SAP Digital Manufacturing provides Data Collection features that workers can use to collect assembly data and assembly process data. You can use the collected information in the following example scenarios:
Monitoring the quality of the production process
Documenting quality-related or other manufacturing data for individual SFCs that you can analyze in case of deviations and/or warranty claims
Documenting the manufacturing process in a regulated environment, such as the manufacturing of medical devices
Providing input data for statistical analysis of the production process, such as statistical process control (SPC)
The following image shows an example of how you can collect assembly data and assembly process data:

In our bike manufacturing company, we produce finished bikes through several manufacturing operations, such as assembly, quality inspection, and packaging. The first and second manufacturing operations require the worker to gather various data points:
During assembly, the worker records the serial number of the assembled frame, front wheel, and rear wheel. In addition, they also note the torque used when attaching the wheels to the frame.
During quality inspection, the system provides a checklist where the worker gathers results from the in-process quality inspection. They can collect numerical results (for example, the tire pressure), binary values (for example, whether the brakes are working or not), or coded values (for example, the presence of no scratches, superficial scratches, deep scratches, and so on).
What is the difference between these two scenarios? During the assembly operation, the data the worker records are linked to the specific component being assembled. For instance, the serial number of the assembled frame uniquely identifies the frame used in a particular bike. On the other hand, during the quality inspection, the data the worker records are tied to the bike currently being manufactured and may not necessarily be traced back to an individual assembled component. Therefore, the first example corresponds to a manufacturing scenario where you require data to be recorded at the component level, while the second scenario exemplifies a manufacturing situation that requires data to be recorded for the assembly process itself.
Note
From a technical perspective, SAP Digital Manufacturing stores component assembly data (first scenario) in the as-built record (also known as genealogy record) of the SFC. The assembly process data (second scenario) is stored in a data collection record at the SFC level.