Hi all,
The author is a maintenance manager in a large manufacturing industry which is constituted of several factories each having thousands of machines. Out of 30 years of experience, 24 continuous years direct association with machines and last 6 years indirectly ie., through SAP-PM module.
Like any industry the common machines dealt with here too, are MOTORS, REDUCERS, DRIVES, CONVEYOR, EATH MOVING EQUIPMENTS ... I can name more than a hundred such.
When new to SAP years ago, I was wondering why some generalized Catalog-codes information for such universally common machines has not been made available by SAP package, which is of a global repute and provides Industry specific packages like IS-OIL, IS-MILL etc. Later we started working on this data with the inputs of people's expertise.
The generalization was not possible at our Enterprise level too, because of some administrative reasons and also because the end-user preferred to have the Codes in his own words of interpretation. There are some exceptions where one factory adopted the Catalog-profiles created by other.
Years passed making such huge factory specific data into the system:
Then maintenance audit persons start feeing that this is a grey area. A point for compliance has been added for Generalization of Catalog-codes for Common Industry Equipments at Enterprise Level .
Now the word ‘Enterprise’ used by me here, refers to one unit of my Company.
It is quite possible that the need for Company level Generalization of Catalog-Codes would arise after sometime.
….further National level ?
The points I want to make :
If Generalization in this area is required, at what levels. I feel it would indicate to Global level.
Secondly, why ERP packages such as SAP, should not provide some database in areas like this, based on Global best practices.
Note:
This post refers to only common machines across industries.
Thank you,
Jogeswara Rao K
