Explaining Product Structure

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Explain product structure in Integrated Product and Process Engineering IPPE.
  • Use the product structure inside product structure management PSM.

Integrated Product and Process — Engineering (IPPE)

Up to now, many companies have been dealing with the question of which master data is required to model a configuration product, such as a car or pump. To solve this problem, your company has been using variant configuration with a super BOM. You're now looking for an alternative with which you can define a product configuration at an early stage without material masters or BOMs.

You decide, therefore, to use Integrated Product Engineering (IPE). IPE provides a platform that is suitable not only for development, but also for managing the entire product lifecycle. IPE offers considerably more functions for modeling a product than the standard BOM.

Watch the following video, which explains the process in detail.

The purpose of the product variant structure (PVS) is to create a product description that is free of redundancy. The aim is to create not only a product structure, but also entire groups of similar products, some of which may have a high degree of variability.

The PVS is the basis for all processes along the supply chain that use this product structure. It's a highly integrated data model that supports efficient IT management of product structures.

In the converter scenario, only the PVS is used as part of IPE. Once the product structure has reached a certain development status, it's converted to a conventional bill of material. This can then be incorporated as standard in all supply chain processes, especially in production.

Watch the following video explaining the object types of a product structure.

In the early product development phases, a material master does not have to be assigned to the variants (as is the case during prototype development). Material references should exist before production starts, however, since material planning and goods movements cannot take place without them.

You can design multiple, competing solutions at variant level. To do so, you create a concept group to group together the actual concepts. You can test the individual concepts as part of the overall conceptual design for the product and transfer (overwrite) a concept to the variant as a result.

iPPE Workbench

The product variant structure is edited in an IPE workbench displayed in the next figure.

Screenshot displaying a navigation tree on the left and detailed component variant data on the right. Labels indicate functions for loading, creating, changing objects, and filtering.

How to Work with Product Structure in iPPE

Your company's management has decided to model new prototypes in the SAP system. Since no material masters or BOMs exist for any components of the prototype, management has decided to use the Product Structure Management (PSM). This allows you to model your new prototypes with or without material masters.

Watch the following simulation, which starts with an adaption of the layout inside customizing. In the next step, an existing structure is loaded and a node added. Other changes are done. At the end, a structure simulation takes place.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Product Structure Management

Product Structure Management

Watch the following video, which explains all objects available inside Product Structure Management.

Product Items

Screenshot of the Product Structure in the Product Structure Management.

The product item is an abstract representation of a component within a product structure. A product item like the product family or view has a variant class, that is, the product class assigned.

  • A product item has the same purpose for the product structure as a BOM item has for the BOM but does not have a material component assigned.

  • Product items are used to make up a multilevel configurable product structure using part-of relationships between the various levels. A product item has one or more product item variants associated with. A product item may have documents assigned.

  • Product items can be classified using class type, 053. The product item variant is a specific representation of a component within a product structure.

A product item variant is always assigned to a product item.

  • A product item variant may have a material assigned to it. The material assignment is not necessary in order to build up the product structure. However, the material assignment needs to be completed prior to entering any logistics or the handover-to-manufacturing processes.

  • A product item variant may have documents assigned. A product item variant may have CAD documents assigned.

  • Product item variants can be classified using class type, 056. The product class is a variant class containing the characteristics that describe the product.

Object Dependencies

The following video explains the definition of object dependencies inside Product Structure Management.

Guided Synchronization

GSS-Main Process

One important link in the value chain of an enterprise that develops and manufactures products takes the form of the interface between product development and manufacturing. The task of product development is to develop, validate, and document a product in accordance with certain requirements. Once the product has reached a certain level of maturity, the product data – usually consisting of drawings, documents, material records, and parts lists – can be handed over to manufacturing. However, one recurrent observation on the handover of the design parts list from product development (engineering BOM or eBOM) is that the items it contains cannot be taken over one-to-one into the manufacturing parts list (manufacturing BOM or mBOM).

Watch the following video, which explains the main process of Guided Structure Synchronization.

Synchronization

Watch the following video, which explains the first process step of guided structure synchronization.

The following data needs to be maintained for the synchronization process:

  • Target BOM

  • Owning Context

  • Status of Change Number

The status of the Change Number indicates the maturity, which marks the change relevant for the synchronization process. In the Plan UI, you can trigger then the subsequent synchronization process.

Screenshot showing a Reconciliation Workbench interface for managing a Bill of Materials (BOM) with steps for synchronization and conflict resolution. The display includes a comparison of source and target structures, with tools for handling conflicts.

Synchronization PSM to BOM is the main process step of GSS which can be divided into the following:

  1. An automatic synchronization of changes and determination of deviations.

  2. The guided reconciliation of the structures.

Synchronization can be initial or ongoing. Engineering change numbers need to be mapped with manufacturing change numbers. Only change numbers with a required change status are considered during the synchronization process.

In the reconciliation workbench, you can do the following:

  • Compare the source with the target BOM

  • Identify and resolve the conflicts using traffic lights indication

  • Add new components in the target structure

  • Delete obsolete components in the target structure

  • Use a clipboard to copy or store components for further processing

Log in to track your progress & complete quizzes

Learning

SAP FacebookSAP YoutubeSAP LinkedIn