Creating Routings

As previously mentioned, the bicycle manufacturing process consists of three main steps: Pre-Assembly, Assembly, and Final Inspection. These steps are performed in a specific sequence. The process begins with Pre-Assembly, followed by Assembly, and concludes with Final Inspection. In each step, skilled shop floor personnel assemble the components that make up the bicycle. If the Final Inspection fails, the material must be redirected for repair. Specific equipment is required for each manufacturing process, and guidance instructions are provided to the shop floor workers. Additionally, quality control parameters are collected during certain steps.

In SAP Digital Manufacturing, a routing is a set of work steps necessary to produce goods. By defining routings on the shop floor, production processes can be modeled within the system. The routing includes the relevant operations, their sequence, and the work centers where the operations are performed. Usually, a routing consists of a series of operation activities. However, it can also include actions like Scrap or other routings.

In our example, you must create two routings, the production routing for the bicycle Model A and the repair routing to fix the identified nonconformances.

The routings are set up using the Manage Routings/Recipes application. The procedure to create a routing consists of three steps:

1. Create routing header.
2. Create routing structure using operation activities and predefined actions.
3. Fine-tune operation activity details and action properties.

When creating a routing header, you must select what type of routing you want to create:

• Production Routing: The routing used to produce a material.
• NC Routing: The routing used to define a manufacturing process for a selected nonconformance (NC).
• Special Routing: The routing containing at least one Special operation activity. Only a special routing can contain a Special operation activity. The first operation activity on the special routing must be a Special operation activity.
• Order-Specific Routing: The routing used to define a product manufacturing process for a specific order.

Each routing when defined can have one of the following statuses:

• New: The routing is in a newly created state and not ready for releasing SFC numbers against it.
• Obsolete: Prevents users from releasing SFC numbers to the routing. The routing is no longer used.
• Releasable: Allows users to release SFC numbers to the routing.
• Hold: Prevents users from releasing SFC numbers to the routing. The status is temporary. When the hold issue is resolved, users can change the status of the record.

You can also define if the routing has a relaxed flow. Routings with a relaxed flow can run multiple operation activities simultaneously. Besides, you can also define if you want to perform quantity validation. If you don't, it allows you to start and complete an SFC at any operation without reporting a quantity.

After creating the routing header, you can define the routing structure. 

The Toolbox section on the left contains operation activities and other routings under the Services menu item. Automated system actions, such as Scrap and Return, are listed under the Actions menu item. These objects can be dragged and dropped into the Canvas section and connected with pointed arrows to form the Routing Structure.

A simultaneous group contains a group of operation activities that are processed at the same time (either independently or dependently of one another) on an SFC. Simultaneous groups processing can only be done for a single SFC.

An any-order group contains a group of operation activities that can be processed in any order. However, all activities must be completed before an SFC can be started at an operation activity outside of the group.

Each Operation Activity and Automated Action used in the Routing Structure can be fine-tuned even further by adjusting its properties. 

Open the Operation Activity Details screen by selecting the Details icon next to the selected operation activity. The following properties are available for the Operation Activity:

• Activity ID: The unique identification of the activity. You can assign an activity ID manually, or the system automatically assigns an activity ID when the routing definition is saved. This value appears on some reports and activities to help you distinguish among duplicate Manage Operation Activities on a routing. The activity ID does not control activity sequencing.
• Reporting Activity - A reporting activity is an operation activity that needs to be performed to complete the end-to-end compliance reporting process.
• Entry Activity - If set to Yes, this operation activity is the entry activity on the routing. When production order is released to the shop floor all released SFCs will be queued at the Entry operation activity of the order's routing. Only one operation activity can be the entry activity.
• Rework Activity - If set to Yes, the time spent at this activity is considered rework.
• Last Reporting Activity - If set to Yes, this activity is the last reporting activity on the routing. When integrated with an ERP system, the SAP Digital Manufacturing system posts the goods receipt of the manufactured good when you confirm this step.
• Queue Decision - If the routing branches after this operation activity, this setting determines which operator decides where the SFC number should be queued after it completes this operation activity.
  • Completing Operator: The operator completing the SFC number at this operation activity determines where the SFC number is put in queue.
  • Next Operator: The operator at the next operation activity determines where to start work on the SFC number. The SFC number is placed in queue at all the next operation activities and the first operator starting the SFC controls where the SFC number is processed.

Double-click the Automated Action to open the Action Properties screen. The following properties are available for the Automated Actions:

• Scrap Action Properties:
  • Status - The status of the SFC number after the scrap takes place.
  • Scrap SFC Only - If set to Yes, scraps the parent SFC number but not the component SFC numbers.
• Return Action Properties:
  • Operation Activity Group Type - Defines which return action will be applied to SFC number:
    • Return to Any Activity (default): Returns to any operation activity on the routing.
    • Return to Any Previous Activity: Returns to any previous operation activity on the routing
    • Return to Original Activity: Returns to the original operation activity for local rework.
  • Return to Operation - The operation activity to which the SFC number returns on the routing.