leverx - making use of sap guided structure synchronization in your environment
DESCRIPTION
A basic guide to using SAP Guided Structure Synchronization to manage your bill of materials.TRANSCRIPT
[ Making Use of SAP Guided Structure
Synchronization (GSS) in Your Environment
Eric Stajda
PLM Practice Lead
LeverX
[
2
Agenda
Basic overview of key SAP Guided Structure
Synchronization (GSS) concepts
Demonstration of synchronizing an engineering and
manufacturing BOM
Advanced look at synchronization units, reconciliation
workbench, conflict types, and clipboard
Extending the capabilities of SAP GSS via BADIs and
enhancements
[ Basic SAP GSS Facts
You use SAP GSS to transfer source structures from one
application area, such as engineering, to target structures
of another application area, such as manufacturing.
The aim is to keep the target structure up-to-date. The
system takes changes to structures into account in each
synchronization and updates the target structure. Any
differences between the source and target structure are
displayed as conflicts with varying degrees of severity.
The system guides you through the structure
synchronization process with a user interface that allows
the following:
3
[ Basic SAP GSS Facts
The system guides you through the structure
synchronization process with a user interface that allows
the following:
Planning the synchronization from the source structure
Monitoring structure synchronization and the conflicts that
can occur
Resolving conflicts using predefined actions
After an initial synchronization where no target structure
exists, subsequent synchronizations are required after
changes are made in the source structure in order to set
up the target structure and to keep it synchronized with
the relevant source structure.
4
[
5
Return on Investment
Reduce time and eliminate necessity for manually copying
changes from one BOM to another
Reduce mistakes that occur that can occur when
manually copying changes
Start directly from CAD to generate engineering BOM and
then sync directly to manufacturing BOM
[
6
Basic Terms: Synchronization Unit
Synchronization Unit: The Synchronization Unit
establishes the connection between the source and target
structure you want to synchronize
[
7
Basic Terms: Structures and Conflicts
Source Structure: Source structure that is used for
comparison during synchronization. In this use case, the
engineering BOM.
Target Structure: Target structure that will receive
changes from source structure. In this use case, the
manufacturing BOM.
Conflict: A difference identified between the source and
target structure. Conflicts are reconciled via the
Reconciliation Workbench.
[
8
Basic Terms: Reconciliation Workbench
Reconciliation Workbench: The reconciliation workbench
helps you to restructure the target BOM and solve
conflicts that occur during structure synchronization due
to differences in the source and target structures.
You can use predefined actions to resolve the conflicts.
You define the actions in Customizing for GSS (see
Conflict Handling). You can also make changes to the
target structure manually in the reconciliation workbench,
such as creating or deleting an item, copying an item to
the clipboard and inserting an item in another target
structure.
[
9
Basic Terms: Reconciliation Workbench
View of the Reconciliation Workbench
[
10
Integration With Change Management
All synchronizations are done in relation to an SAP
Change Master
All changes have a valid from date related to the change
number which was used during the synchronization
process
[
11
Demonstration: BOM Creation From Source
Scenario: Creation initial manufacturing BOM from source
engineering BOM
Basic steps to be followed:
Initiate synchronization process from BOM
Create synchronization unit, including identifying target
structure
Start synchronization process
Select change number to use for synchronization
Review and resolve any conflicts via reconciliation
workbench
Save work with result that target structure is now created
[
12
Demonstration: BOM Creation From Source
Engineering BOM
• Bicycle
• Frame
• Brake
• Saddle
• Handlebar Stem
• Front Wheel
• Rear Wheel
• Gear System
Manufacturing BOM
• Bicycle
• Frame
• Brake
• Saddle
• Handlebar Stem
• Front Wheel
• Rear Wheel
• Gear System
Initial
Synchronization
and Creation of
Manufacturing
BOM
[
13
Demonstration: Sync BOM Changes
Scenario: Engineering BOM is updated and changes are
synchronized to manufacturing BOM
Basic steps to be followed:
Initiate synchronization process from BOM
Select synchronization unit, including identifying target
structure
Select change number to use for synchronization
Start synchronization process
Review and resolve any conflicts via reconciliation
workbench
Save work with result that target structure is now changed
[
14
Demonstration: Sync BOM Changes
Engineering BOM
• Bicycle
• Frame
• Brake
• Leather Saddle
• Handlebar Stem
• Front Wheel
• Rear Wheel
• Gear System
Manufacturing BOM
• Bicycle
• Frame
• Brake
• Leather Saddle
• Handlebar Stem
• Front Wheel
• Rear Wheel
• Gear System
Update of
Manufacturing
BOM via
Synchronization
Saddle is replaced in Manufacturing BOM
with Leather Saddle with effectivity date of
change number used during synchronization
[
15
Demonstration: Use Clipboard and Other Tools
Scenario: Update Manufacturing BOM during
synchronization using clipboard and other tools
Basic steps to be followed:
Initiate synchronization process from BOM
Select synchronization unit, including identifying target structure
Select change number to use for synchronization
Start synchronization process
Review and resolve any conflicts via reconciliation workbench
Make updates in Manufacturing BOM using clipboard and other
tools
Save work with result that target structure is now changed
[
16
Configuration Options
Basic functions of SAP GSS are controlled via SAP IMG
configuration
[
17
Configuration Options
Configuration Description
Define Action
Types
In this Customizing activity, you define the action types that can be chosen to
resolve a conflict in Guided Structure Synchronization (GSS). Conflicts may arise
during the synchronization process when a proposed target structure is compared
with an existing one.
