Introducing In-Process Inspections with Inspection Points

A production order contains at least one manufacturing operation. When executing in-process quality inspections, you want to record inspection results while executing the manufacturing process, for example, via a worker self-inspection on the shop floor. For each manufacturing operation you plan a quantity which is to be manufactured. In this example, you want to produce 100 PC of a product, with one production order consisting of one manufacturing operation.

An inspection point is an identifiable record of inspection results that is assigned to a work or inspection operation. Several inspection points can be assigned to an inspection operation. With inspection points, you can have several inspections and can record multiple sets of characteristic results for an operation.

You use the inspection point type to control the business process in which an inspection point is to be used. For example, inspection point processing can be used in the following inspection lots:

• For in-process inspections during production
• For goods receipt inspections
• For inspection lots with maintenance orders
• For inspection lots with physical samples

The SAP S/4HANA system offers the following inspection point types:

• Free inspection point

  You use this inspection point type for in-process inspections and goods receipt inspections. The system either automatically creates an inspection point, for example based on time or quantity constraints, or the user manually creates an inspection point at an arbitrary point in time, for example when changing a tool or a container. It is possible to combine both modes of creation.

• Inspection point in plant maintenance

  You use this inspection point type in calibration inspections for equipment or functional locations. The system automatically creates an inspection point for each equipment or functional location to be calibrated.

• Inspection point for physical samples

  If you use the sample management functions in a goods receipt inspection or an inspection during production with planned physical samples, each sample number is uniquely identified by an inspection point. The system automatically creates an inspection point for each physical sample.

To identify inspection points, you can define a combination of fields in Customizing. In such a field combination, user-defined fields as well as fixed fields based on the inspection point type are defined with individual key words and an individual sequence. You can use, for example, key words such as "Container", "Barrel", or "Pallet" for the inspection point "free inspection points" and "model" for the inspection point type "physical sample". The system displays this inspection point identifier on the results recording screens.