After the component is completed at assembly, it needs to be checked before moving further, to avoid non-conformities. If assembled, it moves to the next operation. Otherwise, SFC puts it back to the assembly operation. Use of custom scripts is helpful in this scenario for checking the component and then moving it to the appropriate next step. (For more information on custom scripts in ME, read the sidebar "Custom Scripts in ME.") Custom scripts, which give access to the ME database in real time, do not come with how-to-implement documentation. Based on my interaction with clients, while providing support and seeing the complex routing scenarios customers use to complete SFC on the shop floor, I provide instructions to make routing scenarios less complicated by adding intelligence to routing steps.

Consider a scenario in which the router has operations START > ASSEMBLY > PAINT > Done as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

ME routing

The assembly operation has two possible outcomes: Go back to the assembly operation or move further to paint. Here, custom script has been added on each branch. The script code is saved to a database. Each assembly line between operations (for example, one between ASSEMBLY and PAINT) can have its own script that is saved to a database. When an SFC reaches this point on the assembly line, the scripts are executed to evaluate which of the next possible operations suit best for SFC based on status. It checks for assembled components on SFC. The script for branch ASSEMBLY > PAINT (Component Assembled) is shown in Figure 2. 

stmt="select COUNT(SFC_ASSY.HANDLE) AS CT_ROWS from SFC_ASSY, SFC_BOM where SFC_ASSY.SFC_BOM_BO = SFC_BOM.HANDLE AND SFC_BOM.SFC_BO='"+getSFCProperty("HANDLE")+"'";

res=executeQuery(stmt);
total = res.get("CT_ROWS");
res1 = parseInt(total,10);
if(res1 == 0)
{
  exit(false);
}
else
{
  exit(true);
}

Script back, for ASSEMBLY -> ASSEMBLY

stmt="select COUNT(SFC_ASSY.HANDLE) AS CT_ROWS from SFC_ASSY, SFC_BOM where SFC_ASSY.SFC_BOM_BO = SFC_BOM.HANDLE AND SFC_BOM.SFC_BO='"+getSFCProperty("HANDLE")+"'";
res=executeQuery(stmt);
total = res.get("CT_ROWS");
res1 = parseInt(total,10);
if(res1 == 0)
{
  exit(true);
}
else
{
  exit(false);
}

Let’s go through the script in detail.

Line 1 shown in Figure 3 is the most important line in the code.

stmt="select COUNT(SFC_ASSY.HANDLE) AS CT_ROWS from SFC_ASSY, SFC_BOM
where SFC_ASSY.SFC_BOM_BO = SFC_BOM.HANDLE AND
SFC_BOM.SFC_BO='"+getSFCProperty("HANDLE")+"'";

The script queries the database to find the number of rows corresponding to SFC in the SFC_ASSY table. The SFC handle is retrieved using method getSFCProperty(“HANDLE”).

The argument for this method is the column name(s) (comma separated) that you would like to fetch.

Figure 4 shows lines 2, 3, 4. These lines execute the database query and get a count of assembled components.

res=executeQuery(stmt);
total = res.get("CT_ROWS");
res1 = parseInt(total,10);

The executeQuery(stmt) method executes and returns a data (vector) object with all the requested column details. I requested the “CT_ROWS” so that the data that corresponds to the CT ROWS can be retrieved using get() as you do for a vector. The total value is by default of the type string in JavaScript. In my example it is total = res.get("CT_ROWS"). You need to convert this total value into integer format (for comparison) using the JavaScript parseInt method with base 10.

Figure 5 shows the rest of the script, which compares the number of components assembled on the parent SFC. If 0 (nothing assembled), then say true to return back to work on the same ASSEMBLY operation, if 1 (reqd. component has been assembled) then return true for assembly line which moves to next PAINT operation.

if(res1 == 0)
{
  exit(true);
}
else
{
  exit(false);
}

Finally, you need to decide whether to let SFC move on this line to the next operation or not. In the script, if the value of res1 evaluates to 0, then SFC is allowed to move on this link to the adjoining operation.

Note that exit(true) or exit(false) exits the custom script execution and the Boolean parameter (true/false) passed is the outcome that decides whether or not to allow SFC on this link to the next operation.

User Interface (UI) Flow for ME with This Routing

Now, let’s see how the application behaves when a material is configured to use this routing.

Figure 6

The SAP ME landing page

The ME application has two frames (aka sub-windows).The left frame shows the list of activities with permissions available to the logged in user. The right frame is where each activity user interface (UI) opens. Activities such as Material Maintenance, Operation Maintenance, Routing Maintenance, and BOM (bill of materials) Maintenance serve as master data to create various materials, operations or routing steps, routings with operation or step sequences and BOMs to be assembled to a parent material, respectively.

First, create two materials — PARENT and PART1. PART is a sub-material that can be assembled to a parent material, just as tires, handles, and seats are child materials to a frame of a bike (parent). Click the Material Maintenance link in the left frame (menu) and the associated screen opens in the right frame as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

Create materials through Material Maintenance

All fields with a red asterisk are mandatory. Fill in all these mandatory fields first for the child material. Click the Save button at the top of the screen to save material to the database. Your screen now looks like the one in Figure 8.

Figure 8

Create child material PART1

After creating the child material, you need to create the BOM that includes the name and quantity of materials that have to be assembled on some parent material. To open the BOM Maintenance UI, click the BOM Maintenance link in the menu in the left frame. The BOM Maintenance screen appears (Figure 9). Enter data in the mandatory fields (Site, BOM, and Version) and click the Save button to save your data.

