Avoid custom coding in PCo by using Multiple Call Destination System

[alexander_teslyuk]

Hello SAP Community!

 

In the current Blog, I’d like to show you how the new features of SAP PCo 15.1 SP3 can be used for the same purposes as I described in

https://blogs.sap.com/2016/05/14/spot-potential-performance-problem-in-advance/

and what additional benefits they bring. For example, how it became possible to eliminate custom coding at all.

 

So, let me describe the scenario\workflow I implemented this time. I decided to make it slightly different and a bit more complicated, introduced conditional branches in order to illustrate better some of the new PCo features. The workflow\scenario looks now as following:



 

1. The scenario is started\triggered by the update of the tag on the 3^rd party data server (i.e. OPC data server). It represents the SAP ME Resource (machine\robot) on the shop floor.


2. It triggers Start By Item request to release a new SFC. The SFC from the response message is handled as a variable in the Multiple Call Destination system and the string is concatenated to form the HANDLE by means of standard PCo functionality. There is no custom coding.


3. The next step is to collect data against the Resource itself. It is taken from the 3^rd party data server and may represent the temperature of the Resource t, for instance.


4. Then there is a Branching Condition checked. Depending on the temperature of the Resource, the SFC is

• either immediately completed at that step (temperature t<=50)


• or some Nonconformance NC1 is logged followed by the complete of the SFC (temperature t is higher than 50 but under 80)


• or Nonconformance NC2 is logged followed by the complete of the SFC (temperature t is higher than 80).

 

The new functionality of SAP PCo 15.1 SP3 allows to call another Multiple Call Destination systems in the workflow. I used this new feature and actually grouped the steps from points 4.2 and 4.3 to dedicated Destination Systems. The scenario\workflow looks as following then:



 

Highlighting these Destination Systems in PCo:



 

Each of them embeds 2 other destination systems as illustrated in the workflow. In PCo it looks like:



 

Furthermore, the temperature t mentioned above is passed then to each of the dedicated destination systems to be logged as NC Data. So, you may not only calculate variables, but also pass them to another modules\to another Destination Systems in the workflow\scenario.

The new feature of SAP PCo 15.1 SP3 allows to implement Branching Conditions in the scenario\workflow. The condition I described above is more complicated than “yes”\”no”. It actually requires more than 1 condition to be checked to have 3 branches. I highlight how I implemented this condition:



 

More information about Multiple Call Destination systems and Branching Conditions can be found here:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_pco151/helpdata/en/f7/ad5f5768dc0950e10000000a441470/content.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_pco151/helpdata/en/75/ae5f5768dc0950e10000000a441470/content.htm

 

So, let me sum up the benefits of the new features of PCo 15.1 SP3 used in this case:

• you may avoid custom coding in C#, because branching and variables assignment can be made in Multiple Call Destination systems;


• you may modularize the destination systems to be called and thus easier re-use such modules in different scenarios/workflows;


• you may even export-import such configuration modules from one PCo installation to another.

 

and mention the points from the previous blog about what this approach helps to

• estimate the response times of SAP ME;


• estimate the number of records in the tables;


• define the clock cycle of your production line;

because the actual scenario\workflow is, obviously, not limited to the one I illustrated. It is up to you to implement any scenario\workflow you will have in production and thus simulate the production load.

 

Your comments will be highly appreciated.

 

Best regards,

Alex.