Analyzing Key Aspects of Technical Master Data

In the SAP S/4HANA Asset Management system, the utilities' technical master data follows a predefined structure. Here, the utilities' connection object equates to an upper-level functional location, while the utilities' device location matches a functional location on a level below. Further, any utilities device corresponds to an equipment aspect that is technically installed into a device location.

Both functional locations and equipment fall under the broad term "Technical Objects." They serve as technical reference points for service and maintenance orders.

Without integration into other SAP components, premises and installations stand as pure utilities objects.

Consider the connection object as a building, a parcel of property, or a facility such as a fountain or construction site. It has a single address that links it to the regional structure and can include connections for several divisions. Moreover, the connection object is assigned to a maintenance plant for operational purposes.

The creation of premises and device locations hinge on the presence of a connection object. A single connection object can house several device locations, such as a basement and ground floor, or numerous premises, like a multifamily house with multiple apartments.

The device location specifies the exact place in a connection object where devices of any division are physically installed. This location borrows the connection object's address and can be further elaborated by extra location data.

A premise is a supplied and enclosed unit such as an apartment or a factory, and it can encompass several installations, depending on the divisions supplying it. A premise inherits the address from the connection object, transfers it to the installation, and can be elaborated further with more premise data.

Contrary to other technical master data, the installation is a logical rather than a physical object. It is the product of billing-related installations of devices and registers and their allocation to rate types. The installation maintains all related rate data such as rate category and rate type, in addition to managing all related meter reading and billing orders, along with billing and even invoicing documents. The installation inherits the connection object address from the premise, and if needed, can adopt regional default values such as the meter reading unit. Apart from being division-dependent, the installation is also linked to contracts and devices, and is assigned to the contract during the Move-In process. In essence, it connects the technical and business master data efficiently.

Manifesting as a building, property, or even a facility such as a fountain or construction site, the connection object is a versatile entity. It possesses a unique address, linking it firmly to the regional structure. In this scenario, the technical address of the connection object assumes greater importance over the business partner address, which can differ. This technical address can contain default values for meter reading and billing, which can be referred to during installation creation.

Tying the connection object to the landscape of the regional structure, the regional structure group can be derived from the technical address. This group carves out its role by associating with, and grouping together, several cities. Meanwhile, the regional structure area amalgamates several regional structure groups, as defined in Customizing. This area can be derived from any connection object address when determining the plant during service order creation.

Catering to field services, both the connection object and the lower-level device location can incorporate notes. Serving as a pool of customizable texts with placeholders (&), these notes can generate individual messages. As a practical application, these notes can relay vital information to field service employees on meter reading orders or service orders. A message for a connection object could, for example, be a simple 'Beware of the Dog', 'Ring at &', or 'Key Number &'.

Matching a top-level functional location, the connection object finds its association with a maintenance plant. The maintenance plant holds all the technical objects installed for a company. The link with the maintenance plant is the maintenance planning plant, which determines planning responsibility. By assigning the regional structure groups of the connection object to regional structure areas, which are then mapped to service objects in Work Management Customizing, the maintenance planning plant can be derived.

The connection object can house connections across several divisions. Interestingly, a connection isn't a required master data object and can be considered as equipment devoid of utilities data. It acts as a bridge, linking the technical objects of the supply grid, such as lines, pylons, and transformers, to the utilities connection object. The connection can be modeled as a service connection using SAP S/4HANA Service functions via Work Management. Through the service connection workflow template, the connection is created in the final step and assigned to the connection object.

Existing as a precise location within a connection object, a device location is where devices from any division are technically installed. A device location comes into existence with a connection object and obtains its address from this object. You can elaborate on the exact place of a device location using extra location data, the values for which can be predefined in Customizing-even the location addition can be expanded upon with free text.

Both the device location and its counterpart, the connection object one level above, carry the potential to house notes for field services. In the form of a pool of customizable texts with placeholders, these notes serve as individual messages, printed on meter reading or service orders for field service employees. Messages for device locations include warnings or information, such as "Meter hard to access!" or "Dangerous stairs!"

In the scheme of function locations, the device location parallels a function location one level below the connection object and thereby, inherits the maintenance plant from the connection object. While the device location is the specific spot in the connection object where numerous devices are installed, it is only of significance to the distributor, who performs field service activities, such as meter reading or device replacement. The supplier, who uses the so-called device info records instead of real devices with technical equipment data, does not need the device location.