Figure 9

The BOM Maintenance screen

Now click the Insert New link. This action opens the screen shown in Figure 10. In this screen you specify the child component or material details (name, version, assembly operation, and assembly quantity) as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10

Add details for BOM Component PART1

Click the Add button and then the Close button to return to the BOM Maintenance screen with the added row for the PART1 component. Set the Status field to Releasable and then click the Save button.

Before creating the parent material, you need to create routing for it. To create the routing, click the Operation Maintenance link in the menu in the left frame. This action opens the associated screen as shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11

The Operation Maintenance screen

In this screen, create three operations (START, ASSEMBLY, and PAINT) as shown in the routing diagram in Figure 1. In the Operation field enter START and enter 001 in the Version field. Enter DEFAULT in the Resource Type field and then click the Save button. The refreshed screen looks like the one shown in Figure 12.

Repeat this step for ASSEMBLY and PAINT operations. Now, you are ready to create the routing from Routing Maintenance activity. Click the Routing Maintenance link in the left frame of the main screen. In the screen on the right (not shown), specify the name as TWO_STEP (that is the name I use in my example, but you can name it anything) and the version as 001. You can see the list of operations created in Operation Maintenance in Figure 13.

Figure 13

Operations created in Operation Maintenance

You can now create the parent material through Material Maintenance activity. Click the Material Maintenance link. In the screen on the right enter PARENT in the Material field, 001 in the Version field, TWO_STEP in the Routing field, and PART1_BOM in the BOM field. Click the Save button to save the PARENT material details to the database as shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14

The BOM assigned to the PARENT

The script work comes only when an operator presses the Complete button on an operation. The script checks for the next operation where this SFC needs to be placed. Release the SFC for this material and complete at the START operation to enqueue.

You need to create master data for Materials, Operations, Routings, and BOM. Basic functional knowledge of ME is sufficient for creating this master data. Once master data is created, the first step is to release an SFC to the shop floor at the first operation. SFC is released through the Shop Order Release activity. After operators log in to the system, they can see the list of activities on the left pane (Figure 15).

Figure 15

Release SFC for work using this activity

This means that the work on this SFC has been started on the shop floor. An SFC goes through a series of operations that are defined in routing, and once the last operation is completed, the SFC is completed and is ready for delivery. Therefore, releasing an SFC at the first operation means that now work has started on it at the first operation, which is START in this example (Figure 16). In this screen the fields are automatically populated by the system. Click the Close button after viewing this data.

Figure 16

Release SFC- NIK755

Complete at START operation means that work is completed at this step and now the SFC should be moved to the next operation as defined in routing. In routing, the next operation after START is ASSEMBLY. Therefore, after an operator clicks the Complete button on the ME web user interface, the system puts this SFC on its own at the ASSEMBLY operation after reading from the SFC routing. A message is displayed in the screen as shown in Figure 17. Now after completing at the START operation, the user only needs to click the Start button after entering the operation as ASSEMBLY.

Figure 17

SFC moved to ASSEMBLY operation

Figure 18

NIK755 moved back to ASSEMBLY

Note
The custom script runs in the background after the Complete button is clicked. Because no component is assembled thus far, the assembly line that returns to the ASSEMBLY operation evaluates to true, and the SFC is again put back to the ASSEMBLY operation.

Now, assemble component SFC at ASSEMBLY operation using Assemble (CT500) activity (Figures 19 and 20).

Figure 19

Assemble component SFC to NIK755

In the screen shown in Figure 19, enter ASSEMBLY in the Operation field and DEFAULT in the Resource field. In the SFC field enter NIK755 (this is the name I use in my example) and then click the Assemble button. This action prompts the system to open a new screen that displays the list of components that were specified in the BOM attached to Parent SFC above and any data that you want to input (Figure 20).

Figure 20

All components assembled

In Figure 20, NIK334 is the SFC number for component SFC. It is created directly in the ME system and is not related to the functionality of the custom scripts I show. Basic functional ME knowledge is sufficient for it. After entering details, click the Add button at the end of the screen. The system checks that in BOM it was mentioned that only one component SFC quantity is required. Because you entered that, it closes the Assemble screen automatically and displays the following message at the top of screen: All components assembled at this operation.

Now, it is possible to complete SFC NIK755 at ASSEMBLY and move it to the PAINT operation. This is because the query in the custom script fetches records and the value is not 0 anymore. The link for the PAINT operation exits with ‘true’. The scripts run in the background. You only see the evaluation results on the screen (Figure 21).

Figure 21

NIK755 moved to PAINT operation

Earlier, when no component was assembled, the script had run and evaluated to true to return the SFC back to ASSEMBLY operation. Therefore, on the screen you only saw that SFC NIK755 was moved back to ASSEMBLY operation. Now, because you have assembled the component, after you click the Complete button on ASSEMBLY operation, you see that a message is displayed on top of Figure 21 that all of SFC NIK755 will be processed at PAINT operation (i.e., SFC is moved to PAINT operation). Now, if you had entered ASSEMBLY against operation and clicked the Start button, the screen would display an error message that SFC is moved to PAINT operation and not at ASSEMBLY operation.

Complete SFC NIK755 now at PAINT. This step completes the process and marks it as done. To complete this step, enter PAINT in the Operation field and DEFAULT in the Resource field. In the SFC field, enter the name of your SFC (e.g., NIK755) and click the Complete button (Figure 22). SAP ME checks the routing that PAINT was the last operation in routing. Therefore, after you click the Complete button, it shows the message that SFC NIK755 is done. This message means that SFC is completed and can be shipped now.

Figure 22

Completing PARENT SFC at the last operation, Ready for Shipment