Play the following video to learn more about the lifecycle of an inspection lot:
In detail, the inspection lot can either be created automatically by the system or manually by the user. The following events can trigger the automatic creation of inspection lots:
When goods movements trigger the creation of an inspection lot, the system can move the quantity to quality inspection stock (if enabled in the inspection type).
Depending on the inspection lot origin, you cannot create manual inspection lots:
Once the lot is created, you can either manually or automatically assign an inspection plan. Play the following video to learn more about the process flow:
Note
In some business scenarios, such as Flexible Specification Selection, manual selection of the inspection plan is required by the underlying business process. If so, the quality planner configures the inspection type in the QM view of the material master such that the system does not automatically assign an inspection plan and/or execute the sample calculation when it creates the inspection lot. Instead, the quality engineer or quality technician manually assigns an inspection plan, selects the inspection characteristics to be measured, and then triggers the sample calculation. Technically, they open the inspection lot in change mode (app Change Inspection Lot), and perform the required activities.When an inspection specification has been assigned to an inspection lot, the sample size must be calculated for the inspection lot. The sample size can be determined as follows:
The system calculates the sample size automatically.
You trigger the sample determination manually, and the system then calculates the sample size.
You can enter the sample size manually.
If you intend to inspect the goods in an inspection lot using an inspection specification, the system uses the sampling procedures assigned to the inspection characteristics in the inspection specification and the existing quality level to calculate the sample size automatically. If you intend to inspect the goods in an inspection lot without an inspection specification, the system calculates the sample size using one of the following controls in the inspection data of the material master:
Value entered for the Inspection % field
100% inspection indicator
If the sample size calculation is triggered manually, or even if the sample size is entered manually, the quality planner must check the respective entries in the QM view of the material master for the respective inspection type.
Note
In case the system incorrectly assigns an inspection plan and/or incorrectly calculates the sample size, both can be revoked by the Resetting Sample Determination function if no inspection results, defects, and/or usage decision have been recorded for the inspection lot.Once the sample size is calculated, the quality technician starts capturing results for individual inspection characteristics and/or defects to document quality-related findings that are not linked to an inspection characteristic. In general, a list of inspection characteristics can be interpreted as a material-specific checklist that asks the quality technician to go through this list item by item and document the respective results. If the results lie within the specified range of values (for quantitative characteristics) or are valuated as accepted (for qualitative characteristics), the respective inspection characteristic is usually valuated as accepted. If not, it is rejected. Valuation can occur either automatically by the system, for example if defined in the Sampling Procedure assigned to the inspection characteristic, or it can be done manually.
A defect is any property or attribute of a material, product or process that does not meet the inspection characteristic specifications. You record the defects with the help of predefined defect codes maintained in the inspection catalogs. Defects can be logged against an inspection characteristic, on inspection operation level, or on inspection lot level, depending on the business requirements. Usually, defects are used to document any issues that might not be related to the inspection characteristics on the task list. When making the usage decision, the quality engineer can take both recorded results and defects into account in order to decide whether the quality inspection passed or failed.
The last step in the inspection lot lifecycle is the Usage Decision: When you make a usage decision, the inspection is completed. This step is usually executed by the quality engineer who reviews inspection results, recorded defects, and the stock overview (if the inspection lot is stock-relevant). Based on all available data, the quality engineer decides whether the inspected goods are accepted or rejected for use. Technically, they assign a coded value (the usage decision code group and code) to the inspection lot. In Customizing, all codes are either valuated as accepted or rejected. If required, it is possible to define a more granular valuation, for example:
- Accepted (quality score = 100 points)
- Accepted with minor deviations (quality score = 80 points)
- Accepted with major deviations (quality score = 50 points)
- Rejected (quality score = 1 point)
Note
Although it is possible to use a finer granularity, all usage decision codes must either be classified as accepted or valuated.
If the inspection lot is stock-relevant, the quality engineer posts the stock managed by the inspection lot from the quality inspection stock to, for example, unrestricted-use stock or blocked stock. The former stock posting is chosen when all inspection results passed; the latter stock posting is chosen if (one or more major or critical) inspection results failed. Assuming that the inspection lot was triggered by a goods receipt for a purchase order, a vendor complaint might be initiated to manage the complaint.
In Customizing, the application consultant can configure the usage decision codes to automatically execute the respective stock posting when saving the usage decision. If the automated stock posting is not desired, the usage decision codes can also be configured so that the stock posting is only proposed, and so the final decision must be taken by the quality engineer or must even be executed manually. Note that choosing the manual approach, especially, is not recommended as this step can easily be forgotten, resulting in inspection lots where the quality inspection is completed but stock postings remain open, which finally results in material being "stuck" in quality inspection.
Besides stock postings, other Follow-up Actions can be triggered:
- Send mails with inspection reports to interested parties.
- Update the Quality Level (if Dynamic Modification of the Inspection Scope is used).
- Transfer inspection results to batch characteristics.
- Change the batch status.
- Transfer inspection decision to batch class.
Note
When a usage decision has been made for an inspection lot, you can't change the results of the inspection. In some situations, however, it may be necessary to change or revoke the usage decision. Note that changing a usage decision does not undo the logistical follow-up actions executed by the initial usage decision, for example, posting to unrestricted stock.
To revoke a usage decision, the quality engineer uses the app Manage Usage Decisions.