MSA- Functionalities

Here is an overview regarding the applications and functions used by Mobile Service Advisor solution. Since this is a mobile application, the order of the proposed functions will be from login to logoff, trying to describe each function of the screen.

Furthermore also some functionalities in the SAP GUI part will be briefly described, you will notice the difference when the screenshots will popup

In addition, the main technical objects will be named (as kind “starting point”, e.g. in case of debugging).

For issues like customer enhancement, authorities, proaxia enhancements, etc., please see the corresponding chapters.

Here we present the list of items which are described in detail below:

• Photo Function

• Search Screen and Order Creation

• Variant Screen

• Overview Screen

• Sidebar navigation

• Customer details screen

• Vehicle specific information

• Checklist Screen

• Document Viewer

• Bodywork Screen

• Sales Action Screen

• Handover Certificate Screen

• Signature Screen

• Extended handover screen

• Survey Screen

• Transfer Menu

• Display Pictures transferred to SAP

• MSA Stats Report

• Prepare 3D Models

Variant Screen

Functional details

Here, depending on the customizing performed, a list of Orders will be display on the left hand side of the screen. Tapping on one order will let the user open it.

Variant Search Screen

Variants function is designed to work with a VSS installation. To have more insights on the configuration check the chapter "Maintain Search Variants"

Technical information

• The responsible backend class to handle this screen is /DBME/MD8_CL_A_VART_SEARCH. An enhancement spot is available for the customer: /DBME/MD8_CL_E_VART_SEARCH

Search Screen and Order Creation

Functional details

This screen is designed to search for a combination of customer and vehicle and possibly existing order list for this combination. It is possible to use several input parameters. If more than one parameter is used AND- logic is used (i.e. PARAMETER1 AND PARAMETER2). If one of the two conditions are not met, no result will be displayed.

If a date is used to search, the customizing parameter OSRCH_BACK_DAYS will create a range within the search. For example:

OSRCH_BACK_DAYS : 3  - Search Date: 17/08/2017

MSA Search Range : 14/08/2017 - 17/08/2017

Parameter OSRCH_CONSIDER_PLANT can be maintained to narrow down the search considering User´s login plant.

If you want to see, only the available Orders for the specific customer advisor, is suggested to use and customize the Variant Search Screen.

MSA Search Screen – standard set of search fields

Search screen can be customized / enhanced in the following areas:

• Standard fields can be hidden from the search screen
• Custom fields can be added as selection criteria
• Search results can be supplemented with additional information
• Result list can be formatted using html tags

Search screen with additional elements and formatting

From this screen is also possible to create/modify/assign a Vehicle, create/modify a Customer and create an Oder. Below you can see screenshot with brief comments on each function menu. In general, all the menus available in the Search Screen can be switched off using parameters CUST_VHCL_EDIT_MENUS for Customer and Vehicle.

Create a Vehicle

From the Search Screen, a user can access the Menu to create a vehicle. All the function related to vehicle are dependent on SAP VSS Vehicle Action Customizing. So be aware that the same actions used in the SAP GUI are used in the MSA. So if a specific logic is built within the action (e.g. a message popping up under certain circumstances), it might affect the application. Furthermore, it is suggested to review the VSS customizing and check the MSA Parameter Table in order to correctly populate relevant vehicle parameters such us VEH_BUS_TRAN_TYPE and PROD_CATEGORY_ID. 

Create a new Vehicle

The MSA will request the user to assign a VIN and fill out basic vehicle information. A popover list with Catalog and Model will be showed coming from the standard VSS tables.

Vehicle Creation popover

Selecting the created vehicle, from the same menu is possible to modify the vehicle or assign it to an existing customer.

If by requirement, vehicle creation/edit menu to is not relevant for the customer, is possible to switch it off setting the parameter CUST_VHCL_EDIT as FALSE.

Create a Customer

Using the Menu, a Customer can be created directly from the MSA. The leading SAP Backend object is the Business Partner.

