Providing PODs to Production Operators

In previous lessons you learned that you could preview a created POD from a production operator’s view in the Manage PODs 2.0 app by using the Launch POD button. However, this setting is intended only for POD development, to allow developers to see changes quickly. Production operators should not use the Manage PODs 2.0 app, because it exposes the editor, allowing them to make changes they should not. For this reason, it is also important that production operators are not granted authorization to access the Manage PODs 2.0 app.

There are two common ways to give users such as production operators access to a POD:

Let's learn about these access options in more detail.

Whenever you save a POD in the Manage PODs 2.0 app, the system generates a unique URL with the POD ID for that POD. You can copy the link from the app’s main page and open it to view the POD from the production operator’s perspective.

You can share the POD link with production operators, allowing them to bookmark the URL in their browser or create a desktop shortcut for quick access.

Now, let's take a look at how to provide user access via a URL to the Welding Operation POD that was previously created in the unit on creating tailored PODs.

You can configure POD URL parameters to override default values for specific properties of certain plugins such as the work list filter bar or the order filter bar. This allows you to open a POD using a customized URL and control which information is displayed by default when the POD loads.

In many cases, instead of creating multiple PODs with different plugin configurations, it is more efficient to use a single POD and define multiple URL variations. This approach also reduces maintenance effort and minimizes the risk of errors. The URLs can override default values, such as operation activity, work center or resource, and can be saved or bookmarked for quick access.

To configure URL parameters, first enable the "Override Defaults with URL Parameter Values" option in the Properties panel of the plugin you want to customize.

Then, append the appropriate URL parameter structure to the end of the POD URL, depending on the plugins you've enabled:

For example, the parameter name could be "RESOURCE", and its value would be the specific resource name. For more information about available URL parameters and name-value pairs, look into the SAP Help documentation.

Using this approach, it is also possible to create a QR code that production operators can scan for example at a specific resource. The encoded link opens the corresponding POD directly, with the configured URL parameters such as the resource already set as a default value. This helps ensure process quality, especially when operators are switching between workstations.

Business User Story:

Imagine you want to use the Welding Operation POD created in the unit on creating tailored PODs across five different welding machines. Instead of duplicating the POD multiple times to apply different default resource filter values in the work list filter bar, you can use a more efficient approach. Creating and maintaining multiple POD versions would require significantly more effort, especially when updates are needed, and it increases the risk of errors.

With POD URL parameters, you can simply configure a unique URL for each welding machine while using the same POD. For example, you can append a parameter like

to the POD URL. This way, you can open a version of the POD that is already tailored for the fourth welding machine.

Let's now look at the second option for accessing PODs.

Users can access and work with PODs through the Launch PODs application in SAP DM. In this application, all PODs are listed for which the User, such as the production operator, has been assigned access.

User Assignments are managed in advance in the Manage PODs 2.0 application. In this app, POD designers can assign users to specific PODs using the Manage Users function. By controlling which users are assigned to each POD, you can ensure that production operators have access to the PODs they need.

Users can be added and removed individually or imported in bulk using a file where each row contains the details of a single user. If you want to assign the same users across multiple PODs, you can import already assigned users from one POD into new PODs to assign those users again.

In the demo video, you will learn how to grant POD access using the Launch PODs app.

In the previous steps you learned how to grant POD access to a user, such as a production operator. It is also important to assign specific work centers to operators, so they can perform operations at those locations. To enable this, assign the appropriate work centers to the user in the Manage User Assignments app.

In the example below, the user can access PODs for all work centers listed under "Work Center".

To restrict an operator’s access, assign only the work centers they should be allowed to use. As an example, if we delete the welding work center assignment in the Manage User Assignments app for a specific user, the POD shows a POD Message saying that the user isn’t assigned to the work center while trying to access the respective work center and no SFCs are displayed in the work list table.