- When you create a connection object in SAP S/4HANA Utilities, a corresponding functional location is created simultaneously in the Plant Maintenance (PM) application component. SAP S/4HANA Utilities uses the functional location and includes utility-specific data. In PM, a functional location exists with the same key as the connection object.
- The address of the connection object is linked to central address management via the postal regional structure. When you create the connection object, the system verifies that the address has been maintained in the postal regional structure. If the address of the connection object cannot be found in the postal regional structure (because the city or postal code in the address is not recognized, for instance), the system issues a warning to that effect.
- Maintenance Plant: Plant in which the technical objects for a company are installed.
- Planning responsibility for a maintenance plant is determined by a maintenance planning plant. Maintenance plants are allocated to maintenance planning plants.
- County Code: Classification of regions according to tax criteria. The county code is used in the USA for county tax.
- Only users with access to this authorization group can access this connection object.
- The regional structure group groups together elements of the regional structure (such as cities and streets). The regional structure group is used in clerk determination, for example.
- You can preassign values to fields in the connection object. You can do this using the enhancement ES550001 with various function exits. You can specify attributes for the exit EXIT_SAPLES55_003 to assign default values to fields.
- It is possible to change the field selection directly in the Customizing settings for the connection object.
Connection Object fields: SAP Fiori App. On Home page→User Profile icon→App Finder→SAP Menu→Search in SAP Menu→Customizing – Execute Project (enter)→SAP Reference IMG→SAP Utilities→Master Data→Connection Object→Define Field Selection for Connection Objects.
Address Management fields: SAP Fiori App. On Home page→User Profile icon→App Finder→SAP Menu→Search in SAP Menu→Customizing – Execute Project (enter)→SAP Reference IMG→SAP Utilities→Master Data→Connection Object→Define Field Selection for Address Data.
- You can define any number of static notes for each connection object. These notes can then be printed, for example, on meter reading orders as information for the field service employees.
- You can configure contract account categories in Customizing. From the text pool created in Customizing, you choose the texts you require for the connection object. Placeholders (&) enable you to include data specific to the connection object (such as the tenant's name). You enter the name of the contact person (Mr. Smith, for example) for the entry "Ring &'s doorbell" in a Customizing table when you maintain the connection object. The note "Ring Mr. Smith's doorbell" is then printed on the meter reading order for the field service employee. You can use up to five placeholders in one note.
- Using priorities, you can specify the sequence in which the notes are to be printed on the form.
- In Customizing, you specify which agents are to receive the relevant note (for example, meter reader only).
- To maintain static notes in Customizing, choose: SAP Fiori App. On Home page→User Profile icon→App Finder→SAP Menu→Search in SAP Menu→Customizing – Execute Project (enter)→SAP Reference IMG→SAP Utilities→Device Management→Meter Reading→Meter Reading Order→Order Creation.
To maintain dynamic notes in Customizing, choose:SAP Fiori App. On Home page→User Profile icon→App Finder→SAP Menu→Search in SAP Menu→Customizing – Execute Project (enter)→SAP Reference IMG→SAP Utilities→Device Management→Meter Reading→Meter Reading Order→Order Creation
- In the Plant Maintenance (PM) application component, a maintenance plant is a plant in which the technical objects of a company are installed.
- In SAP S/4HANA Utilities, a maintenance plant corresponds to a service territory.
Service Connections
Allocated to connection objects via installing or changing the equipment location in a functional location.
- Integration with standard components
The standard components Sales and Distribution (SD), Plant Maintenance (PM), and Service, are generally used for the connection. The corresponding standard system functions are integrated into SAP S/4HANA Utilities as part of Service.
- Business processes
The most important processes that affect a business partner are managed in SD, PM, and Service. Orders and bill creation are used as examples here.
- Business Workflow
You can use sample workflows throughout service connection processing as templates for user-defined service connection functions.
- The business processes for service connections (such as creation or extension of a service connection) is divided into quotation processing, order processing, order completion, and invoicing.
- The subprocess order processing includes processing of both the external sales order and the internal service order.
- Initial scenario: A customer asks for a quotation for laying a service connection.
- Steps:
- The agent identifies the customer via the front office (1). If the customer does not yet exist in the system, they must be created.
- An SD customer quotation is created (2) and may be linked to an SD inquiry.
- A quotation letter is created and sent to the customer (3).
- A service order (PM/Service component) can be created automatically in background processing in parallel to the quotation (6).
- The customer accepts the quotation (4).
- The agent requests a deposit, if necessary.
- An SD sales order is created (5) with order item(s) copied automatically from the SD quotation.
- A service order (PM/Service component) is created automatically in the background (6), if this was not already done when the quotation was created. The service order is processed and shop papers are printed for technicians.
- The service connection is installed (7). The service order is returned and completed.
- When the service is billed, an SD billing document request can be created from the service order (8).
- SD billing is triggered (9) and the sales order and service order amounts are posted. The billed amount can be debited in the Contract Accounts Receivable and Payable (FI-CA) component, depending on your Customizing settings. Alternately, you can define the service as a SAP S/4HANA Utilities billing request. In this case, the service is debited when the contract account is billed in SAP S/4HANA Utilities.