production planning

Production Planning - Process Industries (PP-PI)

With the component PP-PI (Production Planning for Process Industries), SAP provides an integrated planning tool for batch-oriented process manufacturing. It has been developed in cooperation with IDS Prof. Scheer GmbH, Saarbrücken.

It is primarily designed for the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries as well as the batch-oriented electronics industry. PP-PI supports:

• The integrated planning of production, waste disposal, and transport activities within a plant

• The integration of plants within the company:

• Vertically by means of an information flow, ranging from central business applications down to process control

• Horizontally by the coordination of planning between production plants, recycling and waste disposal facilities, and production laboratories.

Below, you will find an overview of the areas of functionality covered by PP-PI.

Resources

In this area, you manage the capacities, the production resources, and the personnel you need for production.

Master Recipes

In the master recipe, you describe the processes to be used for producing materials in your plant as well as the resources and ingredients required for production.

Long-Term Planning

Demand Management

Material Requirements Planning

In this area, you carry out rough-cut planning on a cross-company basis. Using this data, you can then carry out detailed planning on the plant level in PP-PI.

Capacity Requirements Planning

In capacity requirements planning, you determine available capacities and capacity requirements. Based on this data, you then allocate operations to resources.

Process Orders

In a process order, you copy the process described in a master recipe and adjust it to the actual production run.

Process Management

In this area, you coordinate the communication between PP-PI and process control during the execution of a process order.

Production Information Management

By offering a link to optical archives, this function enables you to document order-related planned and actual data in a form that excludes posterior manipulation. It also enables you to evaluate process data using internal and external tools.

PI-PCS Interface

You use this interface to link process control systems to the R/3 System.

Resource (PP-PI-MD)

Purpose

You use resources to manage the objects and persons involved in the production process in your enterprise.

In a resource, important data is defined concerning

• The use of production equipment/persons • The available capacity of the resources • The costs of operating the resource

A resource may be, for example:

• A processing unit • A person (such as a process operator) • An intermediate storage area

Definition

Resources are production facilities and persons involved in a production process that have capacities. They are subdivided into categories to specify their suitability for certain purposes or their use in certain processes.

Resources can be, for example:

• Persons involved in production that are also recorded as employees in personnel administration

• Parts of the plant that are used for production (processing units) • Parts of the plant that are used for intermediate storage (storage resources) • Parts of the plant that are used for both intermediate storage and production (storage

resources / processing units)

Use

You assign resources to operations and phases in the master recipe and in process orders to specify with whom or at which parts of the plant a process step is carried out. Depending on the resource category, you can assign resources as follows:

• Resources used for production are assigned as the

o Primary resource for the operation (if the resource is occupied for the entire duration of the operation)

o Secondary resource for operations and phases (if the resource is required in addition to the primary resource for a certain period of time)

• Resources that are only used for storage are assigned a storage location at which the stocks are managed.

You can assign a storage location for:

o Header material that is stored

o Material components that are withdrawn from storage (in the case of ingredients) or placed into storage (in the case of by-products or co-products)

The data in the resource are used, for example, for:

• Scheduling

Operating times and formulas for calculating the operation duration are maintained in the resource.

• Costing

Formulas for calculating the operation costs are maintained in the resource. In addition, a resource is assigned to a cost center.

• Capacity Requirements Planning

Formulas for calculating capacity requirements for an operation are maintained in resources.

• Simplification of Operation Maintenance

Various default values are maintained for the operation in the resource.

Structure

The data to be processed is functionally subdivided in the following way:

• Basic data

The standard value key is part of the basic data. Standard values are used as parameters in formulas for determining the execution time, capacity requirements, and costs.

• Default values (for example, for the control key, the wage type, or the wage group) • Capacity data (for example, the capacity type and the available capacity) • Scheduling data (for calculating the execution time) • Cost center assignment • Link to the personnel administration system (for labor resources) • Hierarchy relationships • Network relationships

The following graphic illustrates the structure of the resource data:

Integration

A resource is created for one plant.

Resources can be assigned to resource hierarchies and resource networks or to resource classes.

Resource hierarchies serve to aggregate available capacity or capacity requirements at a resource.

When you assign resources to a resource network, you determine the sequence in which the resources are used in the master recipe or in the process order.

You can classify resources to specify for which purposes they are suited and how they should be used in certain operations.

Resource Maintenance

Purpose

In resource maintenance, you maintain the resources, that is, the production facilities and persons involved in the production process in your enterprise. Data maintained here serves as a basis for costing, capacity requirements planning, and scheduling.

If you also use the R/3 personnel system (HR), resource data can be made available for personnel planning. You activate the shared use of the resource with personnel planning via control data for the resource in Customizing.

When you create a resource in Logistics, the system also makes this data available in the personnel system.

If you create a resource for personnel planning, you can decide whether this resource is also relevant for Logistics in the dialog box that appears. If this is the case, you must enter additional data for the resource, such as the plant and task list usage.

Prerequisites

You can create default values in Customizing for specific combinations of resource categories and plants in a default resource. This reduces the time involved in creating a resource.

Process Flow

Since the resource category determines which screen and field data appear during resource maintenance, the following process flow varies in detail depending on the resource category; see also Resource Configuration.

1. You enter the initial data for resource maintenance, for example, resource key and resource category.

If required, you copy data from a default resource or another source.

2. You enter the general basic data, such as the short text for naming the resource, the person responsible for the resource, the task list usage, and the standard value key. For storage resources you enter the storage location.

