into the IT landscape of mySAP.com and other softwaresystems. It contains pre-configured business content for you in your role of quality manager or quality planner. Businesscontent includes data extraction, metadata and informationmodels, and ready-made templates for tables and graphs inMicrosoft EXCEL or HTML.

INSPECTION RESULTS

The specifications and results of your quality inspections canbe evaluated down to the sample level of an individual charac-teristic. The spectrum of key figures ranges from the numberof inspected or rejected samples to indicators for process capa-bility, such as cp and cpk. You can interactively analyze quality,using criteria such as material, vendor, or work center.

INSPECTION LOTS

Inspection lots can be transferred to mySAP BI once the usagedecision has been made. You can obtain information on thefrequency of individual usage decisions, the number of in-spected and skipped lots, the actual inspected quantity, thefraction of nonconforming units, or the quality score in graphic or tabular form. For example, you can compress the

information and sort it according to vendor orpurchasing organization.

QUALITY NOTIFICATIONS

Quality notifications reflect unplanned events thatoccur during the quality process. For every noti-fication, a selection of attributes and key figures is

transferred to mySAP BI. In this way, you receive summarizedor detailed information regarding the notification process, withan emphasis on reference objects such as customer, vendor,material, or assembly. On the organizational side, the emphasisis placed on purchasing and sales divisions, material groups, orthe country of origin of your customers.

Among the key figures, you can obtain the number of notifi-cations, cumulative or average processing time, defective andreturned quantities, and proportion of notifications completedon time. In addition, you can obtain information on new, outstanding, and successfully completed tasks.

DEFECTS, DEFECT LOCATION, CAUSE, ACTIVITIES, TASKS

In mySAP PLM QM, you document defects in the inspectionlot or as notification items. mySAP BI shows you which defecttypes occurred, where they occurred, and what caused them.Activities and tasks associated with the notification are alsoextracted. The same reference objects as in quality notificationsare available to you in the form of navigational attributes. Allcoding is also available. For example, you can determine whichdefects occur regularly in a specific location.

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Fig. 7-6: Evaluations and Representations Using the Results History

Many key figures used by the quality manager are based oninformation obtained from external systems. Examples of thisinformation include the vendor evaluation in purchasing,returned quantities in stock management, scrap and reworkquantities in production, or returns in sales. This informationis integrated in the business content and can be linked with keyfigures from mySAP PLM QM, thereby providing you with acomplete picture of the quality in your company.

Quality Management Information System (QMIS)Inspection results and quality notifications are summarized onthe basis of time, plant, or work center and updated in theQuality Management Information System (QMIS). You candecide whether you want the update to be performed on thebasis of material, material and vendor, or material andcustomer.

Since the QM Information System is part of the LogisticsInformation System, you can combine evaluations with in-formation from other areas of logistics, such as production orpurchasing. Output data is displayed in list form or as a graphicand can be sent as an e-mail. Other features are ABC or port-folio analyses. Using the standard query tools, you can freelydefine your own evaluations and reports.

STANDARD ANALYSIS

The QM Information System (QMIS) contains a selection ofstandard evaluations for your materials, vendors, andcustomers including key figures such as process capabilityindices, defects frequencies, or skip quotas. You can tailor boththe presentation and content of the QMIS to suit your needs.

FLEXIBLE ANALYSES

You can configure your own reports on the basis of standardinformation structures or self-defined structures. You can alsolink your key figures to company key figures using formulas.Even if you have no programming experience, you can quicklyand easily create reports using flexible analysis.

EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

The Early Warning System helps you identify problems at anearly stage by warning you if an exception situation occurs.You can define the exception situations. If an exception situa-tion arises, the system will immediately inform you through e-mail or workflow. An exception situation can, for example,occur if the quality score of a vendor falls below 90 points. You define exception analyses using standard informationstructures, or using your self-defined structures. You can alsouse mathematical algorithms or set the system to recognizethreshold values or upcoming trends.

