Configuring Confirmations for Process Orders

Depending on your business requirements, the system offers various variants for order confirmation:

• Process order confirmation on order header level

  In this scenario, you enter a confirmation for the entire order. If you enter a confirmation on order header level, the system confirms all phases that have a control key in which confirmation is possible or required. The quantities confirmed in the operations are proportional to the quantities confirmed in the order header. You can either confirm the order in one confirmation posting or post multiple order confirmations until the order quantity was reached. After posting an order confirmation, the system sets a respective confirmation status on order header, operation, and phase level.

• Time ticket confirmation

  In this scenario, you enter a confirmation for each (confirmation relevant) phase in the order. Similar to the previous case, you can either confirm each phase in one confirmation posting or post multiple phase confirmations until each phase of the order is fully confirmed. After posting a phase confirmation, the system sets a respective confirmation status on phase, operation, and order header level.

• Milestone confirmation

  In this scenario, you also confirm the order on phase level. However, by assigning a respective control key to the phases, you define some of the phases as milestones. You must only post confirmations for milestone phases. At the same time, the system automatically confirms the non-milestone phases which lie in between the milestones.

• Time event confirmation

  In this scenario, you confirm the phase start and finish times for each phase. The system calculates the duration based on the time difference between the start and end of the phase.

After posting the confirmation, the order, operation, and phase status values are updated to either partially confirmed (PCNF) or confirmed (CNF).

An order is partially confirmed if at least one but not all of the phases that require confirmation are confirmed (phase status PCNF or CNF). An operation is partially confirmed if at least one but not all of the operation's phases that require confirmation are confirmed (phase status PCNF or CNF). An order is also partially confirmed if all the phases requiring confirmation are finally confirmed, but there are confirmable phases that are partially confirmed. An operation is also partially confirmed if all the operation's phases requiring confirmation are finally confirmed, but there are confirmable phases that are partially confirmed.

An order is finally confirmed when all phases for which confirmation is required are finally confirmed (status CNF) and when there are no confirmable phases that are partially confirmed (status PCNF). An operation is finally confirmed when all the operation's phases for which confirmation is required are finally confirmed (status CNF) and when there are no confirmable phases that are partially confirmed (status PCNF).

In the figure, an example of an phase confirmation and the effect of the confirmation posting to the order is displayed. When confirming the phase, you provide, for example, the following information:

• Operation quantities: Yield, scrap, and rework

  The yield quantity is the amount of partially produced quantities that are produced so far in this phase. The scrap quantity is the amount of partially produced quantities that had to be scrapped when you executed this phase. If required, you can provide additional information in text form or even create quality notifications. The rework quantity is the amount of partially produced quantities that cannot be transferred to the next manufacturing phase due to, for example, quality reasons. After you've eliminated the quality deficiencies, the respective quantities reenter the planned production flow.

• Actual dates

  You enter the actual start and finish date of an phase which can be used for analysis purposes or rescheduling of subsequent production phases.

• Phase activities

  You enter phase activities, for example, setup time, machine time, labor time, and so on, to confirm how much time effort was invested into the phase. For each phase activity, the system calculates the respective costs using information maintained in the resource and charges these internal activities to the order.

• If configured in the phase control key, the confirmation also triggers the automated goods receipt of the manufactured quantities. The goods receipt quantity corresponds to the yield quantity. Furthermore, if components are marked as backflushed, the confirmation triggers the goods issue posting of the respective components. The goods issue quantities of the components are carried out in proportion to the sum of all three confirmed phase quantities according to the BOM relationships.

Regardless of the confirmation option you select, confirmation parameters must be defined in the configuration activity, Define Confirmation Parameters for each order type and plant in order to be able to post confirmations.

To be able to use user-specific layouts for time ticket confirmations, you must set up confirmation profiles in the configuration activity, Define Single-Screen Entry for Confirming Process Orders.