3. You classify the resource by assigning it to a class of a specific class type. 4. To simplify the maintenance of master recipes and process orders, you enter default

values for specific fields of operations and phases. You mark these values as defaults or references (Values that are marked as references in the resource are always copied in the recipe and order, whereas values that are marked as defaults are only copied under certain conditions).

5. You assign capacities to the resource. The capacity specifies the available capacity of a resource. You specify a capacity category that corresponds to a resource category (for example, "processing unit" for a production resource or "storage" for a storage resource) and a formula to calculate the capacity requirements.

6. You maintain the capacity header data. For example, you enter data on available capacity, data on the standard available capacity for the resource capacity of production resources by defining shifts, or an available capacity in volume / quantity for storage resources.

To simplify the process of entering available capacity, you can create a shift sequence beforehand in Customizing.

7. If required, you specify intervals for available capacity, which means you define available capacities that, unlike standard available capacity, have a limited validity period.

8. For production resources you maintain scheduling data. You use the scheduling basis to determine which available capacity serves as a basis for scheduling. You also enter a formula for calculating the execution time (for example, in the process order).

9. You enter data for cost accounting if you want to calculate the activities performed at the resource. Internal activities and business processes that are debited when a product is produced at a resource can be settled in this way for the product.

10. You assign the resource to a resource hierarchy if you want to cumulate the available capacity or capacity requirements of several resources hierarchically.

11. If required, you assign the resource to a resource network. 12. You save the resource.

Resource Hierarchy

Definition

A resource hierarchy consists of several hierarchically structured resources. One resource can be part of several different resource hierarchies. Except for the top of the hierarchy - the hierarchy root - each resource is subordinate to another resource in the resource hierarchy.

Use

A resource hierarchy cumulates available capacity and capacity requirements in capacity planning.

Available capacities of subordinate resources in one hierarchy level are cumulated to a superior resource.

A resource hierarchy can be created for the whole plant.

See also: Example: Resource Hierarchy

The following graphic shows the cumulation of the available capacity of individual processing units (dryer 1, dryer 2, dryer 3) to the superior resource (dryer) in a resource hierarchy. The processing unit dryer 2 is part of two hierarchies that refer to two different plants.

You use resource hierarchies:

• Especially in rough-cut planning and medium-term planning to check available capacity and capacity requirements of a resource group without having to consider the available capacity and capacity requirements of all subordinate individual resources

• To search for resources

Resource Networks

Definition

A resource network describes the physical links between resources such as processing units of a line (vessels, reactors). It describes the flow of materials through a line or plant.

Use

You often have to use processing units in a specific sequence. To specify the sequence in which the resources are used, you can define predecessor and successor relationships between resources in the form of resource networks.

If several resources are available that can be used for similar purposes, it is a good idea to decide which ones to use just before production begins. For this purpose, you can define a planning resource that is only used for planning and represents several resources that can be used in the same way.

Integration

You use resource networks in process planning when you want to specify in which sequence the resources can be used in production.

Resource networks are used in the process order during resource selection.

Example: Resource Network The following graphic shows the relationships of different resources in a resource network. The network represents the sequence in which the resources are used in the production of a batch. For example, charging takes place in charge vessel B1 before the material is processed in reaction vessel R1; both actions occur before the material is discharged from the cooling tank E1. The resources B1 and R1 are in a predecessor-successor relationship with each other, as is the case for the resources R1 and E1.

The reaction vessels R1 and R2 represent equal resources. In the production process, either one can be selected for the transfer of the batch from charge vessel B1 to a reaction vessel. R1 and R2 can be replaced by a planning resource in the planning phase.

Capacities

Definition

Capacity is the ability to perform a certain task.

Capacities are divided into capacity categories. They are arranged hierarchically below the resource.

Structure

You can create the following capacities:

• Resource capacities • Pooled capacities • Reference capacities • Default capacities

Resource Capacities

Resource capacities are assigned to a resource. Several capacities can be assigned to one resource. These capacities are divided into capacity categories. You can assign each capacity category to a resource once.

Capacity categories are, for example:

• Capacity of the processing unit • Labor capacity • Storage capacity

Pooled Capacities

Unlike the resource capacity, one pooled capacity can be assigned to several resources. This is useful if, for example, you want a group of people to be able to work at several resources.

Pooled capacities are maintained separately from the resource and are then assigned to them.

Reference Available Capacities

A reference available capacity is an available capacity that can only be referred to or copied. It simplifies the process of creating new capacities.

The reference available capacity can either be assigned to one specific resource or it can be maintained for several resources.

When creating a new capacity and specifying a reference, the standard available capacity and the version of available capacity that are marked active are copied as the available capacity. If no active version is selected in the reference, you can choose one in the resource from all of the versions maintained in the reference.

Default Capacities

A default capacity is not an actual capacity but a default value for a combination of a capacity category and plant. These default values are automatically copied when you create a capacity with the same capacity category.

Default capacities are maintained in Customizing.

Capacity Maintenance

Purpose

Capacities determine the ability of resources to perform tasks in certain time periods. You require capacity data as a basis for capacity requirements planning, costing, and scheduling in master recipes and process orders.

In capacity maintenance, you create the following capacities:

• Pooled capacities • Capacities that are created so their available capacity can be copied or referenced in

resource maintenance

The detail screens and fields in capacity maintenance correspond for the most part to those in resource maintenance.

