Quality Management With SAP ERP

SAP Functions in Detail SAP ERP
QUALITY MANAGEMENT WITH SAP ERP
A comprehensive approach to quality management one that integrates information and processes across departments and corporate boundaries empowers your employees and supply chain partners to maintain and improve quality levels. The SAP ERP application provides a single, powerful solution that lets you take a comprehensive, broadbased approach to total quality management. It delivers a wide range of integrated quality management functionality and supports collaborative business processes for cost-effectively ensuring the quality of your products and processes and transforming quality management into a competitive advantage.
CONTENT
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To the Reader Modern Quality Management: An Integrated Management Approach Offering a Total Quality Management Solution Internal and External Integration Quality Management with SAP ERP Take a Closed-Loop Approach to Total Quality Management The Planning Phase The Implementation Phase The Usage Phase Inspection Planning: Putting Quality Strategies into Action Closed-Loop Inspection Planning: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis and Control Plan Integrated Inspection Planning Basic Data for Inspection Planning Planning Tools Quality Inspections: Achieving Reliable Results Inspection Lot Processing Inspection Results Sample Management Quality Certificates: Guaranteed Reliability Printed or on the Internet Certificate Processing in Sales and Distribution Certificate Creation Meeting Your Requirements Certificate Processing at Goods Receipt Collaborative Business: Certificate Data for the Whole Company
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Efficient Problem Management Improved Quality Through Targeted Problem Handling Using Quality Notifications Notification Processing Quality Notifications Elements of the Quality Notification Optimized Usage Analysis of Items and Defects Tasks Support Functions Sustained Quality Control Planning, Evaluation, and Direct Intervention Dynamic Modification of the Inspection Scope On the Right Track with Statistical Process Control Vendor Evaluation: Permanent and Objective Performance Monitoring Evaluations: Keeping You Up-to-Date Taking Control of Quality Costs Test Equipment Management Calibration Inspections and SAP ERP Master Data in a Calibration Inspection Planning a Calibration Inspection Calibration Inspection Evaluations for Test Equipment Enabling an Integrated Enterprise Laboratory Information Management System with SAP ERP The Enterprise LIMS Approach Stability Study Supporting Product Development and Product Improvement Compliance and Quality Control
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Audit Management: Flexible Tool for Planning, Execution, and Evaluation of Audits Assessments: Methods for Audit Criteria Audit Processing: Evaluate Risks and Confirm Information Mapping SAP Solutions to Your Six Sigma Initiatives Enterprise ServiceOriented Architecture for Services-Based Business Solutions Appendix For More Information Key Terms Quick Facts
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TO THE READER
In todays economy, you must invest in business software in order to invest in your companys future. It is important to lay a trusted foundation for business excellence and innovation and to provide your organization with the enterprise resource planning (ERP) functionality that is needed to gain strategic insight, competitive differentiation, increased productivity, and business agility. With the SAP ERP application, SAP has transferred its vision of increasing efficiency within an organization to software for enterprise resource planning (ERP) that helps automate end-to-end business processes and extends those processes to the entire business ecosystem, including customers, partners, and suppliers. With SAP ERP, you can increase your employees productivity and provide them with the insight needed to make decisions that set you apart from the competition. Quality is a vital core competency for manufacturers industry-wide and given todays complex and often global production cycles, it cannot be treated as simply an afterthought. You have to engineer quality into the design of products and processes; you have to track quality through procurement, production, and delivery; and you have to con-
stantly improve quality to keep pace with ever-growing customer expectations and competitive pressures. In short, you need to take a comprehensive approach to quality management one that integrates information and processes across departments and corporate boundaries and empowers both your employees and supply chain partners to maintain and improve quality levels. SAP ERP enables the comprehensive and efficient approach you need to transform quality management into a competitive advantage. SAP ERP delivers a wide range of integrated quality management functionality and supports collaborative business scenarios for cost-effectively ensuring the quality of your products and processes. As your employees work throughout the entire product life cycle along the supply chain, SAP ERP ensures that quality is efficiently built into your processes, systems, and products, from the shop floor to the top floor. If you are considering implementing or have already implemented quality management (QM) with SAP ERP in your company, and you want information on current functions and new developments, then this document contains all the information you need. This document targets project planners, decision makers, and people interested in implementing QM with SAP ERP. It explains how QM with SAP ERP is integrated in the SAP Business Suite family of business applications and enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA), powered by the SAP NetWeaver technology platform. It provides you with insight into the current functional scope of QM with SAP ERP. It also shows how QM functions are integrated in SAP ERP and support the business processes of the supply chain. For detailed information about SAP ERP, visit our Web site at www.sap.com/erp or visit the SAP Service Marketplace extranet at www.service.sap.com/erp (login is required).
SAP Functions in Detail Quality Management with SAP ERP
MODERN QUALITY MANAGEMENT: AN INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT APPROACH
Offering a Total Quality Management Solution

The SAP ERP application provides a single, powerful solution that lets you take a comprehensive, broad-based approach to total quality management (QM). Far more than a traditional isolated computer-aided quality system or a laboratory information management system, SAP ERP supports quality processes in any industry. Practice Continuous Improvement You can quickly identify and analyze problems, then rapidly eliminate their root causes. With the quality notifications functionality, for example, you can ensure that all problems and unplanned events are captured directly when they occur, that they are correctly assigned and resolved, and that all actions are monitored for maximum effectiveness. An enterprise service-oriented approach allows employees as well as business partners to create requests or notifications, work together online to record information, dispatch information, and track the processing status of requests providing the full functionality needed to ensure corrective and preventive actions. In addition, the analytic functionality of SAP ERP and the SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence (SAP NetWeaver BI) component enables you to monitor quality performance and adjust quality strategies to eliminate problems. Using the flexible QM cockpit for evaluations in SAP ERP, for example, you can analyze both online and archived quality management data to support your companys Six Sigma projects.
Manage Audit Processes The audit management functions of SAP ERP let you plan, conduct, and evaluate audits throughout the enterprise. You can perform internal or external audits of systems, processes, products, and environmental conditions; conduct a range of assessments and reviews; and monitor the effectiveness of all corrective and preventive actions linked to quality notifications. All this helps you comply with legal requirements, support benchmarking efforts, and uncover opportunities for improvement. Audit management functions support a wide range of industry standards, such as ISO 9000:2000, QS-9000, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), ISO 14011, and ISO 19011. Deliver Quality-Related Information Where Its Needed Web-based enterprise portal technology and ready-made SAP content give your employees and your partners a single point of access to all the information, applications, tools, and services they need to collaborate on quality initiatives. The easy-to-use, contextdriven portal increases the reach of your quality management efforts to include both everyday and occasional users in quality processes. For example, quality inspectors can work more efficiently by using the portal to access the specific work list they need to complete each inspection lot.
Stand Out at Quality Control SAP ERP gives you quality control functionality that supports strategic planning, continuous monitoring, and quick problem resolution. The application lets you share quality information and control quality processes across the supply chain. You can plan, conduct, and manage quality inspections and integrate them into processes throughout the product life cycle. You can accurately track results and defect data; record and charge inspection costs; manage and maintain laboratory data related to samples, tests, and stability studies; automatically create quality certificates for customers and exchange that information with business partners; and connect, monitor, and maintain test equipment to ensure data accuracy. You can collect and analyze all the quality-related data needed to conduct Six Sigma projects. With the applications built-in workflow functions, you can automate and accelerate many of your business processes. Meanwhile, the SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (SAP MII) application lets you rapidly integrate SAP ERP with other manufacturing software enabling production-line personnel to record inspection results directly from the shop floor. Leveraging an enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA), SAP ERP offers a wide range of enterprise services for quality management. In an interconnected world, the ability to exchange data across applications and with various partners is rapidly becoming as important as statistical process control
and test equipment interfaces. SAP ERP is designed for easy integration with other SAP and non-SAP applications for supply chain management, customer relationship management, supplier relationship management, and enterprise resource planning. As a result, it enables the seamless sharing of information and true end-to-end business processes.
Internal and External Integration

The openness of the SAP NetWeaver technology platform and the seamless integration of QM with SAP ERP into a complete business solution support you in total quality management and satisfy the criteria for ISO 9000 or GMP. In the integrated SAP Business Suite family of business applications, SAP ERP functions are incorporated into other applications, such as the SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM) or SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM) applications. You have software support for all important processes.
QM with SAP ERP is linked directly to various functions that help you efficiently manage your business processes. Examples of such functions include: SAP Business Workflow tool for targeted process control Using SAP Business Workflow, you can establish a clearly defined information and processing network to quickly and efficiently process inspection lots and quality notifications. SAP ArchiveLink software for storing documents SAP ArchiveLink stores documents that are linked to application functions in an optical archive. Such documents include quality records, certificates, customer complaints, and other original internal or external documents. In addition to SAP ERP, you can integrate other SAP solutions in the SAP NetWeaver Portal component, such as SAP NetWeaver BI. You can also integrate non-SAP products. As a result, you can adapt and enhance your working environment to suit your own requirements.
Using clearly defined roles, employees can access their own work areas in SAP NetWeaver Portal. A role describes a specific activity profile and groups together the corresponding functions of that profile. Employees can then target their involvement in business processes. The flexible SAP NetWeaver Portal allows you to adapt the roles to suit your individual needs.
Enterprise Service-Oriented Architecture Knowledge Management Sales and Distribution SAP NetWeaver BI Customer Service Plant Maintenance Controlling QM within SAP ERP Quality Manager Classification System Production Planning Production Planning/ Process Industries Quality Planning Quality Inspections Quality Control Quality Certificates Quality Improvement Test Equipment Management Audit Management Materials Management External URL SAP SCM
SAP Business Workflow Document Management System
Test Equipment Manager
Office Quality Planner Engineering Change Management SAP ArchiveLink
Notification Processor
Inspection Planner
Quality Inspector
Figure 1: Internal and External Integration of Quality Management with SAP ERP
QUALITY MANAGEMENT WITH SAP ERP
Quality management with SAP ERP tightens control and contains costs. Under current market conditions, many organizations follow a twofold strategy: strive for continued growth and innovation through competitive differentiation and increase efficiency to meet the enormous pressure to cut costs. In the end, you must be excellent in both to meet stakeholder expectations and achieve financial success. You must reduce costs wherever possible, but avoid risks that might lead to unexpected and unbudgeted expenditures. QM with SAP ERP enables enterprises to manage quality in a highly efficient way, differentiate their business, and establish a reputation of excellence. Conversely, mismanaging or ignoring quality issues negatively impacts a companys brand and products and impairs cost control. The best answer is to put in place a comprehensive approach to total quality management along the entire supply chain. Enterprise-wide audit management, quality engineering, quality assurance and control, and continuous quality improvement are all aspects of it. By using QM with SAP ERP, organizations can comply with industry standards and legal requirements more easily, increase customer satisfaction, and improve competitiveness.
Take a Closed-Loop Approach to Total Quality Management

There is more to quality management than performing quality inspections every now and then. Companies want to focus on prevention of deficiencies, continuous process improvement through collaboration, and sustainable quality control. You need to react immediately to unplanned qualityrelated events, involve all affected parties, and start follow-up actions to solve or control an issue. SAP ERP supports and ensures consistently high quality throughout the supply chain. Companies can comply continuously with legal requirements and industry standards. Customer satisfaction goes up, as does overall product quality and customer service management. Because project management and quality management functions are integrated with the SAP ERP Corporate Services solution, you can run Six Sigma projects to further enhance quality, improve processes, and reduce costs within your company. QM with SAP ERP supports key business activities with a focus on prevention of deficiencies, continuous process improvement through collaboration, and sustained quality control. Comprehensive quality management functionality supports: Quality engineering Quality assurance and control Quality improvement Audit management
Benefits: Increased customer satisfaction through better product quality and enhanced complaint management and tracking (corrective and preventive action) Increased revenues by retaining customers and strengthening customer loyalty Increased efficiency through improved asset utilization
QM with SAP ERP supports you both internally and externally. It provides complete support, from product and process planning in research and development (the planning phase); through procurement, production, and sales and distribution (the implementation phase); to service and usage (the usage phase), as shown in Figure 2.
Disposal
Market research
Maintenance
Design
With the control plan, you can plan and visualize all relevant inspections for a final product and all its components. The control plan connects all information from the related objects and is a basis for detailed inspection planning for each step (in-process control, goods-receipt inspections, and so on). Document management An important tool in SAP ERP is document management. You can use document management software to create links between inspection outlines, design drawings, technical delivery terms, specifications, product specifications, inspection methods, and other quality-relevant documentation and the corresponding master data. You can manage data according to validity, version, and status. Master data management During the implementation phase of your project, you specify productrelated settings that are required for controlling quality-related processes in the material master record in the quality management view of master data. For the management of quality information related to materials, vendors, and customers, and for the control of vendor and customer-related processes, you can maintain appropriate 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 vendorspecific inspection specifications and multiple specifications related to further objects. When you are performing an
Testing Usage Shipping Planning Production planning
Implementation Warehousing Procurement
Final inspection
Figure 2: Quality Loop According to ISO 9004
Production
The Planning Phase