Create a customer

The popover screen will present a set of fields to be maintained by the user. This screen can be influenced by customizing, making the fields available only in display mode or mandatory for instance. An enhancement spot (/DBME/MD8_BADI_CUSTOMER) is available in case a custom logic needs to be developed.

Create a Customer

Assign vehicle owner

As part of master data creation process, once vehicle is created user should either:

• Assign existing customer (search engine provided)

Add vehicle owner

Vehicle owner selection

New owner assignment process is supported with customer search engine (1), customer creation button (2) and customer assignment function (3).

• Create new customer (as described in previous point)
• Use One Time Customer account (if process supported in the backend system). When MSA identifies that customer is an one time customer record, additional screen with address data is open for entry. Appropriate One Time Customer (CPD) account must be configured in backend system

Change vehicle owner / Remove assignment

Vehicle owner can be changed an any time using MSA dedicated function.

When a link between customer and vehicle is to be removed, user needs to select “Remove assignment” option in MSA. 

Change owner / Remove assignment

Create an Order

After selecting a customer with a vehicle assigned, the user may create an Order accessing the available menu. The popover will let the user choose the order type according to the configuration. The Sales Organization where the order is going to be created is determined from the vehicle master data (VLCVEHICLE-DBE_VKORG). In case this is not sufficient a BAdI is available for the customer.

Create and order via Copy

Depending on the customizing, order can be also created as a copy of another document. MSA customizing defines source and target order combinations.

Order that can serve as a source object has a copy icon on the right side of the search result list. Depending on the customizing entries, MSA will either directly attempt to create and order as a copy or provide a pop-over for selecting target document type.

Once copying is triggered, target order is automatically created.

Due to performance, copying does not transfer MSA specific objects like checklist item values, damage item values and photos from the source document. These are still available in the backend when navigating to the respective vehicle master data object.

As designed, copying functionality does not offer any item / job selection pop-over. MSA is attempting to copy existing line items of the preceding document. This behaviour can be influenced by changing implementation of a standard BAdI /ORD_COPY_CHECK.

Order filters

Along with copying functionality, order filtering function in search results has been provided.

When both order and quotation document categories are retrieved along with MSA configuration, both search screen and variant screen will be supplemented with Orders and Quotations buttons allowing to filter output results.

Warranty / Contract information

Warranty information as well as service contract information for vehicle can be viewed on the order search screen.

To enable this functionality respective parameters must be set to “True”:

ENABLE_CNT_ON_SEARCH

ENABLE_WTY_ON_SEARCH

Warranty and Service Contract information on search

Order source identifier

When order or quotation has been created via MSA a flag /DBE/VBAK_DB-/DBME/MMA_SRCMSA is set. It can be used for analysis / reporting purposes.

Create an Order directly and via Copy

Photo Function

Functional details

From the Application a user can attach pictures to document a damage, a job or anything that can be considered relevant for the Service Advisor. MSA gives several possibilities where to take a picture. You can easily identify spotting the camera icon:

Photo Icon

Furthermore, there is also the possibility to choose a photo directly from the photo library. In the screenshot you can see from where you can access this function:

Picking a pictures from source

Depending from where the pictures are taken, these are going to be assigned to the Order (e.g. if is taken from the Overview Screen), to the Vehicle, (e.g. taken from the Bodywork Screen) or the Checklist.

Watermark can be generated on the photo when parameter PHOTO_WTRMRK_FRMT is set.

Depending on customer requirements, it is possible to include following values as part of watermark generated on the photo:

Overview Screen

Functional details

The Overview Screen includes relevant Order data along with Customer information. There is a set of default fields, such us Order Number or Order Reason. This screen can be influenced with customizing and enhanced with BAdI. For more details please check the related configuration chapter.

Overview Screen

From this screen is possible to maintain Customer information, the popover screen is similar to the one presented in the Search Screen. The major difference is that the user can modify customer data only on Order level. If the data is to be modified also on master data (Business Partner), the slider "Update Master Data" must be activated. Last, the screen can be enhanced with Customer Defined Fields, both to display and maintain fields or to code specific logic for backend maintenance. Another possible enhancement can be performed using the available BAdI /DBME/MD8_BADI_CUSTOMER

Edit Customer within the Service Order

When sold to party change is activated, user can slide left or ride on the customer details area to trigger partner change function.

