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Quality Management - Master Data Welcome to the Quality Management - Master Data page.

List of Masters in QM -

Material Master (QM View) Inspection Plan Q-Info Record Inspection Methods Master Inspection Characteristics Catalogs / Code Groups / Codes Sampling Procedures / Sampling Schemes Dynamic Modification Rule Equipment Master Calibration Plan Equipment / General Task List

Basic Data Basic Data has both the Inspection data and the Procurement Data.

Inspection data

Inspection Type -

Use of inspection plan or material specification Record inspection results on the basis of characteristics Quality Score procedure Sample Calculation

Procurement Data

Procurement control key (Invoice Blocks, Technical Delivery Terms..........) Certificate Type Requirements for Vendor's Quality management System Delivery Terms

Master Data in Quality Management

Data Object Function

Inspection Characteristics What to test? Inspection Method How to test? Inspection Plan Which Sequence? Sampling Scheme, Procedure How much Quantity? Inspection Catalog What to Record? Equipment, PRT With What to test?

Master Inspection Characteristic (MIC) is created as master record, it is intended to be frequently used in inspection plans and language-independent. Master Inspection Characteristics can contain General Data and Control Data. We can assign inspection methods, Selected sets and Code groups to MICs.

Inspection Method specifies "How do you want to Inspect" or how to carry out inspection to an inspection characteristic. Master inspection methods can be created at plant level to simplify and standardize the inspection planning activities.

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Inspection plans can be created for different purposes like model inspection, audit inspection, Goods receipt inspection, Goods issue inspection, Stock Transfer inspection and recurring inspection. Inspection plan is used to define which characteristics are to be inspected in each inspection operation and which test equipment is to be used in the inspection. Inspection plan can have visual inspection and specification inspection.

Sampling Procedure - Calculation of Sample size and type of valuation for result recording. Sampling type defines how the sample is to be determined. Sampling defines rules for acceptance and rejection. Sampling scheme contains information for drawing samples, based on the size of the inspection lot and various inspection severities. Sampling Scheme is arrangement of Sample plans for acceptance of characteristics for various lot sizes.

Inspection Catalog - The catalog contains unique, non-numerical data in the system that is defined at client or plant level. Inspection catalogs are used to evaluate unstructured descriptions using codes, coded descriptions are maintained in Catalog's. Catalog is a method to classify unstructured descriptions of inspection tasks, activities, defects, decisions etc. Hierarchy of Catalogs - Code Groups are assigned to Catalog types, Codes are assigned to Code Groups.

Quality Info Record - Specific settings for Vendor, material and plant combination, Validity dates can be specified, restricts procurement from Un-Certified Vendors.

Sampling Procedure is by which the sample size for an inspection is determined, Sampling Scheme consists of tables with sampling plans that are dependent on the lot size.

Dynamic Modification Rule - Contains the definition of inspection stages and the conditions that lead to changes in inspection stages.

Quality Management in Procurement Quality department can influence or control the following activities when materials are procured from external suppliers. It supports the procurement activities by means of functions such as:

Vendor Evaluation Vendor Block Vendor Release for requests for quotation and purchase orders Assigning technical delivery terms and quality assurance agreements Certificate processing Status administration of the supply relationships Incoming Inspections Goods Receipt Inspections

Using the functions of the QM in Procurement component, you can:

Manage quality-related information for materials, vendors, and manufacturers in quality info records Release or block vendors and manufacturers Monitor the QM systems of vendors and manufacturers Supply quality documents with requests for quotations and purchase orders Evaluate vendors on the basis of quality Certify vendors or manufacturers that have QM systems implemented, to reduce the inspection requirement Manage and release supply relationships Request that quality certificates be submitted with the delivered goods and monitor the receipt of these certificates Inspect vendor goods at vendor sites (source inspections) Inspect vendor goods upon receipt (goods receipt inspections) Manage the posted goods in inspection stock Block the payment of invoices until the goods have been inspected and accepted Process goods receipt inspections for manufacturer-specific materials Inspect goods that have been externally processed when they are returned in a goods receipt

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The vendor may be required to comply with the technical delivery terms and the quality assurance agreements when a quotation is made. If one of the required documents is not available or not released when a purchase order is opened, the function is blocked.