Process Flow

1. You create a capacity by selecting a plant, capacity key, and capacity category.

Capacity categories can be subdivided into various types. You select one of the following capacity types depending on the resources to which you later want to assign the capacity:

� Capacity category with available capacity in time unit (for resources used for production)

� Capacity category with available capacity in volume unit / unit of measure (for storage resources)

� Capacity category with available capacity in time unit and in volume unit / unit of measure (for resources that are used in storage and in production)

2. You maintain capacity header data (with a standard available capacity or an available capacity in volume / quantity). This includes:

� General data (here you determine whether it is, for example, a pooled capacity)

� For an available capacity in a time unit, data that defines a standard available capacity, like work start and finish, break time, rate of capacity utilization, number of individual capacities, and the factory calendar on which it is based

� For an available capacity in volume / quantity, data that defines a quantity or volume-related available capacity, such as the minimum and maximum storage capacity and the number of individual capacities

If required, you choose a version of the available capacity that is to be active.

� Planning details that are required in capacity requirements planning

3. If required, you create intervals for available capacity for time periods in which the available capacity differs from the standard available capacity.

The shift values that you define here refer, depending on the resource category, to the time-based or quantity-based capacity.

4. If required, you check the capacity data in an available capacity profile or in a graphic.

5. You save the capacity.

Production Version

Definition

A production version determines which alternative BOM is used together with which task list/master recipe to produce a material or create a master production schedule.

For one material, you can have several production versions for various validity periods and lot-size ranges.

Use

Production versions are used both in discrete manufacturing and process manufacturing.

Production versions are used in material requirements planning (MRP), process order creation, and product costing to select the most suitable task list or recipe and the corresponding material list.

You can also select a recipe and BOM without a production version. Note, however, that if you do so, material quantity calculation data is not copied.

Integration

• After you have created a production version, the material components of the relevant alternative BOM are available in the recipe as a material list or can be created from within the recipe. Only now can you enter material data specific to a recipe, such as the component assignment to operations and phases and the formulas for material quantity calculation.

• In the production version, you can assign a storage location to the material you want to produce, thus specifying that the material is stored there after production. If you use the storage location of a storage resource, the storage capacity can be taken into account for capacity requirements planning in external planning tools and the Process Flow Scheduler (PFS) (see Intermediate Material Storage).

Structure

A production version comprises the following data:

• Details on the material you want to produce, for example, the material number and storage location where the material is to be stored

• General data about the production version

This includes:

o Key, lot-size range, and validity period of the production version o Information on whether the production version is locked o The date of the latest consistency check

• The assignment of task lists/master recipes to the production version

The system distinguishes the following planning levels:

o Detailed planning

This assignment determines which master recipe is used for material requirements planning (MRP), product costing, and process order creation.

o Rate-based planning

This assignment determines which task list is used in repetitive manufacturing. In process industries, this is hardly ever used.

o Rough-cut planning

This assignment determines which rough-cut planning profile is used for Sales and Operations Planning (SOP).

If you want to create capacity requirements records during rough-cut planning, you can assign a master recipe instead of a rough-cut planning profile.

A check status is assigned for each planning level. It contains the result of the latest consistency check of the production version.

• The assignment of the alternative BOM to the production version

A check status is assigned for the assignment. It contains the result of the latest consistency check of the production version.

• The change number that was last used to change the production version as well as further administrative data

When you create process orders that require approval, the system uses the change number to check whether the production version has been approved.

Co-Products: Special Features

When manufacturing co-products, you can create a production version not only for the header material of the recipe and BOM but also for the co-products contained in the BOM as BOM items. Depending on the material for which you create the production version, its structure has the following special features:

• Production version for header material

You can assign an apportionment structure of the header material in the BOM data. This structure is copied as a default value to the settlement rule of the process order.

• Production versions for BOM items

Production versions for BOM items refer to the header material’s production version to be used for the manufacture of the co-product. Be aware of the following:

o The key of the production version for the BOM item must be identical to that of the corresponding production version of the header material.

o Instead of the BOM, recipe, and apportionment structure, it contains the number of the header material to whose production version it refers (Other header mat. field).

Master Recipes (PP-PI-MD)

Purpose

You can use this component to describe an enterprise-specific process in process industries without relating to a specific order.

Master recipes are mainly used for planning the manufacture of products. However, you can also use them to describe the clean-out or changeover of a production line.

Master recipes are used as a reference for process orders as well as the basis for product costing.

The approval procedure for master recipes and the functions for planning and documenting changes enable you to meet the most important requirements of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Implementation Considerations

Install this component in process manufacturing companies if you want to provide the planning of your manufacturing processes as master data that does not relate to a specific order and can thus be used for several purposes.

Integration

If you want to You must also install the R/3 component

Plan material usage during the process Material Master (LO-MD-MM)

Plan how the resources are to be used during the process

Resources (PP-PI-MD-RSC)

Plan the external processing of steps in the process

Purchasing (MM-PUR)

Plan quality inspections during production Quality Planning (QM-PT)

Provide data for process control Process Management (PP-PI-PMA)

Prepare cost determination using the master recipe

Controlling (CO)

Plan recipe changes, document them, or make them subject to a specific approval procedure

Engineering Change Management (LO-ECH)

Classify master recipes and define conditions for resource selection in the process order

Classification System (CA-CL)

The basic structure of the master recipe in the R/3 System is identical to that of the following objects:

• Routings • Inspection plans • Maintenance task lists • Standard networks

For this reason, it is grouped with these objects under the generic term task list and marked as task list type 2.

