Welcome to the Discrete Industries in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition 2308 news. And we have great news for you! The integration with an external, non-SAP PLM system is available now with scope item 6U2. 

Watch this highlight release video to understand the basics:

For all that want to have more detailed information, please continue to read.

Solution Architecture

From a solution architecture standpoint, the integration provides a basis for the following system setup:

Figure 1: Solution Architecture

In a nutshell, this architecture design offers the following benefits:

• Support of synchronous as well as asynchronous processing
• Direct feedback communication between the systems (for example, confirmation of database entries)
• Ability to connect an external PLM system to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition.

The following features are available to support your business:

• Material master transfer:
  • Basic data exchange
  • Plant-specific information
  • Classification
  • Number reservation
• Document transfer:
  • Physical file exchange
  • Internal numbering and internal versioning
• BOM transfer:
  • Date effectivity
  • Plant-specific functionality
  • Configurable BOM supporting selection conditions
• Change-management process:
  • Engineering-triggered change (change notice)
• Routing transfer:
  • Date effectivity
  • Sequential operations
  • Component allocation
  • Tool assignments
• Transfer variant model:
  • Retrieval of 300 class
  • Retrieval of characteristic definitions and values

For those who want to know more about the Meta Domain Model and extensibility possibilities, please check out this link: Meta Domain Model – Core Concept | SAP Help Portal

Supported Business Processes

The integration connects the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition 2308 system with an external PLM system to address the entire product lifecycle from Design-to-Operate ideation until end of life. Now we offer you a solid foundation for product engineering and manufacturing-centric scenarios.

New Product Development & Introduction (NPDI)

As an engineer working in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud system, your data for a completely new product has reached a certain maturity level. You have gathered requirements, modular and functional structure data for a new product and the implementation is planned and distributed across the engineering teams.

Figure 2: NPDI Scenario – Change Management Driven by Manufacturing Engineering in SAP

The detailed process can be described as the following:

1. Requirement, modular, and functional structures are defined and gathered for new products. The implementation is planned and distributed across the engineering teams.
2. A change notice is created to cluster dependent changes together. The R&D department implements the mechanical, electrical and software requirements:
   • Manage the transfer of products and product templates
   • Design new components, circuit boards, controllers, software
   • Release components, assemblies, and documents
3. The change notice is completed and approved in the SAP system. This triggers the actual change to the business entities.
4. As a result, all related business entities of the type of Solution Item are created, updated, and linked to the respective change number.
5. The engineering artifacts are handed over to various departments to drive the Pre-production Approval Process (PPAP).
6. The engineering change is handed over to manufacturing.

Major or Minor Change Triggered by Engineering

Let me give you an overview of a major or minor change triggered by engineering.

Figure 3: Major / Minor Change Triggered by Engineering – Part 1

The high-level process for Part 1 can be described as such:

1. A problem report is created to raise an issue with any business entity. The problem report is analysed and as a result, the problem report is either closed or a change request is opened.
2. A change request is created; it refers to one or several problem reports. In the change request, the problem is analysed in detail and the impact of various solution alternatives is assessed. This can include the following, exemplary assessments:
   • Alternative and proposed solution
   • Recurring cost
   • Nonrecurring cost
   • Technical recommendation
   • Test results attached
   • Technical recommendation date
   • Timing factors

Based on the assessment, a decision is made whether to implement a solution and what that solution is.

1. The creation of a change notice triggers the actual change to the business entities.

This diagram shows the remaining steps of the process:

Figure 4: Major / Minor Change Triggered by Engineering – Part 2

Major or Minor Change Triggered by Logistics

In case of major or minor changes triggered by manufacturing or logistics in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition system, a problem report is created based on an SAP change master or change record for a particular material, document or Bill of Material (BOM).

Figure 5: Major / Minor Change Triggered by Logistics 1

The problem report is then transferred to the external PLM system based on the status change. Next, the problem report is reviewed within the external PLM system to create a change request. Based on the change request, the impacted item is analyzed, and a corresponding change notice is created for the affected items. The changes are then consolidated to reflect the latest changes in the SAP system.

Figure 6: Major / Minor Change Triggered by Logistics 2

Formal Change

You may use a formal change to update already released ProductVersions and DocumentVersions. The integration supports meta data changes to already released and locked entities. You can update information, for example, to correct typos or add missing annotations in a drawing. Structure version transfers aren’t included as structure changes aren’t considered as formal changes:

Figure 7: Formal Change

Configure-to-Order Scenario

You can realize a configure-to-order scenario by defining configurable products in an external PLM system. As part of the overall change process in the external PLM system, the engineer can build up configurable products by assigning variant formulas to bills of material (BOMs) and related bills of process (BOPs).

The approval triggers the transfer of the business entities to the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition system. As part of the transfer, all relevant master data is created and can be enriched with further logistics-relevant data.

The current scenario especially foresees the enrichment of the variant configuration (VC) model in sales configuration, where pricing conditions and packaging can be defined. The transferred variant model can be used to create a configurable routing in the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition system, if required.

The figure below does not depict all relevant entities, for example, document version, product version, structure version, production operation list. Please refer to previous process descriptions to get a holistic view.

Figure 8: Configure-to-Order Scenario

Technical Integration with Non-SAP PLM Systems

For the technical integration, you need to activate certain communication scenarios.