If technical delivery terms are indicated for a material or if a quality assurance agreement exists for a material-vendor combination, the long text is printed out (without attached application files) when the purchase order is created. When the purchase order is placed, the vendor must be released for delivery of the relevant material by the quality department, if this was required. Release of this supply relationship can be restricted to a defined validity period and a maximum delivery quantity.

When the goods are ordered, you can stipulate that a certificate is required from the vendor of the material, in addition to compliance with technical delivery terms and quality assurance agreements. If a certificate was not supplied although required, the goods are either posted to blocked stock (if an inspection lot is not generated) or a corresponding status is set in the inspection lot. Receipt of the certificate must be confirmed at the latest when the usage decision is made.

Vendor Release - Limits Period/ Quantity, Model, Prototypes, Series. Vendor Inquiry - Includes Technical Delivery Terms, Notify buyer of Inspection Requirements. Vendor Selection - Quality Rating and Quality System.

Purchase Order - Technical delivery Terms, QA Agreement, Certificate Requirment.

Source Inspection - Inspection Lot Creation intime for receiving date. Inspection for Goods Receipt - Certificate - PO Item, Batch, Goods Receipt, Inspection Lot Creation, Sample drawing instruction/ Inspection Instruction Inspection Completion - Usage/ Stock Posting, Withdrawal from inspection stock from inspection stock, Change Vendor Status.

Follow Up Control - Quality Notification, Letter to Vendor

Quality Information Record If a quality assurance agreement or a vendor release is required for a material, you must create a quality information record (quality info record). The quality info record determines how the material can be processed further. When a quotation or purchase order is created, the system checks whether a quality info record is required and available for the combination of material and vendor. The system also checks whether the vendor and material-vendor combination is blocked or released for quotations, purchase orders and/or goods receipt. The execution of this check depends on the setting of the QM in procurement control key in the material master. The quality info record displays a vendor block specified in the vendor master, the vendor's QM system, and the lock date.

Vendor Master Record

The vendor master contains information about the vendors a company uses. This information is contained in individual vendor master records. In addition to the name and address of a vendor, the vendor master record also contains the vendor number and information about the currency and terms of payment that apply to the vendor. In certain cases, you may want block the procurement of goods from a certain vendor (for example, if he delivers poor-quality products). You can block a vendor for quality reasons in two places: In the vendor master record - The vendor block applies to all materials and plants

In the Q-info record - The vendor block applies to a specific material and plant

For procurement and purchasing functions, the system first checks the vendor master record to determine if the vendor is blocked from these functions. If the vendor is not blocked, the system checks the parameters in the Q-info record, if necessary. The settings in the Q-info record are only checked if a vendor release or quality assurance agreement is specified in the material master record via the control key for QM in procurement.

Inspection Processing Following are the steps in the process flow of inspection processing -

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Process Flow

Inspection lot Creation Selection of Inspection Specs Sample Drawing Actual Inspection Results Recording Defects Recording Usage Decision Goods Movement Information Management System

Inspection Lot Creation - Inspection processing begins with the creation of inspection lot, which can be created manually or automatically. There are several functions to be carried out that will create and prepare an inspection lot for processing. Inspection lot gets created as a result of goods movement like goods receipt from Vendor, Goods receipt from Production, Goods issue to Customer.......................

Selection of Inspection Specs - As the inspection lot is created an inspection specification gets assigned to it. An inspection specification should be assigned to inspection lot if you want to enter results and take Usage Decision. Inspection specification can be assigned manually by user or automatically by system. There are different criteria considered during inspection specification assignment like the inspection type, inspection lot origin, Material-Vendor-Plant combination.........................

Sample Drawing - Relevant sampling procedures are selected, Once the inspection specification is assigned to the inspection lot the sample size is to be calculated for the inspection lot. Calculation of sample size can be done manually or automatically. The system can only calculate the sample size automatically if you use an inspection specification to inspect the goods in the inspection lot.

Actual inspection - Inspection method and equipments are selected.

Results Recording - Results of Characteristics are recorded. Recording and processing of results for inspection characteristics are carried out. Results recording will be based on Characteristics. The recorded results data will be used for all documentation and evaluation for Quality Control Purposes.