Features

The features of this component were defined in accordance with the international standards of the European Batch Forum (EBF), the norms working committee for measuring and control techniques in the chemical industry (NAMUR) as well as in accordance with standard S88 of the Instrument Society of America (ISA). In a master recipe, you plan:

• The individual steps to be carried out in a process, that is, the operations and its subdivisions, the phases

• The activities that are to be carried out in a phase and are used as the basis for determining dates, capacity requirements, and costs

• The process sequence by defining relationships between phases • The use and production of materials in the course of the process • The use of resources • The quality inspections to be carried out during production

In addition, you use process instructions to provide information that is collected during production and is required by process control to carry out the process.

Master Recipe

Definition

The business object master recipe is the description of an enterprise-specific process in process industries, that does not relate to a specific order. The master recipe is used for the manufacture of products or for rendering services.

Structure

A master recipe consists of a header and several operations, each of which is carried out at a primary resource. An operation is subdivided into phases.

A phase is an independent process step that contains the detailed description of a part of the entire manufacturing process. Phases are carried out at the primary resource of their superior operation.

The way phases are related to each other specifies the sequence of the manufacturing process. Phase relationships can be sequential, parallel, or overlapping.

Several materials required for the execution of a specific process step can be planned for an operation or phase. These materials must be components of the BOM for the material to be produced.

A phase contains standard values for activities. These values serve to calculate dates, capacity requirements, and costs.

Several secondary resources can be planned for operations and phases in addition to the primary resource.

Several inspection characteristics can be defined for each operation and phase for inspections during production.

In addition, you can plan production resources/tools (PRT) for operations and phases. You can assign one of these PRTs as test equipment to each inspection characteristic.

A phase contains a number of process instructions that convey information relevant to process control.

Integration

Master recipes are assigned to a plant and are part of a plant-independent recipe group.

In the recipe header, master recipes used for production are linked to the materials to be produced. The production versions of the materials also link them to the alternative BOM required for production.

Master recipes are used as the basis for process orders.

During order processing, the process instructions of a phase are transferred to the control recipe destination that requires the information for process control.

BOMs (PP-BD-BOM)

Definition

A formally structured list of the components that make up a product or assembly. The list contains the object number of each component, together with the quantity and unit of measure.

BOMs are used in their different forms in various situations where a finished product is assembled from several component parts or materials. Depending on the industry sector, they can also be called recipes or lists of ingredients and so on.

They contain important basic data for numerous areas of a company, for example:

• MRP • Material provisions for production

• Product costing • Plant maintenance

You can create the following BOMs in the SAP system:

• Material BOMs • Equipment BOMs • Functional location BOMs • Document structures • Order BOM • Work breakdown structure (WBS) BOM

Selection Criteria

Selection is necessary if you plan production in the R/3 System or if you want to maintain BOMs for technical objects from the area plant maintenance. If very large documents about BOMs are to be cumulated in the document management system (DMS), you also have to select the se components.

Process Orders (PP-PI-POR)

Purpose

Process orders are the main element used for the detailed planning and execution of process manufacturing.

A process order describes the production of batches (materials) in a production run or the rendering of services. It is generated from the master recipe and contains all the information specified during process planning.

You use a process order to plan the quantities, dates, and resources of the manufacturing process, to control process order execution, and to define rules for the account assignment and settlement of the costs incurred.

In PP-PI, process orders perform the same function as production orders in PP.


Install this component in process manufacturing companies.

Integration

If you want to Then you must install the component

Plan material usage during the process Material Master (LO-MD)

Plan how the resources are to be used during the process

Resources (PP-PI-MD)

Plan the external processing of steps in the process

Purchasing (MM-PUR)

Plan quality inspections during production Quality Planning (QM-PT)

Provide data for process control Process Management (PP-PI-PMA)

Prepare cost determination using the master recipe

Controlling

Features

This component comprises all functions for order processing and order closing.

Process Order

Definition

Manufacturing order used in process industries.

Use

Process orders are used for the production of materials or for rendering of services in a specific quantity on a specific date. They enable the planning of resources, control of process order management, and specify the rules for account assignment and order settlement.

Structure

A process order consists of operations, each of which is carried out at a primary resource. An operation is subdivided into phases.

A phase is an independent process step that contains the detailed description of a part of the entire manufacturing process. Phases are carried out at the primary resource of their superior operation.

The way phases are related to each other specifies the sequence of the manufacturing process. Phase relationships can be sequential, parallel, or overlapping.

Several materials required for the execution of a specific process step can be planned for an operation or phase.

A phase contains standard values for activities. These values serve to calculate dates, capacity requirements, and costs.

Several secondary resources can be planned for operations and phases in addition to the primary resource.

A phase contains a number of process instructions that convey information relevant to process control.

Integration

A process order can be based on a master recipe.

A process order can be created from a planned order.

During order processing, the process instructions of a phase are transferred to the control recipe destination that requires the information for process control.

An inspection lot for inspection during production can be created when a process order is released.

Data Flow During Process Manufacturing

A production process is triggered by existing production requirements. During material requirements planning, production requirements are converted into planned orders defining the planned basic dates and production quantities.

During process planning, planned orders are converted into process orders. The basic dates and production quantities are copied from the planned order. The actual production dates are calculated using the basic dates. You can also create a process order manually.

A process order provides a detailed description of the actual production of one or more materials in one production run.

A master recipe is used as the basis for a process order. It defines, for example, the planned resources and material components.

After a process order has been released for production, the process instructions maintained in the order are bundled into control recipes during process management. The control recipes are either transferred to a process control system via a specific interface or they are displayed in natural language in the form of a process instruction sheet (PI sheet) which can be maintained by the line operator.