For an phases to be confirmed, the control key for the phase must be set accordingly. The control keys contain information whether an phase is a milestone phase, or whether a phase must, can, or cannot be confirmed. The control keys are defined in the configuration activity, Define Control Keys.

To enter confirmations for process orders, confirmation parameters must be defined for each order type and plant in the configuration activity, Define Confirmation Parameters. 

When you open the configuration activity, you first find an overview of all the entries that are already created, as shown in the previous figure. You can create new entries or display or change the details of already existing entries.

In the detail view of an entry, in the Generally Valid Settings tab, you find the following information and control settings:

• Process Control:

  The following processes can be automatically triggered by a confirmation: Automatic goods receipt, backflushing, and determination of the actual costs. With the Process Control key you define, when each individual process that is automatically triggered by a confirmation is executed: Immediately online, immediately in update program, or later in background job.

  Note

  The Process Control keys are defined in the configuration activity, Define Time for Confirmation Processes.
• Quantity calculation for milestone/progress confirmation:

  With this check box you can specify that for milestone or progress confirmations, the quantities(yield, scrap) of automatically generated confirmations are calculated without considering the scrap percentage rate of each operation. If you do not set this check box, then the planned scrap percentage rate of each operation is considered when calculating the confirmed total quantity. In the generated confirmations, the proportional scrap is added to the yield. If you set this check box, then the automatic confirmations are posted with the same total quantities as the milestone or progress.

• Confirmation profile:

  A confirmation profile defines the layout and settings for the single-screen entry of confirmations, that is, time ticket confirmations, for the given plant and order type.

  Note

  The confirmation profiles are defined in the configuration activity, Define Single-Screen Entry for Confirming Process Orders. This is explained later in this lesson.
• Checks:
  • Operation Sequence:

    This key defines whether a system message is to be issued when the phase sequence is not adhered to and if so, which type of message.

  • Underdelivery:

    This key defines how the system is to react during confirmation if the yield and the rework quantity fall below the order's underdelivery tolerance when the phase is finally confirmed.

  • Overdelivery:

    This key specifies what the system does if the overdelivery tolerance of the order is exceeded by the confirmed yield and rework quantity during confirmation.

  • Results recording (QM):

    This key controls the system message that appears when you confirm an order, if QM inspection results must be recorded for a phase but no results are available yet.

  • Dates in Future:

    This check box determines whether dates in the future can be used in a confirmation. If the check box is not set, you cannot make any confirmations using dates in the future. If you try to do so, the system issues an error message.

• Goods Movements:
  • All Components:

    If you set the check box, the system displays all the components regardless of whether or not the backflushing check box is set for the components in the order. The system then posts the withdrawal of all components displayed in the overview as a backflush. If you do not set the check box, the system only displays the components for which the backflushing check box is set, and the system only posts the withdrawal of these components as a backflush.

  • Goods receipt for co-products:

    This check box defines that when production orders are confirmed and an automatic goods receipt for the product is triggered, the goods receipts of co-products can also be posted.

In the Individual Entry General tab, you find the following information and control settings:

• Confirmation Function Excluding Single-Screen Entry:
  Note

  These settings are not evaluated for time ticket confirmations, that is, single-screen entries.
  • Confirmation Type:

    This setting specifies what sort of confirmation is to be proposed.

  • Clear Open Reservations:

  • This check box specifies that with a final confirmation the check box Final Issue is also set for components that are not backflushed.

• Error Handling/Logs:
  • Actual Costs:

    This check box controls whether the system automatically generates a log of the actual costs, when you confirm activities.

  • Termination for Incorrect Actual Costs:

    This check box controls if the confirmation is terminated in the event of incorrect actual costs.

  • Goods Movements:

    This check box specifies that if you save a confirmation with goods movement errors (that is, backflushing or automatic goods receipt), then the system displays an error log before saving. This enables you to correct the errors using the goods movement overview before you save the confirmation.