Defects Recording - Defects found during inspection are recorded. A defect is any property or attribute of a material, product or process that does not meet the inspection characteristic specifications. You record the defects with the help of predefined defect codes maintained in the inspection catalogs. Once a defect record has been created, it is saved in the system as a quality notification. A quality notification is a system-supported problem message that you can use to process different types of problems relating to poor-quality goods or services.

Usage Decision - Decision on Accept/ Reject is recorded. With the Usage Decision we decide if the material is OK/ not OK.

Goods Movement - After the Usage Decision the material under inspection is released and posted to Unrestricted/ Blocked Use.

Quality Management in Production During the production process it may be necessary to check the quality at different points or at different intervals or as a result of certain actions. There may be inspections during the process of production within the operation to proceed for next operation or not, inspection at the end of production. With QM-Production we can process the inspection during the production. Following are the QM tasks in prodution -

Integration of inspection planning in production operations Controlling inspections during production Statistical process control Defining and valuating batches Processing internal problem notifications

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The R/3 quality inspection functions are fully integrated in the logistics processes. An inspection lot has to be created for a quality inspection to take place. Inspection lots are fully integrated in the logistics supply chain. The inspection characteristics in Quality Management (QM) are integrated in the work scheduling (Material Master view) and production processing functions (routing operations) of the Production Planning (PP) component.

Inspection Point - An inspection point is an identifiable record of inspection results that is assigned to a work or inspection operation. Several inspection points can be assigned to an inspection operation. With inspection points, you can have several inspections and can record multiple sets of characteristic results for an operation. Using inspection points for an inspection during production, we can do the following:

Inspect materials at regular intervals Time-based intervals (for example, an inspection point every hour or for each work shift) Quantity-based intervals (for example, an inspection point for each container) Freely-defined intervals (for example, an inspection point each time a tool change occurs) Record inspection results for each inspection point (for example, for each container or work shift) and valuate each inspection point

with a "usage decision"

Assign a produced quantity to each inspection point and allocate the inspection point quantities to partial lots. It is recommended that you allocate inspection points with the same usage decision to partial lots. This allows you to manage partial quantities that differ in quality. In this way, you can monitor the production process continuously with respect to the inspection characteristics.

Inspection Points for Inspections During Production If you inspect during production using routings, rate routings or master recipes and you want to record inspection results in specific intervals, choose the inspection point type Free inspection points in production.

Inspection Points in Goods Receipt If you carry out goods receipt inspections with inspection points, choose the inspection point type Free inspection points in production.

Inspection Points in Sample Management If you use the sample management functions in a goods receipt inspection, or inspection during production with planned physical samples, each sample number is uniquely identified by an inspection point. Choose the inspection point type Physical sample.

In the task list header (of application components PP and PI), you can set detail levels for assigning the produced quantities. At the first and most detailed level ("Partial lots not supported"), the produced partial quantities are assigned to the inspection points, for which inspection results are also recorded. At the second detail level ("Partial lot for each inspection point"), the partial quantities that were assigned to the inspection points are combined into partial lots. At the third detail level ("Partial lot and batch for each insp. point"), the partial lots are collected in batches.

Inspection Lot Creation When a production order is released, the system creates an inspection lot record to manage the inspection specifications and inspection results for all operations. When a Goods Receipt is taken from production or process order the Inspection lot gets created. '03' inspection lot for inprocess inspection, '04' inspection lot for Receipt from Production.

Recording inspection results for an inspection point When you record inspection results in QM, you can also confirm the operations in the PP component. This can occur automatically. You can confirm the inspection point quantities in PP in the form of a partial or final confirmation. If you want to confirm additional data in production planning (in addition to the inspection point quantities and target activities), you can call up a dialog box for a detailed confirmation. In this dialog box, you can record such information as actual times or personnel-related data. You can also record defects.

Inspection completion When you process partial lots and confirm an inspection point, the system automatically proposes a "usage decision" for each partial lot based on the inspection point valuation. You can change the proposed code within the predefined code group. The usage decision for the inspection lot confirms that all inspections have been completed or that the production order has been completed from a QM standpoint. To make the usage decision for the inspection lot, you can define a job that makes automatic usage decisions at predefined intervals, once the orders have been completed.

Proposed quantity for a goods receipt from production The inspection point quantities for the last QM-relevant operation are proposed for the goods receipt posting for the order. Only the quantities confirmed to PP as a yield or rework quantities are taken into consideration.

