SAP Digital Manufacturing: A Deep Dive into Tool Management Capabilities

[ManoelCosta]

Introduction

SAP Digital Manufacturing provides comprehensive tool management capabilities that enable proper tool scheduling, reservation, and usage tracking. This supports improved planning, maintenance, and calibration processes, ultimately enhancing production efficiency through more effective tool handling overall.

By leveraging SAP Digital Manufacturing tool management capabilities, customers can gain valuable insights into tool usage, leading to optimized production processes and improved overall tools lifecycle.

In this blog post, we will see a demo video and explore the tool management capability in SAP Digital Manufacturing in detail.

 

Demo

See a demo of SAP Digital Manufacturing Tools capabilities below.

Click to Open

 

Manage Tools app

The Manage Tools app in SAP Digital Manufacturing enables you to create and maintain two types of tools: Equipment or Material.

With this app, you can:

• Create material or equipment type tools locally


• Maintain tools seamless integrated from SAP ERP systems


• Set up tool logging methods for accurate tool usage tracking


• View tool logging and scheduling information


• Add custom data fields for tools using the Manage Custom Data app

 

Create Tools in Manage Tools app

Creating tools locally in the Manage Tools app is a simple process.

You can create tools by following these steps:

• Create locally in SAP DM or Synchronize a PRT Material or Equipment from ERP


• Choose the "Create" option in the Manage Tools app


• Select the tool type and specify the referenced material or equipment


• If creating a Material type tool, inform or generate Tool Number


• Optionally, add a tool Description


• Click “Create” to save the new tool

Once a new tool is created locally or synchronized from ERP, additional information can be maintained including Status, Serial Number, Storage Location, Vendor, Vendor Model, Logging Method, which can be either Manual and Automatic by Used Count and / or Used Time, and Custom Data.

 

Integrate Tools from ERP

Tool Integration in SAP Digital Manufacturing allows for seamless transfer of Production Resources and Tools (PRTs) from SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA to create corresponding tool records in SAP Digital Manufacturing.

PRTs are movable operating resources, used repeatedly in various activities. They can be assigned to operations or activities to track usage during production.

The integration process supports two PRT types: Equipment PRT and Material PRT. Equipment PRTs are automatically created as equipment tools in the Manage Tools app when downloaded from SAP ERP.

In contrast, Material PRTs do not automatically create tools when downloaded from ERP. Instead, users must manually create respective tools in the Manage Tools app. Material PRTs are transferred from ERP to SAP Digital Manufacturing with the relevant material master data.

 

Equipment PRT 

Create a PRT Equipment in SAP ERP systems using Equipment Category “P” for “Production resources/tools” and set PRT Usage as “001” for “only routings”.

Once created, distribute it to SAP Digital Manufacturing via DRFOUT using Outbound Implementation 183_1 - Equipment via iDOC (ME), see Transferring a Tool for more details.

 

Material PRT

Create a PRT Material in SAP ERP systems using Material type “Production Resource/Tool” and set PRT Usage as “001” for “only routings”.

Once created, distribute it to SAP Digital Manufacturing via DRFOUT using Outbound Implementation 194_1 - Material via iDOC (ME - enhanced Filter Object), and create a new Tool in Manage Tools app using this PRT Material as previously shown.

 

PRT to Routing Assignment at Operation level

For a given material routing, select Operations and click “PRT” to assign Material and Equipment PRTs at operation level.

From now on, once you create a Production Order and distribute it to SAP Digital Manufacturing, PRT assignments will be in place and ready to use.

 

Schedule Tools

The Schedule Tools app allows you to allocate production tools to work centers and resources for a calendar week or day. This enables efficient tool utilization and provides a clear view of tool availability.

With this app, you can:

• View and schedule tools


• Monitor tools assignments up to two weeks in advance


• View and download tools assignment reports for better resource planning

 

Tools Report

 

Reserve Tools

Tools can be reserved to Operations in Dispatch and Monitoring app, part of Resource Orchestration.