QM with SAP ERP supports the process of quality management in the planning phase. It comprises the following features and functions: Closed-loop inspection planning Closed-loop inspection planning means integrated inspection planning for goods receipt inspections and for inspections during production, and it starts at the very beginning of the product development process for a new product. The international standard ISO/TS16949 requires an advanced product quality planning (APQP)
process, a must for each supplier in the automotive and other discrete industries. SAP ERP provides tools for supporting this process; one is a tool for a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and the other is the control plan. You can use the FMEA tool to perform a risk analysis for a distinct object (material or operation) to identify possible defects of a process or a product. By applying the given tools, you can detect possible risks and eliminate them by defining preventive actions at an early stage.
inspection during production, these elements are integrated into the routing or recipe. You can make changes to the master data centrally, and you can transfer the data from one source system to one or more target systems. In addition, there are tools available for research and analysis of master data linked in a hierarchy, such as where-used lists and the product structure browser. Engineering change management Central engineering change management coordinates the changes you make to master data. You can run such changes through an approval procedure (for example, according to GMP requirements). You can create different versions and then distribute them using workflow. You can also allocate a revision level with regard to a specific validfrom date when a change is made. Classification Using the integrated classification function, you can specify and assign data that is available in SAP ERP (such as materials, documents, and inspection plans), in order to be able to locate this data later according to specific search criteria (such as batch characteristics). Stability study Stability studies or shelf-life studies are conducted to track and examine how different environmental conditions (for example, temperature, light, or moisture) affect a compound, a material, or a batch over a specified period of time. Using features and functions in SAP ERP, you create physical samples of the material or batch and store them
under controlled conditions for the duration of the study. At specified intervals during the study, you remove these physical samples or parts of these samples from the various conditions and test them according to predefined inspection plans. You can then use the results of these tests, which have accumulated over the course of the study, for example, to check and confirm whether the desired or guaranteed life expectancy of the product conforms to the predefined recommendations for storage. As a business process, the stability study is fully integrated in SAP ERP, using functions from the following areas: Quality management: quality notifications, quality planning, and inspection lot processing Asset life-cycle management: maintenance planning and scheduling Materials management: material master, batch management, and bills of materials Authorization management A central administration function is responsible for data security and protection. You can assign individual authorizations for the processing of master data and movement data. This enables you, for example, to set up employees so that they have to provide a digital signature when performing certain operations. Business workflow You can use business workflow to control certain complex processes and the output associated with these processes. For example, corrective tasks within
a problem notification can be transferred automatically to the organizational unit responsible. Quality costs You can enter, collect, and bill costs related to the prevention of defects, inspections, and nonconformity to different account-assignment objects using orders in controlling. Key figure analysis With its quality key figures, SAP NetWeaver BI offers a wide range of possibilities for monitoring and controlling your quality processes. Audit management With integrated audit management tools you can plan and process audits, grade audit objects, monitor corrective and preventive actions that are based on the findings, and document and analyze audit data. Audit management, as part of SAP NetWeaver and thus also part of SAP ERP, supports all appraisals based on predefined criteria (audits, checks, inspections, reviews, and examinations) and can subsequently be used to valuate the object. The audit management functionality is very versatile and can be used for various application areas. Examples of audit usages are: Quality management (system audit, process audit, or product audit) and GMP Environment and hygiene management Safety and security management (facility safety, fire safety, or data protection)
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Six Sigma Having SAP ERP and SAP Business Suite in place in your company allows you to implement your Six Sigma initiative. SAP ERP supports most of the elements that are essential for Six Sigma, such as the definition of a structured problem-solving road map such as DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control); a clear setup of tasks and responsible persons by using the Collaboration Projects (cProjects) application; the calculation of risks and costs; the linking of related documents, notifications, inspections, and audits; the determination of capability and performance indicators, for example, from statistical process control (SPC) monitoring of control charts and Cpk index; and a failure mode and effects analysis. Process data can be extracted from the source and transferred into SAP NetWeaver BI and an executive information system for general analysis purposes. SAP NetWeaver BI and the executive information system provide all the functions needed for calculating key performance indicators (KPIs), feeding balanced scorecards, or other assessment techniques. Collaborative scenario: quality notifications In the product development stage, if you are working with customers or partners, QM with SAP ERP offers you the opportunity to initiate product ideas or changes to products using quality notifications. Customer complaints, which can be entered on the Internet, can be used to determine product quality. Vendors can ask for permission to
deviate from specifications if they cannot adhere strictly to customer specifications. For this scenario enterprise services are also available to create and maintain notifications in SAP ERP. Collaborative scenario: quality certificates Working with your customers or vendors, you use certificate profiles to plan exactly which characteristics are to appear on the certificate. This certificate data can be exchanged electronically using quality data interchange (QDI), or it can be stored on the Internet. For example, you can store it as a PDF document. Collaborative scenario: results recording You can record inspection results using the Internet or intranet. Results can be recorded by external service providers (for example, commercial analysts) and internal inspectors (for example, in a source inspection) in their respective work centers. For this scenario enterprise services are also available to trigger and record inspection results in SAP ERP.
according to certain quality criteria, and handles inspection certificates and goods receipt inspections. Production. QM with SAP ERP integrates inspection specifications in routings and recipes, allows inspections during production and goods receipt inspections for the manufacturing order to take place, monitors the production process using control charts, and confirms quality, quantity, and costs. Sales and distribution. QM with SAP ERP manages customer-related master data, controls the sales and distribution process according to quality criteria, and handles inspection certificates and inspections at goods issue. Procurement Vendor evaluation Materials management provides information for the purchasing agent about a vendors delivery reliability, price record, and service record. QM with SAP ERP provides the purchasing agent with information about quality management used by the vendor and the quality of previously delivered goods. To do this, SAP ERP summarizes quality scores from vendor audits, goods receipt inspections, and complaints against the vendor. Vendor release In some industry sectors, vendors must have a quality management system in their company. Such a system might, for example, be required to be compliant with the ISO 9000 series of standards. Such vendors must have this system certified by an accredited organization. Your SAP ERP application
The Implementation Phase

QM with SAP ERP ensures quality across the entire supply chain and beyond company boundaries. It supports your quality management department in the following activities: Procurement. QM with SAP ERP manages vendor-related master data, controls the purchasing process
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checks if the quality management system used by the vendor is adequate for certain materials and then either releases or blocks the supply relationship accordingly. You can limit the release of this supply relationship to a specific time frame and a maximum delivery quantity. If the vendor has serious quality problems, you can block requests for quotations, purchase orders, or goods receipts for specific materials supplied by this vendor. QM with SAP ERP also monitors the step-by-step release of a material. Vendor deliveries must sequentially pass through a series of customerdefined statuses, such as model, preliminary series, and production series, using appropriately assigned inspection plans. In many industry sectors, suppliers are intermediaries (distributors), which means that the quality of produced goods is dictated primarily by the manufacturer rather than the vendor. Consequently, you can apply the following functions to a manufacturer: vendor release, inspection planning, dynamic modification of the inspection scope, and complaints against the vendor. Quality assurance agreement, technical delivery terms, and certificate requirement When the purchasing agent requests a quotation and issues a purchase order, vendors that are released receive information automatically about the technical delivery terms and the current
quality assurance agreement. Vendors may also be required to include a quality certificate with the delivery. Source inspection Occasionally, inspections can be performed at the vendors premises to replace a goods receipt inspection. If this occurs, the software takes the target delivery deadline into account and creates an inspection lot in time for the source inspection. You can now perform a source inspection at the vendors site, because it is possible for you to access SAP ERP using SAP NetWeaver Portal. This is possible even if the vendor does not use SAP ERP.
Goods receipt certificate If you have identified that a material requires a certificate, the receipt of this certificate must be confirmed. SAP ERP takes appropriate action if the certificate is missing (for example, posting the goods to blocked stock). SAP ERP supports the management of the certificate receipt process and sends reminders if necessary (see Figure 3). You can manually create the certificate and store it in the optical archive (SAP ArchiveLink), or you can send it in electronic form. Certificate data can be transferred directly to the goods receipt inspection lot using electronic quality data interchange.
Goods Receipt Certificate Requirement
Reminder
Inspection Lot: Confirm receipt when or after making usage decision No No Inspection Lot: Post goods to blocked stock Certificate Included? Yes Update Certificate Record
Figure 3: Certificate Processing at Goods Receipt
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Dynamic modification If the quality of a supply relationship is consistently high, you may want to waive the goods receipt inspection, particularly if the vendor has a certified QM system. For partial lots, you can set the software to inspect a goods receipt only once for each purchase order, goods receipt, or batch. If you do not want to waive the goods receipt inspection completely, you can reduce the 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 a material, the software processes skipped lots without intervention. It then immediately posts the inspection lot quantity to unrestricted-use stock (ship to stock). Receiving inspection If the prerequisites for ship to stock are not fulfilled, SAP ERP automatically triggers inspection lot processing upon goods receipt. In addition to the goods receipt document, the application also creates an inspection lot record, selects an 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 in accordance with a sample-drawing procedure. The documents you need (such as sampledrawing instructions, sample labels, and inspection instructions) are available for printing immediately. You can then proceed with the inspection.
Recording inspection results and defects You can record the results for the goods receipt inspection in the form of inspection characteristic values and defect data records or texts. If serious problems arise during a goods receipt inspection, a quality notification can be created automatically. Inspection results can also be recorded automatically using electronic measuring equipment. Appraisal costs Costs are associated with every inspection and defect. Appraisal costs are determined using the activity confirmations of the people involved in an inspection. You can allocate the costs that are calculated on the basis of these confirmations for one or more inspection lots in several QM orders, and you can then pass them on to the cost object. Costs associated with defects are settled using quality notifications.
Inspection completion The processing of an inspection lot in QM with SAP ERP ends after the inspection is completed and the usage decision is made (see Figure 4). The accepted inspection lot quantity is posted manually or automatically to unrestricted-use stock. Special stock postings are available to you for rejected quantities, including posting to blocked stock, transfer posting to a different material, returning to the vendor, or posting to scrap. If the material is handled in batches, the software proposes a batch status that is compatible with the usage decision. Once the usage decision is made, SAP ERP updates the quality level and the QM information system and makes the quality score of the inspection lot available for the vendor evaluation. SAP ERP also updates material and vendor information in the quality data record. For example, once the inspection lot has been completed,
Purchase Order No Goods Receipt Quality Notification
Inspection
Stock in Quality Inspection

Figure 4: Inspection Lot Processing at Goods Receipt
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UnrestrictedUse Stock
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the status of the supply relationship can be updated from model delivery to regular delivery. SAP ERP can trigger a series of userdefined follow-up actions on the basis of the usage decision. For example, you can print specific inspection reports. Invoice verification If invoices for the delivery of goods are received before the usage decision is made for the goods receipt inspection lot, you can prevent an automatic payment during invoice verification. Complaints against the vendor Defects in delivered material that have been caused by the vendor or manufacturer can be documented in a quality notification. You can use SAP Business Workflow to pass this notification on to the processor responsible. The processor can then initiate various tasks (such as posting to blocked stock or sending a complaint against the vendor). Complaints can be entered on the vendors Web site.
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Production Materials planning When you are inspecting raw materials or semifinished products, the planned duration of the receiving inspection is taken into account in materials planning. Inspection during production QM with SAP ERP integrates quality inspections into the production process (see Figure 5). It supports different types of production, from order-related, lot-based production and the assembly process in mechanical engineering, through repetitive manufacturing in the automotive industry, to batch-based process manufacturing in the chemicals, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage industries. You can initiate inspections on the basis of different types of goods movements. Inspection lots can be created automatically when a material component is removed or when a product for the production or process order is processed at goods receipt.
Inspection lots for an inspection during production can be created in the following ways: As an inspection lot during production when a production order 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 external processing operations. This can be stock relevant, depending on software settings. Physical-sample drawing The sample size is calculated, and shop papers (such as sample drawing, inspection instructions, and sample labels) are printed at previously determined work centers after the valid routing or master recipe has been selected. Digital signature You can set the software to require a digital signature (electronic signature) from the employee who releases the physical-sample drawing, records results, or makes the usage decision, to ensure that this particular employee has the appropriate authorization. Inspection results and defects recording Inspection results can be recorded for the following objects: Inspection characteristics The results can be recorded in summarized form, in classes, or as single values.
Automatic Defects Recording
Inspection Point Characteristic Target Length 50.0 mm Width 30.0 mm Actual 49.8 mm 31.2 mm
Quality Notification
Tasks
Figure 5: Inspection During Production
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Inspection points Several inspections are performed for each inspection characteristic. Inspection points can be userdefined, and they can be planned in advance if necessary. They can be related to production quantities or production times (for example, inspection of a wire basket or silo once during each shift or every two hours). Physical samples These can be planned in advance using a sample-drawing procedure, or they can be unplanned. Partial lots Production quantities of the same quality can be grouped together. Batches Inspection results can be used for batch determination at a later stage; for example, they can be applied when choosing products at the delivery stage or when deciding which subcomponents to use for production. Serial numbers This applies if the inspection results are to be assigned to a single unit. In this case, the serial numbers can be copied from the production order. Defects can be recorded for inspection characteristics, inspection operations, or inspection lots. Statistical process control The inspection results are the basis for statistical process control using control charts. A control chart can be valid for several inspection lots and production orders. The warning and action limits of a control chart are calculated using the most recent inspection results or
the results of an initial run. If an action limit is exceeded, messages and notifications can be created. Appraisal costs and production quantity confirmations When you are recording inspection results, you can also confirm production quantities and costs for the production order (see Figure 6). Such confirmations control the subsequent production process (for example, the release of inspection operations or subsequent work that has yet to be performed). Inspection completion The inspection is completed when the usage decision is made. Employees with appropriate authorizations can post stock quantities, classify charges according to their quality, and perform
follow-up actions. QM with SAP ERP provides a digital signature for the usage decision. Sales and Distribution Quality 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 information then flows into all inspections during production in the form of inspection specifications.
Figure 6: Quantity Confirmation and Inspection Point Valuation
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Batches determination If you manage the stock of a material in batches, QM with SAP ERP allows you to select suitable batches at delivery using batch characteristics. These characteristics can be populated with quality results via valuation based on multiple specifications. Inspection for delivery or for goods issue Inspection lots can be created at the picking stage or at goods issue. After you have chosen a suitable inspection plan, the sample size is calculated and shop papers (sample-drawing items, inspection instructions, and sample labels) are printed. When the inspection results have been recorded, the inspection is completed with the usage decision. Certificate at goods issue At goods issue, you can use a quality certificate to document that the inspection results are in accordance with the customers specifications. You can enter inspection characteristics from the inspection plan and characteristics that were defined in the batch determination as inspection specifications on the certificate. The form, content, and means of output are customer-specific. These are derived from the specifications made by the recipient of the certificate at picking or at goods issue. Quality data interchange Formatted quality data contained in a quality certificate can be sent electronically and then automatically transferred into an inspection lot at the customer site. It is also possible to make this data available on the Internet.
Processing complaints and handling returns You can create customer complaints as quality notifications on the Internet. You can document defects and tasks, and you can also perform various follow-up functions using the action box. For example, you can process returns or repair orders, enter costs, perform stock postings, or trigger inspections.
Resource-related billing document After the inspection results have been confirmed, you can invoice the customer for the inspection costs. Inventory Management Stock categories Materials management categorizes inventory by the following stock types: unrestricted use, blocked, and in quality inspection. Usually the specified quantity of a received material is posted to inspection stock for the duration of the goods receipt inspection. This stock can only undergo a transfer posting during inspection lot processing. For example, when the usage decision is made, it can be posted to unrestricteduse stock. In the inspection lot, you can view all of the posting documents that relate to the lot stock. Warehouse management If you use warehouse management software, SAP ERP also manages the inspection lot samples and units created due to the usage decision or while locating a storage bin. The inspection lot identifies each unit and transfer requirement. Using the strategy defined for placement in storage, the software triggers the transport of samples and partial quantities, and it posts the stock. Handling unit management You can use handling units as transport units. A handling unit is a physical unit consisting of packaging and the goods stored with or on this packaging. The software enables you to move these handling units, as opposed to just moving the materials. Therefore, a quality inspection can be performed with reference to handling units.
The Usage Phase