Sold to party change

Search pop-over is shown for correct customer search and selection

Sold to party change - search

Once selection is confirmed, MSA will attempt to do the following:

• Trigger /DBME/MI0_S_WS01_ORD_SP_UPD web service
• Transfer current state of the order (all information collected so far will be saved in the backend system)
• Change sold to party using an event defined in parameter ORD_SP_CHANGE_EVT
• Reload updated order back into application
• Refresh pricing information

Jobs Creation

There are different sources for jobs creation. In general following approaches are supported:

• Manual Job: where short and long text can be provided. A picture can be linked if necessary. Manual job creation can be disabled by setting parameter DISABLE_MANUAL_JOB to true

• Package: The service and spare part packages which are defined in SAP VSS can be selected and assigned to a job within the MSA. Priced packages will show the prices from SAP backend. The standard logic can be enhanced thru BAdI /DBME/MD8_BADI_PACKAGE.
• Estimated Job Catalog: A job with a defined estimated time in the back end can be selected and transferred to the workshop order. Logic can be enhanced with BAdI /DBME/MD8_BADI_EST_JOB_CAT.
• Concern Catalog – a newly introduced hierarchical concern catalog which helps service advisor categorize vehicle defects and in result create appropriate job within the service order.

Jobs Management

When an order is opened with jobs where parts and labor assigned, MSA will list them in the overview screen. Here the prices (customer split) are presented along with the total price.  The user may use the info button to display parts and labor of a job, this is a separate call to the backend meaning that is not transferred when the order is opened but it happens on user´s request. A BAdI to enhance the popover screen is available.

Jobs Info

MSA includes a function to defer and reject a job. This is going to be available tapping on a job and sliding left. This function follows VSS backend logic.

Defer/Reject a Job

Job Price Simulation

Price simulation is triggered automatically when a job is added to the service order in MSA. Once it is added to the overview screen, a simulation request is triggered to the backend system with webservice /DBME/MI0_S_WS01_ORD_PRICE_SIM.

Price simulation is not triggered for jobs already created in SAP VSS.  In this case, job received from SAP VSS should already be supplied with price.

MSA will attempt to simulate pricing for:

• jobs out of packages
• sales action job
• estimated job
• postponed job
• quotation job
• decision tree job
• checklist item
• bodywork item

When a fault has been received, a red exclamation icon will be displayed next to the price element. Price successfully retrieved from the backend system will be displayed on the job level.

User can trigger price simulation for a complete list of jobs from the MSA order by pressing refresh button (marked on the figure below). For example, when working outside of the WiFi range, user can request a price update once returned within range. Price refresh button is also available on the handover screen.

Price retrieval logic can be influenced by own BAdI implementation: /DBME/MD8_BADI_PRICE_SIM

To avoid potential vehicle locking issue following logic has been incorporated:

1. Check if vehicle is locked
2. If yes, wait 1 second and go to point 1
3. Repeat point 1 -2 up to 10 times, if vehicle is still locked then raise an error (it may happen that the vehicle is locked by other user/transaction)

Logic is executed before the order instance is created in the price simulation WebService.

Job price simulation

QR Scanner

MSA is able to scan a QR Code that can be assigned and triggered for customer defined field. Barcode data can be further processed within backed process i.e. special discounting based on promotion vouchers

QR Code Scanner

Technical information

The overview screen involves several objects. In case you need to check where the data is coming from in debug a good starting point can be checking the class /DBME/MD8_CL_E_ORDER.

Sidebar navigation

Sidebar is displayed on every screen within the guided procedure allowing for quick access to vehicle information as well as to various methods of job creation.

Warranty, recalls and deferred work information has been removed from vehicle details screen and transferred to the sidebar icons.

All currently available sidebar functions are presented below:

Sidebar navigation functions