In return, process management receives process messages from the process control level and transfers them to different destinations. For instance, it is possible to record actual values of the process to functions for process data documentation and evaluation, post material consumptions or production yields as goods movements, and transfer quality data to results recording of Quality Management.

Process Order Management The procedure involved in process order management can be divided into the following steps:

• Process planning

• Process order execution/process management

• Order closing

Process planning comprises all activities that are performed during the creation and release of a process order. Important steps in process planning are:

• Order creation

• Scheduling

• Capacity requirements planning

• Material availability check

• Order release

The release of the process order represents the end of process planning and is the prerequisite for carrying out the business functions for process order execution and process management.

In process management the process instructions maintained in the order are bundled into control recipes. The control recipes are either transferred to a process control system via a specific interface or they are displayed in natural language in the form of a PI sheet which can be maintained by the line operator.

Process order execution comprises:

• Withdrawal of required material components from the warehouse

• Confirmations on the order processing status

• In-process quality inspections for the inspection lot

• Goods receipt from production

• Sending of actual process data to different destinations using process messages, for example for documentation or evaluation purposes

In PP-PI, the activities of order execution are carried out using process messages. In return to the transfer of control recipes, process management receives process messages from the process control level and passes them on to different destinations.

Order closing comprises the following activities:

• Process order settlement

• Process data documentation

• Reorganization of process orders (archiving and deleting)

Order Processing Order processing comprises the central processing steps involved in the life cycle of a process order.

Process planning comprising

• Process order creation

o Selecting a master recipe o Creating reservations or copying them from planned orders o Calculating planned costs o Creating capacity requirements for the resources

• Scheduling

Starting with the basic order dates, the system automatically schedules the process order when you create it. In addition, it can later be rescheduled automatically or manually whenever changes relevant to scheduling have been made.

• Release of process order

Process order execution and process management

• Creating and downloading control recipes (optional)

• Printing shop floor documents

• Carrying out material withdrawals

Withdrawing material components required in the manufacturing process in the form of goods issues from the warehouse.

• Recording confirmations

• Carrying out in-process quality inspections (optional)

• Posting goods receipts

Delivering the manufactured product to the warehouse by posting a goods receipt.

You only create control recipes during process order execution if you want to use PI sheets and/or process control systems. In this case, you must also select the corresponding components from Process Management.

If you also want to carry out in-process quality inspections for your orders, you must select the relevant components from Quality Management.

Order Closing Order closing comprises the following steps carried out at the end of the life cycle of a process order:

• Process order settlement

• Archiving of process orders

To be able to settle a process order, you must choose the special functions for process manufacturing within Product Cost Controlling.

Scheduling

Use

In order processing, the scheduling function calculates the production dates and capacity requirements for all operations within a process order.

The scheduling process starts with the basic order dates (basic start and basic finish). The system either takes the basic order dates from the planned order, or you enter them manually on the header screen of the process order.

A process order is always scheduled automatically when it is created. In Customizing, you can specify whether you also want the order to be automatically rescheduled before saving whenever you make changes that are relevant to scheduling.

Material List Components

Use When you create a process order, you need to specify the components required for production in the order. If the relevant data is already contained in the master data, it is automatically transferred into the process order.

Checking the Availability of Material Before you start production, you can check whether all the material components allocated to the process order are available on the calculated requirements dates.

In a process order, the system only checks material components that are relevant to inventory management and have the item category "L" (stock component).

Availability checks can be triggered either automatically or manually:

• The availability of components in an order can be checked automatically during order creation and/or order release. In Customizing for Process Orders, you specify per order type and plant whether the availability is to be checked automatically.

• You can always trigger a manual availability check.

The checking scope is defined via the checking group (in the material master record) and the valid checking rule (in Customizing for Process Orders).

Together, they define:

• Which MRP elements are taken into account in the check

• Which inventory categories are taken into account • Whether the replenishment lead time is taken into account.

In Customizing for Process Orders (Define Checking Control), you specify against which quantity the material availability is to be checked. You can make the following settings:

• Planning (open planned independent requirements)

In the check against planned independent requirements, the system only checks the open planned independent requirement quantities created for the components. This means that the ATP quantity is not included in this availability check nor are receipts or stocks.

This type of availability check is most useful:

� If assembly planning or phantom assembly planning is carried out for the components

� If quick statements about the availability situation are required and the results from this check are precise enough

The system uses the open planned independent requirements quantity at component level to determine a committed quantity, and this quantity is copied to the planned order header as the committed quantity. In contrast to the availability check according to ATP logic, however, the committed quantity is not recorded in the dependent requirements. The planned independent requirements of the components are not consumed by the committed quantity but by the complete dependent requirements quantity. In further availability checks, the system can only commit quantities for the amount of planned independent requirements that have not yet been consumed.

In the availability check against planned independent requirements, the following dates/quantities are not calculated:

� Total confirmation date � Partial confirmation date/ partial confirmation quantity

• ATP-Quantity

In the check according to ATP logic, the system checks whether the dependent requirements of each component are covered by specific receipt and issue elements or by stock. This check is carried out dynamically, that is, each time you carry out the check, the system recalculates the current situation. If a quantity can be committed for the requirement date, the system enters precisely this quantity as the committed quantity in the dependent requirements, and the ATP quantity for the components is reduced by the committed quantity. Therefore, in the next availability check, dependent requirements can only be committed for the amount of the remaining ATP quantity.

