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Service with Advanced Execution is a new service business process in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. This is based on the integration of Service with Maintenance Management.
The concept of Execution Status in Service with Advanced Execution is introduced in the following blog:
Execution Status in Service with Advanced Execution
Within Service with Advanced Execution, there are various process flows depending on the business scenario. These process flows are distinguished based on two aspects:
- How the process starts, and which is the first transaction.
- What is the trigger for the creation of the maintenance order and eventually the start of planning.
Process Flow 6:
This blog showcases the process flow wherein the initial transaction is the service contract and the maintenance plan. On scheduling the maintenance plan, both the documents are created simultaneously i.e. service order with execution order item and billable maintenance order along with the linkage between the two.
Maintenance plans enable the scheduling of recurring services at predefined intervals. These services can be part of routine maintenance on a periodic basis or triggered based on usage or performance.
For e.g. A car dealership offers preventive maintenance services for customers who have purchased vehicles from them. As part of the service agreement, the dealership provides regular doorstep maintenance every 6 months, to ensure optimal vehicle performance and longevity. A time-based maintenance plan can be set up for the car. After every 6 months, the maintenance plan triggers the creation of two orders:
- A Service Order (the commercial object).
- A Maintenance Order (the execution object with task list).
The service order and the maintenance order are linked with each other through document flow.
In addition to the routine maintenance, the dealership also recommends a battery replacement every 2 years. This service can be planned with a strategy-based maintenance plan.
Creation of Service Contract
A service contract can be created using ‘Manage Service Contracts’ App.
The following details could be filled while creating a service contract:
- Sold-to-Party
- Organizational data such as Sales Organization
- Price information such as price agreement
- Parties involved
- Item details such as billing plan, price information, object list, product list etc.
Creation of Maintenance Plan
A maintenance plan can be created using ‘Add Single Plan’, ‘Add Strategy Controlled Plan’ or ‘Add Multiple Counter Plan’ Apps to create time-based or performance-based single cycle plans, strategy plans or multiple counter maintenance plans respectively.
The following details could be filled while creating a maintenance plan:
- Select the maintenance plan category.
- On the Item tab, enter a new item by specifying item description and technical object. In the planning data section enter service contract, service contract item, and order type. The service contract is mandatory.
- Provide a name for the maintenance plan and enter the cycle details. Optionally, enter a task list.
- Enter the scheduling period under maintenance plan scheduling parameters tab to specify the number of days, months, or years over which scheduling will take place.
- The ‘Do Not Rel. Immediately’ checkbox can be marked, if the maintenance order must not be released immediately once created.
Scheduling of Maintenance Plan
Once a maintenance plan is created, the next step is to schedule it. In the ‘Schedule Maintenance Plan' App, do the following:
- Enter the plan number created.
- When Start is clicked, the scheduling list gets populated with all scheduled calls and the dates for which they have been scheduled.
- Once Save is clicked, depending on the call dates, the service order and its corresponding maintenance order is generated as call objects.
The service product in the service order is copied from the service contract as the execution order item. The item category for this service product is determined from the ‘Copy Item Categories - Item Category Determination’ customizing.
Similarly, the Sold-to-Party in the service order is also taken over from the service contract.
While creating the service order and the maintenance order, the order type mapping configurations (SPRO -> Service -> Transactions -> Settings for Service Transactions -> Integration -> Plant Maintenance Integration-> Map Order Types) are not relevant. The service transaction type and plant maintenance order type are user inputs in the maintenance plan.
The operations and components in the maintenance order are derived from the task list entered in the maintenance plan.
Status lifecycle in Service with Advanced Execution
Current state of an execution order item
The state diagram illustrates the status lifecycle of one execution order item along with its corresponding maintenance order in this process flow. Each block below represents a state displaying 3 different status values. The lifecycle and execution status of an execution order item along with the status of the corresponding maintenance order.
Release of Execution Order Item
Once the service order and execution order item details are finalized, the lifecycle status can be set to ‘Released’. The execution status on the execution order item is ‘Execution Planning’ and the maintenance order status is 'CRTD' (Created).
Note: The execution order item can be rejected only when the execution status is ‘Execution Planning’.
The document flow between the service order and maintenance order can be viewed in Transaction History assignment block. The maintenance plan and maintenance item document flow can also be viewed here.
The details of the maintenance order connected to the execution order item can be viewed in the Maintenance Order assignment block in the item.
Release of Maintenance Order
Once the maintenance order is created from the service order, the maintenance order is in planning phase. After the planning is done, the maintenance order is set to ‘Released’ by the Maintenance Planner. Then the execution of service can be started. The maintenance order status is changed from ‘CRTD’ to ‘REL’ (Released). With this status transition, the execution status on the execution order item is set to ‘In Execution’.
Completion of Execution Order Item
After the execution of service is completed by the Maintenance Technician, the maintenance order status is set to ‘TECO’ (Technically Completed). With this status transition, the lifecycle status of execution order item is set to ‘Completed’. The execution status on the execution order item is set to ‘Execution Done’.
Once the service order is set to ‘Completed’, the completion date is updated for the call in maintenance plan scheduling list.
Summary
The distinct feature in this process flow is the creation service order and maintenance order from maintenance plan. As we proceed with the execution of maintenance order, the lifecycle and execution status of execution order item in service order are in continuous alignment with the status of maintenance order at every step.
Further references
To know more about the execution order item and its attributes, please refer following blog:
Deep Dive: Execution Order Item and Billable Maintenance Order
