SAP PP What is Routing

SAP PP Routing defines the operations or activities which are need to perform for production process. It also defines the sequence and machine in which the activities are performed and activity times needed to produce an assembly or a semi-finished product. It plays a key role in calculating production cost, labor and machine time.

Steps for creating a routing –

• Identifying proper work piece or item.
• Defining sequence of operations or activities.
• Assigning the machine needed for operations.
• Assigning PRTs i.e., production resources and tools.

Approaches to routing creation –

There are a few approaches for routing creation. They are –

• Regenerative planning
• Adaptive planning
• Variant planning
• Repetitive planning

Routing types –

The types of Routing is described as –

• Routing:
  • It describes the production of material.
  • Various routings for same material i.e., for lot size ranges.
  • It copies the reference operation sets for minimizing the effort of maintenance or creation.
• Rate routing:
  • It enables constant reference time and variable production quantity.
  • It describes quantity to produce within given time period.
  • The production rates can be maintained for each operation in the routing.
• Reference operation set :
  • The operations sequence is frequently repeated in a production cycle.
  • It can be referred to or copied when required.
  • It also works as a template in routings.
  • A change made in the reference operation set will adjusts itself to all routings referencing it.
• Reference rate routing:
  • It works as a template for rate routings.
  • It is also similar to reference operation sets.

Difference between routing and rate routing –

The following are a few differences between routing and rate routing.

Routing	Rate routing
It is used for discrete manufacturing.	It is used for repetitive manufacturing.
It has set-up times.	It does not have set-up times.
In this times i.e., machine time is specified on fix, defined base quantity.	In this times i.e., machine time is fixed and the quantities can be specified.
This is used for order based costing.	This results in rates used for period based costing
This is created with transaction code CA01	This is created with transaction code CA21

SAP PP Routing Structure –

A routing is composed of a header and sequences. Here the data in header is valid for whole routing. A routing has different levels in structure and different types of data is maintained at each level. These levels are –

• Header
• Sequences
• Operation
• BOM Components
• QM Inspection characteristics
• PRT Assignment
• Trigger point assignment

Assignment of material produced and Material component –

• Material that has to be produced is assigned to routing header.
• The components needed for production is assigned to every operation where it is used.

Routing sequence -

The sequence of operations carried out in a sequence based on their numbers. There are 3 sequences in routing. They are –

• Standard sequences
• Parallel sequences
• Alternate sequences

• Standard sequences –
  It is a series of operations. In this the system automatically creates a standard sequence when a routing is created.
• Parallel sequence –
  It is a special form of overlapping operations. It allows to perform the several operations at the same time and is carried out at the same as the corresponding section in standard sequence.
• Alternative Sequence –
  A sequence of operations which are alternative to the series of operations in standard sequence. It is used if production flow is different for definite lot sizes ranges or if the production flow changes in certain business conditions such as capacity conditions.

Routing operation -

An operation is defined as an activity carried out in a process step. The system uses operation data for determining dates, capacity necessaries and cost for a production process. The data that an operation consists is –

• Control key
• External processing data
• Standard values
• User defined fields
• Inspection specification
• PRT

Routing Operation data –

• Control key –
  • It determines if the operation is processed internally or externally by the dealer.
  • It determines if the dates, capacity requirements and costs are determined.
  • It determines further in order processing, a confirmation should be made.
• External processing data –
  It forms a basis for externally processing operation that including scheduling and costing.
• Suboperation –
  It is a subordinate to an operation and is useful for more detailed planning of the process step that is defined in the operation.
• Standard values –
  The standard values are planned values for the activities that are performed in an operation.
• User defined fields –
  These are created with any customer defined data.
• Inspection specifications –
  These are used for quality inspection during the operation.
• Production Resource Tool –
  It is a moveable operating resource or tool useful in the production can be assigned to operation.
• Trigger point –
  It helps to trigger the other business functions like start workflow task i.e., send mail to user or release next operation.

Control Key in SAP PP Routing Operation -

The control keys are copied from a work center to an operation when Routing is created. Based on the control key, the system would understand if an operation required to be scheduled and whether the capacity and costing need to calculate or not.

The detailed information about fields of control keys is as follows –

• Scheduling –
  When this indicator is selected then the system schedules the operation using operation time, formula given in work center and production order quantity. That means the system calculates start date or time and finish date or time. In case if it is not selected then the system considers the operation as only for information.
• Det. Cap. Requirement –
  This indicator is selected only if capacity requires to be calculated for operation. The system uses the scheduling calculation from previous indicator for calculating the capacity. It is not possible to use this indicator without activating the scheduling indicator.
• Insp. Char. Required –
  This indicator is selected only if an inspection needs to be done after the operation and the results are needed to be recorded.
• Aut. Goods Receipt –
  Automatic goods movement i.e., goods receipt of an assembly is posted if this operation is confirmed. Usually this indicator is assigned to final operation.
• Print Time Tickets –
  When shop floor paper is printed from a production order then the system uses this to determine if this operation is needed to be included in a time ticket or not.
• Rework –
  If this indicator is selected then the identifies that rework could be occur in this operation. So the automatic calculation of yield quantity at the time confirmation would not happen. To the rework quantity entered in operation, no automatic goods receipt would happen even the indicator automatic goods receipt is selected. So it is posted manually.
• Print Confirmation, Print –
  These indicators are automatically considered by the system if the order is confirmed and printing is triggered at the time of order release. The operations with relevant indicators are printed at the shop floor.
• Cost –
  The cost for this operation is calculated using the operation details, order quantity and the costing formula specified from a work center.
• External Processing –
  If an operation is performed outside a manufacturing site by a dealer. Then it is needed to activate this indicator so the system would generate a purchase requisition to the operation.
  An operation with external processing is scheduled based on lead time given in operation. In case want to system ignore the lead time and schedule according to standard values, select schedule external operation indicator.
• Confirmations –
  If a milestone confirmation is selected then the system will confirm the preceding operations itself. If confirmation required is selected then an operator is needed to confirm the operation and enter its details. It also lets to restrict a user from entering operation details at the time of confirmation.

Use of Routing –

A routing specifies the operations required for manufacturing a product. It specifies the following –

• It specifies the work center where operation is carried out.
• It specifies the default values used for calculating the dates, capacities and production costs.
• It specifies if the costs of an operation are consider into account for costing.
• It specifies that the material components are required to process an operation.

In repetitive manufacturing, the rate routing is also used along with normal routings and reference operation sets.

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