To reserve tools, first you must click “Fetch Tools” in Worklist section of Dispatch and Monitoring app to load tool requirements for each operation:

Once fetched, you can see detailed tool requirements for each operation in the work list:

As soon as operations are dispatched and the plan is saved, you can select “Reserve Tools” option after a right-click on each operation with tool requirements.

To reserve a tool, just check the Reserve column checkbox for the needed tool(s), click “Reserve” button to reserve and close Reserve Tools popup.

Back to Dispatch and Monitoring main screen, press “Save” button to save the overall dispatching plan including tools reservation.

 

Tracking Tool Usage

Tracking tool usage in Production Operator Dashboard (POD) is made easy and efficient with the use of dedicated POD Plugins in SAP Digital Manufacturing.

These plugins enable workers to load, validate and log tool usage during manufacturing processes, enabling crucial insights into tool schedule, location, usage and wear. By utilizing POD Plugins, companies can ensure proper tool handling and maintenance, while also identifying opportunities for optimization.

POD Plugins

• Tool Loading: This plugin allows operators to load and unload tools from resources as required for various manufacturing needs. By loading tools to a resource, their status becomes 'Productive,' and their current location changes accordingly. Unloading tools changes their status to 'Enabled,' and they no longer have a current location.

• Tool Validation: This plugin enables validation of tools loaded to a resource, ensuring alignment between loaded tools and those relevant to PRT assignment or scheduled in REO or the Manage Tool Assignments app. Validation results can be 'Pass' or 'Fail' based on the alignment with scheduled tools and PRT. While not a mandatory procedure, tool validation helps maintain accuracy and efficiency in the manufacturing process.

• Tool Usage Logging: This plugin enables manual logging of tool usage at an operation activity of an SFC for production orders. Users can view available tools, record the number of times a tool is used for an operation, and log the used time of the tool. Logging is only possible for tools with the 'Enabled' status and during the time period between SFC start and SFC complete.

 

Automatic Logging

To enable automatic tool logging, a Production Process containing Log Tool Usage service as one of the steps is required.

A simple way to enable Automatic Logging is to create a new Production Process with the relevant Input Parameters and add Log Tool Usage service.

Map the Production Process Input Parameters to the Body Parameters of Log Tool Usage service.

In POD Designer, click “Assign Actions” for “Complete” Action Button and add the recently created Production Process before “Complete” plugin.

For the Production Process, map the Input Parameters accordingly.

See Logging Setup for more details.

 

Monitoring Usage and Schedule

After Tools are Scheduled, Reserved and Usage is logged, you can check back Manage Tools app to see the Total Used Time and Count:

Within Tracking tab in Manage Tools app, you can monitor tool usage logging data to assess tool performance. This information is essential for proper maintenance, calibration, and traceability of tools.

And within Schedule tab, you can check each tool schedule information, including actual values:

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, SAP Digital Manufacturing's robust tool management capabilities play a crucial role in optimizing production processes. By offering seamless tool scheduling, reservation, and tracking, the system ensures more efficient planning, maintenance, and calibration. As a result, manufacturers can achieve enhanced productivity and overall operational excellence, making the most of their valuable resources and tools.

 

Demo

See a demo of SAP Digital Manufacturing Tools capabilities below.

Click to Open

Experiencing SAP Digital Manufacturing

You can have a glimpse and experience several aspects of SAP Digital Manufacturing via the Interactive Value Journeys below:

Discrete within SAP Digital Manufacturing and S/4HANA Cloud

Process Industry within SAP Digital Manufacturing and S/4HANA Cloud

Tool Management within SAP Digital Manufacturing

Resource Orchestration within SAP Digital Manufacturing

Production Process Design within SAP Digital Manufacturing

Shop Floor Orchestration with SAP Digital Manufacturing

Time Tracking within SAP Digital Manufacturing

SAP Digital Manufacturing for Insights

Nonconformances Processes within SAP Digital Manufacturing

 

Do you like this post? Please let me know in the comments section what you think. Any feedback is highly appreciated.