Preliminary Costing

Use When you create a process order and after each subsequent change of data in the order, the system calculates the planned order costs. The planned costs are allocated to cost elements.

Releasing Process Orders When you create a process order by choosing Process order → Create, the initial status CRTD is shown under System status in the main header. However, if an order is only created and not released, various restrictions apply:

• You cannot carry out completion confirmations for the order.

• You cannot print shop floor papers.

• You cannot create a control recipe.

• You cannot carry out goods movements for the order, that is, you cannot withdraw any material components.

When you release the order, these restrictions are canceled.

Inspection Lots/Inspection Characteristics

Use In a production process, it is sometimes necessary to carry out inspections to ensure the quality of a product. An inspection lot documents a request for an inspection.

Inspection characteristics are assigned to the inspection lot. An inspection characteristic defines what needs to be inspected. A distinction is made between qualitative characteristics and quantitative characteristics.

With in-process inspections, an inspection lot is created for a process order. Characteristics are assigned to individual operations in the master recipe. The characteristics define the inspection requirements.

The results of the inspection are then recorded for each inspection characteristic and stored in the inspection lot.

To find out more about inspection lots, see Inspection Processing.

To find out more about inspection characteristics, see Inspection Planning.

Features

The system distinguishes between planned and unplanned inspection characteristics:

• Planned inspection characteristics are maintained in the master recipe

• Unplanned inspection characteristics are maintained in QM results recording. You can branch to QM from the operation/phase overview of the process order.

If inspection data has been maintained and activated in the quality management view of the material master of the material being produced, then the system automatically creates the inspection lot as soon as the first operation in the process order is released.

You also have the option of creating an inspection lot manually in the process order.

Printing

Use In the SAP System, the printing of shop floor papers is carried out in the form of lists. A list can be a complete printout of a material provision list, for example, or a printout of time tickets.

Goods Movements

Use

Before you can start producing a material, all the necessary material components have to be issued from stock via goods issues. The delivery to stock of the manufactured material is documented in the system via a goods receipt. Both types of goods movement trigger the following transactions in the system:

• A material document is created to record the goods movement.

• The stock quantities of the material are updated.

• The stock values are updated in the material master record and the stock/consumption accounts are updated.

Completion Confirmations in Process Orders

Use A completion confirmation documents the processing status of orders, operations, phases and individual capacities. As such, completion confirmations are used to monitor the progress of process orders.

A completion confirmation is used to record

• The quantity processed in a phase

• How much activity is used to carry out a phase

• The actual dates of a phase

• The resource at which the phase is carried out

• Who carried out the phase.

Precise completion confirmations are important in realistic and exact production planning.

A completion confirmation can cause:

• A reduction in the capacity load on the resource

• An update of the costs, based on the confirmed data

• An update of the order data, such as times or order status

• Withdrawal postings for backflushed components

• An automatic goods receipt (only for one phase per order)

• MRP relevant update of the expected yield in the order.

Order Closing

Use

You use the order closing function to indicate that a process order is complete from the logistics and cost accounting points of view.

• For process orders that have been completed and for which all costs have been posted, For process orders that have been completed and for which costs must or can still be postedFor process orders that are prematurely terminated or cannot be executed correctly

Status

Definition

A status documents the current processing status of an object. When business transactions are carried out on an object (for example, on a process order, an operation or a component), the status of the object changes accordingly. The status activated influences which business transactions can be carried out on an object.

Co-Products

Use Products that are usually manufactured together can now be produced using one process order, but with separate settlement. One product is regarded as the main product and the remaining products are described as co-products. The system automatically creates a separate order item for each of the co-products.

The following applies to process orders with co-products:

• You can settle the main product and the co-product(s) to different receivers

• Goods movements can be posted simultaneously for all products manufactured in the order.

Information Systems

Use

The following information systems are available for process manufacturing:

• The order information system for

o Reporting o Mass processing

• The Shop Floor Information System enabling standard analyses for

o Resources o Operations o Material o Process orders o Material consumption o Product costs

For more information on the Shop Floor Information System, see the R/3 Library Logistics General -> Logistics Information System (LIS).

Process Management (PP-PI-PMA)

Purpose

You can use this component to coordinate the exchange of production-relevant data between the R/3 System and the R/3-independent production level. The production level can be controlled as follows:

• Manually: the planned production steps are carried out manually by the process operator • Automated: the planned production steps are carried out automatically by the process

control system • Partially automated: the planned production steps are carried out both manually by a

process operator and automatically by a process control system

To settle a process order, the actual quantities produced and the time needed must be confirmed from production. Process management supports the direct confirmation from the PI sheet and process control system to the process order by sending process messages to predefined message destinations.



Integration

If You Want to You also Need

Exchange data between the R/3 System and a process control system

PP - PI-PCS Interface

Carry out quality inspections during production

QM - Quality Management

Post goods movements to inventory management

MM - Inventory Management

Create a batch during production or assign values to batch characteristics during production

LO - Batch Management

Send maintenance data to plant maintenance via the PI-PCS interface

PM - Plant Maintenance

Features

You can store production-relevant data as process instructions in the process order. In the phases of the order, you specify whether the information is to be forwarded to a process operator or process control system.

Once the process order has been released for production and has been saved, the production-relevant data is combined in control recipes and sent to process management.

Process management receives the control recipes and sends them to the process operator or process control system responsible.

• If a control recipe is sent to a process operator, the production data stored in the control recipe is prepared as text that is displayed as PI sheets on the screen. The process operator can then use the PI sheet to execute the production steps manually.