Create Technical Communication User

To create a technical communication user your business role must contain the business catalog SAP_CORE_BC_COM (Communication Management), for example, the business role SAP_BR_ADMINISTRATOR (Administrator).

In the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition system you may open the app Maintain Communication Users and choose New to create a new user or select an existing user.

Figure 9: Maintain Communication Users app

Enter a description for the user and assign a password. Then choose Create.

Figure 10: Create Communication User – General User Data

Be aware that you must also configure this data on the client side of the external PLM system.

Create Communication System

In case you want to use different authentication methods, you need to create one system per user and authentication method.

First open the app Communication Systems and here choose New to create a new system:

Figure 11: Communication Systems app

Then enter a system ID and a system name and choose Create:

Figure 12: Communication Systems app – New Communication System

Next in the Technical Data section, choose the tap General and there “Inbound Only“:

Figure 13: Communication System – General Tab

In the Users for Inbound Communication tab, choose New Inbound Communication User and select the authentication method Username and Password:

Figure 14: Communication System – New Inbound Communication User

Finish by choosing Save.

Set up Communication Arrangement SAP_COM_0866 – PLM System Inbound Integration

The first step is to open the app Communication Arrangements and create a new communication arrangement by choosing New.

Figure 15: Communication Arrangements app

In the New Communication Arrangement dialog box, enter the scenario SAP_COM_0866 (Product Lifecycle Management – PLM System Inbound Integration) and choose to Create:

Figure 16: Communication Arrangements – New Communication Arrangement

Next in the Common Data section, enter the communication system that you created earlier in the app Communication Systems:

Figure 17: Communication Arrangements – Common Data

Set up the Communication Arrangement SAP_COM_0751 – Product Lifecycle Management – Variant Configuration Integration (optional – only for AVC creation via the Integration)

If you want or need to use advanced variant configuration and intend to create AVC artifacts via the integration, you also need to activate SAP_COM_0751:

Figure 18: Display Communication Scenarios

To set it up, please follow the steps above as for the scenario Communication Arrangement SAP_COM_0866 – PLM System Inbound Integration. Please be aware that the Product Lifecycle Management – Variant Configuration Integration has a separate price tag.

For all other 2308 manufacturing topics check out this blog post from my colleague Gerhard Welker here: Manufacturing in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition 2308 | SAP Blogs

My colleague Annette Garcia Lorenzo wrote a nice blog post for the new feature pack FP04 of PLM System Integration for Siemens Teamcenter and S/4HANA or SAP ERP as well.

Watch the Replays of Our SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition 2308 Early Release Series!

This July, we hosted a series of compelling live sessions from the heart of the SAP S/4HANA Engineering organization. Missed the live sessions? Watch our replays on demand!

Here, you can find a sixty-minute recording and a presentation for manufacturing as well as 19 other topics as part of the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition 2308 release. For more information on the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition Early Release Series and how to sign up for it, check out this blog post.

Inside SAP S/4HANA Podcast

As always, I would like to encourage you to subscribe to our podcast “Inside SAP S/4HANA”. This podcast leverages the unique knowledge and expertise of SAP S/4HANA product experts, partners and customers to address objects of interest by sharing product insights and project best practice. There is no customer success without product success and project success; we share all ingredients with you to get to the next level and make your SAP S/4HANA project a success. Subscribe now and benefit from the shared knowledge!

openSAP microlearnings for SAP S/4HANA

Our openSAP microlearnings for SAP S/4HANA offer an exciting new learning opportunity. What began with a small batch of 20 videos, has now become a channel with more than 50 microlearnings that have generated over 20,000 views since then. Today we cover multiple lines of business such as finance, manufacturing, and supply chain, and key technology topics like Master Data Management, key user extensibility, SAP User Experience, and upgrade management. We are continuously adding new microlearnings to the SAP S/4HANA channel, so make sure you check them out.

Your Voice Matters!

If you want to learn more and actively engage with SAP subject matter experts on SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, join our SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition community–now fully integrated with SAP Community. The community brings together customers, partners, and SAP experts and has a clear mission: deliver an interactive community to engage with one another about best practices and product solutions. We invite you to explore the SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition community ‘one-stop shop’ as the central place for all resources, tools, content questions, answers and connect with experts to guide you through your journey to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition.

Other SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA Enablement Assets

SAP S/4HANA is the foundation of the intelligent enterprise and is an innovative, robust, and scalable ERP. We at Cloud ERP Product Success and Cloud Co-Innovation offer a service as versatile as our product itself. Check out the numerous offerings our Enablement team has created for you below:

Figure 19: Enablement Wheel

Further Information:

• SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition release info here
• Latest SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition release blog posts here and previous release highlights here
• Product videos for SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA
• SAP S/4HANA PSCC Digital Enablement Wheel here
• SAP S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition Early Release Series here
• Inside SAP S/4HANA Podcast here
• openSAP microlearnings for SAP S/4HANA here
• Best practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition here
• SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition community: here
• Feature Scope Description here
• What’s New here
• Help Portal Product Page here

Feel free to ask your questions on SAP Community here. Follow the SAP S/4HANA Cloud tag and the PSCC_Enablement tag to stay up to date with the latest blog posts.

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