Overview
The integration of SAP QM in the SAP company processes allows you to process inspections (such as, goods receipt inspections, inspections during production or inspections for stock transfers and delivery), and to record data relating to product quality (such as, management of customer specifications for a product or inspection results) throughout the logistics supply chain.
The QM component can be integrated in all areas of the logistics supply chain. Prerequisite for this is that you make the relevant Customizing settings in QM.
If QM is in use in your company and you identify poor-quality goods or services, you can suspend a process until the problem is resolved. Examples of the influence of quality management in the logistics supply chain:
- Sales: Creation of customer-specific inspection specifications.
- Material Requirements
Planning: Availability of production resources and tools (PRTs).
- Production: Inspections during production (with integrated
reference operation sets and inspection operations in the routing or master
recipe).
- Material Management:
Goods receipt inspections, vendor evaluation and inspection stock.
- Stock holding: Inspection of stock transfers, stock
monitoring (for example, of shelf-life).
- Shipping: Inspection for delivery.
- Service: Use of quality notifications (for example,
to process complaints)
QM in Sales & Distribution (Sales Order)
You can store quality-relevant information for the customer/material combination (customer information record). This information can then control QM activities in Sales and Distribution (such as, goods movements, creating certificates and so on).
On the basis of the sales order, you can also include customer-specific inspection specifications. For batch determination, the system can access the recorded inspection results.
QM in Production/Materials Planning)
During Production Planning, you plan the inspection-relevant operations. These operations are taken into account for material requirements planning. The material is then available in good time for production.
If the functions for test equipment management are active, you can use them to control the release of production resources and tools. In the MRP list, you can display planned inward goods movements from inspection stock.
QM in Production
By integrating the QM component in the production process, you can monitor and document the quality of goods as they are produced. When a production or process order is released, an inspection lot is created automatically for an inspection during production.
The QM component provides various statistical and graphical
procedures for statistical process control (SPC), such as:
- Control charts
- Histograms
- Key figures for process capability
The quality notification allows you to document and process
any problems that occur. For example, quality notifications can be created
automatically, if during an inspection you identify that the specification
limit has been exceeded. The posting of a yield from a goods receipt
to the warehouse can be automated (control key in the operation, automatic
milestone confirmation and back flushing). In addition, when goods are
received in the warehouse, stock-relevant inspection lots can be created.
During the course of a quality inspection, you can split materials into
batches
and partial lots and you can define inspection points.
QM in Procurement
You require externally supplied materials to produce certain goods. If QM is active in procurement, you can use quality-related vendor/material information to control the supply relationships, for example:
- Vendor evaluation, invoice block
- Vendor release
- Certification monitoring (QM system valid until...)
The QM data recorded in procurement for a goods receipt provides the purchasing department with the required information to evaluate vendors. This information includes the results of the goods receipt inspection, complaints about the goods, and audit results. If necessary, you can block the delivery of goods from a vendor as a result of the GR inspection results.
The quality information record procurement controls whether a source inspection or a goods issue inspection takes place for the vendor’s goods. If a source inspection takes place, there is no GR inspection. If the vendor has a QM system, this information is also stored in the vendor master record (screen ?Control?). As a customer, you define your requirements for the vendor’s QM system in the material master.
If a certificate is to be sent with the delivery, this information is stored in the material master. Complaints (complaints against a vendor) are processed using quality notifications.
QM in the Storage Process
1) Following a stock transfer within the company (for example, a goods movement between plants or warehouses), you can use the QM functions to inspect the goods according to the required characteristics.
For a goods receipt from production into the warehouse (inspection lot origin 04), you can carry out a goods receipt inspection and subsequently release the goods.
2) QM allows you to plan and implement the monitoring of deadlines for batches of materials (for example, for goods with a shelf-life expiration date). You define the inspections that are to take place for a material in the material master.
QM in Shipping
When goods are delivered, characteristics (for example, those specified in the sales order) are inspected. These values, (for example, that have been specified in the variant configuration) can also be copied into the production order and used as inspection specifications. If required, you can create quality certificates that contain data for the finished product or for materials in the production chain. Customer complaints can be recorded and processed using quality notifications.
QM in Service
You can record customer complaints in quality notifications and pass them on to the responsible department for further processing. If goods are returned, you can inspect them and then analyze and document any defects and take appropriate corrective action. In the mySAP PLM solution, the SAP system provides additional service management functions.
