LeverX - Making Use of SAP Guided Structure Synchronization In Your Environment

[ Making Use of SAP Guided Structure

Synchronization (GSS) in Your Environment

Eric Stajda

PLM Practice Lead

LeverX

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Agenda

Basic overview of key SAP Guided Structure

Synchronization (GSS) concepts

Demonstration of synchronizing an engineering and

manufacturing BOM

Advanced look at synchronization units, reconciliation

workbench, conflict types, and clipboard

Extending the capabilities of SAP GSS via BADIs and

enhancements

[ Basic SAP GSS Facts

You use SAP GSS to transfer source structures from one

application area, such as engineering, to target structures

of another application area, such as manufacturing.

The aim is to keep the target structure up-to-date. The

system takes changes to structures into account in each

synchronization and updates the target structure. Any

differences between the source and target structure are

displayed as conflicts with varying degrees of severity.

The system guides you through the structure

synchronization process with a user interface that allows

the following:

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[ Basic SAP GSS Facts

The system guides you through the structure

synchronization process with a user interface that allows

the following:

Planning the synchronization from the source structure

Monitoring structure synchronization and the conflicts that

can occur

Resolving conflicts using predefined actions

After an initial synchronization where no target structure

exists, subsequent synchronizations are required after

changes are made in the source structure in order to set

up the target structure and to keep it synchronized with

the relevant source structure.

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Return on Investment

Reduce time and eliminate necessity for manually copying

changes from one BOM to another

Reduce mistakes that occur that can occur when

manually copying changes

Start directly from CAD to generate engineering BOM and

then sync directly to manufacturing BOM

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Basic Terms: Synchronization Unit

Synchronization Unit: The Synchronization Unit

establishes the connection between the source and target

structure you want to synchronize

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Basic Terms: Structures and Conflicts

Source Structure: Source structure that is used for

comparison during synchronization. In this use case, the

engineering BOM.

Target Structure: Target structure that will receive

changes from source structure. In this use case, the

manufacturing BOM.

Conflict: A difference identified between the source and

target structure. Conflicts are reconciled via the

Reconciliation Workbench.

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Basic Terms: Reconciliation Workbench

Reconciliation Workbench: The reconciliation workbench

helps you to restructure the target BOM and solve

conflicts that occur during structure synchronization due

to differences in the source and target structures.

You can use predefined actions to resolve the conflicts.

You define the actions in Customizing for GSS (see

Conflict Handling). You can also make changes to the

target structure manually in the reconciliation workbench,

such as creating or deleting an item, copying an item to

the clipboard and inserting an item in another target

structure.

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Basic Terms: Reconciliation Workbench

View of the Reconciliation Workbench

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Integration With Change Management

All synchronizations are done in relation to an SAP

Change Master

All changes have a valid from date related to the change

number which was used during the synchronization

process

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Demonstration: BOM Creation From Source

Scenario: Creation initial manufacturing BOM from source

engineering BOM

Basic steps to be followed:

Initiate synchronization process from BOM

Create synchronization unit, including identifying target

structure

Start synchronization process

Select change number to use for synchronization

Review and resolve any conflicts via reconciliation

workbench

Save work with result that target structure is now created

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Demonstration: BOM Creation From Source

Engineering BOM

• Bicycle

• Frame

• Brake

• Saddle

• Handlebar Stem

• Front Wheel

• Rear Wheel

• Gear System

Manufacturing BOM

• Bicycle

• Frame

• Brake

• Saddle

• Handlebar Stem

• Front Wheel

• Rear Wheel

• Gear System

Initial

Synchronization

and Creation of

Manufacturing

BOM

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Demonstration: Sync BOM Changes

Scenario: Engineering BOM is updated and changes are

synchronized to manufacturing BOM



Select synchronization unit, including identifying target

structure



Review and resolve any conflicts via reconciliation

workbench

Save work with result that target structure is now changed

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Demonstration: Sync BOM Changes

Engineering BOM

• Bicycle

• Frame

• Brake

• Leather Saddle

• Handlebar Stem

• Front Wheel

• Rear Wheel

• Gear System

Manufacturing BOM

• Bicycle

• Frame

• Brake

• Leather Saddle

• Handlebar Stem

• Front Wheel

• Rear Wheel

• Gear System

Update of

Manufacturing

BOM via

Synchronization

Saddle is replaced in Manufacturing BOM

with Leather Saddle with effectivity date of

change number used during synchronization

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Demonstration: Use Clipboard and Other Tools

Scenario: Update Manufacturing BOM during

synchronization using clipboard and other tools



Select synchronization unit, including identifying target structure



Review and resolve any conflicts via reconciliation workbench

Make updates in Manufacturing BOM using clipboard and other

tools

Save work with result that target structure is now changed

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Configuration Options

Basic functions of SAP GSS are controlled via SAP IMG

configuration

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Configuration Description

Define Action

Types

In this Customizing activity, you define the action types that can be chosen to

resolve a conflict in Guided Structure Synchronization (GSS). Conflicts may arise

during the synchronization process when a proposed target structure is compared

with an existing one.

