Executing Inspection Management

1. Inspection Management: The process of overseeing inspection activities, including planning and execution, within an organization.
2. Work Order List for Inspection: An application in SAP APM that allows users to view and manage work orders from the SAP S/4HANA back-end system.
3. Technical Object Inspection Details (TOID): A feature in SAP APM that provides detailed information on technical objects for inspection purposes, displaying relevant characteristics and indicators.
4. Asset Hierarchy: The structured arrangement of assets, zones, and monitoring locations within SAP APM to manage inspections systematically.
5. Asset for Inspection: The top-level equipment or asset object in the hierarchy against which a work order is written.
6. Asset Zone: The section of the asset designated for inspection, situated below the asset for inspection in the hierarchy.
7. Monitoring Location: The specific location within an asset zone where actual inspection measurements are recorded.
8. Indicators: Quantifiable measurements related to technical objects, such as RPM or temperature, which can be used to assess the condition of an asset.
9. Calculated Indicators: Outputs from the rules engine that provide calculated data, like remaining life or time since the last maintenance activity.
10. Condition-Based Inspection Planning: An approach that uses the actual condition of assets to determine the need for inspections, rather than relying on a fixed schedule.
11. Corrosion Rate: A specific type of indicator that may be monitored during inspections to assess the degradation of an asset over time.
12. Remaining Life: An estimate of the time an asset can continue to function before it fails or requires significant maintenance.
13. Next Inspection Due Date: A calculated date when the next inspection should occur based on the condition and performance data of an asset.
14. Rules Engine: A component of SAP APM that can automate the process of modifying inspection plans based on condition monitoring data.

In this lesson, Jessica will learn how to be successful at orchestrating inspections through SAP Asset Performance Management, which encompasses the strategic planning, scheduling, and execution of inspections, all aimed at elevating the performance and dependability of CRT Manufacturing's assets.

Overview: This lesson will discuss two applications in APM which fall under the inspection management category, the Work Order List for Inspection tile and the Technical Object Inspection Details tile or TOID. These two tiles combined with your inspection plans in SAP S/4HANA aim to bridge the gap between the work execution world of SAP S/4HANA and the asset strategy and health world of APM. These applications themselves are simply two different views for planning and managing your inspections however when combined with maintenance plans and checklists from SAP S/4HANA and calculations in the rules engine users can build out integrated inspection management plans for informed decision making.

The work order list for inspection is as the name implies an application where users can view their work orders from the back-end SAP S/4HANA system.

As you can see the view is simple and users just have the option to search on order number or technical object number for filtering. The idea here is to be able to see any work order in APM that may be coming due soon. When users find a work order that may be due soon they can choose the technical object number which will automatically direct them to the TOID to display relevant characteristics and indicators which might influence the planned due date for the work order.

Unlike the work order list, the TOID is a bit more complex in its use and set up. The screen itself is designed to handle inspection scenarios where asset hierarchies are set up in a very specific way. At the top level you have your asset for inspection. This is the equipment asset object that the work order itself is written against. Below that is your asset zone which is the section of the asset to be inspected. Lastly the bottom of the hierarchy is the monitoring location which is where the actual inspection measurements are read. In the context of a car you could set this up so that the Car is the asset for inspection, the front is the zone, and the engine is the monitoring location. You could also build this to be more specific so the engine could be the asset for inspection the intake manifold the zone and the injectors the monitoring location. While the formatting required is strict in that the screen is built for this hierarchy it can be tailored to fit whatever assets you may be monitoring.

In addition to the data hierarchy itself the screen also needs to be configured to display the relevant data that users may need for inspections. In the case of the car example if the engine is the monitoring location it may have indicators underneath it such as rpm or temperature that can be populated by time series readings or calculated indicators like remaining life or time since last oil change which can be populated by the rules engine. For all three levels in the TOID users can configure the screen to display any indicator or characteristic data that may be relevant to particular inspections. Below is an example of how the screen can be set up to display data for fixed equipment inspections which monitor lowest thickness readings at various points in an asset to calculate corrosion rates, remaining life, and next inspection due dates.