  • Termination for Incorrect Goods Movements:

    This check box controls if the confirmation is terminated in the event of incorrect goods movements.

• Shift:
  • Shift Proposal:

    This setting determines whether for time ticket confirmations or header confirmations the Shift field is visible and whether this field contains a default value. For header confirmations, the Shift in Header Confirmation check box must also be set.

  • Shift in Header Confirmation:

    This check box specifies that the Shift field is to be shown in the header confirmations.

In the Indiv. Entry and Operation w. Init. Screen tab, you find the following information and control settings:

• Propose quantities and activities to be confirmed:

  You can have the system propose the open confirmation data for entry. For the quantities and activities, the system proposes the quantities that have yet to be confirmed according to planning. Already confirmed quantities are no longer considered for the proposal data.

• Selection:

  You can decide which phases the system proposes for confirmation: If you select the Find Only Confirmable Operations check box and an operator creates a confirmation, the system tries to determine a confirmable phase. If there is more than one phase, the operator has to select the phase number.

When you open the configuration activity, you first find an overview of confirmation profiles that are already created, as shown in the previous figure. You can create new entries or display or change the details of already existing entries.

The Standard Profile check box defines a profile as the standard profile. You can define only one profile as the standard profile.

In the detail view of an entry, in the Area Selection tab, you find the following information and control settings:

• Use Profile for Plant/Order Type and Alternative Profile:
  Note

  The Profile for Plant/Order Type field is only ready for input if the confirmation profile is marked as standard profile.
  Note

  The Alternative Profile field is only ready for input if you select the checkbox Use Profile for Plant/Order Type.

  If an operator enters a time ticket confirmation in a specific plant with reference to a specific order type, the confirmation profile is determined as follows by checking the details of the standard profile:

  When the Use Profile for Plant/Order Type check box is set, the system checks whether a confirmation profile is assigned to the combination of plant and order type in the configuration activity, Define Confirmation Parameters. If yes, it uses this profile.

  Note

  We have already discussed the settings of the configuration activity, Define Confirmation Parameters at the beginning of this lesson.

  If no profile is found in the configuration activity, Define Confirmation Parameters, and if you have entered an Alternative Profile, the system uses the alternative profile.

  Note

  You cannot enter the standard profile again as an alternative profile. It must be a different profile.

  If no profile is found in the configuration activity, Define Confirmation Parameters, and if you have not entered an Alternative Profile, the system uses the standard profile.

• Area Selection:
  • Header Area:

    In the header area, you can define which data is to identify the phase to be confirmed.

  • Detail Area:

    In the detail areas, you define which information can be entered for the phase to be confirmed and in which order the fields in question are displayed. You can select up to seven detail areas, each containing one group of possible entry fields. Every input and output field can only be outputted once.

    Titles can be assigned to the detail areas, which are reproduced on the buttons above the corresponding area. You can use these buttons to open and close the areas. This means that the number of fields on the screen can be kept to a minimum. With the Closed check box, you define that the area is to be closed when the function is first called up.

    You can display a preview of the individual area and also of the entire entry screen. To do this, choose the corresponding pushbutton (header area preview, detail area preview, or list screen preview).

In the Default tab, you find the following information and control settings:

• Confirmation function:

  The Confirmation Type defines whether a partial confirmation, final confirmation, or a final confirmation with posting of open reservations is to be proposed.

  The Clear Open Reservations check box specifies that with a final confirmation the Final Issue check box is also set for components that are not backflushed.

• Default value:

  You can define the time of default determination for quantities, activities, and/or dates (no proposal, immediate proposal, proposal when saving).

  You can specify how the system is to proceed in determining the shift to be proposed.

• Services:

  For the activities, you can define six texts that are displayed during confirmation entry. These texts are overwritten with the texts from the standard value key in the resource after you have chosen ENTER. If you want to prevent this from happening, set the fix text check box. You can hide activities for which you do not want to enter a confirmation by setting the Hidden check box.