SAP PPM for APQP Tools

[former_member192883]

Hi Everyone,

I am interested in knowing how SAP PPM helps auto industry customers who basically build their Product Development Process based on Advanced Product Development Quality Planning (APQP) and its tools.

1. APQP has different tools such as, DFMEA,PFMEA,PPAP,MSA etc.  Does SAP has any best practice method to incorporate these tools/methods within PPM Projects ? instead of managing them in the excel sheets internally ?

2. If you have implemented SAP PPM for auto industry, could you please share you experience how customer utilized SAP PPM to work on these APQP tools/methods ?

2a. Do customers primarily use SAP PPM for project timeline, document management, and resource management only? and manage work for APQP tools separately in excel sheets and on supplier/customer portals ?

Thank you

Mohan

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Mohan,

In general we treat DFMEA,PFMEA,PPAP etc simply as project tasks/milestones or checklist items with linked documents where appropriate. The primary focus for PPM at the company I am currently working at is project management, portfolio management and resource management. Although we are in the auto industry, the PPM processes we have implemented is general portfolio project management which will work in any industry.

Checklist items additional data tab does have some fields for FMEA, but besides that there is no out of the box support for industry specific requirements in PPM. If you have specific industry specific requirements you may have to do something custom.

I have been implementing PPM for around 10 years, however, my auto industry PPM experience is limited, so I don't know if other auto industry customers have implemented any custom industry specific functions in PPM.

Hope that helps.

Lashan

[former_member192883 · Accepted solution]

Hello Lashan,

Thank you for your reply.

Did you ever used control plan that comes with SAP PPM to replace control plans that users manage them in the spreadsheets or as a Checklist/Checklist items ?

The auto industry customers that you worked with so far, do they still use any other tools to manage these APQP tools internally or do you think that SAP Template structure with check list items and document management fulfills in this area ?

Finally, when users work with these APQP tools on different customer projects, information changes regularly and these users/suppliers will have a different customers and sub contractors.

How does SAP PPM helps to update/maintain this information rapidly within their project?

Thank you!

Mohan

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Mohan,

In my limited experience, these have been document based with links to PPM. Currently sharepoint is being used as a collaboration platform. Is this is the best way to to manage this? Probably not, but most of the time for PPM this has been outside the scope. Also thinking a bit more about your requirements, I am not sure if PPM can deliver what you are looking for without extensive customization.

Regards,

Lashan

[former_member192883 · Accepted solution]

Hello Lashan,

For collaboration, I think cFolders, supplier/customer portal is sufficient.

I am trying to find out If SAP has anything to manage APQP tools without additional customization.

If I find it something I will post it here.

Thank you

Mohan