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Business processes with SAP

TITLE STORY | PROCESS DESIGN

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In the optimization of SAP-based busi-ness processes, the integration plat-form SAP Engineering Control Center

(ECTR) is an important module. It bringsall kinds of product data from all possiblesources into the SAP system and providesit in a form suited to the context. Theplatform enables you to link data withSAP object or business objects and intel-ligently support processes. It supplies anintuitive user interface with practice-ori-ented convenience functions, informativeicons, and traffic-light colors. And it of-fers configuration options as well as add-ons to implement individual processrequire ments.

Synchronized processes

Using the ECTR platform, you can inte-grate various authoring tools from mecha-nics and electronics CAD to MS Office inSAP PLM. For this purpose, the system of-fers standardized direct interfaces to theMCAD systems NX, Catia, Creo and Solid-works and others, as well as ECAD sys-tems. Thus locally generated product dataflows into the system and can be usedthroughout the entire company. Neutraldata formats, such as for 2D/3D viewing,give authorized users access to CAD origi-nals and help them to tie participants incorresponding business

processes into the product creation pro-cess. Engineering can profit from access tothe data from other company divisions:from parts costs from procurement to toolinformation from the factory.

Used across the company

The PLM solution from SAP gives enginee-ring tools with which it can efficiently ma-nage different product data company-wide: direct from the familiar authoringtool or in the R&D cockpit of SAP ECTR.There, data and documents can be dis-played, organized, and transparently ma-naged. The status network records the de-

Business processes with SAP

SAP business processes differ fundamentallyaccording to the industrial sector and company– and they tend to be highly complex. SAP En-gineering Control Center presents existing in-formation from the SAP system from designto production to quality and asset manage-ment, individually prepared. Here, DSC Soft-ware falls back on wide experience from its PLM business in order to implement in com-panies even the highest process-related requirements in almost every business area.

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DSC’s Factory Control Center is a bridge between product development and production.

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gree of maturity of every document. Thenthere’s the change service of the software.This controls versions, validities, and re-leases, and documents the history. Forhandling stock data, SAP’s partner DSChas its own applications in its portfolio.These support data migrations on demandas well as big-bang-migrations. In the caseof one toolmaker, eight million files – fiveterabytes – were imported into the SAPsystem in just a few days.

Interdisciplinary development

Whether parallel or sequential businessprocesses: from interdisciplinary integra -tion, nearly all projects and workflowsprofit in which collaboration counts. Forexample, mechatronics engineering. Inthe R&D cockpit, you can jointly managedocuments of different systems and en-gineering disciplines such as mechanics,electrics, and software devel opment, in-cluding synchronized change and releasemanagement. Inter disciplinary teams re-ceive a permanently updated overall viewof product structures and interrelations-hips as well as project and project pro-gress. Data can be easily exchanged forsuch purposes as MCAD/ECAD collisionchecks. This speeds up the coordinationof the designers as well as the validation.At the same time, consolid ated data isgenerated for smooth collateral and con-sequential processes.

All processes in one system

The SAP system relies on the single-source-of-truth principle. This means thatall documents, metadata, etc. are kept inthe same system and can be linked –with each other and with process-specificbusiness objects: material, customerorder, test plan, work plan, equipment,or functional location including its classi-fication. For example, a pump manu-facturer links his BOMs with the materialmaster, which means that any changesare visible within minutes throughout theentire company. Hardly any other PLMsolution stores all processes and process-relevant data in a single system. This of-fers outstanding pre requisites for needs-based data provision and process auto-mation, across company divisions, locati-ons and boundaries.

Distribution to plants

Data provision is just as important for thecooperation between distributed teams ascontrolled data exchange with externalpartners. Optimized infra struct ure modulesfrom the software manufacturer DSCcome into play here. For example, an in-dustrial truck manu facturer distributes thedevice control software automatically to itsfactories around the globe – right down tothe programming station at the end of theassembly line. Process automation can alsobe implemented using these infrastructuremodules. These support the defining ofchecking rules and follow-up actions, suchas: an assembly can only be released afterall the components have been released,after which the predecessor version is au-tomatically blocked.