Report Lists Using ABAP QueryYou can create evaluations that are not available as standardwith a simple mouse click using the ABAP Query tool or pre-defined logical databases. The link to printing and presentationfunctions automatically occurs.

QM-STI Interface for External EvaluationsQM-STI (Statistical Data Interface) is an open interface usedfor evaluating inspection results in external systems. You configure it in Customizing and trigger the external appli-cation by simply pushing a button in one of the followingmySAP PLM QM functions:

• Results recording

• Usage decision

• Control chart

• Results history

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QUALITY COSTS

ControllingWithin mySAP.com, the Controlling component plans, collects, and evaluates all costs incurred by a company. These costs include quality-related costs (quality costs). InmySAP PLM QM, you record appraisal costs originating fromquality inspections or nonconformity costs originating fromquality notifications. Quality costs from other applications (for example, human resource management) can also beincluded in the cost calculation.

QM OrderThe controlling component uses QM orders to manage qualitycosts. The following types of QM orders are provided inmySAP.com:

• Appraisal costs order– For individual settlement– For collective settlement

• Nonconformity costs order

You can also define your own specific order types. When creating an inspection lot or a quality notification, you cancreate or assign a corresponding QM order.

Appraisal CostsAppraisal cost orders are stored in the material master andassigned by mySAP.com as cost collectors to individual in-spection lots. If, however, a special settlement is required for an inspection, that settlement takes precedence. This is thecase, for example, when the lot belongs to a production orderor when it comes from a goods receipt for a purchase orderthat is assigned to a cost center account.

mySAP.com calculates appraisal costs using the activities thatyou, as the inspector, confirm. You can confirm activities, forexample, on the basis of the hours worked. Accounting fixesthe types of activities, such as setup or inspection time, and thevalid charges for the cost center that performs the activity. Theactivities performed for inspection lots are logged duringresults recording or when the usage decision is made. Activitiesperformed for inspections during production are confirmedwhen confirmations for production orders are made.

Other inspection costs, such as material usage, are settled tothe order in which you confirm the inspection activity.

To settle nonconformity costs for a quality notification, youcreate a QM order when processing a notification. You assignthe order to the notification header and use it as a cost collec-tor for costs such as those relating to a warranty, to scrapping,or to the settlement of activities performed. You can alsoassign rework orders to this cost collector account. This allows you to debit all costs for a quality notification to theappropriate personnel and analyze the costs.

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Benefits:

• Use dynamic modification to reduce your appraisal costs

• Monitor processes continously using quality control charts

• Access important company key figures and evaluationsimmediately

As test equipment manager, you are responsible for managing,monitoring, calibrating, and maintaining test equipment. Testequipment management involves the following activities:

• Planning and performing calibration inspections

• Releasing or blocking test equipment

• Documenting the calibration history

• Creating trend analyses

• Determining calibration costs

• Tracking test equipment with usage lists

CALIBRATION INSPECTIONS AND mySAP.com

Test equipment management in mySAP.com combines im-portant planning and processing functions from mySAP™ PLMAsset Life-Cycle Management (mySAP™ PLM ALM) and mySAP PLM Quality Management (SAP PLM QM) that areneeded for master-data management and for planning and performing calibration inspections.

Releasing Test EquipmentYou can use the inspection results to decide whether a piece oftest equipment can be released for further use. Using theresults history, you can verify the suitability of each piece ofequipment and the accuracy of the inspections performedusing this equipment.

Test Equipment TrackingThe mySAP.com e-business platform provides you with testequipment tracking functions. During a calibration inspection,you might notice that a piece of test equipment is no longer fitfor use. In this case, you can check to see which inspection lotsand characteristics were inspected using this piece of equip-ment in the test equipment history. You are then able to initi-ate the appropriate actions.

Monitoring Technical InstallationsIn addition to calibration inspections, you can use inspectionlots created for maintenance orders for the extended recordingof measured values in plant maintenance (for example, tomonitor technical installations, where critical values have to be recorded on a regular basis). Consequently, you can recordinspection results for functional locations as well as for testequipment.