Conceptualize the premise as an enclosed unit - an apartment or a factory, for example - that is supplied by different divisions. Just like a device location, the creation of a premise requires a connection object and the address is inherited from this very object. It then transfers the address to the installation. This premise, described by more premise data, can have predefined values for the Premise Type field in Customizing, and free text descriptions for the floor and room number, as well as the location supplement.

The premise can be assigned to an owner (business partner) in one out of three types in Customizing. In the premise type, the owner information is entered directly in the premise transaction and not stored historically. In the case of the owner allocation type, the owner's details are historically noted in the Owner Allocation transaction, and here, one can also activate the Automatic Owner Move-In function.

While a technical installation is not required as a master data object, it is a pure equipment without utilities data. However, it is allocated to the premise, which is a pure utilities object. A technical installation encompasses all installed and nonmetering devices of the same division, such as a fuse box or distributor box. This installation is employed in various processes, such as House Installation Monitoring (HIK) and Outage Notifications.

In contrast to most technical master data, an installation is not a physical entity but a logical object. It manages crucial control data essential for meter reading and billing of the same division within one premise, and depends upon the division, contract, and device. Its creation calls for the existence of a premise, from which it inherits a connection object address and can adopt regional default values, like the meter reading unit.

During the Move-In process, the installation is assigned to the contract in a one-to-one relationship, linking technical and business master data. Moreover, in the process of New Installation, the installation establishes a one-to-one or many-to-one relationship with the point-of-delivery to connect technical and deregulation master data.

The Time-Dependent Data table contains significant historical data that remains immutable for a period that has been billed. The installation, along with all allocated rate data, is classified for billing and sales statistics by the billing class and division. The billing class prevents misconfigurations, for example, assignment of an industrial rate category to a residential installation. The rate category aligns with the utilities product corresponding to a particular division and billing class, and carries control data for aspects like the billing scheme, period-end billing parameters, and options for backbilling.

The meter reading unit, potentially adopted from the regional structure, and the underlying portion control the frequency and timing of reading and billing installations. Its permissibility must conform to the installation's billing class. The franchise contract specifies the franchise fee arrangement between a utilities company and the municipality, which allows the distributor to use public traffic routes for laying and operating lines.

Venturing into the Installation Structure area, accessible through the 'Devices' button, the billing-related installation of devices and registers and their allocation to rate types result in the installation structure. Since the installation is logical and not physical, a device can be assigned to multiple installations simultaneously. Here, the 'Device Data' table contain all device-related rate data, while the 'Register Data' table comprises all register-related rate data and technical data. The rate types, used along with the rate category, determine the rates.

The 'Billing Periods' button leads you to the 'Billing Overview' area, with 'Documents', 'Billing Order', and 'Rate Types' tab pages. They display the history of all billing and invoicing documents related to the installation, show the billing order and the underlying meter reading orders until billed, as well as the determined rates of the installation based on the combination of rate category and rate types, respectively.

The 'Load Profile' button directs you to the synthetic load profile and usage factors used for Energy Quantity Settlement of residential customers. Moreover, the 'Facts' button takes you to individual installation facts, which control the general rate facts. These can include individual input values such as prices, discounts, or factors, and rate types specifically used to determine fact rates.

In the elaborate architecture of SAP S/4HANA Utilities, the installation stands as the central and most significant master data object. Crucial to linking technical master data with business master data, the installation serves as an essential component in the Move-In process. Equally vital, it connects the technical master data with the deregulation master data via the New Installation process.

Influencing the regional structure, the installation inherits the connection object address to adopt default values. This approach bolsters the management of important time-dependent control data for both meter reading and billing. Further, the installation structure, which emerges from the billing-related installation of devices and registers and their allocation to rate types, can be maintained through the utilities Rate Maintenance function.

Adding an extra layer of specificity, individual installation facts could manifest either as rate types or individual rate step input values. These could include prices, discounts, or factors, ensuring the installation not only serves as a nexus for essential data but also as a modulator for crucial utility functions.

In the robust framework of SAP S/4HANA Utilities, an installation reigns as the key and most vital master data object. Playing an integral role in managing rate data, it encapsulates a 'Rate Types' tab page. This tab displays all established rates of the installation, representing them as combinations of rate categories and rate types. This structured display streamlines the complex landscape of rates, enhancing the utility function and overall system proficiency.

Indeed, the installation operates as a pivotal and paramount master data object within the realm of SAP S/4HANA Utilities.

Serving as a historical archive, the 'Documents' tab page presents a comprehensive record of all past billing and invoicing documents associated with a given installation. This transparency of document history aids in tracking previous transactions, enhancing record-keeping practices, and makes for efficient data retrieval in the utilities domain.