The QM component is integrated with several other key application components in the logistics supply chain (for example, Materials Management, Production Planning, and Sales & Distribution). As a result of this integration, certain activities in one component can influence or trigger events in another component.
The release of orders is an example of such an activity. When production or process orders are released for processing, QM can automatically create inspection lots in preparation for the quality inspections.
The relevant production steps are generally defined in a task list for an order in production. A routing or a master recipe is used depending on the production process. In our example, the task list consists of three operations (10, 20, and 30) which must be executed to manufacture a product. The second manufacturing operation is a quality-relevant step and therefore contains one or more inspection characteristics for the in-process inspection. It is also possible to combine manufacturing and quality-relevant steps in the same operation. You determine whether the operation is manufacturing-relevant, quality-relevant, or a combination of both in the operations control key. When creating production/process orders, the SAP S/4HANA system transfers the production specifications from the routing or master recipe to the production or process order. If you only want to execute defects recording, the task list does not require any QM-specific data (for example, inspection characteristics).
After the planning phase is complete, the order is released for production. An inspection during production is triggered by the release of a production order or process order.
Note
You can configure automatic order release in a production scheduling profile. Production scheduling profiles can be defined in Customizing:
Production → Shop Floor Control → Master Data → Define Production Scheduling Profile for Discrete Manufacturing
Production Planning for Process Industries → Process Order → Master Data → Define Production Scheduling Profiles for Process Manufacturing
You assign the production scheduling profile in the Work scheduling view in the material master of the manufactured product.
During the release of the production order, the system automatically creates an inspection lot for materials that require in-process inspection. Technically speaking, an inspection type of inspection lot origin 03 is assigned and active in the material master of the manufactured product.