In the usage phase of the product life cycle, service providers can process inspections (outsourcing) with QM with SAP ERP. Service providers can use SAP ERP to identify items, plan and confirm services, and create invoices for services rendered. Service Variant 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 the customer from inspection plans and transfer them into a service order. Service order inspection Inspections can be selected using variant configuration in the sales order or by selecting inspection operations in the service order. Once the inspections have been selected, inspection lots can be created when the service order is released. Then the inspection can begin, and inspection instructions and sample-drawing items can be printed.
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Batch management Materials management can manage stocks for materials in batches, and it can recognize the difference between batches in unrestricted-use or blocked stock. You can use QM with SAP ERP to monitor the shelf life of batches and deadlines for recurring inspections. In addition, you can change the batch status and perform stock postings automatically. For example, you can post to blocked stock when the expiry date is exceeded. Batch tracking The batch where-used list helps you determine which raw-material batches or semifinished products make up the batch of a finished product (top-down analysis) or, conversely, which batches of semifinished or finished products are made up of a particular batch of a raw material (bottom-up analysis). The where-used list also forms the basis for printing inspection results from the previous assembly stages (for example, semifinished products) for an end product on a quality certificate.
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INSPECTION PLANNING: PUTTING QUALITY STRATEGIES INTO ACTION
As inspection planner or quality engineer, you implement predefined planning strategies in your company. This includes: Performing closed-loop inspection planning with FMEA and control plans Defining the trigger, type, and scope of quality inspections Creating and managing task lists as the basis for quality inspections 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 as building blocks and a flexible planning tool.
all components, and is the basis for the third step, maintaining the operational inspection plans and routings. As soon as the product is produced, the supplier has to implement a closedloop process starting with a continuous improvement process. Each internal or external complaint must be checked against the preventive actions, which have been defined in the FMEA during the first step of the closed-loop inspection planning. One result of the complaint could be to change the FMEA and control plan as well as operational plans.
FMEA is an analytical method for early detection and elimination of possible failures and issues in products and processes. In the context of quality management, this method is used for preventive failure avoidance. SAP ERP offers tools for monitoring as well as a cockpit for building an FMEA product or process structure. FMEA can be used for root-cause analysis in Six Sigma projects, risk assessment during product development, and operational quality control and planning. FMEA supports compliance with ISO/TS16949 (automotive industry).
Closed-Loop Inspection Planning: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis and Control Plan
Closed-loop inspection planning means an integrated inspection planning for goods receipt inspection and for inspection during production, and it starts at the very beginning of the product development process for a new product. Typically the closed-loop inspection planning process comprises the following steps: The first step is to work in a team of experts from different departments to create an FMEA. In doing so, the product and process characteristics with a high safety risk are pointed out. In a second step, these characteristics are transferred into a control plan. The control plan gives an overview about all inspections for a final product, including
Specification Characteristics
FMEA (Product/ Process)
Defects Characteristics
Defects Complaints (8D-Method) Characteristics
CAD Stamping Characteristics
Control Plan
SPC Zero-Defect Production
Inspection Plan
Defects Characteristics 8-D = eight disciplines CAD = computer-aided design FMEA = failure mode and effects analysis SPC = statistical process control
Figure 7: Closed-Loop Inspection Planning According to ISO/TS 16949
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The FMEA cockpit and monitor offer the possibility of a hierarchical display of the object, machine, or system being inspected for possible failures (see Figure 8). With the help of a hierarchical or a linked structure, the entire chain of failure mode, causes, and consequences can be viewed and investigated. With risk-priority numbers you can evaluate and estimate the defect cause of a failure. The necessary actions to diminish or avoid a failure can be managed with the FMEA tool as well. Furthermore, there is a connection between the FMEA of one element with the lists of those of subordinated and superordinated elements. Those lists contain not only the addressed elements but also the addressed functions and failures. This makes sure that the entire object, machine, or system is investigated regarding possible risks, since: One function can be dependent on the function of a subordinated element. The outage of one function can cause the outage of the function of a subordinated element. With the integration of the FMEA tool into SAP ERP, it is possible to connect the FMEA with related functions and objects, for example, with catalogs of failure characteristics or inspection characteristics. Furthermore, you can directly connect the FMEA with a control plan. You can archive FMEAs that are no longer in active use. In addition to FMEA, there are functions for managing a control plan to
ensure a closed-loop inspection planning that is required as an international standard according to ISO/TS16949. A control plan is the description of the entire technical or functional system that is being monitored or checked for possible risks and defects. Fundamentally, the control plan describes all the actions that need to be performed in each phase of the process. This includes the inspection of the goods receipt, the goods shipment, and the scheduled inspections and quality control activities that make sure all process results are controlled and documented (see Figure 9). Within the closed-loop inspection planning, you usually start an FMEA for a
product to evaluate product- and process-related characteristics with a high failure risk. These characteristics are transferred into the control plan. The control plan includes an overview of all inspections that are relevant for a particular product and all its components. This is the basis for developing inspection plans and inspection operations in the subsequent production process. Once a product is part of serialized or mass production, it is still necessary to check the previously defined risks as well as the control plan itself. In the course of the continuous improvement process, it may be necessary to adjust the FMEA or the control plan.
Figure 8: Example of FMEA with Structure
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Integrated Inspection Planning

With integrated inspection planning, you can create and process different task-list types to adapt quality inspections to suit 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 be grouped together in task-list groups. The information that can differ within a task-list group may consist of task-list usage, vendor assignment, or validity of certain lot-size intervals.
Figure 9: Example of Control Plan
Task List Group

Inspection Plan 1 Inspection Plan 2 Inspection Plan 3 Operation 1 Inspection Plan 4 Inspection Plan 5 Characteristic 1 Inspection Plan 6 Inspection Plan 7
Figure 10: Task List Structure
Task List Structure As shown in Figure 10, a task list consists of the task-list header, operation, characteristic, and test equipment.
Inspection Plan 1 Task List Header Material 1 Material 2 Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Customer 1 Customer 2
Operation 2 Operation 3
Characteristic 2 Operation 4 Method 1
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 can assign several materials to a task list. There can be several task lists for one material. You can also assign inspection plans to a vendor or customer, in addition to the material.
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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 rule for adapting the inspection scope. Operation You can maintain the following information for each inspection operation: A description of the operation and control parameters for the operation Reference to a work center Specifications for scheduling and calculating the appraisal costs List of relevant test equipment, documents, and production resource tools Characteristic In the inspection characteristic, you can: Specify the characteristic description and define the control parameters for results recording Reference an inspection method, sampling procedure, or a dynamic modification rule Define qualitative or quantitative specifications for the inspection and results recording, depending on the characteristic type Define individual specifications for every task-list assignment to a material, vendor, or customer. This means you do not have to create redundant inspection plans to modify customer- or material-dependent target values and tolerances.
Define multiple specifications for additional objects (such as country) to determine the suitability of a product or batch (for example, suitable for specific countries and not suitable for a list of others) Specify with which equipment the characteristic values must be measured
inspection characteristic master record (master inspection characteristic). Master inspection characteristics can be: Referenced in several task lists or material specifications Linked to characteristics with the classification function, for example, to transfer inspection results for a batch to the batch classification Inspection Method An inspection method describes how a characteristic is to be inspected. You can assign documents that are stored in a document management system (such as drawings and descriptions) to an inspection method. Inspection methods are assigned to master inspection characteristics or inspection characteristics in task lists. You can assign several inspection methods to a master inspection characteristic.
Basic Data for Inspection Planning

Basic data consists of reusable building blocks for inspection planning (see Figure 11). To simplify your work as an inspection planner, you should plan and include this data in your task lists. Inspection Characteristic An inspection characteristic describes what should be inspected. You can create an inspection characteristic directly in a task list or predefine it as an
Task List Header Material Inspection Operation Test Equipment Inspection Characteristic
Dynamic modification rule Sample-drawing procedure Reference operation set Work center Material Equipment Other production resources and tools Document Master inspection characteristic Inspection method Sampling procedure Dynamic modification rule Catalog
Figure 11: Inspection Plan Structure and the Use of Master Data in Inspection Plans
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Catalog A catalog is a summary of codes for content-related terms. Catalogs make it easy to uniformly describe qualitative data (for example, attributes for qualitative characteristics, defect types, or usage decisions). For each catalog, you can: Define code groups with codes and enter explanatory texts in different languages Select codes from one or more code groups and combine them in a selected set. This allows you to create a value list that applies to a specific situation. Sampling Procedure and Sampling Scheme The 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. QM with SAP ERP supports all common sampling types (for example, 100% inspection, sample based on percentage, fixed sample, and sample in accordance with a sampling scheme). If the sampling types and valuation rules provided with the standard software are not sufficient, you can supplement them with your own selfdefined function modules.
You can plan independent and dependent multiple samples and record the inspection results from several samples for an inspection characteristic. Each of these samples may contain several values, and each is valuated individually. On the basis of the individual sample results, SAP ERP automatically determines the characteristic result (for example, based on the worst-case principle). Ready-to-use sampling schemes in accordance with ISO 2859-1 for qualitative inspections and ISO 3951 for quantitative inspections are delivered with SAP ERP and any upgrades. You can also create your own acceptable quality level (AQL) sampling schemes and define rules for automatic stage changes up to an inspection skip. You can also implement industry-specific procedures. Dynamic Modification Rule In a dynamic modification rule, you define the number of inspections and skip stages, and the rules that control such stage changes, either in accordance with appropriate standards such 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 software switches between a normal, reduced, and tightened inspection, depending on the quality level. The inspection stage is then changed depending on the inspection results for inspection lots or characteristics. You can control the dynamic modification of the inspection stages either by accept-
ing or rejecting the inspection lot or inspection characteristics. You can also assign a dynamic modification rule to the inspection type in the material master (inspection-type level) or at the header or characteristic level in the task list. Test Equipment Test equipment consists of fittings, objects, documents, or materials that are needed for a quality inspection. Test equipment can be fixed parts of a work center or consist of moveable equipment. In the inspection plan, you can represent test equipment using various master records, such as production resource or tools (PRT), material, equipment, or documents. The PRT master record contains administrative data and information relating to status, location, and a possible PRT group assignment. If you use the classification function, you can define additional properties. In addition, you can reference document master records from the PRT master record or use document master records as test equipment in task lists. You can access drawings and other documents using the document management interfaces to computer-aided design (CAD) systems or to SAP ArchiveLink. Work Center The work center specifies where an operation is to be performed and who should process it. The available personnel and machine capacities are also managed by the work center. You provide the basis for capacity planning and scheduling of operations when you
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specify in task lists the work centers in which the operations are to be performed. Each work center is assigned to a cost center. The activities in a work center are valuated using rates that are determined by cost centers and activity types (for example, working time or quantity). In a single step, you can record both inspection results and the activities performed. You can also generate work lists for specific work centers when you record results or make a usage decision. Reference Operation Set In a reference operation set, you define frequently required inspection operations and corresponding inspection characteristics. A reference operation set can be used as a part of inspection plans or routings, or as a template.
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 one work step Simultaneously process complex task lists by selectively blocking objects (at task-list header or operation level) Create where-used lists (for example, for PRT, dynamic modification rules, sampling procedures, sampledrawing procedures, and selected sets)
Operations overview Processing area Change number Key date
Display documents defined in a document management system in your own work area (for example, technical drawings) Product Structure Browser Using the product structure browser, you can hierarchically display related objects in a product structure. During inspection planning, for example, you can determine whether task lists or material specifications exist for a certain material. If you expand the product structure further, additional detailed
Validity area Key date Time frame
Context block
Planning Tools
The following sections discuss various planning tools provided by QM with SAP ERP. Such tools include the engineering workbench, product structure browser, and where-used lists. Engineering Workbench The engineering workbench, shown in Figure 12, is an efficient tool that you can use to process several task lists simultaneously (routings, reference operation sets, and inspection plans). The data you require can be read from different task lists and restructured. You can perform a variety of tasks using the engineering workbench, including the following:
Structural display
Detail screens
Integration into document management
Figure 12: Inspection Planning with the Engineering Workbench
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information can be displayed (such as inspection characteristics and documents). Where-Used Lists A where-used list shows you the task lists in which master inspection characteristics, inspection methods, and sampling procedures are used. Mass Data Changes With the function for mass data changes, you can adapt objects from 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 Management QM with SAP ERP maintains separate engineering change statuses for each structural element in a task list. When you make a change using a change number, you can determine what was contained in a plan at a specific date and the date on which a change is to become effective. Cross-System Transfer of Master Data Using proprietary SAP technology for application link enabling, you can transfer specific basic data (for example, inspection setups, inspection methods, inspection characteristics, and catalog or code groups) from a source system to one or more target systems. This means that it is quick and easy to transfer basic data used in one plant to another plant.
Stability Studies SAP ERP provides a comprehensive planning tool for stability studies or shelf-life tests. The special quality notification type stability study is the central business object that represents a stability study in the application. All of the following objects created in the course of a study are assigned to the quality notification: Initial sample Stability bill of material (BOM) Various documents Inspection lot for initial test Physical samples (stability samples for storage conditions) Testing schedule for storage conditions with corresponding inspection plans Inspection lots for stability tests You can assign other objects that are defined as business objects in SAP applications to the stability study. Using the document flow function for quality notifications, you can graphically display all objects assigned to a study and their relationship to one another. Based on this setup, you can trigger various process steps that need to be executed in the course of a stability study, including the following: Creating and confirming the initial sample Assigning and processing the stability BOM Defining storage conditions Creating and maintaining the testing schedule Starting the initial test
You can execute the process steps in a stability study using follow-up functions in the quality notifications action box. You can easily enhance or modify individual follow-up functions without making any software modifications. Approximately 20 follow-up functions are currently available for process steps in a stability study.
Benefits: Integrated inspection planning Lighter workload as a result of modular, reusable basic data Efficient management of inspection data using mass processing tools Parallel task-list processing using the engineering workbench Time and money savings with crosssystem data transfer by means of application link enabling
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QUALITY INSPECTIONS: ACHIEVING RELIABLE RESULTS
As a quality inspector, you are responsible for proving that a material meets predefined quality requirements. With QM with SAP ERP, you can show that these requirements have been met. Inspections can be triggered for inspection points during production, for physical samples in the process industry, or automatically for goods movements. Planned inspections in QM with SAP ERP can be used to document quality using quantitative and qualitative inspection results. In addition, you can also create a record of unplanned events in the form of defect data or quality notifications. For all quality inspection tasks, SAP ERP and SAP NetWeaver provide you with the tools you require for the role of quality inspector, as well as the opportunity to customize the settings: With SAP NetWeaver Portal you have a role-based portal with work centers that are tailored specifically to the needs of the quality inspector for results and defects recording, notification creation and processing, confirmation processing for production orders, and execution of quality reports. With QM functions in SAP ERP you have support for all the required steps for recording and documenting quality-related data as well as tools for integrated processing and evaluation of the data. With support for collaborative business, your internal and external business partners can record inspection results on an intranet or the Internet.
Inspection Lot Processing