• If a control recipe is sent to a process control system, the production data stored in the control recipe is sent as parameters to the production control system via the PI-PCS Interface. The process control system processes the data to control and regulate production.

After the process operator or process control system has carried out the production steps, process messages containing the current production times and quantities are automatically created in the PI sheet or process control system.

The process messages with the reported data is first sent to process management where they are checked and passed on to the corresponding process message destinations provided the check was successful. In addition to R/3 applications, message destinations may also be persons, programs, and machines.

In addition to this, process management comprises the message monitor and control recipe monitor, tools that you can use to monitor the processing status of messages and control recipes. Furthermore, message and control recipe logs document the processing status of messages and control recipes.

In unexpected situations, such as malfunctions, you can also create process messages manually in process management and send them from there.

The following summarizes the functions supported by process management:

• Receiving control recipes from released process orders • Sending control recipes to process operators or process control systems • Preparing process instructions as texts so that they can be displayed and edited on the

screen by the process operator • Receiving, checking, and sending process messages with actual process data • Monitoring process messages and control recipes • Manually creating process messages

Process Messages

Purpose

When a process order is carried out, actual process data is needed that documents the process and is available for further processing in R/3 components and external function modules such as process control systems. You can use this component to send actual data from process control to predefined message destinations. Depending on the destination type, various business transactions are triggered in this way in the SAP System or an external system and data is reported.


Install this component in process manufacturing companies if you want to automatically report actual data from within process control and trigger business transactions.

Integration

Function you want to perform Required component

Post goods movements in inventory management

Inventory Management

• Create a batch during production • Assign batch characteristics during

production

Batch Management


Plant Maintenance

Features

Process messages can be used in communication with both automated and manually operated plants:

• In automated plants, you must use the PI-PCS interface to send your process messages to the SAP System. This means that your process control systems must be able to communicate with the SAP System through this interface.

• In manually operated plants, you can use the PI sheet. The process operator can enter process data directly on the screen. The process messages are automatically created in the PI sheet.

• In addition, you can manually created unplanned process messages in the SAP System if, for example, malfunctions occur during production.

Each process message must be created with reference to a process message category predefined in Customizing. You can send process messages to one or more predefined process message destinations, each of which supports different functions. The standard system contains a number of predefined message categories and message destinations. They trigger certain business transactions in the other components of the SAP System. Process management first checks all process messages to be sent (even the ones from external systems) and then sends them to the appropriate destinations provided that the check was successful. When the process messages have been sent, you can monitor the processing status of individual messages in the process message monitor. If necessary, you can change incorrect messages and then send them again.

Process Messages

Purpose

When a process order is carried out, actual process data is needed that documents the process and is available for further processing in R/3 components and external function modules such as process control systems. You can use this component to send actual data from process control to predefined message destinations. Depending on the destination type, various business transactions are triggered in this way in the SAP System or an external system and data is reported.


Install this component in process manufacturing companies if you want to automatically report actual data from within process control and trigger business transactions.

Integration

Function you want to perform Required component

Post goods movements in inventory management

Inventory Management

• Create a batch during production • Assign batch characteristics during

production

Batch Management


Plant Maintenance

Features

Process messages can be used in communication with both automated and manually operated plants:

• In automated plants, you must use the PI-PCS interface to send your process messages to the SAP System. This means that your process control systems must be able to communicate with the SAP System through this interface.

• In manually operated plants, you can use the PI sheet. The process operator can enter process data directly on the screen. The process messages are automatically created in the PI sheet.

• In addition, you can manually created unplanned process messages in the SAP System if, for example, malfunctions occur during production.

Each process message must be created with reference to a process message category predefined in Customizing. You can send process messages to one or more predefined process message destinations, each of which supports different functions. The standard system contains a number of predefined message categories and message

destinations. They trigger certain business transactions in the other components of the SAP System. Process management first checks all process messages to be sent (even the ones from external systems) and then sends them to the appropriate destinations provided that the check was successful. When the process messages have been sent, you can monitor the processing status of individual messages in the process message monitor. If necessary, you can change incorrect messages and then send them again.

Process Instructions

Use

In process instructions, you can use predefined characteristics to define process steps that you want:

• To be executed manually by a process operator at a production line • To be executed automatically by a process control system

You assign process instructions to the phases of the master recipe and process order.

Prerequisites

Process instructions that you assign to a phase in the master recipe and process order must be assigned to a certain process instruction category. You must first have created these process instruction categories in Customizing for Process Management. They serve as a kind of template for the process instruction you use in the master recipe and process order.

Every process instruction category you create in Customizing must itself be assigned to a process instruction type.

Features

When defining process instructions, you must decide whether you want a process operator to process them manually or whether they will be processed automatically by a process control system. Depending on where the process instructions will be processed, you can pass on different types of information in them.

• To determine that process instructions are to be processed by a process operator, you define them for the R/3 PI sheet. You can create two different types of PI sheets:

o The ABAP list-based PI sheet o The browser-based PI sheet

• To determine that process instructions are to be processed automatically in the production area, you define them for process control systems.

You can define the following information in process instructions that are transferred to the R/3 PI sheet:

• Any type of information that can be displayed in the PI sheet. This includes:

o Long texts that you have created for the long text characteristic o Contents of business characteristics, such as the material number, batch, and so

on

• The order in which the process steps (phases) are to be processed • Input fields to request data that is relevant to production and that the process operator

must enter in the PI sheet • Reporting of requested data using one or several process messages • Calculation formulas to calculate values • Function modules to jump from the PI sheet to other R/3 applications

For more information, see Process Instructions for the R/3 PI Sheet.

