Working with Product Structure Synchronization

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to work with Product Structure Synchronization.

Product Structure Synchronization

Synchronization PSM Structure

One important link in the value chain of an enterprise that develops and manufactures products is the interface between product development and manufacturing.

The task of product development is to develop, validate, and document a product in accordance with certain requirements. Once the product has reached a certain level of maturity, the product data (usually consisting of drawings, documents, material records, and parts lists) can be handed over to manufacturing.

When you plan the handover of PSM items into a Production BOM, you have to keep in mind the following: most items can’t be taken 1:1, but have to be changed.

Therefore Product Structure Synchronization could be the solution.

Synchronization

When you start the Synchronization out of the Product Structure, you first have to create a Synchronization Unit. This unit links the PSM and the material BOM.

Synchronization: Reconciliation Workbench

When the Synchronization Unit is defined and you start the synchronization, the next screen shows the Reconciliation Workbench.

Inside the Reconciliation Workbench you can do the following tasks:

  • Compare the source with the target BOM.

  • Identify and resolve the conflicts using traffic light indication.

  • Add new components in the target structure.

  • Delete outdated components in the target structure.

  • Use a clipboard to copy or store components for further processing.

Using a Change Number

Initially, the Product Structure was created and transferred to a manufacturing BOM. Some time later you change the Product Structure again, but this time along with a change number.

If you now start synchronization, you can either copy the change number to the BOM or assign a new change number.

This enables you to transfer the different development statuses of the Product Structure to the material BOM.

Guided Structure Synchronization

You can also use the synchronization method between two material BOMs. The following steps, an example, could be executed:

  • Create an Engineering BOM using the PLMWebUI.
  • Start the synchronization process out of the PLMWebUI screen and create a Synchronization Unit.
  • Define the target key for the Production BOM.
  • Decide to use a Change number or not.
  • Open the Reconciliation Workbench and save the Production BOM.

If there are now changes in both the engineering BOM and the manufacturing BOM, you can synchronize the changes of the engineering BOM to the manufacturing BOM. When you open the Reconciliation Workbench, you are able to resolve the conflicts automatically using a set of rules, or resolve them manually.

How to work with Product Structure Synchronization

Task 1: Create a Configurable Material

Product Configuration Modeler Thomas wants to synchronize an existing Product Structure with a new material BOM for a Forklift Prototype. Doing so he first needs a new configurable Material, which is later then the new header material of the material BOM.

The following video shows, how Master Data Specialist Anna creates a new configurable material.

Task 2: Add the configurable Material to Product Structure

Product Configuration Modeler Thomas has now the possibility of creating a material BOM out of the Product Structure.

The following video explains how Thomas adds the new material as a variant for the Product Structure.

Task 3: Start Synchronization

After Thomas has added the new material as a Product Structure variant he wants to start the synchronization. As no synchronization unit exists, he creates one. This unit connects the Product Structure with the new material BOM. After starting the synchronization unit, the Reconciliation Workbench opens. As no conflicts exist, the material BOM is saved.

The following video gives you an impression about this process.

Task 4: Perform PSM changes

After Thomas has created the material BOM, he shortly afterward opens the Product Structure and make changes to the linked components. He wants to transfer these changes back to the material BOM.

To do this, he starts the synchronization again. Inside Reconciliation Workbench, Thomas solves the conflicts.

The following video shows this process.