SAP Tutorial MM

SAP MM / PP Interview Questions, Answers, and Explanations: SAP Production Planning Certification Summary

The Ultimate Reference & Learning Guide for SAP MM/PP Consultants SAP PP Interview Questions, Answers, and Explanations! It's clear that Production Planning is a key specialization for SAP MM resources -- and finding answers can be difficult. SAP PP Interview Questions, Answers, and Explanations guides you through your learning process. From helping you to assess your SAP MM/PP skills to evaluating candidates for a job, SAP PP Interview Questions & Answers will help you understand what you really need to know. The book is organized around several areas of SAP PP: Demand Management, BOMs, Order Release and Confirmation Each question includes everything you need to know to master the interview or properly evaluate a candidate. More than just a rehash of SAP documentation and sales presentations, each question is based on project knowledge and experience gained on successful high-profile SAP PP implementations. Key certification and interview topics include: Demand Management, BOMs, Routings, MRP, Production Orders, Order Release and Confirmation, Everything a MM/PP Resource Needs to Know Before an Interview

Q). In the SAP Production Planning PP module, what is a routing?
Answer:

Routing in SAP Production Planning PP refers to a sequence of operations. Each of the operation defines how a step or procedure is to be performed in production process. Operations in SAP PP can be clubbed to form a sequence. Thus, an operation can be clubbed to show alternative or parallel processes. One important thing to note is that a given operation can occur in several sequences. Many routings can be combined into one group. If one needs to go into details, each operation can be divided into sub-operations to reflect the process correctly. Each operation, sub-operation, sequence of operation will require resources i.e. materials, components, labour, manpower, tools and other production resources.

For SAP PP consultants, it is very important to understand the concept of SAP workcenters as well as routings in SAP. Workcenters are an important part of production planning in SAP. In the simplest terms, workcenter is a location where a particular operation is executed. Workcenters help in identifying the location where the work is going to be performed. Workcenters are used in production tasklists and in production orders. There are various ways of looking at workcenters in SAP, where workcenters can be used as capacity collectors for internal and external processing. Thus, workcenter is a location where production relating resources are consumed by production and manufacturing activities.

Now coming to the concept of routing in SAP PP. Routing describes a production process. Routings in production planning specify the sequence of the operations. Routings also contain other production information such as where the work will be performed, the time required to carry out the work, materials and equipment required etc. Based on the type of workorder, a special selection procedure is used to choose the correct routing.

Bill of material is a list containing description and object number for each component that is used in a product to be manufactured. Bill of material can be compared to a part list. The part list i.e. BOM contains the quantity and the unit of measure. BOM is an important part of master data in SAP PP Production Planning. Normally in a manufacturing industry, the engineering or the R&amp department creates the BOM.

Once the BOM bill of material is created, the MRP material requisition planning run in SAP explodes the BOM in order to determine economical order quantities for materials to be procured. Also, BOMs are used in SAP PP to prepare for raw material purchasing. BOM are used in calculating the material cost usage in comparison to the cost of the finished product. BOM is SAP is intergrated with the other modules such as SD Sales and Distribution, Controlling CO, Materials Management MM, and Plant Maintenance PM.

One question often asked at beginner level SAP interviews is relating to the SAP Internet Transaction Server (ITS). Below, I am explaining the concept of internet transaction server in SAP R/3 ERP.

Q). What is SAP Internet Transaction Server ITS ?

Answer: SAP Internet Transaction Server allows users to access the SAP R/3 system over the internet via a web browser. SAP designed transactions inSAP R3 with a easy user interface to be used over the internet. To put this in other words, SAP ITS is the middleware which integrates the SAP R/3 ERPp with Internet. The ITS browser allows users to access internet application components (IACs) designed by SAP. These internet application components or scenarios can be customized to company specific requirements.

The SAP internet transaction server consists of W-Gate Web Gate and the A-Gate Application Gate components. The web gate component talks to the web server and the application gate component talk to the SAP R3 application servers. The Web gate component of SAP ITS isolates the A-gate component from the web server. Thus, SAP ITS enables users to access mySAP components with the SAP GUI for HTML. Internet transaction server is the portal generator for the mySAP workplace.

One commonly asked interview question in SAP interviews for SD Sales and distribution consultants is on Logistics information system.

Q). What is Logistics Information System (LIS) in SAP?

Answer: LIS stands for Logistics Information System. In SAP, the logistics information system is a combination of the following systems.

- Sales Information System
- Purchasing Information System
- Inventory Controlling Shop Floor Information System
- Plant Maintenance Information System
- Quality Management Information System

Logistics information system can be used to effectively plan the entire logistics cycle in SAP. A user can control and monitor business events in the logistics cycle to make effective decisions. Data coming in from various sub modules in SAP can be clubbed and analyzed using the logistics information system. LIS thus acts as a flexible tool to aggregate and cull out important data. Key figures can be defined in LIS to keep track of important logistics parameters. Users can analyze data in various ways. LIS even allows users to customize the reports as per individual reporting requirements making it a flexible reporting and analytical tool.