You can define the following information in process instructions that are transferred to a process control system:

• Material numbers and material quantities that the process control system needs before production can be started

• Actual data on material consumption that you want the process control system to report to the R/3 System

For information on how to structure the information in process instructions for process control systems and the R/3 PI sheet, see Process Instruction Structure.

Activities

When you release the process order, the system automatically performs the following activities:

• It combines the process instructions to form control recipes. • It creates one control recipe for each control recipe destination of a process order. • According to your settings for the background job, it transfers the control recipes to the

control recipe destinations that need the information to control and regulate the production process.

Control Recipes

Purpose

Using control recipes, you transfer control data from the process order to process control. The information contained in a control recipe and the destination to which it is sent are user-defined.



Features

Control recipes can be used in both automated and manually operated plants. Different types of control recipe destinations are available for this.

• In automated plants, you must use the PI-PCS interface to send control recipes to the process control system (control recipe download). This means that your process control systems must be able to communicate with the SAP System through this interface. The control recipe download can be initiated by the R/3 System or the external system.

• In manually operated plants, you send your control recipes to the R/3 PI sheet. You can choose between the ABAP list-based PI sheet and the browser-based PI sheet.

You define the content of control recipes by assigning process instructions to the phases of your master recipe or process order.

Depending on the definitions in the process instructions, the following data is transferred in control recipes:

• Process and control parameters • Information about process messages that are to be returned to PP-PI • Instructions for the process operator as texts in partially automated or manually operated

plants

After a process order has been released, the process instructions are combined in control recipes and transferred to process control to be carried out.

All control recipes to be sent are first checked by process management and sent to the corresponding destinations only if the checks were successful. See: Sending of Control Recipes

When the control recipes have been sent, you can monitor the processing status of individual recipes in the control recipe monitor. See: Monitoring of Control Recipes

Process Instruction Sheets (PI Sheets)

Purpose

You can use PI sheets to exchange data between the partially or completely manually operated production level and the R/3 System (PP-PI). In manually operated production lines, this usually involves a process operator who uses the PI sheet to transfer production-relevant actual data to the R/3 system and receives data from the R/3 System.

You can describe the entire production process of a product or only part of it in a PI sheet. If the PI sheet only represents part of the production process, you usually need several PI sheets to manufacture a product. You can, for example, define control and picking information for the individual production steps in the PI sheets. The PI sheet is used to inform the process operator about the individual production steps that need to be performed. He or she can interactively maintain the R/3 PI sheet according to the phase sequence.

Apart from control information, the PI sheet can contain input fields and pushbuttons. You can, for example, define fields into which you want the process operator to enter the quantity of material components consumed for a phase. The material withdrawals must then be posted as goods issues in inventory management. You can use process messages to automatically carry out this function.

The process operator can use pushbuttons navigate to other R/3 applications to make entries and then return to the PI sheet. You can, for example, define a pushbutton for quality inspections during production. The process operator can then use this button to navigate to quality management, record inspection results, and then return to the PI sheet.

As of Release 4.6C, you can create two different types of PI sheets:

• The ABAP list-based PI sheet • The browser-based PI sheet

This is an enhanced version of the old ABAP list-based PI sheet. Two of its many advantages are the new user interface in HTML layout as well as new functions.



Integration

If You Want to You also Need

Carry out quality inspections during production

QM - Quality Management

Post goods movements to inventory management

MM - Inventory Management

Create a batch during production or Assign values to batch characteristics during production

LO - Batch Management


PM - Plant Maintenance

Features

In the PI sheet, you can:

• Display control information such as instructions for the process operator on how to carry out the production step

• Display additional notes, such as notes on specific rules that must be kept for dangerous goods

• Use process messages to report current process data directly from the shop floor to the order (such as, post goods receipts and issues, perform time ticket confirmation)

• Use dynamic function calls to:

o Call R/3 applications outside PP-PI directly from the PI sheet, make entries there, and return to the PI sheet

o Display document from the document management system in the PI sheet o Perform calculations (such as, calculate dates of time intervals)

• Use user-defined function modules to start a dialog or retrieve data from internal or external applications

You can use predefined process messages to trigger the following business transactions directly from the PI sheet and report process data:

• Post goods issues • Post goods receipts • Create batches • Assign values to batch characteristics • Confirm time events for the phases of an order • Confirm time events for the secondary resources of an order • Update the user status of an operation or a phase • Update the control recipe status • Update the order status according to the control recipe status • Confirm time tickets for the phases of an order • Confirm time tickets for the secondary resources of an order • Report maintenance data to plant maintenance • Post material flows between process orders

For more information on the process message categories contained in the standard system, see R/3 Integration Using Process Messages.

You can use predefined dynamic function calls to call the following R/3 functions and make calculations:

• Call any R/3 transactions • Record inspection results for inspection points • Call order confirmation for phases • Display material quantity calculation for an order • Display documents from the R/3 document management system • Create physical-sample records for quality inspections during production • Process sample drawings (for example, release, save) • Calculate the duration of time intervals • Calculate the start date of a time interval • Calculate the end date of a time interval

The above-mentioned function calls have been defined in sample process instructions of type 6. They are included in the standard system. For more information, see Type 6: Dynamic Function Calls and Type 0: Definition of Dynamic Function Calls.

process instructions or copy them to define your own process instructions.