Supported by quality planning specifications, inspections supply important data for quality control purposes (see Figure 13). The inspection lot is the central element for the quality inspection in QM with SAP ERP. It contains all information related to the quality inspection, such as inspection specifications, inspection results, and usage decisions.
There are different variants for inspection lot processing. In QM with SAP ERP, these are defined as inspection types (for example, goods receipt inspection and inspection during production). The variants include: Inspection with or without a task list or material specification Recording of inspection characteristic results and defect data Manual or automatic specification assignment, sample determination, and usage decisions Control of inspection stock posting
Create inspection lot Inspection Lot Creation Select inspection specifications Determine samples Print shop papers Confirm activities Inspection Complete inspection Record defect data Request characteristic inspection results Perform follow-up actions Update QM information system Inspection Lot Completion Update quality level Determine quality score Make usage decision
Figure 13: Stages in Inspection Lot Processing
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Creating inspection lot
Determining the inspection specifications
Determining the sample
Printing shop papers
Figure 14: Inspection Lot Creation
Inspection Lot Creation QM with SAP ERP generally creates inspection lots automatically (see Figure 14), but you can also create lots manually. Inspection lots may be created as a result of the following: Goods movements (for example, goods receipt, goods issue, stock transfer, and returns from a customer) Deadline monitoring for batches (recurring inspection) Release of production orders, process orders, maintenance orders, service orders, and production versions Delivery creation in shipping For inspections with an inspection plan, SAP ERP selects the corresponding inspection specifications (for example, the inspection plan or material specification). If a customer has specific product requirements, these can be copied from variant configuration or batch determination to the inspection. Shop papers are printed, and inspection results are recorded on the basis of the inspection specifications.
Examples of shop papers and their content include the following: Sample-drawing instructions contain the information required for the physical-sample drawing and for distributing samples to work centers or laboratories. Physical-sample labels are used to label samples. Inspection instructions list information about the test equipment and inspection characteristics for each inspection operation and specify the inspection methods, specifications, and sample size for each inspection characteristic. Quality inspectors can record inspection results on the inspection instructions, if the layout is suitable. Inspection During 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 SAP ERP. You can also record inspection results for serial numbers and batches, and you can transfer the inspection results recorded in SAP ERP to batch classification. Flexible specifications Flexible specifications are used to influence the specification data on creation of an inspection lot or during results recording. Flexible inspection specifications allow you to select or deselect the relevant inspection characteristics and adjust the given specifications as needed. As a standard setting in the SAP ERP application, the process is active for inspection lots related to a stability study. However, it can also be of interest for other business scenarios, where inspections cannot be planned completely in advance, such as the following: Inspection performed as a service Inspection of a complaint Inspection for a stability study
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Making the usage decision
Determining the quality score
Updating the quality level
Performing follow-up actions
Authorization for the usage decision The usage decision has significant consequences. Using material-specific authorizations and digital signatures, you can ensure that only authorized users can make the usage decision. Quality Inspection Engine With the quality inspection engine, you can integrate quality inspections in various SAP applications in the SAP Business Suite, as well as in non-SAP applications. The quality inspection engine supplements the comprehensive quality management software supplied by SAP ERP and was designed for use in a heterogeneous system landscape. The services-oriented quality inspection engine supports new processes, such as the execution of inspections using decentralized warehouse management in SAP SCM. In general, the quality inspection engine is used by non-QM applications to perform inspections. For example, quality inspections can be performed in the SAP Extended Warehouse Management application using functions in the quality inspection engine. Inspection data can then be forwarded to an application that provides enhanced functions for quality inspections, such as SAP ERP or a non-SAP QM application or laboratory information management system running on either an internal or external system.
Figure 15: Inspection Lot Completion
In all cases, an inspection plan or routing with inspection characteristics is the basis of a maximum plan, and during a flexible specification the relevant characteristics are selected. Note that the activation for additional processes, in addition to the stability study, is done via implementation of corresponding business add-ins or customer enhancements. Inspection Lot Completion After results recording is completed or the inspection is canceled, you make the usage decision for the inspection lot (see Figure 15). An automatic usage decision can be made if no inspection characteristics have been rejected and no defects are recorded. If a material requires documentation, you must enter a comment for the usage decision if the inspection is canceled or the usage decision differs from the valuation for the inspection results. Stock posting If materials are posted to inspection stock using an inspection lot, they can be posted from this stock only using
the usage decision (for example, posting to unrestricted-use stock or return to vendor). Quality score If the usage decision has been made, SAP ERP determines the quality score for the inspection lot using a procedure defined in the inspection setup for the material master record. It then updates the vendor evaluation. Quality level The quality level is updated, and based on the level, the inspection stages for the next inspection are determined. Follow-up actions The usage decision can trigger a chain of automatic follow-up actions, such as sending a message to purchasing if an inspection lot is rejected. In addition, the statistical data for the inspection lot is updated in the QM information system. SAP ERP logs all user actions using the name, date, and time. This means that you have the ability to track all actions. You can also create an electronic batch record for materials that are managed in batches.
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Inspection Results
There are two types of inspection results in QM with SAP ERP (see Figure 16): 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 for each operation. For this, inspection specifications must be assigned to the inspection lot, and sample calculation must be completed. You can record both characteristic inspection results and defect data for an inspection lot with a task list. If characteristics are rejected, defect data records can be created automatically. Also, you can record defects in an inspection without inspection specifications.
Characteristic Results You record and valuate characteristic results according to inspection specifications. Characteristic types You can record inspection results for the following types of characteristics: Qualitative characteristics Nonnumerical characteristic values or variables stemming from these values Quantitative characteristics Measured values or variables stemming from these values Recording forms Depending on the detail you require, you can choose from the following recording forms for a characteristic: Summarized values such as 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 such as several measured values (In addition to single values, you can note the serial numbers of the items to be inspected.) Additional functions Within results recording, you can also: Define unplanned characteristics Process conditional characteristics. This deals with planned characteristics that must be inspected only if a corresponding controlling characteristic has either been accepted or rejected. Record inspection results for characteristics that are in a skip stage Calculate results using calculated characteristics. For calculated characteristics, you calculate results using the results for other characteristics. Samples If the sampling procedure specifies independent multiple samples, you can record results for more than one sample for each inspection characteristic. The number of samples may then be greater than the number specified in the sampling procedure. In an attributive inspection, you can also plan dependent double and multiple samples. If the result for the current sample lies between the acceptance and rejection numbers, the sample size is increased according to the sampling scheme. Once you have recorded the results for this new sample, the sample is evaluated again using the updated valuation parameters.
Recording Inspection Results
Unplanned Defect Data Defect Data Defect Type Defect Location Cause
Planned Characteristic Results
Qualitative Characteristic
Quantitative Characteristic
Active Quality Notification

Figure 16: Types of Inspection Results
Quality Control
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Valuation You can confirm the characteristic inspection results recorded in different inspection operations. During results recording, an inspection characteristic undergoes a series of status changes. The authorization management function controls who has the authorization to record, valuate, or close results. To fulfill special security requirements for example, GMP, a digital signature may be required. You can use the following valuation modes to accept or reject an inspection result: Manual valuation Attributive inspection based on the number of nonconforming 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 Characteristics with independent, multiple samples are valuated at the sample level. For example, you might valuate such samples based on the worst-case principle, last-case principle, or bestcase principle. You may also valuate inspection points. Inspection points You can use inspection points to perform several inspections on one characteristic. You can define various inspection points in SAP ERP, including:
Time-dependent (for example, one inspection every hour) Quantity-related (for example, an inspection after 100 units have been produced) Freely defined (for example, one inspection per shift) Distribution functions After results recording, the software determines the fraction of nonconforming units for all inspection characteristics and uses this information to estimate the fraction of nonconforming units in the inspection lot. The most common mathematical distribution methods are supplied (normal, binomial, and Poisson distribution). Statistics You can display the following graphics in results recording: Histogram illustrates the frequency distribution of the sample results in the form of a bar chart. In this chart, you can identify typical and extreme values for a sample, as well as the location, dispersion range, and form of the distribution. Run chart displays the run of measured values for a characteristic over a period of time as a line chart. You can identify the dispersion and systematic location changes. You can also display trends. Control chart shows the time run of characteristic values in the production process with warning and action limits.
Process-Optimized Results Recording Work lists Personalized work lists provide you with a flexible selection of inspection lots. Examples of work lists include: Results recording for samples during laboratory inspections Results recording for equipment or functional locations during calibration inspections Tabular results recording You can record inspection results in tabular form as follows: Processing characteristics for several inspection lots You record results for inspection characteristics that occur in several inspection lots. In the recording table, the inspection lots selected in the work list are displayed in columns; the characteristics are displayed in rows. Processing several inspection points in an operation You record results for several inspection points in an operation. In the recording table, the inspection characteristics are displayed in columns; the corresponding inspection points are displayed in rows. Processing master inspection characteristics for all inspection lots You record the results for a specific master inspection characteristic for all inspection lots. In the recording table, the inspection lots are displayed in rows for the master inspection characteristic that has been selected.
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Results Copy The copy inspection results function: Copies inspection results from a source inspection lot into a target inspection lot Is highly flexible and can be tailored to your needs Supports several business processes Is a requirement from various industries This function is applicable for the transfer of results from precursors along the production chain (parent-child relationships) and for all types of recurring inspections, including the following: Periodic retests of batches Only some characteristics need to be reinspected, but all values from the initial inspection should be visible in every inspection lot. Calibration inspections During inspections of equipment or functional locations, some values of the previous inspection lot should be taken as the new starting point. Stability studies Some results from the initial test should always be available when scheduled inspections are carried out. Inspections during production Results of previous inspection points should be selected and copied to the next inspection point. The function for copying inspection results supports you in your inspection process in the following ways: Saves time during inspection processing Is applicable for a wide range of processes
Increases transparency and accuracy of inspection data Avoids manual errors through automatic data transfer Guarantees tracking of copied data (application log) Input Processing During results recording, a function for converting an entered value based on a given procedure can be activated via a business add-in. Input processing must be planned in the master inspection characteristic or in the inspection plan. The input value can be processed, for example, as follows: Output of a value calculated by performing a formula conversion on the original entry Output same as input Output of the significant rounded value instead of the original entry Output of the verification and determination limit instead of the original entry The value that was entered originally (including the decimal places entered) is also saved (original value). Operation Completion You can complete the operations in an inspection lot individually and according to requirements. This allows you to document the exact inspection process for an inspection lot. After an operation has been updated, follow-up actions can be triggered automatically, depending on your application settings. The function can be activated via customizing.
Dual Control Principle The idea behind the dual control principle is that the processing of an inspection result should not or even must not be made by only one person. For example, the required process involves one employee who enters the results for characteristics and a different employee who validates and completes the characteristics. This means that the results need to be checked by at least two different people. The dual control principle can reduce the risk of failures or misuse and help you to comply with regulations. You can activate this function via implementation of a related business add-in that offers the following functions: Entry and analysis of results of an inspection characteristic by two different users Possibility to force the completion of a characteristic SAP offers a sample implementation of this function that you can use as delivered; or you can copy and modify it to meet your needs. Web-Based Approach to Quality Control The Internet provides you with several possibilities for results recording. An example of this is recording results for source inspections. You provide your vendor with access to a specific Internet or intranet page, which requires special authorizations. The vendor records inspection results directly on the Web and saves the data. As a result, this QM data can be processed further by your SAP ERP application.
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In addition, SAP offers a role-based portal (see Figure 17) with work centers that are tailored specifically to the needs of the quality inspector. It supports a quality inspectors most important tasks: Results recording Defects recording Notification creation and processing Confirmation for production orders Quality reports Personalized work lists serve as triggers for the efficient completion of tasks. The role provides quick access to all pertinent quality data and a simplified user interface. Furthermore, it is
possible to trigger alerting immediately when problems or exceptions are identified. In addition, the role supports the quality inspector in using graphic tools to monitor and measure the most important quality key figures. Connecting Measuring Devices or External Systems QM with SAP ERP offers interfaces to connect to external systems for special tasks within quality inspection. Keyboard interface Keyboard interfaces convert the measured values into keyboard entries. You can link test equipment, such as elec-
tronic caliper gauges, bar-code readers, or laboratory balances, using a keyboard wedge. Various interface boxes are available on the market, which differ in the number and type of test equipment that can be connected. PC interface You can transfer inspection results from a measuring device into the relevant results fields in SAP ERP using file transfer. You can trigger the results transfer from external systems and also from within the results recording function in SAP ERP using driver programs. SAP provides examples for the driver programs. Inspection data interface The QM inspection data interface (QM-IDI) supports data exchange with external quality systems, such as computer-aided quality assurance (CAQ) systems and laboratory information management systems (LIMS). You use QM-IDI to process inspections in an external system. During inspection planning, you decide in which system an inspection operation should be processed. The inspection specifications are transferred to the external system during inspection lot creation in SAP ERP. After results are recorded in the external system, the inspection results or usage decisions are confirmed in SAP ERP. You can protect your IT investment by requiring that the external system is certified for the interface. Statistical interface The QM statistical interface (QM-STI) links QM functionality with SAP ERP
Figure 17: Example for Portal Work Center for a Quality Inspector
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to external evaluation systems. As a result, you can perform evaluations that are not supported by the statistical functions in SAP ERP for results recording (control charts, histograms, and process capability indexes). You can use a format defined by SAP to transfer recorded inspection results from the quality management function in SAP ERP to the external evaluation system. You can use QM-STI for manual statistical analysis of inspection results from SAP ERP, or you can specify an automatic start of predefined statistical analyses. SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence The SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence application supports integration of manufacturing systems with SAP ERP. It enables you to integrate directly and provides functions for Web-based user interfaces for accessing QM data in SAP ERP. For details, see the section SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence for Quality Analytics. Defect Data Defects recording provides information to control quality and optimize processes. It enables Pareto analyses of defect types and causes according to their weighting or how frequently they occur. It provides empirical values for risk indicators in FMEA. You record defects with reference to an inspection lot, inspection operation, or inspection characteristic. To record defects, you do not need inspection
specifications. If an inspection plan is available, the defect data records can be assigned to an inspection characteristic contained in the plan. QM with SAP ERP then suggests the type of defects recording that 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, defect location, or defect cause) and additional text. A defect data record can be converted into a quality notification. As a result, the whole range of functions in notifications can be used (for example, the link to workflow).
Processing status of the physical sample When the inspection planner defines a sample-drawing procedure and assigns it to the inspection plan, routing, or master recipe, physical-sample records are created automatically for the inspection lot. You define the following information in the sample-drawing procedure: Type and number of samples Primary samples (one-stage physical-sample drawing) Primary and pooled samples (twostage physical-sample drawing) Reserve samples (to be stored for subsequent inspections) Whether the application should calculate physical samples on the basis of the lot container type or the lot quantity Whether the drawing of the physical samples needs to be confirmed separately Processing Physical Samples Figure 18 depicts the types of planning and processing for physical samples. Sample-drawing instruction For a planned physical-sample drawing, the application can print a sampledrawing instruction at inspection lot creation. This instruction contains information from the inspection plan and physical-sample drawing procedure about drawing, processing, and distributing samples at work centers or laboratories. Physical-sample drawing When the application creates the physical-sample records for the
Sample Management
When sample management is active in QM with SAP ERP, you can use the application to manage samples. To help you manage samples effectively, a unique physical-sample record is created for each physical sample. The physical-sample record contains 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, pooled sample, or reserve sample Information for the physical-sample drawing with data on the sample origin, such as material, batch, material document, and order Detailed information about the physical sample, such as the inspection lot or storage information
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inspection lot, it assigns a unique physical-sample drawing number. This number helps you identify the physical samples that were drawn from the lot. You can also identify how many pooled and reserve samples were formed. The following functions are available for the physical-sample drawing: Confirmation of the physical-sample drawing and release of the samples You can control whether or not the physical-sample drawing must be confirmed. A confirmation would result in the release of all samples associated with the relevant physicalsample drawing. A digital signature may be required to make the confirmation. This digital signature ensures that only people with the relevant authorization can confirm a physicalsample drawing. Label printing You can trigger label printing for physical samples. The labels can be printed with bar codes.
Sample check The physical samples are displayed automatically in a work list for results recording. You can process these samples immediately, provided that they have the appropriate status. Valuation Once you have performed all inspection operations and have recorded the inspection results, the physical samples must be valuated on the basis of the operations (that is, accepted or rejected). When all physical samples in the inspection lot are valuated, you make the usage decision for the lot. Unplanned Samples It is possible to manage unplanned samples using QM with SAP ERP. You can perform the following tasks: Create the physical samples manually without reference to an existing physical-sample drawing or inspection lot
Benefits: Integrates in the process of the product life cycle and the supply chain Provides real-time data, transparent for employees, compliant with legal requirements
Supplement an existing physicalsample drawing by creating additional physical samples Create a new physical-sample drawing manually, with reference to an existing inspection lot, production order, process order, or production version You must create inspection lots manually to be able to record inspection results for unplanned physical samples. You can use this function to perform the following tasks: Check the stability of reserve samples Inspect samples from competitors Inspect samples from a customer complaint
Creation Planned Physical Samples Automatic creation of physical samples at inspection lot creation Manual creation of physical samples Manual creation of physical-sample drawing with reference to an inspection lot Manual creation of inspection lots for existing physical samples
Unplanned Physical Samples
Manual Inspection Lots
Figure 18: Types of Planning and Processing for Physical Samples
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QUALITY CERTIFICATES: GUARANTEED RELIABILITY PRINTED OR ON THE INTERNET
Certificate Processing in Sales and Distribution