This is the view at the Asset for inspection level but the same applies for the two levels below where indicators and characteristics can be displayed. Additionally, users can choose the equipment itself and view the historical readings for any indicator underneath that asset.

The idea behind these details is to provide a planner, scheduler or inspector with the information needed to decide on the inspection due date or tasks that may need to be performed based on the current condition of an asset.

Together the two inspection management tiles serve as tools for enabling informed condition monitoring based decisions regarding planned inspections. In future updates to APM there is a plan to enable the rules engine to make calls to modify inspection plans as well which aims to close the loop on automating true condition-based inspection planning. As of APM 2402, though, end users are provided with all the relevant information they may need to make decisions on the timing and execution of inspections for their assets.

Viewing Inspection Data of Technical Objects

Viewing Work Order List for Inspection Data

How can the organization of data into asset hierachies and the integration of condition monitoring data influence the efficiency and outcomes of your inspection process?

Expert Response to Personal Reflection Question:

Organizing complex data into a clear hierarchy is a powerful approach to decision-making. In my practice, I've found that breaking down information into structured levels, much like an asset hierarchy in SAP APM, clarifies relationships between data and simplifies the analysis. For instance, in a scenario where I had to assess project risks, categorizing issues by severity and department-similar to asset zones and monitoring locations in TOID-allowed me to prioritize actions and allocate resources effectively.

The hierarchical view provided by TOID mirrors this approach and underscores the importance of context in inspections. It helps pinpoint where in the asset an issue might arise and what specific indicators to monitor. Likewise, the Work Order List for Inspection aligns with the idea of monitoring timelines and scheduling tasks, ensuring that inspections are timely and address the most current asset conditions.

By integrating condition monitoring data, such as corrosion rates or remaining life indicators, we move beyond static schedules to a dynamic, condition-based planning strategy. This makes the inspection process not just a routine task but a critical part of proactive asset management. Adopting such a strategy can lead to improved reliability, reduced downtime, and ultimately, more informed and effective asset management decisions.

Overview:

• This lesson introduces two new tiles in APM under the Inspection Management category: Work Order List for Inspection and Technical Object Inspection Details (TOID).
• The integration of these tiles with inspection plans in SAP S/4HANA aims to bridge the gap between work execution in SAP S/4HANA and planning/analysis in APM.
• Combined with maintenance plans, checklists, and calculations in the rules engine, users can create integrated inspection management plans for informed decision-making.

Work Order List for Inspection:

• An application within APM where users can view work orders from the SAP S/4HANA back-end system.
• Simple view with filtering options based on order number or technical object number.
• Enables users to identify upcoming work orders, and by choosing the technical object number, directs them to the TOID for relevant characteristics and indicators influencing planned due dates.

Technical Objects with Inspection Details (TOID):

• Complex setup designed for inspection scenarios with specific asset hierarchies.
• Hierarchy structure: Asset for inspection (top level), Asset Zone (section of the asset), Monitoring Location (where inspection measurements are taken).
• Configurable to fit various assets, allowing tailored monitoring for inspections.
• Users can display relevant indicator and characteristic data for inspections at each level.
• Example: View of fixed equipment inspections monitoring thickness readings for corrosion rates, remaining life, and next inspection due dates.
• Provides planners, schedulers, or inspectors with essential information for deciding inspection due dates or necessary tasks based on asset conditions.
• Historical readings for any indicator underneath an asset can be viewed by choosing the equipment.

Conclusion:

• The two inspection management tiles serve as tools for making informed decisions about planned inspections.
• Future updates aim to enable the rules engine to modify inspection plans, automating true condition-based inspection planning.
• Currently, end users have access to all relevant information needed to make decisions on the timing and execution of inspections for their assets.