Performing the usage decision represents the final step in the inspection lot lifecycle. Play the video to reflect this process step from a business point of view.
The following figure shows the lifecycle of an inspection lot with the focus on the usage decision. When performing a usage decision, the user selects the UD code and the quality inspection is assigned a quality score. If configured, the system performs a follow-up action.
From a business process perspective, the usage decision (UD) summarizes the entire lot to a single value. In the simplest case, this value is either accepted or rejected. Acceptance occurs when no defects have been recorded and all inspection characteristics have passed. Rejection occurs when defects have been recorded and/or inspection characteristics have been rejected. However, in practice, there may be substeps between acceptance and rejection. For example, if there are only minor defects and/or inspection characteristics of low severity were rejected, customers may define acceptance codes such as "accepted with minor deviations" or "accepted with limitations". The Quality Engineer is responsible for making the business decision on which usage decision to take based on the type of defect or rejected characteristic.
From a systems perspective, the Quality Engineer selects a UD code to make the usage decision. Each UD code corresponds to an inspection outcome, such as accepted, accepted with limitations, rejected, and so on. The UD codes are specific to the plant and are maintained in a catalog as a selected set.
Caution
UD codes in SAP S/4HANA are customizing objects that are maintained by the Application Consultant, unlike in R/3. In transactions QS41 and QS51, you can no longer maintain UD codes in catalog type 3. This will be discussed in more detail in the next section.
While making the usage decision, the Quality Engineer can also perform the following tasks:
Record defects at the inspection lot level to document defects.
Activate quality notifications to initiate defect analysis and resolution process.
Confirm activities to QM orders to record inspection-related costs.
Once the usage decision has been made, the system assigns a quality score to the inspection lot. This score is a numeric value ranging from 1 to 100 points, with 1 being the lowest grade and 100 being the highest grade. The calculation of the score depends on the inspection type settings in the material master. The system offers the following options for calculating the score:
- From usage decision code: The Application Consultant assigns a quality score to each usage decision code. This is the easiest approach and is commonly used by many customers.
- Quality score for characteristics: Each characteristic is assigned a score, and the lot can have either the weighted score from all characteristics or the minimum quality score. In the first case, rejecting a critical characteristic results in a smaller quality score compared to rejecting a minor one. In the second case, the worst-case principle is applied.
- Share of defects in the lot: A higher share of scrap in the lot leads to a lower quality score.
- Share of defects for the characteristics: For each characteristic, the system calculates the share of scrap. The lot can have a score that is either weighted by the characteristics' scrap or the minimum value of all characteristics, following the worst-case principle.
Finally, the system performs the follow-up action assigned to the usage decision code. For example, the Quality Engineer can post the quantity from quality inspection stock to unrestricted-use stock, update batch characteristic values, print the inspection results, or forward the inspection report to an interested party. We will discuss this in more detail below.
Note
Before making a usage decision, the Quality Engineer must ensure the following prerequisites are met:
The inspection lot is released.
The inspection characteristics have a status of 0 (→ can be processed), 4 (→ skip), or 5 (→ processing is completed).
There is no active status (user or system) that locks the usage decision.
The Quality Engineer has authorization to make the usage decision.
The Quality Engineer can only make the usage decision for an inspection lot if all required inspection characteristics and all processed optional inspection characteristics have been completed. If there are any open long-term inspection characteristics at inspection completion, the completion is accepted, and the inspection is noted as a short-term inspection. After inspection completion, the Quality Technician can only record results for long-term inspection characteristics that have not been completed.
Depending on the business context (represented by the inspection lot origin), the usage decision also impacts other business processes and objects in the system. For example, it can affect inventory management, supply processes, and statistical evaluations:
Stock postings occur in inspection lots that are relevant to stock. When all inspected goods are accepted, they are transferred from quality inspection to unrestricted-use stock. If any goods are rejected, they can be posted to blocked stock for further analysis or returned directly to the supplier.
Update of quality level: When using dynamic modification of the inspection scope, the quality level is updated. For instance, if the Quality Engineer rejects a lot with a negative usage decision, the next inspection may require a stricter inspection severity if the dynamic modification rule is configured accordingly. Conversely, a positive usage decision could result in skipping the next inspection altogether.
Statistics for UD and characteristics: The system releases the inspection lot data for inclusion in the QM statistics. This allows the Quality Engineer to gain an overview of accepted and rejected lots over time in the Inspection Lot Analytics app.
- Purchasing Rejected Goods: This scenario applies to the inspection of goods received in procurement. For example, if a certain quantity of raw material is purchased for manufacturing a product, a purchase requisition is created during the MRP run to cover the missing quantity. The purchaser then converts the requisition into a purchase order, and the goods receipt is posted. However, if a certain quantity is rejected during the goods receipt due to quality issues and returned to the supplier, this missing quantity becomes a problem as it is necessary for executing the production order. Therefore, the procurement department needs to contact the supplier to purchase the missing quantity.
Supplier evaluation: The quality score of the inspection lot is also used in supplier evaluation. This evaluation helps in deciding from which supplier to purchase a certain material. For example, when choosing between two suppliers, the purchaser can refer to the supplier evaluation, which takes into account various data, including the quality of previously delivered goods.