Your company produces high-quality products. As quality manager, it is your responsibility to provide evidence of the quality of your goods for your customers. Whether you require certificates of analysis for the chemical or pharmaceutical industry, or certificates of conformity, test certificates, workstest certificates, or inspection certificates for material inspection laboratories in the steel industry the quality certificate fulfills all of your requirements. In addition to the usual output forms for certificates (printer or fax), you can make certificates available to your customers on the Internet, or you can transfer certificate data electronically for further processing. Flexible Certificate Planning You define the layout and content of a certificate in certificate planning. The form determines the layout of the document that is, the appearance and
logo. You define required content in the certificate profile. Due to the flexible interaction of the certificate profile and form, you can meet multiple requirements using just a 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 (specification values and inspection results) in the certificate. SAP ERP selects data from inspection lots, batch specifications, or characteristic master records. Texts for characteristics can also be obtained directly from the certificate profile. Only those inspection lots that meet specific selection criteria that have been defined in the certificate profile are considered for data formatting. Consequently, inspection lots that have, for example, reached a predefined quality score can be selected. If there is no inspection result for a characteristic due to a skip, SAP ERP searches for other data sources using
predefined strategies. You can enhance the data procurement functions and replacement strategies available in SAP ERP by programming function modules. The form master record allows you to tailor your certificates to your companys needs. To simplify this process, SAP ERP provides examples based on SAPscript forms, a proprietary tool for text management and form printing, and Adobe forms (PDF-based print form). In addition to printing characteristics that are directly linked to the product requiring the certificate, you can also define which characteristic data (from raw materials and semifinished products used when creating the finished product) are printed on the certificate (see Figure 19). At this point, you can refer to inspections or batch classifications. SAP ERP selects batches for data formatting that are linked to one another by production orders, process orders, or production versions. The characteristic values for
Product: Batch: Char: Char:
RAW01 R1-1 R10 R11
Product: SEMI01 Batch: S1-1 Product: Batch: Char: Char: SEMI3-1 S3-1 S31 S32
Product: RAW03 Batch: R3-1 Char: R30
FIN01 F1-1 F10 R11
RAW02 R2-2 R10 R11
Product: SEMI02 Batch: R2-1 Char: S20
SEMI04 S4-1 S41 S42
Product: R10 Batch: S20 Char: S41 Char: F10
Figure 19: Example of a Quality Certificate for a Finished Product with Characteristic Values from Raw Materials and Semifinished Products
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these materials in the production chain can also be taken from other plants. Apart from the characteristic data defined in the certificate profile, you can structure the certificate to contain all other information that is available at certificate creation. Such information might, for example, include data from the sales order.
Certificate Creation Meeting Your Requirements

For single delivery items, certificates are issued automatically when goods are shipped, together with delivery notes. These certificates are then included with goods deliveries. You can create certificates at any stage of the shipment process, as long as the data required is accessible; for example, when picking is completed or goods are issued. If you want to make certificates available to customers before goods delivery, you can make them accessible on the Internet or send them electronically.
SAP ERP finds the correct certificate profile, recipient, and shipping terms with the help of the flexible condition technique. The software can search for the address of the certificate recipient by using, for example, the sold-to party, the ship-to party, delivery type, or shipping point. Then it decides whether the certificate is to be issued in printed form, by fax, or electronically. Next, it searches for the corresponding profile for the material group, material, customer, or a combination. All the information required for these searches is contained in data for the delivery. As the final step, SAP ERP determines the contents of the certificate based on the requirements in the certificate profile, such as characteristic values in picking batches. It structures the information according to the specified form and transfers the resulting certificate to the output medium, and, if required, the optical archive. You can also manually trigger the creation of certificates for deliveries, inspection lots, or batches, and control
their output. You can create a print preview to check the contents of the certificate before it is finally issued. In addition, the processing status of delivery item data is maintained consistently so that you can always tell if a certificate was created properly.
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Benefits: Easy creation of certificates Automatic warnings if a certificate is missing at goods receipt Fewer errors by using electronic data transfer at goods receipt Time and money savings through using individualized and fully automatic certificate creation for deliveries System-independent access of certificates on the Internet or intranet Multiple output formats: XML, PDF, fax, or print Electronic transfer of quality data to your business partners
Figure 20: Quality Certificate
Certificate Processing at Goods Receipt

As a quality inspector, you are responsible for monitoring the receipt of certificates during the procurement process. If you have marked a material as requiring a certificate, you must confirm that a quality certificate has been received for purchase orders or goods receipts. You generally confirm this information at goods receipt. However, you can wait to confirm that a certificate has
been received until the usage decision is made for the incoming inspection lot. If a certificate has not been received, SAP ERP may post the stock to restricted-use stock. You can store certificates that have been received using SAP ArchiveLink. You can also send reminders for missing certificates 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 with
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certificates that are sent electronically. If you receive an electronic certificate with reference to a delivery, you can copy the quality data from the certificate for further processing.
send a certificate, like the one shown in Figure 20, via electronic data interchange (EDI). Certificate Access on the Internet As the vendor, you can allow your customers to access SAP ERP over the Internet and access a quality certificate for their purchased goods. Depending on their needs, it is possible for customers to access a certificate that is created when accessed or one that
was created for a delivery item and is already stored using SAP ArchiveLink. Quality Data Exchange If you want to enable a recipient to use the quality data displayed on a certificate, you must send the certificate electronically (using EDI) to the target system. If the quality certificate refers to a delivery to a customer, you can automatically transfer the inspection results printed on the certificate to a goods receipt inspection lot (see Figure 21). You can also manually copy the results to another inspection lot, for example, a source inspection lot. Certificate data can be transferred to a recipient system for further processing without a link to a specific delivery. In such cases, the certificate data refers to the inspection lot or batch. You can also transfer data to your business partners that do not use SAP software.
Collaborative Business: Certificate Data for the Whole Company

You can make certificates available to your employees and business partners over the Internet. In addition, you can
Vendor
* IDOC = intermediate document ** EDI = electronic data interchange
SAP ERP Certificate Creation Customer
IDOC* Reference Data EDI** Quality Data Certificate (PDF) XML Other
IDOC Reference Data Quality Data Certificate (PDF)
Reference Data Certificate Record Certificate (PDF)
Optical Archive
Figure 21: Quality Data Exchange
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EFFICIENT PROBLEM MANAGEMENT
Improved Quality Through Targeted Problem Handling

To optimize business processes in your company, you must respond to requests and problems quickly and efficiently. As the notification processor, you coordinate the processing of incoming requests or problem notifications and propose suitable tasks. You can ensure that all problems are assigned and solved correctly. You are involved in the analysis, cause determination, and handling of problems. You are also responsible for checking the implemented tasks for their effectiveness. Notifications in an SAP Environment The integrated notification function supports you when you create and process various issues and problems. As a special feature of QM with SAP ERP, you can record quality problems, document defects and causes, and
implement corrective tasks for quality improvement using the quality notification. In addition to the quality notification, the following notifications are available to you: General notification for general requests or subjects (without a business assignment) Maintenance notification for recording and processing problem notifications for technical objects Service notification for processing service activities Feedback notification for requests or problems related to SAP ERP Claim for documenting deviations from a project plan (for example, schedule deviation or cost variance)
quality notifications, you can deal with both simple problems and problems related to complex processes in the logistics supply chain (for example, complaints processing for deliveries or processing of returns), as shown in Figure 22. Notification Types The subjects defined in quality notifications generally refer to exceptions in everyday business processes. If you create a notification, you use the notification type to define the subject from a business viewpoint. The notification type determines the process flow. SAP ERP contains the following quality notification types (see Figure 23): Customer complaint Complaint against the vendor Internal problem notification Requests or problems that cannot, at first, be assigned at a business level
Using Quality Notifications

Notifications are an efficient tool for processing exception situations. Using
Notification Processing
Unplanned Event
Description/ assignment
Analysis
Tasks/ activities
Entering costs
Solution
Internet/ intranet Workflow
Solution database
Evaluations Action box Status management
Figure 22: Notifications for Continuous Process Improvement
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Customers Customer complaint
Company Complaint against the vendor
Vendors
flow. You can implement tasks and record costs. You can also perform defects analysis for the individual problems. You define the necessary corrective tasks and assign them to the appropriate employees. You complete the problem notification after all tasks have been completed successfully and their costs have been calculated. The steps you perform mirror the status of the individual tasks and the complete quality notification. You can display the most significant processing steps of a notification in the action log.
Internal problems
Figure 23: Quality Notification Types
are entered using the general notification. As the responsible notification processor, you assign a suitable notification type to a general notification, depending on the subject of the notification. The notification type controls all further processing. Quality notifications can be recorded manually or automatically: You can create a notification manually on the Internet, intranet, or directly in SAP ERP. For defects recording during inspection processing, a quality notification can be created automatically.
problems. All notification functions are available in the enhanced view. This view is particularly useful if the employees responsibility extends beyond the creation of the notification. If you are responsible for creating the notification, you must first describe the subject in text form, then name a reference object, if possible (for example, a sales order or delivery), and assign an appropriate priority to the problem. QM with SAP ERP copies the linked information to the notification. When you enter the notification, you can see immediately if, for example, notifications already exist for the same material or customer. You can immediately switch to one of these notifications and access information about how to solve the problem. As the responsible notification processor, you are informed about notifications using work lists or through work-
Quality Notifications
You can adapt the structure and information in a quality notification to meet your requirements. In addition to the notification types supplied by SAP, you can define your own notification 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 Activate digital signature for distinct business transactions at header or task level
Notification Processing
If you manually enter and process general notifications, you can use simplified or enhanced processing views. The simplified view is meant for employees who do not require the whole range of notification functions. This view is used to quickly record
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Elements of the Quality Notification

Figure 24 shows the layout of data in a quality notification. Notification Header The header data record contains a description of the subject matter and, depending on the notification type, assigns objects affected by the notification (for example, purchase order, material, vendor, and inspection lot, or sales order, material, and customer). The priority and processing status are documented in the notification header. You can also access other objects linked to the notification in the notification header, such as documents or QM orders used for recording costs.
Notification Item Individual problems or errors that have occurred are documented as notification items. They contain information relating to defects analysis, such as the defect type and location. You can assign various causes to a notification item. You can access user-defined catalogs to describe the defect type, location, and cause. Tasks and Activities The tasks and activities used to correct the defects are subordinate to the notification item. Tasks and activities can be assigned to the notification header, so that you can take the first steps to resolve a problem even before the analysis is available.
Quality Notification
fy usage and control problem processing with regard to procedures. The action box includes typical tasks and activities for processing notifications. These tasks or activities are known as follow-up functions and can be executed with a mouse click. These follow-up functions are available: Creating letters of complaint or eight-discipline (8-D) reports for complaints against the vendor Requesting permission to deviate from specifications Creating a new quality notification from an existing notification Sending decisions by e-mail, fax, or print preview (for example, confirmation of receipt, interim notice, or final notice) Accessing the solution database Documenting calls related to the notification The follow-up process is simplified through the use of colors to mark the processing statuses of follow-up functions and dependent follow-up functions. In this way, you can recognize immediately those follow-up functions that have already been processed and those that are outstanding. Solution Database Complaints must be processed quickly and efficiently. With an integrated solution database, you can quickly find solutions when processing notifications. You access the solution database from the action box and start a free-text search in the database using the entered problem description. You can quickly determine whether similar problems have occurred in the past and which tasks were used to solve them.
Partner
Defect Item
Activities
Tasks
Activities
Tasks
Causes
Figure 24: Structure of a Quality Notification
Partners The partners involved in the creation or processing of a notification (for example, vendors or customers) are listed in the notification. You can also include departments and people within your company who are involved in notification processing as partners.
Optimized Usage
SAP ERP has several useful functions that optimize the use of quality notifications. In addition, several tools can streamline notification processing. Action Box You can use the action box to flexibly enhance the functions in the notification to suit your needs. You can simpli-
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Flexible Work Lists Work lists are available to you for processing quality notifications, defect items, tasks, and activities. In particular, for notifications 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 Workflow If you use SAP Business Workflow, all parties involved in notification processing are informed about their tasks. Depending on the status of notifications or tasks, work items are entered in the mailbox of the responsible parties. You can access the necessary processing functions directly from a work item. If the responsible processor is unable to complete the task within the deadline, workflow forwards the operation to a department or employee responsible for urgent outstanding tasks. This is also referred to as escalation. Response Profile Depending on the priority of the notification, you can define a sequence of standard tasks using a response profile. These tasks can then be proposed on request in the notification; they must be completed within a specified period of time. Document Flow You can display all documents that are linked to the notification in a list or as a graphic.
Digital Signature By activating the digital signature for notifications, you can request a digital signature for selected process steps when processing a notification; for example, when setting a status such as released. The activation can be done at the header or task level for any business transaction and notification type. Signature strategies can be applied.
line for completion and the person responsible for each task. SAP ERP manages the status of each task and allows you to complete a quality notification only when all the tasks have been processed. The structure of the quality notification differentiates between immediate and corrective tasks. Immediate Task The purpose of an immediate task is to provide an immediate response to the problem that produced the quality notification and to prevent any further damage from occurring. These types of tasks are assigned to the quality notification header and can be implemented without specifying a defect or defect cause. Examples of immediate tasks include the following: Blocking warehouse stock Triggering an additional inspection Sending a confirmation letter Corrective Task The purpose of a corrective task is to eliminate the defect and its cause and to prevent it from recurring. You assign corrective tasks to an individual notification item (defect). Examples of corrective tasks include the following: Changing a work instruction Implementing training Modifying a routing Follow-Up Actions You can link tasks with automatic follow-up actions. As a result, you can, for example, initiate inspections, block supply relationships, or create a purchase order for a return delivery.
Analysis of Items and Defects