For understanding the definition of fiscal years in SAP R/3, it is important to know the concept of variant principle. The variant principle is a three step method which is used in SAP R/3 to assign special properties to R3 objects. The three steps used in the variant principle are:

1. Define the Variant
2. Populate the Variant with values
3. Assign the variant to R3 objects

The variant principle in SAP is used in a number of areas such as field status, posting periods, and even in fiscal years. To explain readers with the help of an example, let us use the fiscal year variant concept. As a first step, one needs to define the variant. Lets say K2 is the fiscal year variant. Now we need to populate the variant with values, say we define that k2 will be a calendar year. Finally as the last step, we need to assign this variant to R3 objects. We can assign the fiscal year variant K2 to company codes which use the calendar. The variant principle helps in maintaining properties similar in SAP business objects.

Q: How to configure the planning calendar for the ATP calculation where goods are shipped every other
working day?
Use Transaction MD25 and define calculation rule for every other working day. Check the lot size settings in
OMI4 and maintain relevant data in MMR.

Q: We have two different production lines with different operations. One production line works 5 days a week
and the other 7 days a week. The factory calendar is assigned to the plant for 5 days a week. This calendar is
checked when MRP is run. How can we assign 5 day a week and 7 days a week against a factory calendar to
the related resources? Is it possible to have two types of calendars?

A: Assign factory calendars to the work centers.

Q: What is the difference between by-product and co-product and how do you differentiate them in a BOM?

A: In case of Co-product costs are settled with a apportionment structure. In case of By-product the price of
this by-product is credited to the order or the material stock account of the lead material being manufactured.
Co-Product as well as by-product are defined as BOM Components/Items. Both of them have negative
quantities. ( Not all negative quantity items fall under these categories!). When BOM is created for FERT , you
can see one indicator in COMPONENT DETAILS screen for co-product. You need to define the co-products
with this special indicator .

Q: What are some important tables used in PP ?

A: For orders:
CUAFVD dialog structure for order headers and items

AFPO - Order item
AFFLD Order: Dialog table for order sequences (AFFL)

MOPER Operation for production order
KBED Capacity requirements

AFRU Order completion confirmations
RESB Reservation/Dependent Requirements
AFFHD Structure of PRT's in orders
SOPER Sub-operations

SAFRU Sub-operation confirmations
SKBED Capacity requirements for sub-operation

MRP table is MDTB.
For PI:
CAUFV - AFVC Operation within an order

AFFT Order Process Instructions
AFFV Order process instruction values

Some other tables of interest:
PLKO, MAPL , PLAS.

We will add more questions in coming days.

Interview Questions and Anwsers on SAP PP

1. If you have released Prdn order today and it had gone to shop floor. Next day it was found that there is shortage of material. What will you?
2. How you define Standard Cost and Variable cost in PP?
3. Where can you find Read PP Master in SAP(PP)?
4. What are all the settings done for configuring integration of PP with FICO?

1. Do availability check. You will get missing parts list. Procure those missing parts. Then confirm the production order. One more thing you can do, change customize setting so that user cannot release if parts are missing during order release.

2. Standard cost is the cost which is fixed for a period, variable cost is varying with period. As for example cost of semi finished, finished materials are fixed & cost of raw materials are varied.

3. You will find in master data tab page of production header data overview, CO02 - Read PP Master Data. Also from Functions menu you will get Read PP Master Data.

Tcode CO02 - Read PP Master data

4. Assigning of Cost center to work center. Assigning Activity type to work center, Standard Cost estimate, Costing Run, Order settlement, Product costing. *-- Chandan Majumdar

---

1. Can MRP be carried out for one particular level of a bom ( Level code : 0001/0002 etc).
Yes it can be done by running for specific materials (Single Material Single Level)

2 How Requiements( PIR,Sles Order, Customer Requirement) are reduced after they are produced?
Reqmts are reduced automatically after Delivery is made to the Particular Order
(In case of Strategy 11, the PIRs are consumed after the GR for Production Order)

3. Can't one material be assigned to more than one operation in a routing?
One material from a BOM CANNOT be assigned to different Operations.
It can be done by defining the material for so many times as required in the BOM

4. How to insert an inspection checkpoint at the end of an operation?
If in process sample is to be defined, assign inspection type 03 in the Material Master.
Then create MICs and assign them in the Routings.
System automatically generates the Inspection Lots

5. Where we have to specify the teardown time in one operation?
Teardown time can be defined as one of the Standard Parameters...

6. How the process time is calculated in a WC when both labour, Machine categories exist?
Scheduling is done based on the Capacity Category we define in the Workcenter

7. How to create opbject dependencies in a BOM FOR A CONFIGURABLE MATERIAL?
Go to Extras -> Object Dependency -> Assign
For this U need to create Characteristics and Class (of Class Type 300) earlier

8. Can any body explain me why work scheduling view is required for semi finished and finished products?
(Because we'll mention all details in MRP views)
A) We need to maintain working scheduling view in order to make that finished or semi finished goods available for
production as we assign production scheduler and production scheduler profile in this view, if not maintained
conversion of planned order to production will not be possible.

Tips by : Nayak

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007

SAP Tutorial MM

SAP MM / PP Interview Questions, Answers, and Explanations: SAP Production Planning Certification Summary

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