Define Conflict

Types

In this Customizing activity, you define the conflict types that may occur during a

synchronization. A conflict is a deviation between the source structure and the

proposed target structure.

Deviations can be caused by changes in the source or target structure outside the

synchronization. The system shows the conflicts in the reconciliation workbench,

where you are guided through them and can resolve them by proposed actions.

Make General

Settings for

Application Log

In this customizing activity you can determine how long the system stores the

application log on the database.

Define Number

Range Intervals for

Synch. Unit BOM

to BOM

In this Customizing activity, you specify number ranges for number assignment for

synchronization units (number range object /PLMI/B2B) of synchronizations of

Material BOMs.

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Configuration Description

Adjust Conflicts for

Synchronization

BOM to BOM

In this Customizing activity, you make the following assignments for Guided

Structure Synchronization (GSS) for BOMs:

• Conflict severity to conflict types

• Action types to conflict types

The conflict severity indicates a special level of severity of a conflict. Depending on

the conflict type, you can assign the severity in accordance with the following

hierarchy:

• Error

• Warning

• Information

• Not relevant

The least severity is only relevant to the standard conflict types and cannot be

changed. For these standard conflict types, the severity cannot be set to a range

below the predefined least severity.

Conflicts that arise during the synchronization of an engineering BOM (source

structure) and a manufacturing BOM (target structure) can be resolved in the

reconciliation workbench. Special actions which you assign to the conflict type are

suggested by the system depending on the conflict type during synchronization.

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Key Configuration Item

Per conflict

type, you can

define

severity and

how items are

presented in

the

Reconciliation

Workbench

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Enhancement Possibilities

SAP Provides a number of BAdIs for enhancement of

SAP GSS capabilities

All enhancement activities can be found in Customizing

for Logistics - General under Product Lifecycle

Management (PLM) -> PLM Web User Interface -> PLM

Web Applications -> Guided Structure Synchronization.

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Use Case: Add customer fields to GSS process

Execution steps: 1. Execute the activity Find Aspects for Synchronization Product Structure

or Assembly to BOM.

2. Identify the data structure of the aspect that needs to be enhanced, such

as /PLMI/S_GSS_PPE_POSVAR_CHANGE for variant change state.

3. Start he ABAP dictionary (SE11) and display the data structure.

4. Identify the customer includes that can be enhanced, for example

CI_PVCMPD.

5. Add the new attributes to the customer include.

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Use Case: Change the mapping of attributes between

source and target structure, including overriding the

attribute mapping of the SAP standard and map a

customer attribute in source to a customer attribute in

target

Execution Steps: 1. Execute BAdI: Mapping of Source Vertex to Proposed Target Vertex.

2. Implement the BAdI according to the interface documentation.

3. For synchronization of product structures or product assemblies to BOM,

set the filter value ABBID = PLM_GSSI2B.

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Use Case: Add special solution proposals to a conflict,

including creating new action types, such as triggering a

workflow or modifying the target in a certain way

Execution Steps: 1. Optionally execute Define Action Types to create a new action type.

2. Execute BAdI: Handling of Actions to implement the BAdI for the new

action type.

3. Implement the BAdI according to the interface documentation. Set the

filter value equal to the new action type.

4. Execute Adjust Conflicts for Synchronization Product Structure or

Assembly to BOM:

a) Choose the view Assign Actions to Conflicts.

b) Assign the new action type to the respective conflict types.

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Use Case: How to define the comparison settings of an

attribute, including take over values from source into

target automatically without raising conflicts.

Execution Steps: 1. Execute BAdI: Adjust Field Control.

2. Implement the method ADJUST_FIELD_CONTROL according to the

interface documentation

3. Variant: In case special handling of an attribute conflict should take

place, execute the following steps:

4. Execute Define Conflict Types to create a new conflict type.

5. Execute Adjust Conflicts for Synchronization Product Structure or

Assembly. Set the conflict severity and assign action types.

6. Within the BAdI implementation of BAdI: Adjust Field Control assign the

new conflict type to the according attribute.

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Key Points

Utilizing SAP GSS, it possible to simplify the process of

managing changes between your engineering and

manufacturing BOM

You have now have good understanding of key terms

(e.g. synchronization unit, reconciliation workbench) and

the basic operation of the tool

Through configuration, it is possible to control things like

conflict and action types

SAP GSS can be enhanced through standard SAP BAdIs

and enhancements spots

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING.

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LeverX - Making Use of SAP Guided Structure Synchronization In Your Environment