Production process supported

For seamless CAD-CAM-DNC processes,the SAP partner has the Factory ControlCenter in its portfolio. This tool closesthe gap between to SAP MES. For thispurpose, it integrates CAM as well asproduction planning in SAP PLM and tiesin shop-floor systems: from adjusting andmeasuring devices to storage lift to DNCserver. Also, tool libraries can be classi-fied and managed in the system, plant-related and with a single standard. This

affects BOMs, order data, geometries,cutting data, remaining service life, mea-surement regulations, measurementdata, machine assignments, and tool or-ders. In this way, many tasks can be sol-ved automatically, such as:

Supplying CAM systems with all neces-•sary data from the SAP systemExchanging data between SAP system•and adjusting and measuring devicesGenerating tool models, tool lists,•setup sheets, etc.Creating orders to (un-)load and dis-•mantle toolsMonitoring downtimes and generating•the necessary maintenance jobsDelivering NC programs and additional•information to the machineStoring optimized production data in•the SAP system, for reuse

The benefits: shorter setup times and im-proved tool and machine utilization. Plus:tool stores, tool diversity, and tool costscan often be greatly reduced.

Implementing your own ideas

The technology of the ECTR integrationplatform can easily be transferred toother task areas and business processes– to implement your own ideas. ForECTR can also handle documents from

PROCESS DESIGN | TITLE STORY

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marketing, sales, technical document -ation, maintenance, etc. Plus: thefunctionality and cockpit can be adaptedin order to implement special applicationscenarios. This is shown by the followingthree real-life examples.

Quality and compliance

A medical product manufacturer usesECTR for compliance management. De-sign controls are defined as a conditionfor digital construction releases. Every testand authorization requires a digital signa-ture. Product files and device master re-cords (DMR) and device history records(DHR) are created automatically. Appro-val-relevant documents can be submittedto the inspection bodies electronically.And in the case of audits, a reliable audittrail can be documented in a closed sys-tem: from product data and documentmanagement to process control to userand rights administration. The first threeaudits of the US American Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) went through wit-hout complaints regarding compliance,quality assurance, and quality control.

Plant engineering solution

A company in the oil and gas industrythat develops its own plant has imple -mented a consistent solution for invest -ment building projects. Among otherthings, this offers a digital repository forasset information management (AIM) aswell as a specially adapted cockpit for in-formation retrieval. Moreover, digital andphysical assets are linked via the functio-nal location hierarchy. This produces a di-gital twin of the plant with which real si-tuations can be evaluated and verifiedvirtually – for the maintenance and opti-mization of the plant operation.

Variants under control

A furniture manufacturer has optimizedvariant management with an integrated

solution. Each of the company’s productsis based on a basic CAD model with aneutral BOM. The variant configuration ismapped via change cases: deleting, ad-ding, exchanging components, andchanging the sequence, measurements,and colors. A mass change process auto-matically rebuilds the basic model. SpecificBOMs and assembly drawings are genera-ted automatically. This is of considerablehelp to the manufacturer in dealing withthe twice-yearly changing furniture pro-grams and the contract manufacture of in-dividual products.

The first step is easy

With the integration platform SAP ECTRand its many add-ons, we have a modularstandard software that can be adaptedprecisely to a company’s requirements. Itcan be flexibly combined and extended.Whether we’re dealing with SAP ERP orSAP S/4 Hana, or Industry-4.0 conceptssuch as the Internet of Things or SmartFactory, or step-by-step digitization orcomprehensive system implementation:DSC solutions can help to bring success todigital transformation. To this end, allmeasures must develop their economicbenefits and contribute to future security.The potential is great, since for most busi-ness processes, there is an even more ef-ficient solution. ■

The author Frank Luppold is Senior Manager

Business Development Asia at

DSC Software AG.

www.dscsag.com

Consistent change process from engineering to order logisticsAn international manufacturer of automation and production systems wanted to improve the interplaybetween engineering and order logistics – in particular with regard to Engineering to Order (ETO). In 2013,an SAP-PLM integrated solution was introduced at two company sites. SAP ECTR was used to integrate NXsystems and data in the SAP system, optimize document management, and automated procedures. The re-sult: easy-to-find documents plus a consistent, transparent change process with consistent data and securedesign releases – which automatically trigger downstream logistics processes. In engineering, this has con-siderably raised productivity and the reuse of parts. In order logistics, there has been a great reduction oferror sources and manual work. Moreover, employees can now see much better the extent to which changesaffect current orders. Plus: SAP ECTR is easy to implement on new sites, regardless of the CAD system usedthere. Furthermore, other departments can easily be integrated in the ETO process. �

The increasing complexity of today’s plants means that mainten-ance of the valuable assets has become a great challenge.

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