Fig. 8-1: Functions of Test Equipment Management

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TEST EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT: CALIBRATION INSPECTIONS

CALIBRATION ORDERS

INSPECTION DECISIONS

ORDER PROCESSING

RESULTS HISTORY

WORK LISTS

NOTIFICATIONS

CALIBRATION INTERVALS

LINK BETWEEN INSP. CHARACS/MEAS. POINTS

TREND ANALYSIS

USAGE LISTMASTER DATA

CALIBRATION PLANNING

CALIBRATON INSPECTION

MASTER DATA IN A CALIBRATION INSPECTION

EquipmentIn mySAP.com, your company’s test equipment data is storedin an equipment master record. This master record containsall of the data relevant to test equipment (such as acquisitionvalue and date, manufacturer, work center, cost center, andlocation).

To organize your test equipment and make it easier to locate,you can:

• Combine similar test equipment into groups

• Use the classification system to categorize test equipmentaccording to technical features

• Assign the test equipment to a construction type (material)

Maintenance PlanThe maintenance plan is the central planning object in which you assign the list of equipment to be inspected, themaintenance task list, and the calibration schedule.

The maintenance plan specifies which types of activities mustbe performed periodically and how often they are to be per-formed. In the maintenance plan, you can enter time-based orperformance-based intervals for performing these activities.When maintenance deadlines are automatically called,mySAP.com creates maintenance orders.

Maintenance Task ListIn the task list, you plan the recurring work processes in astandardized form. To perform a calibration inspection, youcan include inspection characteristics in the maintenance task list.

In turn, you can include a maintenance task list in a mainte-nance plan. The task list specifies the activities to be performedfor individual maintenance deadlines.

PLANNING A CALIBRATION INSPECTION

The automatic or manual scheduling of a maintenance plantriggers calibration inspections that are to be performed at regular intervals. When a maintenance plan is scheduled,mySAP.com creates a maintenance order and when this maintenance order is released, an inspection lot is created. The inspection lot contains all data required for the calibrationinspection, such as a list of equipment to be inspected and theinspection specifications.

Fig. 8-2: Objects in a Calibration Inspection

To plan a calibration inspection, you must:

• Create master data For example, equipment master records, maintenance plan,master inspection characteristics, and the maintenance tasklist. You define operations and the characteristics associatedwith these operations in the maintenance task list.

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TEST EQUIPMENT(EQUIPMENT MASTER

RECORDS)

MAINTENANCEITEM

MAINTENANCEORDER

MAINTENANCE TASK LIST

MAINTENANCE PLAN

INSPECTION CHARACTERISTICS

.

.

.

MAINTENANCE STRATEGY/CYCLE

• Define inspection specificationsQuantitative and qualitative inspection characteristics con-tain the inspection specifications (such as target values, toler-ances, and codes for attributive valuations), and they deter-mine how results are to be recorded.

• Define inspection intervals You can define inspection intervals using a central mainte-nance strategy that can apply to several maintenance plans.You can use maintenance strategies, for example, to definedifferent intervals for each operation within a maintenancetask list. You also have the option of defining a maintenancecycle (single-cycle plan) at the maintenance plan level,which is valid for all operations of the maintenance task list.

You define inspection intervals either based on time or per-formance. A time-based inspection interval might, for exam-ple, consist of an annual calibration on a key date. A perfor-mance-based inspection interval may involve a calibrationafter 1000 uses of a piece of equipment. You can also combinetime- and performance-based calibrations in a multiplecounter plan (for example, inspect after 6 months, or, at thelatest, after 1000 uses of the equipment).

CALIBRATION INSPECTION

The calibration inspection covers the following activities:

• Scheduling the maintenance plan and creating the mainte-nance order and inspection lot The maintenance plan is usually scheduled automaticallyusing a periodically run program. When this program is run,mySAP.com creates calls and converts these calls into orderswhen they become due. You can make a setting that releasesthe orders directly, causing the inspection lots to be created.