Quality notifications are designed to analyze defects. There is one notification item (defect data record) for each defect that has been recorded. In this record, you can describe the defect type and location, and you can use company-specific codes to document the problem. 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 function, you can classify defects, define additional defect characteristics, specify value ranges for these characteristics, and record characteristic values. In addition, you can enhance defect analysis by documenting the causes of the defects and by defining corrective tasks.
Tasks
A task is a processing step that is performed during notification processing. You can track the processing status of the task with a status sequence that you define. You can specify the dead-
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Activities You can define activities to document that a specific action has been implemented.
Sending faxes and e-mails When processing a notification, you can send information to an internal or external address as a fax or by e-mail. Storage and Documentation Shop papers Although SAP ERP supports paper-free processing of quality notifications, it is sometimes useful to have printed shop papers to present the information in the form of a fax or to store in a file. QM with SAP ERP provides the following shop papers: Notification overview Notification items Complaint report Confirmation report Interim notice Final report 8-D report If required, you can create your own shop papers and structure them with the help of the SAPscript textprocessing function or Adobe PDF function. You can use the examples delivered with SAP ERP as models for designing your own. Assignment of documents Using the document management function, you can assign documents, such as CAD drawings, Word documents, and HTML documents, to a notification. These documents are then available to you during notification processing. Storage with SAP ArchiveLink Using SAP ArchiveLink, which is accessible in the quality notification, you can archive and manage printed or electronically transmitted documents. Outgoing documents, printed or transmitted by
Support Functions
Additional functions are available to support quality notifications. You can make notification recording available to business partners on the Internet. In addition, you can archive quality notifications using SAP ArchiveLink. Communication Notifications on the Internet and intranet Using an Internet connection for quality notifications, you can reduce the resources and time needed for recording a complaint, thereby improving notification processing. A customer records a problem on the Internet. QM with SAP ERP then triggers internal operations using the workflow function. The customer can display the processing status of the notification at any time on the Internet. If notifications are created for general requests or problems from an employees working environment, the Internet service request is the medium for finding solutions quickly and through which the following are performed: Recording different issues Searching for solutions using the integrated solution database Triggering multiple internal service processes Forwarding the notification to the person responsible for processing using SAP Business Workflow
Benefits: Rapid processing of unplanned events Active participation by employees in the continuous improvement of processes Easy communication and work processing by using the Internet or intranet independently of the application Time and money savings because of the optimal control of subsequent processes
fax, are stored in an optical archive. Incoming documents can be recorded with SAP ArchiveLink and assigned to a new or an existing quality notification. If processing is to start immediately, a workflow can be triggered when the incoming document is recorded. The workflow function forwards tasks to the partner responsible for processing work items using the business workplace function.
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SUSTAINED QUALITY CONTROL PLANNING, EVALUATION, AND DIRECT INTERVENTION
Quality control involves strategic planning, continuous monitoring, and rapid intervention to deal with unexpected events. SAP offers you a complete set of tools for this purpose. The role of quality manager in SAP NetWeaver Portal provides the basis for your quality controlrelated tasks, which range from strategic planning to monitoring and evaluating inspections and notifications. iViews (portlets) provide an overview of all important key figures and evaluations in QM with SAP ERP. As a result, you can continuously evaluate your quality strategy and modify it on the fly if a problem arises. An easy-to-use data warehouse, which is included in SAP NetWeaver BI, brings related data together to give you the reliable company key figures you need.
QM with SAP ERP takes the quality level into account when determining the inspection scope and defining the inspection specifications in the inspection instruction. Inspection lots are summarized in a quality level according to specific criteria. For example, inspection lots in production are summarized according to material, plant, and task list, while inspection lots for goods receipt inspections are summarized according to material, vendor, manufacturer, plant, and task list. Figure 25 shows how master data and transaction data interact during dynamic modification of the inspection scope. The main features of this interaction are as follows: Dynamic modification rules apply uniformly for all inspection characteristics of a task list, individually for certain inspection characteristics, or generally for the inspection type that is active for the material.
Transactional Data
Tightening or reducing the inspection scope based on the results of a previous inspection is controlled either by the valuation of the inspection lot (dynamic modification by lot) or by the valuations of the individual inspection characteristics (dynamic modification by characteristic). When several lots of the same material are to be inspected simultaneously, there are two times when the software can dynamically modify the inspection scope: The inspection scope is modified in advance by assuming that all open characteristics will be accepted. If a lot is rejected unexpectedly as a result of an inspection, the inspection scope will be updated again after the usage decision has been made. The inspection scope is modified after the usage decision for the current inspection lot has been made.
Dynamic Modification of the Inspection Scope

Dynamic modification controls the inspection scope (based on inspection characteristics and sample sizes) for a series of inspection lots to achieve a predetermined quality goal. General technical rules, such as the sampling standards of ISO 2859-1 and ISO 3951, follow this principle. QM with SAP ERP contains a complete set of sampling tables for these standards. To help you reach your quality goal, SAP ERP determines inspection stages for the next inspection lot after each usage decision. It uses the dynamic modification rule in the task list to determine inspection stages and then writes them to a quality-level data record.
Lot level Quality level Characteristic level Sampling Inspection instruction Quality inspection Inspection Lot Processing Characteristic inspection result Usage decision
Inspection lot creation Task list selection Inspection scope
Master Data Inspection Plan Header Characteristic Sampling Procedure Sampling plan Acceptable Quality Level Assignment Dynamic Modification Rule Stage change Inspection Stages
Sampling Scheme Sampling Plans Based on Lot Size
Figure 25: Dynamic Modification of the Inspection Scope
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On the Right Track with Statistical Process Control

Statistical process control allows you to monitor, regulate, and improve the quality of processes. Quality Control Chart The most important tool for statistical process control is the quality control chart, a graphic tool for documenting, analyzing, and controlling processes (see Figure 26). You can use this chart in an inspection during production and during the procurement or shipping process. You choose one or more control variables for the relevant characteristic, determine their values at regular intervals by taking samples during the process, and enter them in the chart in chronological order.
Figure 26: Illustration of an X-Bar/S Control Chart
Types of Control Charts QM with SAP ERP provides the following types of control charts: Mean value with tolerances (acceptance chart) Mean value without tolerances (Shewhart chart) Standard deviation (Shewhart chart) Range (Shewhart chart) Moving average Exponentially weighted moving average Individual moving range for sample size n=1 Charts for qualitative characteristics (np-, p-, u- and c-chart) Normal distribution is used for quantitative characteristics; Poisson distribution is used for qualitative characteristics.
You can show the mean value and standard deviation of a characteristic on one control chart with two tracks. In addition to the control variable, each track also contains control limits. If these limits are exceeded, you have the ability to intervene in the process. For some control chart types, you can predefine warning limits or a centerline. The limits are determined using statistical methods from the current process data or from the results of an initial run. You can also enter them 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 of these charts are extended if a long-term reduction in the process variance is achieved. If you are using a Shewhart chart, the limits become tighter as a result of a long-term reduction in the process variance. These charts only take internal process parameters into account, not external tolerance specifications. They use a continuously recurring statistical test to check that the controlled status of the process has not changed. As an inspection planner, you determine whether a quality control chart is to be maintained for a given inspection characteristic. The charts may include
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several inspection lots or production orders. SAP ERP creates the quality control charts when preparing the quality inspection and updates them when you record results. As a quality inspector, you can display the charts when you are recording results and, if you have the appropriate authorization, you can use them to calculate intervention and warning limits. If necessary, you can change the algorithms. You can evaluate inspection results using the quality control chart. QM with SAP ERP contains a valuation rule that rejects a sample as soon as any limit is exceeded. When this occurs, the workflow automatically notifies the department (as long as the defect class has been set appropriately in the defect code of the task-list characteristic). You can view all of the control charts you are responsible for in a work list. If you are working in the quality manager role, an iView (portlet) shows you all charts where control limits have been exceeded. Western Electric Rules Apart 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 patterns are referred to as Western Electric Rules. In the work list for control 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 of the related work-list transaction, you can decide whether: You want to immediately carry out a check according to Western Electric Rules. In this case, all control charts that correspond to the selection criteria are checked.
You want to view a list of control charts from which you can choose individual control charts to be checked. Violations of Western Electric Rules are displayed in a list along with the chart number, track, and sample number. From this list, you can branch to the inspection results to display detailed information on the individual inspections and to view the control chart. In the mean-value chart, you can display the process capability indexes Cp and Cpk in a second window (see Figure 27).
Figure 27: Process Capability Index Cpk
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You can use a histogram evaluation to display the frequency distribution of measured values in a bar chart. This allows you to recognize typical and extreme values of a sample, as well as to judge the location, dispersion, and form of the distribution. You can blend the histogram out and replace it with a normal distribution 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, SAP ERP uses these classes to display the histogram. Otherwise, it divides the existing values into appropriate classes. You can increase or decrease the number of classes using the zoom function. SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence for Quality Analytics For integrating systems, databases, or other external applications (especially on the shop floor) and also for performing comprehensive analytics on quality data, SAP offers SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence. Integration templates in the application provide
content-based examples of how to integrate business processes supported by SAP ERP with shop floorrelated processes using SAP MII transactional techniques. For example, there is sample software for an easy-to-use, Webbased results recording function based on SAP MII. Shop-floor operators would use it for in-process control. SAP MII enables real-time out-of-the box transactional integration between plant-floor and enterprise (SAP ERP) applications through the following: Universal connectivity to the data, functionality, and processes of existing plant-floor systems through business logic for creating automated events, KPIs, and alerts Workflow to synchronize plant and enterprise business processes Manufacturing intelligence with a near-real-time analytics engine that aggregates and delivers unified visualization of events, alerts, KPIs, and decision support to production personnel In addition to this, SAP MII provides a connector framework to establish or develop connectivity to various production and test devices. SAP is building a partner ecosystem around SAP MII. For more information on SAP MII, go to www.sap.com/solutions/xapps/xmii.
Quality Scores Quality scores for inspection lots are a proven tool for quality control. QM with SAP ERP provides you with several ways of determining the quality score. It uses information from the following 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
Vendor Evaluation: Permanent and Objective Performance Monitoring

When procuring materials, you can use the vendor evaluation function 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 (see Figure 28).
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Procurement
Main Criteria Weighting
Subcriteria
Weighting
Price 30%
A1 A2 A3 A1 A2 A3 A4 A1 A2 A3 A4 A1 A2
Price level Price behavior Other Goods receipt inspection Complaint Audit Other On-time delivery performance Quality reliability Uniform shipping instructions Other Technology Other
% % % % % % % % % % % % %
These tools complement each other. Report lists primarily evaluate operative data. SAP NetWeaver BI and the QM information system, however, analyze summarized data that can be stored for a long period of time. Results History With the help of the results history, you can analyze single values that were recorded for a characteristic in the results recording function and when you made the usage decision. You define the period of time to be analyzed. You can prepare the data in list form and graphically represent the progression of values over a period of time using a run chart. With the help of a trend analysis you can represent the predicted course of the values. Exporting the data, for example, to a Microsoft Excel file provides additional options for processing the data. QM Cockpit for Evaluations With the help of the QM cockpit for evaluations, you can analyze qualityrelated data based on inspection lots, defects, and quality notifications (see Figure 29). Batch where-used lists provide quality-related data of components or preliminary products. During the analysis you can use tables or informative graphics to visualize the results. These graphics can be adjusted to suit your requirements. Multiple graphics can be displayed at the same time, for example, with reference to an inspection lot, to facilitate comparisons. You can calculate key figures, which you can define to meet your needs.
Quality 40% Vendor Evaluation Delivery 20%
Service 10%
A
Figure 28: Vendor Evaluation in SAP ERP
Determined automatically
The subcriteria for quality, the main criterion, come from the following sources: Goods receipt inspection the average of the quality scores of all goods receipt lots from the vendor for a specific time period Complaints the number of complaints received in relation to totals sales or total revenue, for example QM audit either the average quality score of all audits executed during a specified time period or the quality score of the most recent audit You define the criteria and their relative weighting according to your company requirements.
Evaluations: Keeping You Up-to-Date

The following evaluation tools are available in QM with SAP ERP: Results history of mean and single values with integrated analysis of trends QM cockpit for evaluations with SAP ERP for online and archived QM data SAP NetWeaver BI with integrated business content QM information system SAP MII for integrated quality analytics based on disparate systems Report lists programmed using the ABAP programming language Predefined SAP reports Logical databases as the basis for customer-specific reports
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QM-STI enables the export of data for additional statistical evaluations, which can be visualized directly integrated in the QM cockpit for evaluations. According to the selection of the object type, such as inspection lot, notification, or component, different selections and grouping layouts are offered. Via the grouping layout, you can easily decide which information is relevant for you and which aggregation level is needed. You can evaluate both current and archived data and compare the inspection results for several characteristics. In the cockpit you can create different types of control charts without any preparation in the related inspection characteristics. You can analyze defects together with inspection lots or as notifications. A new graphic type is available for the visualization of defect frequencies. Additional key figures for defect risks are also available. Notifications can be analyzed together with defect causes. For components, you can analyze and visualize inspection lots, notifications, or defects from the production cycle. Quality Management Information System Inspection results and quality notifications are summarized on the basis of time, plant, or work center and updated in the QM information system. You can decide whether you want the update to be performed on the basis of material, material and vendor, or material and customer.
Figure 29: Evaluation of Components Using the QM Cockpit
Since the QM information system is part of the logistics information system, you can combine evaluations with information from other areas of logistics, such as production or purchasing. Output data is displayed in list form or as a graphic and can be sent as an e-mail attachment. Other features are activitybased costing and portfolio analyses. Using the standard query tools, you can freely define your own evaluations and reports. Standard analyses The QM information system contains a selection of standard evaluations for your materials, vendors, and customers, including key figures such as process capability indexes, defects frequencies, or skip quotas. You can tailor both the presentation and content of the QM information system to suit your needs. Flexible analyses You can configure your own reports on the basis of standard information structures or self-defined structures. You can also link your key figures to
company key figures using formulas. Even if you have no programming experience, you can create reports quickly and easily using flexible analysis. Early warning system An early warning system helps you identify problems at an early stage by warning you if an exception situation occurs. You can define the exception situations. When an exception situation arises, you are informed immediately via 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 information structures or your self-defined structures. You can also use mathematical algorithms or set the software to recognize threshold values or trends. Report Lists Using ABAP Query You can create evaluations that are not available as standard with a simple mouse click using the ABAP query tool or predefined logical databases. The link to printing and presentation functions occurs automatically.
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SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence SAP NetWeaver BI offers data warehousing that fits effortlessly into the IT landscape of SAP ERP and other software applications. It contains preconfigured business content for your role of quality manager or quality planner. Business content includes data extraction, metadata and information models, and ready-made templates for tables and graphs in Microsoft Excel or HTML. Inspection results The specifications and results of your quality inspections can be evaluated down to the sample level of an individual characteristic. The spectrum of key figures ranges from the number of inspected or rejected samples to indicators for process capability, 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 SAP NetWeaver BI once the usage decision has been made. You can obtain information in graphic or tabular form on the frequency of individual usage decisions, the number of inspected and skipped lots, the actual inspected quantity, the percentage of nonconforming units, or the quality score. For example, you can consolidate the information and sort it according to vendor or purchasing organization. Quality notifications Quality notifications reflect unplanned events that occur during the quality process. For every notification, a selection of attributes and key figures is
transferred to SAP NetWeaver BI. In this way, you receive summarized or detailed information regarding the notification process, with an emphasis on reference objects such as customer, vendor, material, or assembly. On the organizational side, the emphasis is placed on purchasing and sales divisions, material groups, or the country of origin of your customers. Among the key figures, you can obtain the number of notifications, cumulative or average processing time, defective and returned quantities, and proportion of notifications completed on time. In addition, you can get information on new, outstanding, and successfully completed tasks. Defects, defect locations, causes, activities, and tasks Using QM with SAP ERP, you document defects in the inspection lot or as notification items. SAP NetWeaver BI shows you which defect types occurred, where they occurred, and what caused them. Activities and tasks associated with the notification are also extracted. The same reference objects as in quality notifications are available to you in the form of navigational attributes. All coding is also available. For example, you can determine which defects occur regularly in a specific location. Many key figures used by the quality manager are based on information obtained from internal systems running non-SAP software as well as external systems. Examples of this information include the vendor evaluation in purchasing, returned quantities in stock
management, scrap and rework quantities in production, or returns in sales. This information is integrated in the business content and can be linked with key figures from SAP ERP, thereby providing you with a complete picture of quality in your company. QM-STI for External Evaluations QM-STI is an open interface used for evaluating inspection results in external systems. You configure it in customizing and trigger the external application by simply clicking a button in one of the following QM functions with SAP ERP: Results recording Usage decision Control chart Results history Search for Quality Data The SAP NetWeaver Enterprise Search application provides SAP applications with numerous services for searching, classifying, and text mining in large collections of documents (unstructured data) as well as for searching in and aggregating business objects (structured data). In QM with SAP ERP, the search function is available for quality-related data such as: Master inspection characteristic Inspection method Supplier information record Quality notification The search function is offered during data entry within change and display transactions for a given object; a simple and an extended search function are provided.
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Even when the entry is imprecise or the entered search string contains typing errors, results can be found using a fuzzy search. Depending on the setting of the search criteria in customizing, you can search for notifications of one special type, for example, only for quality notifications.
Taking Control of Quality Costs

