How to use Pool Asset Management

1.    Introduction

Pool Asset Management (PAM) is the component of the SAP PM / CS and can be activated using business function LOG_EAM_PAM. The functionality was introduced in EHP4 and still available in S/4HANA 2020. It is SAP GUI based and FIORI apps are currently not available.

You can use the Pool Asset Management (PAM) to schedule and manage shared physical assets such as vehicles, cranes, special tools among different maintenance crew. You can control and monitor the use of your pool assets from the reservation, through issue, to return and settlement using a graphical planning board.

The graphical planning board is the real strength of the solution. It displays every request for a pool as a bar on the planning board. The requests yet to be planned are displayed in the lower half, and the requests already assigned to a pool asset are displayed in the top half. Pool request can be scheduled by dragging and dropping a bar from a lower section to the top section. The colors of the bars show the status of the demand.

Graphical Planning Board Overview

In this blog post you will learn the end-to-end process of ‘Pool Asset Management’ including  the prerequisites.

2.    Prerequisites

a.     Configuration

To use the Pool Asset, you must configure the following:

1. Activate the business function LOG_EAM_PAM
2. Configure settings for the fleet management under ‘Plant Maintenance and Customer Service -> Master Data in Plant Maintenance and Customer Service -> Technical Objects -> Settings for Fleet Management’
3. Configure settings for notification type ‘MF’ under ‘Plant Maintenance and Customer Service -> Maintenance and Service Processing -> Maintenance and Service Notifications’
4. Configure settings for Pool Asset Management under Plant Maintenance and Customer Service -> Maintenance and Service Processing -> Pool Asset Management

b.     Master Data

You must create following master data for Pool Asset Management:

1. Pool Asset Equipment – If you are planning to pool vehicles, create fleet equipment with vehicle data and distance + fuel counters

Pool Asset Equipment

2. Pool Functional Location – For each pool create a functional location and install the pool assets under it

Pool Functional Location

3. Pool Class and Characteristics – The characteristics of the ‘Pool’ class are used to specify the required attribute of the pool asset when creating the demand (notification of type MF). The characteristic ‘Pool / Vehicle Category’ must be linked to check table PAMS_VHC and is mandatory to enable settlement.

Pool Class and Characteristics

4. CO Activity types for calculating Rental Cost  – You can use multiple CO activity types for calculating rental costs of a pool asset viz. rental cost per hour or rental cost per km run

CO Activity Type

5. Pool of category ‘T – Functional location’ (Transaction PAM01)

Pool

3.    ‘Pool Asset’ Application Menu

Pool Asset Management application menu is available within the ‘Customer Service’ area menu:

Pool Asset Application Menu

4.    Process Steps

Six steps Pool Asset process can be described as below:

Pool Asset Process Overview

Step 1 – Create a request for ‘Pool Asset’

To request the pool asset, the requester can create a notification of type ‘MF’ using transaction IW21. The planner can also create the request directly from the graphical planning board (transaction IW21)

Pool Asset Notification – Initial Screen

Enter the user ID of the User (e.g. Driver) and Requester

Pool Asset Notification – Partner Screen

Enter desired start and end date and choose the relevant pool

Pool Asset Notification – Rental Data

Specify the equipment characteristics (vehicle category is mandatory to enable settlement)

Pool Asset Notification – Classification

Enter the cost center / settlement order for settlement and save the request

Pool Asset Notification – Settlement Data

Step 2 – Assign a ‘Pool Asset’ to request

All pool asset requests are managed using the graphical planning board (transaction PAM03).

Enter the selection dates and pool data in initial screen of the planning board and execute the transaction to launch the planning board:

Pool Asset Planning Board – Initial Screen

Use drag and drop to allocate a request from the lower area of the planning board to a pool asset in the upper level of the planning board.

Graphical Planning Board

The request status will be changed to ‘assigned’

Step 3 – Reserve ‘Pool Asset’

Double click the demand bar of the request on the Gant and launch the detail screen. Click the ‘Reserve’ button’ to reserve the vehicle (color of the bar will be changed from yellow to red)

Reserving a Pool Asset

SAP Mail is issued to the requester about reservation.

Pool Asset Request Confirmation Mail

Step 3a – Cancel ‘Pool Asset’ request

Pool request can be cancelled if the assigned pool asset is no more required or when an urgent request is received for the same slot. System also allows cancellation of the request till the pool asset is issued.

Cancellation of a Pool Request

To cancel the request, select an existing demand / reservation on the planning board and double-click it to launch a dialog box ‘Detail Data’. Click the ‘Cancel Demand’ / ‘Cancel Reservation’ button which launches the cancellation confirmation prompt. Click ‘Yes’ on the ‘Confirmation’ prompt which cancels the pool request.

The status of the request is changed to ‘split cancelled’ and color of the bar is changes to black.

A SAP Mail is issued to the requester about cancellation of the pool request.

Pool Asset Request Cancellation Mail

Step 4 – Issue ‘Pool Asset’

Select a reserved pool asset in the planning board and double click it to launch the dialog box ‘Detail Data’. Click the ‘Issue’ button which launches the dialog box ‘Pickup Data’. Enter the date and counter reading here and save the pickup document for the pool asset.

The status of the request is changed to ‘picked up’ and color of the bar is changes from red to green.

Issuing a Pool Asset

Step 5 – Return ‘Pool Asset’

Select an issued pool asset in the planning board and double click it to launch a dialog box ‘Detail Data’. Click the ‘Return’ button which launches a dialog box ‘Return Data’. Enter the date and counter reading and save the return document for the pool asset.

The status of the request is changed to ‘returned’ and color of the bar is changes from green to dark grey.

Returning a Pool Asset

Step 6 – Settlement

Select a returned pool asset in the planning board and double click it to launch a dialog box ‘Detail Data’. Click the ‘Settle’ button which launches a dialog box ‘Settlement Details’. Verify the usage hours and distance computed and save the settlement document for the pool asset.

The status of the request is changed to ‘settled’ and color of the bar is changes from dark grey to dark blue.

Settlement of a Pool Request

On settlement, a maintenance order is created against the pool notification and rental charges are charged to it. The pool asset notification and order are then technically completed. All this happen automatically in background.

Maintenance Order Created and Completed in Background

You can view the rental cost charged in the order cost report.

5.    Repair Measures

Maintenance and repair work carried out on a pool asset can also be represented and monitored using the graphical planning board. The system automatically creates a reservation for the asset in question for the period in which it is not available (because it is in the workshop) so that it cannot be assigned to a demand during this time. A separate bar color is used in the planning board to represent periods where an asset is in the workshop.

You can specify repair work by creating a maintenance notification (transaction IW21) with the notification type “M1”.

Display of Repair Notification in Planning Board

6.    Conclusion

The ‘Pool Asset Management’ has the rich functionality to manage shared use of vehicles, cranes and other special tools starting from reservation to issue, return and rental cost settlement. The entire process is greatly facilitated through the powerful ‘Graphical Planning Board’.

7.    Reference:

SAP Note 1272432 – PAM tips

SAP Note 1266645 – Switch BC Sets are missing