Functional Location in SAP PM

Functional Location in SAP PM

I am writing this blog post to explain all important fields in functional location in sap pm screen. I have also given consulting tips and examples to help readers to understand the concept and prepare well for interviews.

Introduction

Functional Location in SAP PM is a master data that defines the asset hierarchy of the technical structure of a manufacturing plant as per the operational, process-oriented, or spatial criteria.

A functional location is the location where every equipment is physically installed and maintenance work is performed.

  • Recommendation: It is always advantageous to define the functional locations in a manner that allows the entire technical framework to be divided into distinct levels. This allows the user to periodically monitor and evaluate the maintenance history and cost at each distinct level in standard SAP reports.

Functional Location creation in SAP PM

Data entry and fields in Functional Location screen are identical with Equipment Master.

  • Initial Step: Execute either the t code IL01 or Fiori app ‘Create technical object’ to add a new Functional Location, or go to Logistics > Plant Maintenance > Management of Technical Objects > Functional Location > IL01-Create
  • Second Step: The Create Functional Location—Initial Screen will show up. Here, you can choose a suitable Functional Location category. Generally, we choose the ‘M-Technical System—Standard’ category. SPRO allows you to configure the Functional Location Category. Also, pick the structure indicator. Structure indicators specify the syntax or layout of functional locations. Once selected, the edit mask is automatically replicated on the screen.
    Then add the label of the functional location, such as 10-A4-AR01-P1103A.
    SPRO allows you to configure structure indicators. The structure indicator will be configurable in SPRO.
  • Third Step 3: Press enter key and navigate to Functional Location main screen.
  • Fourth Step: Enter the short description (There is a limitation of 40 characters) of FLOC. You can enter long description of FLOC also.
  • Fifth Step: In standard SAP there are four subscreens or tabs – General, Location, Organization and Structure. You can remember them as G L O S. You can configure more tabs as per business requirement. Entire screen layout of Functional Location is configurable in SPRO.
  • Sixth Step: Choose the General Data Tab. General Data, Reference Data, and Manufacturing Data are the three subsections that compose the General Data tab.
  • Seventh Step: The first field is ‘Class’. This field is uneditable (in display mode). To add the class, press the Class Overview button. Select Class Type ‘003’ for Functional Locations. After that, enter the class name. This class id is critical since it allows you to group FLOCs into different classes to maintain their technical specifications.
  • Recommendation: We have Standard Fiori Reports related to Class, MCI1-Object Class. In this report, the business can monitor cost and maintenance incident numbers for each FLOC.
  • Step 7: The next important field we can enter is the ‘Object Type’. Object type is a kind of further categorization of technical objects that allows an additional information on FLOC. For example, if the Functional Location Category is “M,” you can choose an object type such as Boiler Area, Cooling Tower, or Generator.
    Object type is configurable in SPRO.
  • Eighth Step: Choose the Authorization Group. The Authorization Group uses authorization to allow specific users the ability to edit and display the FLOC data. Users who hold the ‘Authorization group’ in their role will have the ability to access and process the FLOC data.
  • Recommendation: It is always advisable to utilize an Authorization Group if the client demands that the users in one Department or production line should have no access to view the other department FLOC and vice versa. In such situations, configure authorization group for each department or pruduction line and assign the Authorization group to the authorized user.
  • Step 9: You can enter Weight, Size, Dimensions, inventory no. and start-up date also.
  • Step 10: In Reference Data you may enter the Acquisition value (with currency) and Acquisition date.
  • Consulting Tip: This field is important because in future you can compare the maintenance cost and acquisition value on real-time basis. If Maintenance cost exceeds the Acquisition Value, then you may choose to scrap out the Functional Location.
  • Step 11: Then enter the Manufacturer Name and other details. For example: ABB, L&T, SIEMENS, SAMSUNG etc. This is Text field.
  • Consulting Tip: This field is very important, because there is an SAP Standard Report MCI2 based on Manufacturer.
  • Step 12: Click on Location tab.
  • Step 13: Enter the Maintenance Plant. Select the Maintenance Plant where Functional Location is physically installed.
  • Step 14: Enter Location. Location can be Production Area, Warehouse, Admin etc. Location is configured in SPRO.
  • Consulting Tip: This field is very important, because there is an SAP Standard Report MCI3 based on Location.
  • Step 15: Next field is Room. This field can be used for information purpose. It indicates a specific room for asset or machinery. It is generally used in Real Estate Industry. It is a text field.
  • Step 16: Enter Plant Section. Plant Section indicates the production area in maintenance plant. We can also include the name and contact no. of Production In-charge of respective plant section. It is configurable in SPRO.
  • Consulting Tip: This field is very important, because there is an SAP Standard Report MCI3 based on Plant Section.
  • Step 17: Enter the Work Center from the drop down. This work centre is actually PP Work Centre linked to the maintenance Functional Location. Production department uses the Functional Locations to produce goods. However, maintenance department does maintenance activities on the same Functional Location. Now, in order to avoid the clashes between the production activity and maintenance activity, it is needed to link the PP work centre and maintenance Functional Location. This will allow the Production in-charge to see which Functional Location will be under maintenance in future. Thus, he/ she will not plan production with that Functional Location. Production in-charge can see the scheduled maintenance activities in the Planning board.
  • Integration: Assigning PP Work Centre in the Functional Location Master is an integration of PM and PP Module.
  • Step 18: Enter ABC Indicator. ABC indicator can be used to define the criticality of technical objects. For example: A – Very Critical, B- Medium Critical, C-Non-critical. This field is configurable in SPRO.
  • Consulting Tip: ABC indicator must be entered with Functional Location. Whenever, we execute any maintenance activity in SAP. ABC indicator automatically copied to the notification or maintenance order. Therefore it is available in all the maintenance order and notification reports. We can use them for further analysis. For example: In IW38 report, we can see how many Functional Locations with indicator A are under maintenance i.e. how many critical Functional Location are under maintenance? This can also help in const control and cost reduction.
  • Step 19: Enter sort field. Sort field is a simple text field, which can be used for tracking of Functional Location.
  • Step 20: Click on Organization tab. Organization tab is divided into two parts, Account Assignment and Responsibilities. Account assignment contains the company code, asset no., cost center etc. Responsibilities contains Planning Plant, Planner Group, main work center and catalog profile
  • Step 21: Enter Company Code. If you have entered the Maintenance Plant in Location tab, then company code of that plant will automatically appear here. However, if there is no entry there, then we will have to enter the company code manually from drop down list.
  • Integration: This is integration with Finance Module.
  • Step 22: Enter Cost Center. Cost Center is SAP CO Master Data. It is created by controlling department. This entry is important because cost center entered here is automatically copied to the respective maintenance notification and maintenance order. Cost center the organization element where entire cost of maintenance is settled.
  • Integration: This I is an integration of SAP PM Module with SAP CO Module.
  • Step 23: Enter Planning Plant. Planning Plant is the plant where entire planning of maintenance activities carried out. Based on organization structure business people can easily decide the respective planning plant for the Functional Location. This entry is important because when production in-charge creates any notification with reference to Functional Location, then planning plant will automatically copied to it. This will help in tracking and filtering of notification in reports. Planning plant can be configured in SPRO.
  • Consulting Tips: This field is important and must be entered because there are many reports based on planning plant. For ex: IW28, IW29, IW38, IW39, IW65, IW69 etc.
  • Step 24: Enter Planner Group. Planner Group is the group of persons who are responsible for planning of maintenance activities. It is configured in SPRO. Planner Group is created with respect to planning plant.