With SAP ERP, the controlling function plans, collects, and evaluates all costs incurred by a company. These costs include quality-related costs. In QM with SAP ERP, you record appraisal costs originating from quality inspections or nonconformity costs originating from quality notifications. Quality costs from other applications (for example, human resource management) can be included in the cost calculation. The controlling component uses QM orders to manage quality costs. The following types of QM orders are provided in SAP ERP: 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 can create or assign a corresponding QM order.
Appraisal Costs Appraisal cost orders are stored in the material master and assigned by SAP ERP as cost collectors to individual inspection lots. If, however, a special settlement is required for an inspection, that settlement takes precedence. This can happen, for example, when the lot belongs to a production order or when it comes from a goods receipt for a purchase order that is assigned to a cost center account. SAP ERP calculates appraisal costs using the activities that you, as the inspector, confirm. You can confirm activities, for example, on the basis of the hours worked. Accounting fixes the types of activities, such as setup or inspection time, and the valid charges for the cost center that performs the activity. The activities performed for inspection lots are logged during results recording or when the usage decision is made. Activities performed for inspections during production are confirmed when confirmations for production orders are made. Other inspection costs, such as material usage, are settled to the order in which you confirm the inspection activity. Nonconformity Costs To settle nonconformity costs for a quality notification, you create a QM order when processing a notification. You assign the order to the notification header and use it as a cost collector
Benefits: Use dynamic modification to reduce your appraisal costs Monitor processes continuously using quality control charts Access important company key figures and evaluations immediately
for costs such as those relating to a warranty, to scrapping, or to the settlement of activities performed. You can also assign rework orders to this cost collector account. This allows you to debit all costs for a quality notification to the appropriate personnel and analyze the costs.
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TEST EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT
As a test equipment manager, you are responsible for managing, monitoring, calibrating, and maintaining test equipment. Test equipment 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
Using the results history, you can verify the suitability of each piece of equipment and the accuracy of the inspections performed using this equipment. Tracking Test Equipment SAP ERP provides you with test equipment tracking functions. During a calibration inspection, you might notice that a piece of test equipment is no longer fit for use. In this case, you can check in the test equipment history to see which inspection lots and characteristics were inspected using this piece of equipment. You are then able to initiate the appropriate actions. Monitoring Technical Installations In addition to calibration inspections, you can use inspection lots created for maintenance orders for the extended recording of measured values in plant maintenance (for example, to monitor technical installations where critical values have to be recorded on a regular basis). Consequently, you can record inspection results for functional locations as well as for test equipment.
Master Data in a Calibration Inspection

Several master data records are used during a calibration inspection: equipment master data, maintenance plan, and maintenance task list. Equipment In SAP ERP, your companys test equipment data is stored in an equipment master record. This master record contains all of the data relevant to test equipment (such as acquisition value and date, manufacturer, work center, cost center, and location). To organize your test equipment and make it easier to locate, you can: Combine similar test equipment into groups Use the classification function to categorize test equipment according to technical features Assign test equipment to a construction type (material)
Calibration Inspections and SAP ERP

As shown in Figure 30, test equipment management in SAP ERP combines important planning and processing functions from QM with SAP ERP that are needed for master data management and for planning and performing calibration inspections. Releasing Test Equipment You can use the inspection results to decide whether a piece of test equipment can be released for further use.
Inspection Decisions Usage List
Order Processing Master Data Calibration Planning
Results History Work Lists
Calibration Orders Trend Analysis
Calibration Inspection
Notifications
Link Insp. Char. & Msmt. Pnts
Calibration Intervals
Figure 30: Functions of Test Equipment Management
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Maintenance Plan The maintenance plan is the central planning object in which you assign the list of equipment to be inspected, the maintenance task list, and the calibration schedule. The maintenance plan specifies which types of activities must be performed periodically and how often they are to be performed. In the maintenance plan, you can enter time-based or performance-based intervals for performing these activities. When maintenance deadlines are reached, SAP ERP automatically creates maintenance orders. Maintenance Task List In the task list, you plan the recurring work processes in a standardized form. To perform a calibration inspection, you can include inspection characteristics in the maintenance task list. In turn, you can include a maintenance task list in a maintenance plan. The task list specifies the activities to be performed for individual maintenance deadlines.
Maintenance Task List Maintenance Strategy Cycle Maintenance Item Maintenance Order
Test Equipment (Equipment Master Records)
Maintenance Plan Inspection Characteristics

Figure 31: Objects in a Calibration Inspection
Planning a Calibration Inspection

The automatic or manual scheduling of a maintenance plan triggers calibration inspections that are to be performed at regular intervals. When a maintenance plan is scheduled, SAP ERP creates a maintenance order; when this maintenance order is released, an inspection lot is created. The inspection lot contains all data required for the calibration inspection, such as a list of equipment to be inspected and the inspection specifications (see Figure 31).
To plan a calibration inspection, you must: Create master data You need master data such as equipment master records, maintenance plan, master inspection characteristics, and the maintenance task list. You define operations and the characteristics associated with these operations in the maintenance task list. Define inspection specifications Quantitative and qualitative inspection characteristics contain the inspection specifications (such as target values, tolerances, and codes for attributive valuations), and they determine how results are to be recorded. Define inspection intervals You can define inspection intervals using a central maintenance strategy that can apply to several maintenance plans. You can use maintenance strategies, for example, to define different intervals for each operation within a maintenance task list. You
have the option of defining a maintenance cycle (single-cycle plan) at the maintenance plan level that is valid for all operations of the maintenance task list. You define inspection intervals based either on time or performance. A timebased inspection interval might, for example, consist of an annual calibration on a key date. A performancebased inspection interval may involve a calibration after 1,000 uses of a piece of equipment. You can combine timeand performance-based calibrations in a multiple counter plan (for example, inspect after 6 months or, at the latest, after 1,000 uses of the equipment).
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Calibration Inspection
A calibration inspection covers the following activities: Scheduling the maintenance plan and creating the maintenance order and inspection lot The maintenance plan is usually scheduled automatically using a periodically run program. When this program is run, SAP ERP creates calls and converts these calls into orders when they become due. You can select a setting that releases orders directly, causing the inspection lots to be created. Inspecting and calibrating test equipment You can use various criteria to create a work list of the calibration inspections that are planned for a specific period. Such criteria might include, for example, all test equipment to be calibrated in the next week or test equipment sorted by cost center or work center. You can use this information to identify and prepare the test equipment for inspection. When a maintenance order is released, SAP ERP automatically creates an inspection lot. All orders that have been released and all inspection lots that are to be processed appear in a work list for results recording and can be processed in any sequence. If test equipment unexpectedly fails during use, you can create a maintenance notification (malfunction report). Within this maintenance notification, you can manually create a maintenance order to schedule a calibration inspection.
Usage Decision Update equipment status Release or Block Equipment
Inspection Lot
Adjust cycle modification factor
Reduce/Increase Inspection Interval
Equipment No. 12345
Update measurement documents
Document Inspection Result
Figure 32: Follow-Up Actions When Making the Usage Decision
Recording results You can record results in the work list for the equipment and use the characteristic types and recording functions of QM with SAP ERP. During a calibration inspection, you are able to make confirmations for the maintenance order; for example, to record costs for activities performed or for materials that were required for the calibration inspection. In addition, additional order processing functions are available, such as capacity planning or external assignment. If characteristics are rejected, you can create maintenance notifications, start corrective tasks, and document the success of these corrective tasks. Once you have recorded all the results for the equipment in each operation, you make an equipment valuation for the test equipment (accept or reject). When all the test equipment for an inspection lot has been valuated, you
make the usage decision for the inspection lot. As a result of the usage decision, SAP ERP can perform certain follow-up actions (see Figure 32): Update equipment status SAP ERP manages a status for each item of test equipment in the equipment master record. This status determines whether a piece of test equipment is released for use or blocked. On the basis of the equipment valuation, SAP ERP proposes the future status. This status can be updated in the equipment master record. If a piece of test equipment is blocked, you are alerted to this fact when the next order is released. Change inspection interval If an inspection shows that a piece of test equipment is still fit for use, but maintenance is due before the next inspection date, you can change the cycle modification factor when you make the usage decision. This has the effect of reducing the length of the next inspection interval.
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Create measurement documents If you have defined measuring points for your test equipment, SAP ERP can create measurement documents automatically for each measuring point. When this follow-up action is executed, the results of the calibration inspection are entered automatically in new measurement documents. You can access these documents in the equipment history. Complete maintenance order You can set the software to automatically complete the calibration order when the calibration inspection has been completed. In addition to the follow-up actions described above, you can also define your own follow-up actions, such as printing self-adhesive calibration labels specifying the date of the next calibration inspection.
Evaluations for Test Equipment

Results history You use the results history to display the results of previous inspections for specific characteristics of a piece of test equipment. Trend analysis using run chart If you display inspection results for an inspection characteristic as a run chart using the time axis in the results history, SAP ERP can indicate a trend (regression line) for the run of values. This provides you with an indication of when a tolerance limit will be exceeded. Usage lists The usage list for test equipment allows you to determine the cost center of the test equipment, its current or previous location, or the work center in which it was used. Test equipment history Using the test equipment history, you can determine which inspection lots and characteristics were inspected with a specific piece of test equipment. This is important when, for example, during a calibration inspection you determine that a piece of test equipment should no longer be in use (test equipment tracking).
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 your test equipment
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ENABLING AN INTEGRATED ENTERPRISE LABORATORY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH SAP ERP
The Enterprise LIMS Approach

Over the years, LIMS have evolved from custom-developed in-house systems used to track data in quality labs to proprietary commercial products. More recently, LIMS have evolved into standards-based systems. As a result, companies are beginning to think in terms of enterprise LIMS that not only support the full range of functions within the laboratory, but are integrated with systems throughout the company. The challenges labs face as they manage quality are related to turnaround time of lab tests, access to results data, accuracy of analyses, resource utilization, data exchange, record keeping, and productivity. With SAP ERP, a full range of quality management functions addresses these challenges in both commercial and industrial laboratories. In addition, SAP ERP offers an integrated LIMS as part of a larger, more comprehensive quality management solution, simplifying implementation and integration as well as streamlining quality processes. And SAP ERP is more than just another LIMS. Unlike traditional LIMS, it offers seamless integration into the supply chain and other key areas within the enterprise. By enabling companies to take an enterprise approach to LIMS, SAP ERP does the following: Provides a standard basis for integrating quality management processes across the enterprise Enables visibility of quality data throughout the organization Enhances communication among quality groups and other departments
This integrated approach means that quality management functions can be embedded easily into business processes such as procurement, manufacturing, or controlling, helping to eliminate redundant data and increasing information transparency throughout the organization. On a more technical level, integration means having fewer systems and interfaces to maintain. Overall, the simplicity of SAP ERP as a LIMS can help companies reduce costs and increase profits and customer satisfaction. The SAP ERP application supports all essential functions in a LIMS, including those shown in Figure 33.
Stability Study Supporting Product Development and Product Improvement

Functionality for stability studies is an important feature to enable the use of quality management with SAP ERP as a LIMS. Stability studies, also known as shelf-life studies, are carried out for self-produced or externally procured goods, especially in the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. Such studies are required to determine expiration dates during the development of new products (in research and development), and they are mandatory in order to obtain legal approvals for products.
Audit management Bar coding and labeling Batch management (batch traceability and electronic batch record) Calculations and formulas Calibration of instruments Certificates of analysis Change management (audit trail) Complaint and problem management and corrective and preventive action Data retrieval and archiving Digital signatures Document management Engineering change management (audit trail) Flexible inspections Goods receipt inspections Information system and reporting In-process control Inspection plan maintenance Interfaces (inspection data and statistical data) Inventory control Invoicing and billing of analysis Laboratory statistics
Master data maintenance Multiple specifications Nonconformance reporting and processing Notification processing Order management Post-process control Problem solving and event handling Quality assurance Quality planning Quality data interchange Recurring inspections Results recording and copy Returns inspections Sample management (unplanned and planned samples) Skip-lot functionality Specification management Stability (shelf-life) studies Statistical process control Statistical quality control Test equipment interfacing Quality cost tracking Vendor evaluation Web services Work lists and workflow
Figure 33: Overview of LIMS Functionality with SAP ERP
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In addition, stability studies are an important tool for continuously improving products and processes. In general, stability studies are conducted for the following reasons: Monitor and study the effects of storage conditions (for example, temperature, light, and humidity) on a substance over a defined period of time Provide evidence of the effectiveness or shelf life of a product under controlled environmental conditions To perform a stability study, you must draw physical samples from a material or batch and store them under specific environmental conditions. You then remove the samples from storage at specified intervals and test them according to a predefined testing schedule. To meet the demands of various international legal requirements and regulations such as GMP, SAP has developed software to support stability studies as part of quality management with the SAP ERP application (see Figure 34). Quality management with SAP ERP supports research and development processes and has been available since the release of SAP R/3 Enterprise software (functionality now found in the SAP ERP application). Stability study functionality with SAP ERP is also linked to the SAP Recipe Management application, which is an important cornerstone of the overall newproduct development and introduction (NPDI) process.
Compliance and Quality Control