Define Conflict
Types
In this Customizing activity, you define the conflict types that may occur during a
synchronization. A conflict is a deviation between the source structure and the
proposed target structure.
Deviations can be caused by changes in the source or target structure outside the
synchronization. The system shows the conflicts in the reconciliation workbench,
where you are guided through them and can resolve them by proposed actions.
Make General
Settings for
Application Log
In this customizing activity you can determine how long the system stores the
application log on the database.
Define Number
Range Intervals for
Synch. Unit BOM
to BOM
In this Customizing activity, you specify number ranges for number assignment for
synchronization units (number range object /PLMI/B2B) of synchronizations of
Material BOMs.
[
18
Configuration Options
Configuration Description
Adjust Conflicts for
Synchronization
BOM to BOM
In this Customizing activity, you make the following assignments for Guided
Structure Synchronization (GSS) for BOMs:
• Conflict severity to conflict types
• Action types to conflict types
The conflict severity indicates a special level of severity of a conflict. Depending on
the conflict type, you can assign the severity in accordance with the following
hierarchy:
• Error
• Warning
• Information
• Not relevant
The least severity is only relevant to the standard conflict types and cannot be
changed. For these standard conflict types, the severity cannot be set to a range
below the predefined least severity.
Conflicts that arise during the synchronization of an engineering BOM (source
structure) and a manufacturing BOM (target structure) can be resolved in the
reconciliation workbench. Special actions which you assign to the conflict type are
suggested by the system depending on the conflict type during synchronization.
[
19
Key Configuration Item
Per conflict
type, you can
define
severity and
how items are
presented in
the
Reconciliation
Workbench
[
20
Enhancement Possibilities
SAP Provides a number of BAdIs for enhancement of
SAP GSS capabilities
All enhancement activities can be found in Customizing
for Logistics - General under Product Lifecycle
Management (PLM) -> PLM Web User Interface -> PLM
Web Applications -> Guided Structure Synchronization.
[
21
Enhancement Possibilities
Use Case: Add customer fields to GSS process
Execution steps: 1. Execute the activity Find Aspects for Synchronization Product Structure
or Assembly to BOM.
2. Identify the data structure of the aspect that needs to be enhanced, such
as /PLMI/S_GSS_PPE_POSVAR_CHANGE for variant change state.
3. Start he ABAP dictionary (SE11) and display the data structure.
4. Identify the customer includes that can be enhanced, for example
CI_PVCMPD.
5. Add the new attributes to the customer include.
[
22
Enhancement Possibilities
Use Case: Change the mapping of attributes between
source and target structure, including overriding the
attribute mapping of the SAP standard and map a
customer attribute in source to a customer attribute in
target
Execution Steps: 1. Execute BAdI: Mapping of Source Vertex to Proposed Target Vertex.
2. Implement the BAdI according to the interface documentation.
3. For synchronization of product structures or product assemblies to BOM,
set the filter value ABBID = PLM_GSSI2B.
[
23
Enhancement Possibilities
Use Case: Add special solution proposals to a conflict,
including creating new action types, such as triggering a
workflow or modifying the target in a certain way
Execution Steps: 1. Optionally execute Define Action Types to create a new action type.
2. Execute BAdI: Handling of Actions to implement the BAdI for the new
action type.
3. Implement the BAdI according to the interface documentation. Set the
filter value equal to the new action type.
4. Execute Adjust Conflicts for Synchronization Product Structure or
Assembly to BOM:
a) Choose the view Assign Actions to Conflicts.
b) Assign the new action type to the respective conflict types.
[
24
Enhancement Possibilities
Use Case: How to define the comparison settings of an
attribute, including take over values from source into
target automatically without raising conflicts.
Execution Steps: 1. Execute BAdI: Adjust Field Control.
2. Implement the method ADJUST_FIELD_CONTROL according to the
interface documentation
3. Variant: In case special handling of an attribute conflict should take
place, execute the following steps:
4. Execute Define Conflict Types to create a new conflict type.
5. Execute Adjust Conflicts for Synchronization Product Structure or
Assembly. Set the conflict severity and assign action types.
6. Within the BAdI implementation of BAdI: Adjust Field Control assign the
new conflict type to the according attribute.
[
25
Key Points
Utilizing SAP GSS, it possible to simplify the process of
managing changes between your engineering and
manufacturing BOM
You have now have good understanding of key terms
(e.g. synchronization unit, reconciliation workbench) and
the basic operation of the tool
Through configuration, it is possible to control things like
conflict and action types
SAP GSS can be enhanced through standard SAP BAdIs
and enhancements spots
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING.
0601
Learn more year-round at www.asug.com