Quality Management in Sales & Distribution

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Quality Management in Sales and Distribution involves in creating Quality Certificates, inspecting the deliveries, Processing complaints and returns processing.The R/3 Quality Management (QM) component supports the SD processes at various stages. Typical process flows which involve QM are from the sales order and production to delivery and service.

In Make to Order Production the characteristics required by the customer are specified in the configuration in the sales order. The limits that are used for inspection are based on the configuration. When goods are shipped, a certificate can be included to document that the goods comply with the customer specification.

In Make to Stock production the product is manufactured and inspected according to your own specifications. Batch determination during fulfilling sales order or delivery can be done according to customer specific requirements. When goods are shipped, a certificate can be included to document that the goods comply with the customer specification.

Complaints and Returns processing - The complaints can be represented in a Quality Notification, a link to workflow helps to process the complaints. If the goods are returned an inspection can be done at the receipt. Different follow up actions can take place depending on the inspection results.

Quality Certificates - An agreement between the vendor and customer can stipulate that the certificate must be included with the delivered goods. The certificate confirms that the delivered goods meet the customer requirements.

Certificate management is divided into Planning and processing phases.

Certificate planning allows you to flexibly structure your certificates. You plan the layout and content of the certificate. Control data is available for information such as lot selection, data origin, and inspection results.

Certificate processing can be automated (takes place without any input from the person responsible for processing). The certificate for a delivery item is processed during the output determination procedure in SD. If required, you can also create a certificate manually for a batch or inspection lot (without reference to a delivery). Certificate Profile - To create certificates, you define certificate profiles which are based on standard certificates and forms such as: - Certificates of analysis - Works test certificates - Source inspection certificate The certificate profile predefines the data that appears on the certificate.

You can assign certificate profiles at different levels. You set these levels in Customizing. The standard settings include: Material/ship-to party, material, goods group. Certificate profiles can either be of a special or general nature. The option of setting a level in Customizing allows you to control the printing of certificates specific to a customer and material. You can have general certificate profiles, if a group of materials has the same inspection characteristics and if the same type of certificate is to be produced for these characteristics. When a certificate is created, the system starts to search for the special certificate profile entries.

A certificate must also contain all characteristic data that is collected during a multi-stage production process.

The characteristic data from materials in the production chain can relate to: Raw materials Semi-finished products Finished products

Prerequisites: Universal batch management Update of the batch where-used list

The batch where-used list helps you identify which batches were actually used in the production process. The where-used list tracks the batch, using the Inventory Management functions. From the initial posting through to deletion from inventory, each batch has its own document journal. In addition, links between batches across all manufacturing levels through to the sales order and batch splits are logged.

Batch determination in sales can take place at the following times: When a sales order is created, the system can search for a suitable batch. If the search is successful, the batch number is passed on to delivery and warehouse management. If it is not successful, this task is left to the subsequent functions.If the batch is not determined until the delivery stage, a batch split can take place. If a suitable batch is found, the batch number is transferred to warehouse management.

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If you use batch determination in sales for a transaction, you must have created a strategy record. This record contains typical fields (such as, customer or material) for the appropriate transaction. The record is classified by a selection class, allowing you to store the required entries for this transaction as a characteristic value. In the batch determination process, the classification of the batch records is compared with that of the strategy record. The search is successful if matching records are found. If the search is not successful, you must change your search entries and start the batch determination process again. The characteristic values are default values that you can change or exclude from the search.

Quality Inspection for Delivery

The Quality Management (QM) component supports the Sales and Distribution (SD) component by processing quality inspections for goods issues. The quality inspection for a delivery is necessary to check the quality of a material or product before it leaves the premises of the manufacturer or vendor.

Usually, the department responsible for quality assurance at the manufacturing company performs a quality inspection to ensure that the goods are in perfect condition before they are sent to the customer. The QM inspection is activated in the material master. If a delivery for a material is created in SD, QM automatically generates an inspection lot for the delivery items relevant for inspection. The inspection lot is a request to the quality assurance department to inspect the goods. The inspection result can be stored in the system in different ways. If the goods are damaged, defect records can be created. Measured values or valuation codes are stored as characteristic values. You plan the type of inspection and how it is to take place in the QM master data. The usage decision completes a QM inspection. The inspected goods are accepted for use, or rejected. This is referred to as the 'Acceptance' or 'Rejection' of an inspection lot. If the 'QM control data in SD' is set so that goods are only shipped after inspection completion, a positive usage decision must be made for an inspection lot before the goods issue can be posted. Therefore, only goods that have been accepted in a QM inspection can be dispatched. When an inspection is performed parallel to shipping, the goods issue does not necessarily have to wait until the usage decision has been made and the goods have been accepted. Quality control can also release the inspection result after the goods have been issued. An 'inspection by the customer' is not represented in our system; no inspection lot is created. Customers perform a source inspection of our goods at their own premises.

