QM Open Note – #6 – Quick guide to review system and user statuses for QM objects

[AlbertSAP]

QM Open Note

QM Open Note is a blog post series about topics, which can be useful when working with Quality Management.

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Overview

Current blog post helps to review the statuses of QM objects.

In detail

1. As first step the database table of the affected QM object needs to be identified. Here is some guidance with most frequent objects:-
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Table name	Short text
   QALS	Inspection lot record
   QALT	Partial lot
   QCVK	Certificate profile header
   QINF	QM-info record for material and vendor
   QMEL	Quality Notification
   QMSM	Quality notification - tasks
   QPRS	Master Record for Material Samples

   
   


2. Open table in transaction SE16 and note the value of field OBJNR (Object number) and also STSMA (Status Profile), if available. If STSMA is not available in the tables listed above, check the status profile in table JSTO for the object number.
   
   
   
   1. Here is an example with table QALS in case of an inspection lot:
      
   
   
   2. Here is an example for table QMEL and JSTO in case of a quality notification:
      
   
   
   
   


3. Check the statuses of this object in table JEST, transaction is still SE16. Example:
   
   
   
   
   • STAT - Object status. Starting with 'I' means system status, while 'E' is user status.
   
   
   • INACT - Indicator: Status Is Inactive. If the value is X, the status is currently inactive.
   
   
   • CHNGR - Change number. It basically means how many times the status was switched between active and inactive. In the example above I0002 was active, then inactive, that is CHNGR = 002.
   
   
   
   


4. To have a better overview, reveal the text of these statuses. To do that, copy the STAT values to the clipboard (use SAP GUI function 'Quick Cut & Paste' or simply CTRL+C) and check in table TJ02T for system statuses and TJ30T for user statuses in transaction SE16. Examples:-
   
   
   
   1. table TJ02T:
      It worth to filter on language by field SPRAS (Language Key).
   
   
   2. table TJ30T:
      
   
   
   
   


5. To better understand what are the influence of these statuses, open transaction BS23 and access 'Where-used list' for the affected status. Example:
   According to the 'Where-used list' of status I0218 (UD), the business process 'QM02 - Choose task list for insp. lot' is prohibited while the UD status is active.
   IMPORTANT: do not mix transactions and business processes. As for example transaction QM02 is to change quality notifications, while the business process QM02 is to choose task list (they just have same ID). A business process cannot be called via the Command Field, as a transaction, but they are used inside the programs. Worth to mention function modules working with business processes:
   QAST_PROCESS_ACTIVITY
   STATUS_CHANGE_FOR_ACTIVITY


6. Last, but not least, if more information is needed on the business process itself, call transaction BS33 and use the 'Where-used list' similar to step 5.

Known problem & solution

PRECAUTION:
Avoid changing the status profile (for example adding, deleting user statuses or changing their texts), while the profile is still in use by an existing object! It can lead to user status inconsistencies / text display issues in already created objects, as they use the profile as reference during their life-cycle. The user statuses got their ID (starting with E) internally by the program. It cannot be influenced manually by the user.

Example: user status ABCD is assigned to profile ZINCONSI and it got internal ID E0001. Status profile ZINCONSI is assigned to an inspection lot, which got status E0001 as initial status. User deletes status ABCD from the profile, but then would like to restore it and creates new ABCD status. New ABCD status is then activated for the inspection lot by the user.
Problem is that new status gets next free number internally, that is E0002. The inspection lot has no more access to E0001, as it was deleted. Table JEST is now displaying both statuses. Transaction QA02 or QA03 (change or display inspection lot) shows a "phantom" status before ABCD, but user might thinks the ABCD displayed is the original (E0001), which is not true.

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Feel free to share your experience/feedback in the Comment Section. Thank you.