Executing Discrete Production Orders in Order POD within SAP Digital Manufacturing

In SAP Digital Manufacturing (SAP DM), Discrete Production Orders are normally executed in Work Center or Operation Activity PODs.

However, it is a little-known fact that executing Discrete Production Orders is also possible in Order POD with minor setup needed.

Order POD

Order POD is a very powerful POD normally used in SAP Digital Manufacturing (SAP DM) for Process Industry to manage and track process orders through the production process.

Out of the box, it provides an easy-to-use interface for viewing a list of orders for selected work centers, resources, materials, and planned date ranges. The list of orders displayed is based on the orders already released and planned for that time frame, work center and resource.

Once an order is selected from the list, Order POD provides access to a wide range of functionality. Users can view the order header information, work instructions, a list of phases/operations, associated details and much more.

Order POD enables users to report and confirm yield and scrap quantities at the phase/operation level, perform goods issue and goods receipt and other capabilities like creating batches, posting activity confirmation, capturing data collections, creating downtimes and non conformances.

In addition to these features, Order POD also allows users to start and complete a phase/operation, print order details or an order label, and view OEE KPIs.

Setup of Discrete Production Orders in Order POD

Minor setup is needed at SAP Digital Manufacturing level in order to enable Order POD for Discrete Production Orders. See details below:

• In Manage Materials app, Autocomplete and Confirm flag for the required material is set to “NO”

• In Manage Routings/Recipes app, Relaxed Flow flag is set to “YES” for the Master Routing

• In POD Desginer app, create or copy an existing Order POD and set the Order Selection Type in the Order Selection List plugin to “Production”

Once this minor setup is done, Order POD should start showing Production Orders and is ready to go!

Pros, benefits and extra features available for Discrete Production Orders in Order POD

• Material Consumption look and feel instead of Assembly look and feel

• Material Consumption using Formulas

• Consumption of Materials which are not planned in the Bill of Material

• Batch Creation for Goods Receipt

• Batch Characteristics Update

• Goods Receipt posting for specific selected Batches

• Goods Receipt using Formulas

Cons, disadvantages and missing featues in Order POD

While Order POD can be a very powerful tool for executing Discrete Production Orders, it does have some limitations and drawbacks that users should be aware of.

One disadvantage is that it currently lacks support for time tracking and tool management plugins. This can make it challenging for manufacturers to manage labor and tools during the production process.

Another missing feature is the lack of sign off functionality, which can make it difficult to pause and restart orders when needed. This can be particularly problematic in complex production environments where unexpected interruptions are common.

Additionally, the split/merge functionality is very limited, as it is only possible at the beginning of the process before any confirmations are posted. This can create challenges for managing Discrete Production Orders that require flexibility and adaptability during the manufacturing process.

Another drawback is the limited precision in which the system can track and capture traceability and genealogy data, particularly in Lot Size 1 / SFC-based production scenarios. However, in batch or mill production, this level of precision may be sufficient, and higher precision requirements could result in additional efforts for Workers.

Overall, while the Order POD has many strengths, it is important to be aware of its limitations and to evaluate whether it meets the specific needs of a particular manufacturing environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, running Discrete Production Orders in Order POD brings many enhancements, benefits and extra features to the manufacturing process.
One key advantage is the ability to manage material consumption in a way that provides a clearer look and feel, rather than the more complex assembly-oriented approach. This is further enhanced through the use of formulas, which enable accurate tracking and reporting of material usage.

Another benefit is the ability to consume materials that are not included in the BOM, providing greater flexibility and adaptability in production processes. The Order POD also enables the creation of batch numbers for goods receipt, along with the updating of batch characteristics and specific posting for goods receipt.

Overall, Order POD is a very versatile POD that can provide significant benefits to Discrete Production Orders execution. By leveraging its features and capabilities, companies can gain greater visibility and control over material consumption, batch information, and goods receipt, ultimately leading to more accurate reports, improved efficiency, productivity.

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Thanks,

Manoel Costa