When you create a notification or maintenance order with reference to Functional Location, planner group is automatically copied to it in the responsibility sub-screen. This helps in tracking and reporting on planner group basis.

  • Consulting Tip: Generally Planner Groups are created like ELE – Electrical, MEC – Mechanical, INS – Instrumentation, CVL – Civil etc. It can also be created as 100, 200, and 300 up to 999. It should always be recommended to have a scope of expansion while creating planner groups.

We must enter the planner group in Functional Location master because we have SAP Standard Report MCI4 based on planner group.

  • Step 25: Enter Main Work Center. Main Work Centre is the group of persons or machines responsible to execute the maintenance task in the field or plant area. It is a generally created like ELEC0001, MECH0001, MECHWRK etc. When you create a notification or maintenance order with reference to Functional Location, main work center is automatically copied to it in the responsibility sub-screen. This helps in tracking and reporting on main work centre basis. We can see how many maintenance jobs are pending on a particular main work center.
  • Step 26: Enter Catalog Profile. Catalog Profile contains the catalog, catalog groups, catalog codes and code texts. A Functional Location specific catalog profile will have catalog codes related to that Functional Location. When we create a maintenance notification, Functional Location specific catalog profile will be available to for maintaining the technical history in notification. If there is a catalog profile for notification then Functional Location specific catalog profile will override notification specific catalog profile.
  • Step 27: Click on Structure Tab.
  • Step 28: Unlike Equipment, Functional Location automatically fetch its superior functional location.
  • Step 29: Now Superior Functional Location will have values.
  • Step 30: Enter Technical ID no. Here system gives an option to maintain the technical id no. of technical object as per the engineering drawing or any other number. This is a simple text field.
  • Step 31: Next field is Construction Type. Construction type is a very important field. Here you can maintain the material bill of material. This material bill of material will have all the materials which are commonly used during maintenance like cotton waste, lubricant, silica gel, brush etc. Now at the time of maintenance you can open this list in the maintenance order in the component tab. There is a button with a flower on it at the bottom of component tab with name “List”.

All the entries are completed. Now you can SAVE your Functional Location. Once you save your Functional Location, it will be saved with its Label. You can see the entire Functional Location Structure in IH01 – Structure Display T Code.

error: Content is protected !!