• Inspecting and calibrating test equipmentYou can create a work list of the calibration inspections thatare planned for a specific period, according to various criteria. Such criteria might include, for example, all testequipment to be calibrated in the next week or test equip-

ment sorted by cost center or work center. You can use thisinformation to identify and prepare the test equipment forinspection. When a maintenance order is released,mySAP.com automatically creates an inspection lot. Allorders that have been released and all inspection lots that are to be processed appear in a work list for results recordingand can be processed in any sequence. If test equipmentunexpectedly fails during use, you can create a maintenancenotification (malfunction report). Within this maintenancenotification, you can manually create a maintenance orderto schedule a calibration inspection.

• Recording results You can record results in the work list for the equipment and use the characteristic types and recording functions ofmySAP PLM QM.

During a calibration inspection, you are able to make con-firmations for the maintenance order (for example, to recordcosts for activities performed or for materials that wererequired for the calibration inspection). In addition, there areother order processing functions available, such as capacityplanning or external assignment. If characteristics are reject-ed, you can create maintenance notifications, start correctivetasks, and document the success of these corrective tasks.

Fig. 8-3: Follow-Up Actions When Making the Usage Decision

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RELEASE OR BLOCK EQUIPMENT

REDUCE/INCREASE INSPECTION INTERVAL

DOCUMENT INSPECTION

RESULTS

Update equipment status

Adjust cycle modification

factor

Update measurement documents

USAGE DECISION

INSPECTION LOT

EQUIPMENT NO. 12345

• Equipment valuation and follow-up actions Once you have recorded all the results for the equipment ineach operation, you make an equipment valuation for thetest equipment (accept or reject). When all the test equip-ment for an inspection lot has been valuated, you make theusage decision for the inspection lot. As a result of the usagedecision, mySAP.com can perform certain follow-up actions:– Update equipment status

mySAP.com manages a status for each item of test equip-ment in the equipment master record. This status deter-mines whether a piece of test equipment is released for useor blocked. On the basis of the equipment valuation,mySAP.com proposes the future status. This status can beupdated in the equipment master record. If a piece of testequipment is blocked, the system will alert you to this factwhen the next order is released.

– Change inspection intervalIf an inspection shows that a test equipment item is still fitfor use, but maintenance will be due before the nextinspection date, you can change the cycle modificationfactor when you make the usage decision. You can therebyreduce the length of the next inspection interval.

– Create measurement documentsIf you have defined measuring points for your test equipment, mySAP.com can create measurement docu-ments automatically for each measuring point. When thisfollow-up action is executed, the results of the calibrationinspection are automatically entered in new measurementdocuments. You can call up these documents in theequipment history.

– Complete maintenance orderYou can set the system to automatically complete the calibration order when the calibration inspection has beencompleted.

In addition to the follow-up actions described above, you canalso define your own follow-up actions, such as printing self-adhesive calibration labels specifying the date of the next cali-bration inspection.

EVALUATIONS FOR TEST EQUIPMENT

Results HistoryYou use the results history to display the results of previousinspections for specific characteristics of a piece of test equip-ment.

Fig. 8-4: Results History with Trend Line

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Trend Analysis Using Run ChartIf you display inspection results for an inspection characteristic as a run chart using the time axis in theresults history, mySAP.com can indicate a trend (regres-sion line) for the run of values. This provides you with anindication of when a tolerance limit will be exceeded.

Usage ListsThe usage list for test equipment allows you to determinethe cost center of the test equipment, its current or previous location, or the work center in which it wasused.

Test Equipment HistoryUsing the test equipment history, you can determine whichinspection lots and characteristics were inspected with a specific piece of test equipment. This is important when, forexample, during a calibration inspection, you determine that a piece of test equipment should no longer be in use (test equipment tracking).

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Benefits:

• Guaranteed quality and reliability of your test equipment

• Safe production process because of early forecasting of possible weak points in technical installations

• Ability to track to track your test equipment

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