Or, if you have any questions, please check SAP Community Q&A Area, or comment down below.

Thanks,

Manoel Costa

[Bidhu]

Hello Manoel Costa,

 

Thank you for the nice document on Tools Management. I have few questions, please help.

 

• Can this be used in Service process, without using digital manufacturing process?


• How we can reserve the tools in  Plant Maintenance Order, so that it cannot be assigned to any other Plant maintenance order?


• For the client I am working, Tools are sent to customer and its obligation for customer to return back. If customer doesn't return, a specific amount charged to customer (DIY : Componants and Tools sent to customer). How we can initiate the logistics and charge back for such scenario.

Thank you in advance.

Bidhu

[ManoelCosta]

Hello Bidhu,

I'm afraid that out of the box, Tools Management capability within SAP Digital Manufacturing will not cover your requirements. You can learn more about this capability here and here.

Br,

Manoel

[blazej_motyka]

Hi Manoel,

Thanks for another very comprehensive post!
Am I getting it right that "schedule tools" app is a simpler, more general form of sheduling tools (work center/resource level) than "reserve tools" in REO (order/operation level)? And you can use both depending on your tracking needs in this regard?
One thing is that "Aligned with Scheduled" value is set to "No" when only using "schedule tools" app and not REO. Unless I'm missing some config on it.

Regards,

Blazej

[ManoelCosta]

Hello Blazej,

In my personal opinion, Schedule Tools can be better utilized for baseline planning and to provide a clear overview of tool utilization for optimization purposes after the fact, for example.

On the other hand, Reserve Tools in Dispatch and Monitoring focuses on the tool reservation process itself, ensuring the correct tools based on the Operation PRT Requirements are reserved and used, and that you know the physical location (or intended location) of each tool at any given point in time. It offers a shorter-term perspective and feeds tool reservations back to Schedule Tools app for post-usage analysis.

They are definitely complementary, and you can use both depending on your needs.

The "Aligned with Scheduled" column in the Tool Validation plugin considers the alignment between resource-loaded tools and tools scheduled in Dispatch and Monitoring or Manage Tool Assignments apps, not in Schedule Tools app.

Br,

Manoel

[JonMa]

Hello Manoel Costa:

Is the tool management also integration with process manufacturing with process order?  Thanks

Jonathan Ma

[Kiran_Aghav]

Hi ManoelCosta, 

We have created the material PRT in ERP with material type as PRT. We have DRF setup also for 194_1 outbound implementation which is Active. But after crating the PRT material in ERP for sending it to the SAP DM, the Idoc is not getting triggered automatically whereas the replication model is active. Every time we need to use Tcode POIM to trigger the Idoc for material PRT to send it to SAP DM.

DRF for outbound implementation 194_1

Assigned outbound implementation 

DRFOUT display log

So please let me know, are we missing any steps which will avoid to use the Tcode POIM for material transfer to SAP DM. If we are using Tcode POIM in ERP to transfer master data to SAP DM then what is the use of DRF? 

Thanks & Regards

Kiran
SAP Digital Manufacturing SAP Digital Manufacturing Insights 

[ManoelCosta]

Hello @Kiran_Aghav , have you tried setting DRF filters accordingly for automatic replication? See: Define Filter Criteria. Hope it helps,
Br, Manoel

[ManoelCosta]

Hello @JonMa ,

No! Tool Management is currently only available for use with production orders in the Operation Activity POD and the Work Center POD.

Br,
Manoel

[GAkcil]

Hi @ManoelCosta, can assigned PRTs also be reserved automatically when downloading from the ERP system to SAP DM without making a manual reservation in REO? In this case, the automatic release of PSNs for production orders that are transferred from ERP to SAP DM is also activated.

Thank you and best regards,

Gizem

[ManoelCosta]

Hello @GAkcil , you should be able to implement something like that using Automatic Triggers > Business Rules of Order Creation Event Type, for example, and Production Process using REO/Tool Services.

Br,
Manoel