whats VMS

SAP  VMS

After working on SAP PP & VC forquite some time, I come across a implementation demanding use of VMS module, at first I was wondering with
many of the question below

• What’s this module
• I can’t locate it in ECC menu
• Why we need it over and above core ECC functionality

There were many why.

As per SAP help definition

The Vehicle Management System (VMS) is an application for the Automotive industry.
It supports, in the area of Sales & Services, the business processes that you require as vehicle importer when dealing with your original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and your dealers in new and used vehicle sales. VMS offers you complete integration of all the relevant processes
such as procurement, sales, rework, returns processing, trade-in and service processing. It also supports the archiving of vehicle data. In other words, it allows you to react flexibly to customers’ requirements in the area of production (using the “pull strategy”) and fast delivery times with reduced warehouse stock and sales/distribution costs.

For the vehicle importer, VMS serves as a central tool for managing, procuring, sales/distribution and tracking of vehicles. Your
dealers use it as a workplace for configuration, searching, purchasing and tracking of vehicles for your end customers. The dealers can log in to your
system remotely via Internet and access your data. You do not require your own SAP system for this. You only need an Internet browser, via which you work with a simplified VMS internet interface.

For my first reading this definition was sounding like VMS is only restricted to IS Auto & it’s a tool which can be useful only to
automobile importers, who buy vehicles from Auto companies and sales it to their dealer base.

After spending some more time while reading sap documentation and exploring VMS in sandbox I got answers to questions above

What’s this module?

VMS stands for Vehicle Management System, by standard it’s a part of SAP IS AUTO domain, more than an application you can
call VMS a work bench which can help you running an importer business process using quick running of actions. Just by executing various actions in single transaction VELO you can carry out an end to end Vehicle life cycle.

I can’t locate it in ECC menu?

As mentioned above, VMS is a in-build function of IS AUTO , but by virtue of business add ins you can activate it in ECC box

Why we need it over and above core ECC functionality?        

VMS offers you complete integration of all the relevant processes such as procurement, sales, rework, returns processing, trade-in and
service processing. It also supports the archiving of vehicle data. Ex, create vehicle, create sales order for dealer customer, create purchase order
to buy this vehicle from manufacturer, receive it (GR), add your own parts, deliver and ship it to dealer.

All of it just by executing series of actions defined in system. You can find all most all the actions covering
basic transactions used for sales, service & purchase modules.

Since last few years I am working with VMS and day by day exploring new features and admiring this small but very useful work application.

It’s my first blog on this topic. Will try to add some more to it soon.

Thanks

Ritesh