GxP is an acronym for Good Clinical/ Laboratory/Manufacturing Practice (GCP, GLP, and GMP) and refers to exacting requirements for regulated industries, such as the pharmaceutical, food, and beverage industries. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires companies in the pharmaceutical industry to
introduce their products into the U.S. market with a detailed, complete, and traceable description of their production process. This includes all operations affecting product quality performed during the manufacture and distribution of a particular drug. The requirements for computerized systems with respect to electronic records are described in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), volume 21, part 11.
Figure 34: Example for Stability Study
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GxP compliance plays a decisive role in data acquisition and validation, especially in analytical laboratories. Accuracy and clarity of data, as well as consistent change documents (who did what, when, where, and why) are crucial for regulatory compliance. Quality management with SAP ERP supports these GxP requirements, providing complete audit trail functions and digital signatures in results recording, sample or product release, and notification processing. These functions also support change management, electronic batch records, and integrated document management to store all relevant documents, such as standard operating procedures. One added benefit is the optimized data flow that results from eliminating interfaces between systems. The use of SAP ERP as an integrated enterprise LIMS can lead to improved data accuracy and consistency, which, in turn, can lead to better and easier regulatory compliance. For more information about compliance of SAP ERP with GxP requirements in general, refer to the SAP white paper Complying with U.S. FDA Title 21 CFR Part 11 for the Life Sciences Industry. Digital Signature The digital signature serves the same function for the processing of digital data as a handwritten signature serves for paper documents. Its purpose is to guarantee within an authorization procedure that the individual who signs a digital document really is who he or she claims to be.
The following functions of the digital signature for inspection lots and physical samples have been enhanced in the most recent release: Use of signature strategies Multistage signatures Detailed documentation Possibility to print information about the signature Within extended customizing you can define strategies for signatures, which means that in a multistage process multiple persons have to sign the results in a predefined order. To realize this scenario, it is possible to process inspection lots for which signatures already have been created. If results need to be inspected and signed by multiple users, the inspection characteristic does not get the status completed immediately. Instead, this status is set once the entire signature process for this characteristic is finished. For more detailed documentation, you can save or print data that is related to the signature. In the work list for results recording, the status of a signature process is displayed with icons and can be requested by the user. As new functionality in SAP ERP for notifications, such as quality notifications and maintenance notifications, you can now include a digital signature for single processing steps. In customizing for notifications you can define the notice type, the level (header or operation), and the business process for which a digital signature is necessary. You can also use signature strategies in this context.
Benefits: Reduced workload for system administration, less training, and fewer upgrades by not using numerous fragmented systems Better processes with standardization, increased efficiency, and ease of collaboration Better product quality, fewer defects, and less rework and waste Increased accuracy and security of data, which reduces costs associated with regulatory compliance Improved data quality and visibility because data is consistent, transparent, and available throughout the company
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AUDIT MANAGEMENT: FLEXIBLE TOOL FOR PLANNING, EXECUTION, AND EVALUATION OF AUDITS
Assessments: Methods for Audit Criteria

An audit is a systematic examination used to determine to what extent an object meets previously specified criteria. Audits are usually performed using question lists, which represent the criteria. Audit management means to plan and process audits, grade the audit objects, monitor corrective and preventive actions that were based on the findings, and document and analyze audit data. Audit management supports all appraisals based on predefined criteria (audits, checks, inspections, reviews, and examinations) and can subsequently be used to valuate the object. The audit management functionality is very versatile and can be used for various application areas. Examples of audit usages are: Quality management (system audit, process audit, and product audit) and GMP Environment management and hygiene management Safety and security management (facility safety, fire safety, and data protection) Suitability for a wide variety of audit usages meets the need of companies to unify different management systems, for example, for quality assurance,
environment, and industrial safety, in one integrated management application. Combined audits can greatly reduce expenses. Audit objects can be freely defined by groups of fields; for example, audits can be performed with reference to organizations, enterprise areas, products, and vendors. If an audit object is described using data elements from the application repository, for example, by the combination vendor and material, the information related to these data elements is available a clear advantage of integration. The versatility of the audit management functionality stems from being able to customize the properties of the audit components (audit plan, question list, audit, and action) as well as the procedures for assessing the criteria and grading the audit object. For example, employees can provide question lists with hierarchical tree structures to suit their own requirements.
audits, revisions, or inspections can be performed using the audit management functionality. The process phases are based on the standard ISO 19011. The audit management functionality supports all phases of auditing from the planning of a comprehensive audit program and of the individual audits, through the definition of the audit criteria or question lists, to the actual auditing process and the assessment of the audit object in the audit report. It also supports you in defining and monitoring corrective and preventive actions. Audit management functionality also provides effective tools for the evaluation of all audit data. A typical process includes the following phases and tasks: Planning audit criteria Planning of general question lists (general criteria), depending on relevant standards, regulations, or rules of the application area Planning the audit program Definition of a scheme, for example, in the form of an annual schedule, taking into consideration the scope, object, and date of the audits Preparing the individual audits Determination of the individual audit question lists and of the partners involved in the audit, distribution of roles, and preparing the required documents
Audit Processing: Evaluate Risks and Confirm Information

To keep the process description that follows as simple as possible, the example is based on a quality system audit performed in accordance with ISO 9000. However, if regarded in a broader sense, the example below can also show you how various other
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Audit processing Release of the audit, invitation to participants, provision of the documents, examination of the audit object with regard to the criteria (questioning and viewing), and recording of findings (statements and documents) Assessment Valuation of the criteria (question list items), rating and grading of the audit object, and creation of an audit report (draft and final report with signature) Follow-up actions Determination of a subsequent audit; corrective, preventive, and improvement actions and the persons responsible; monitoring of the subsequent steps; and verification of the effectiveness of all actions Analysis and evaluation Overview of the entire audit program or of selected groups of audits, of audit questions and results, of findings and actions as well as feedback of audit results to audit planning To summarize: audit management is an easy-to-use, yet powerful tool that you can use to manage your audit processes. Regardless of your industry sector, this tool supports you throughout the entire audit process, from the planning phase, through audit execution and valuation, to the evaluation phase. This is a highly flexible tool with open interfaces, such as the cockpit shown in Figure 35. It allows you to perform internal or external audits of systems,
Figure 35: Audit Cockpit
processes, or products, while taking the relevant standards into consideration. You can perform any kind of review or survey, based on checklists. Audit management functionality in SAP ERP also helps you fulfill legal requirements and enables various scenarios for benchmarking.
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MAPPING SAP SOLUTIONS TO YOUR SIX SIGMA INITIATIVES
Management (Sponsor Champion) Define
Project Lead (Black Belt, MBB)
Statistician (Green Belt)
Project Member (Inspector, Analyst)
Management of Six Sigma projects as an integrated and structured application providing tools to achieve breakthrough improvements
Measure
Analyze
Comprehensive tools to calculate samples and capture data for critical characteristics
Improve
Control Sophisticated analysis to control KPIs and monitor continuous improvement
Figure 36: Sample Process According to Six Sigma
The Six Sigma approach to quality improvement focuses on reducing process variations and eliminating nonconformities, resulting in better quality, lower costs, and increased customer satisfaction.
Of all the ERP and dedicated QM software solutions, SAP Business Suite is an excellent choice for implementing Six Sigma methodologies. In particular, SAP ERP supports most of the elements that are essential for Six Sigma.
A structured DMAIC problem-solving road map comprising five steps define, measure, analyze, improve, and control is commonly regarded as the core of every Six Sigma project. In SAP ERP, procedures like these can be
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managed easily using the cProjects application, which provides all the functions you need in collaborative projects. Using cProjects, you define the five DMAIC phases of your Six Sigma project and the related tasks for every phase (see Figure 36). You define criteria and checklists for passing the quality gates between one phase and the next. You plan the resources (employees, black belt, and so on) needed for executing the tasks. You can also use graphical tools to schedule and visualize the relations between the project tasks and find critical paths. In your collaborative Six Sigma project you can use supplementary SAP ERP functions, which are linked with cProjects. For example, you can calculate project costs, and you can link directly to related documents, notifications, inspections, and audits. In this way you get access to various capability and performance indicators, for example, from SPC (control charts, Cpk, and so on) and FMEA. Process data can be extracted from the source and transferred into SAP NetWeaver BI and an executive information system for general analysis purposes. SAP NetWeaver BI and the executive information system provide all the functions needed for calculating KPIs, feeding balanced scorecards, or other assessment techniques.
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ENTERPRISE SERVICE-ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE FOR SERVICESBASED BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
The enterprise services bundle Integration of Quality Management Systems (IQM) provides enterprise services for the exchange of inspection lot data, inspection results, and quality notification data between SAP ERP 6.0 and external quality management systems. In comparison to the existing QM-IDI, the enterprise services bundle Integration of Quality Management Systems adds the following benefits and advantages: New XML-based technology (Web services) Greater flexibility (a subset of services can be deployed) Enhanced functionality (quality notifications and unplanned inspection points, for example) The IQM enterprise services bundle bridges data from the quality planning level to the inspection data level and right down to the instrument recording
level. It can be used to exchange data between LIMS and CAQ systems and SAP ERP directly, with more flexibility that is provided by existing interfaces. IQM can be used to integrate LIMS and CAQ systems via composite applications. Integration with SAP ERP can be achieved by using the enterprise services provided in this bundle. SAP MII can consume the services to enable entry of quality data and visualization without having external QM systems connected. This bundle does not supply or assume a dedicated user interface. It is intended as a way to integrate other applications that provide front-end functionality. A dedicated user-interface template based on the supplied services could be created using SAP MII or the Web Dynpro development environment, the SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer tool, or Adobe technology.
The enterprise services supplied by this bundle can be used by quality inspectors, operators, and lab technicians who are executing quality analyses and entering inspection data manually or transferring data from electronic test devices. It is also applicable for production supervisors or quality managers who want to perform analysis on this data. This bundle requires the use of QM in SAP ERP. The services expose functionality of QM business objects such as inspection lot, physical sample, and quality notification, and can interoperate with an external QM solution. In the future, SAP will offer additional enterprise services in the area of inspection planning. For more information about enterprise services, see the wiki documentation at http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/x/kww and information about enterprise services in the Enterprise Services Workplace site at www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn /esworkplace.
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APPENDIX
For More Information

To find out more, refer to the following: For general information about the SAP ERP application, visit the SAP Service Marketplace extranet at www.service.sap.com/erp (login is required). For general information about the quality management (QM) functionality with SAP ERP and QM as an enterprise laboratory information management system, visit www.service.sap.com/qm (login is required). For online documentation (SAP Library) for SAP applications, visit SAP Help Portal at http://help.sap .com. The following link is an example of the online documentation available for quality management: http://help .sap.com/saphelp_erp2005vp /helpdata/en/a0/df293581dc1f79e 10000009b38f889/content.htm. For information about electronic records (SAP audit trail functions, table logging, and change documents), refer to online documentation (SAP Library) at http://help.sap.com /saphelp_erp2005vp/helpdata/en/7c /fb0f3a57b38c0fe10000000a11402f /frameset.htm. For information about enterprise services, see wiki documentation at http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/x/kww and go to the Enterprise Services Workplace site at www.sdn.sap.com /irj/sdn/esworkplace. To coordinate visits or phone calls with companies using SAP ERP, contact your SAP sales representative.
Key Terms
CAPA Corrective and preventive action (CAPA) is an instrument for compliance management in terms of systematic processing of quality deficiencies, errors, and malfunctions. Its aim is to document the entire process of solving the issue and providing appropriate corrective actions and further preventive actions to avoid a recurrence of an issue in the future. CAQ Computer-aided quality assurance (CAQ) is the application of computers and computer-controlled machines for the definition and inspection of the quality of products. collaborative business Collaborative business occurs between companies using a regulated exchange of information and data on the Internet. enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA) Enterprise SOA is a software architecture that uses policies, practices, and frameworks that enable application functionality to be provided and consumed as services. These services are published at a level of granularity relevant to service consumers. LIMS A laboratory information management system (LIMS) is computer software that is used in the laboratory for the management of samples, laboratory users, instruments, standards, and other laboratory functions such as invoicing, plate management, and work flow automation.
SAP Business Suite The SAP Business Suite is a comprehensive family of adaptive business applications that provide industryspecific functionality. The software is built for complete application integration, scalability, and easy collaboration over the Internet. SAP Business Suite applications help to manage critical business processes and form a tightly integrated business application suite that adds value to every facet of an organization and the external value chain. SAP Business Suite applications are based on the SAP NetWeaver technology platform, an integration and application platform that supports the evolution of SAP Business Suite applications to a services-based architecture. SAP ERP The SAP ERP application is integrated business management software that includes the functionality and methods that are needed to effectively plan and manage a business. QM functions are seamlessly integrated. SAP NetWeaver SAP NetWeaver is a Web-based technology platform that serves as a foundation for enterprise SOA and enables the integration and alignment of people, information, and business processes across business and technology boundaries. By using open standards, it can integrate with information and applications from virtually any source or technology. SAP NetWeaver Portal The SAP NetWeaver Portal component unifies the applications, information, and services existing in an enterprise into one platform and includes a portal, content management, and business intelligence.
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QUICK FACTS
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Summary The SAP ERP application provides a single, powerful solution that lets you take a comprehensive, broad-based approach to total quality management. It delivers a wide range of integrated quality management functionality and supports collaborative business processes for cost-effectively ensuring the quality of your products and processes and transforming quality management into a competitive advantage. Challenges Gain visibility into complex and global production cycles Engineer quality into the design of new products and business processes Track quality through procurement, production, and delivery Keep pace with customer expectations and competitive pressures Supported Business Processes and Software Functions Inspection planning Put quality strategies into action with integrated data and planning tools Quality inspections Achieve and document reliable results while automating and streamlining inspection activities Problem management Improve quality with targeted quality notifications and follow-up actions Test equipment management Automate the calibration of critical equipment and maintain ongoing evaluations Audit management Continuously check processes, products, and systems and trigger corrective actions Business Benets Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty Provide better product quality and enhanced complaint management and tracking (corrective and preventive action) Accelerated employee performance Increase efficiency with automated tasks that guide employees through key steps Greater transparency Make quality decisions based on reliable, integrated, traceable, and accurate data Enhanced collaboration Integrate employees and business partners in your entire product life cycle and the supply chain For More Information For detailed information about SAP ERP, visit our Web site at www.sap.com/erp or contact your SAP representative.
50 058 498 (08/04) Printed in USA. 2008 by SAP AG. All rights reserved. SAP, R/3, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, ByDesign, SAP Business ByDesign, and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serves informational purposes only. National product specications may vary. These materials are subject to change without notice. These materials are provided by SAP AG and its aliated companies (SAP Group) for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.

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