The 'usage indicator' can be set in the header or the item for the sales order. It describes whether this is a regular supply to the customer, or whether the goods are intended for a specific purpose. If the customer defines deliveries for different usages, the QM system can react with various inspection plans: For a model delivery, different characteristics may have to be inspected before the delivery than for a regular delivery of the same material.

The following dependencies can be set between QM and SD: An inspection can be performed in different ways, depending on the usage indicator from the sales order. The QM inspection can be expected before or during the goods delivery. If an inspection lot is rejected, you can prevent the goods issue from being delivered if necessary.

You are on the right track with the sampling scheme, but you also need to set up your sampling procedures. Follow this order:

1) Create your sampling scheme. This tells SAP how large your sample size should be for a given lot size, and what your accept/reject tolerance is. You can create a sample quantity requirement for a specific inspection severity (normal, tightened, reduced) or severity/AQL combination all within one sampling scheme. QDP1 2) Create your sampling procedure for use in the inspection plan at the characteristic level. Within the sampling procedure you assign the sampling scheme you created in the previous step and assign the initial severity QDV1

3) Create your DMR QDR1 4) Assign the DMR/Sampling Procedure relationship to the list of allowed relationships between DMR and Sampling Procedures QDB1 transaction. 5) Enter your DMR and sampling procedure into inspection plan. QP01/QP02

SAP will store the inspection history via the quality level of a vendor, and when the inspection severity changes, SAP will increase or reduce the sample size of the next receipt based on the rules in your sampling scheme and DMR. Basically in Standard SAP three levels of DMR is possible: 1. Inspection Type Level 2. Inspection Lot Level

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3. MIC Level

Business Requirement is they want to control similar type of inspection for group of Materials for which Inspection Type is same. Say for example, Business is procuring different types/categories of a particular Raw Material from a Vendor. Their Quality Plan is initially they want to conduct Normal Inspection (Taking 10% Sampling), after certain number of OK Inspections they would conduct Loosen Inspection (Taking 1% Sampling) and after certain OK Inspections they would skip doing inspections against all materials from the Vendor. For this scenario DMR is set at Insp. Type Level as at a time all similar Materials have to follow same inspection stage.

In some cases, DMR is required at Material Level, here Insp. Lot Level is to be maintained.

In some cases, Business Requirements is such that they don't want to test particular parameter everytime as it is quite costly affair. HEnce sometimes DMR at MIC level also is required.

In simple terms Dynamic Modification as the name suggest it is use to dynamically modify the Quality level. It contains the stages depending upon which Quality level changes. Like Suppose a scenarion where you want to do dilute the inspection.After receiving 2 lots& found ok next 2 should

go to SKIP. This is what you define in the DMR.

A Qulity level can be changed at "Lot creation" or "after Usage Decision" depending upon the definetion. DMR is applied at the Task list Header or at char level or in the inspection setup(when not using task list) Example You can create DMR with stage seviariy accepted rejected 10 4 1 20 1 10

20 skip 9 10 1 10

This will create a first lot in QI & rest 9 will go to unrestricted.( provided that you have 10 prod orders) You can create DMR with Tcode QDR1. Dynamic modification rule is a master record that contains the definition of the inspection stages and the conditions

for an inspection stage change. Inspection stage changes occur on the basis of the inspection results that are

recorded for inspection lots and inspection characteristics (that is, on the basis of their acceptance or rejection). Use

You can use dynamic modification rules to vary the inspection scope or change the inspection severity if the

inspection scope remains the same. You can store a dynamic modification rule in one of the following places:

In the inspection plan at header level

In the inspection plan at characteristic level

In the material master at inspection type level (if you want the system to dynamically modify the inspection scope without the use of a task list and/or material specification).