Tools Management and usage

[for more information refer to: https://docs.coresystems.net/workforce-management/tool-assignment-reservation.html]
Tool Assignment and Reservation is an SAP FSM feature used to manage and reserve tools for use in activities.

Source: https://docs.coresystems.net/workforce-management/tool-assignment-reservation.html

1. FSM Setup

In order to activate the feature in a given company, the following company setting's value must be set to 'true' - CoreSystems.CoresystemsFSM.Tool.Reservation.Enabled.

The tools functionality can then be enabled under Planning and Dispatching > Settings > Tools.

The following tool reservation settings are available:

Source: https://docs.coresystems.net/workforce-management/tool-assignment-reservation.html

Once the Tools have been enabled, a new tab is displayed in FSM Master Data.

It's not possible to reserve tools in ERP until another company setting - CoreSystems.CoresystemsFSM.Tool.Reservation.Type is set to 'FSM-ERP' (default value: 'FSM').

Source: https://docs.coresystems.net/workforce-management/tool-assignment-reservation.htmlTo view the tools functionality on mobiles the following permissions are required:

2. SAP ERP Setup

To activate the usage of tools it is necessary to make the following one-time settings in the SAP FSM Cloud Connector. All mentioned settings are transportable. The settings mentioned in steps 1 to 4 are set-up automatically by executing the SAP FSM cloud connector set-up program: /PACG/ECM_SETUP - E4C Setup. The settings are individually mentioned below for the purpose of information and reference.

Under transaction: /PACG/ECM_EODEF - ERP Object Definition, maintain Tool Assignment as an ERP object.

Under transaction: /PACG/ECM_CMSGTYPE - External Message Type Definition, maintain the external message types TOOLASSIGNMENT and USEDTOOL.

Under transaction: /PACG/ECM_EOAS - Object Assignment, maintain ERP object ID TOOLASS.

Outbound and Inbound IDOC and class definitions, should be all prepopulated via the set-up program.

/PACG/ECM_IOUTDEF - Definition of IDOC creation classes:

/PACG/ECM_DATASELDEF - Data selection class definitions:


/PACG/ECM_CLSASSIG - E4C Outgoing Messages Configuration:

/PACG/ECM_IINDEF - Definition of inbound data creator:

/PACG/ECM_ICONVDEF - Definition of XML-_IDOC converter:

/PACG/ECM_CLSASSIGIN - E4C Incoming Messages Configuration:

Under transaction: /PACG/ECM_PLAS - Plant Assignment, maintain ERP object ID ITEMTOOL for each relevant company.

Under transaction: /PACG/ECM_NOAS - No Object Assignment , for each relevant company maintain ERP object ID TOOLASS.

3. Master data

In terms of master data, the main requirement is it must be possible to maintain and send tools of the type material and equipment from SAP ERP to FSM.

SAP ERP Material Master Record

There is no fixed or specific general set-up or material type required for the material master record which represents a tool. The prerequisite is that the 'Prod.resources/tools' view is active and maintained.

For the tool material master records to be recognised as relevant for send from SAP ERP to FSM, the specific material type/types which will represent tools need to be maintained and flagged as 'Is Tool' in the SAP FSM cloud connector configuration (transportable setting) under configuration step:
/PACG/ECM_ITYPE - Material Group and Company Assignment

The image below shows an example of the required configuration.

Making this setting results in all materials of the relevant type being sent to SAP FSM as tools. The tools master data can be viewed via the Master Data view in SAP FSM WFM.
The image below shows an example of a material type tool in SAP FSM WFM.

Tools records in FSM display the following information:

Source: https://docs.coresystems.net/workforce-management/tool-assignment-reservation.html

SAP ERP Equipment Master Record

For a tool equipment master records to be recognised as relevant for send from SAP ERP to FSM, per country, the specific equipment category type/types which will represent tools need to be maintained and flagged as 'Is Tool' in the SAP FSM cloud connector configuration (transportable setting) via transaction: /PACG/ECM_CINC01 - Included types of equipment. The image below shows an example of the configuration.

The main prerequisites for an equipment master record type which represents a tool are:

• The 'PRT data' view for the equipment category is active and maintained.

• The material code used in the 'SerData' of the equipment must be that of a tool material master record (which has the 'Prod.resources/tools' view maintained).

• If the tool is in the possession of a specific person, the person responsible should be assigned as a partner function against the equipment record. The person responsible partner number corresponds to the unique personnel number of the technician.

• The person responsible partner relationship type is important as it is sent to the SAP FSM cloud and used to filter the available tools by 'Mine' within the FSM mobile application.

The tools master data can be viewed via the Master Data module in SAP FSM WFM.

The image below shows an example of an equipment type tool in SAP FSM WFM. Note that the tools of type equipment are grouped under the material tool which they are based upon (derived from the 'SerData' information of the equipment record).

4. Integrated process

The process flow diagram below outlines the integrated core process flow for the Tools Management and Usage solution which incorporates SAP ERP (master system), SAP FSM WFM (planning) and SAP FSM Mobile (usage and confirmation).

Master Data

Tool of category material (item)

Any material type flagged as ‘Is Tool’ in the SAP FSM cloud connector under configuration step /PACG/ECM_ITYPE - Material Group and Company Assignment will be sent to SAP FSM as a tool of the type ‘item’.

• Tools of the type item can be viewed via the Master Data view in SAP FSM WFM.

Tool of category equipment: set-up, replication and master data view in SAP WFM

Any equipment type flagged as ‘Is Tool’ in the SAP FSM cloud connector under configuration step /PACG/ECM_CINC01 - Included Types of Equipment will be sent to SAP FSM as a tool of the type ‘equipment’.

• Tools of the type equipment are displayed via the Master Data view in SAP FSM WFM.

• The tool equipment records are grouped under the tool material which they are based upon; i.e. the material code entered in the ‘SerData’ tab of the equipment master data record.

Tool of category equipment: master data view in SAP FSM Mobile

Tools of the type equipment are also displayed via the Tools menu option in the SAP FSM mobile application (image shows Windows Client).

• By default, all available tools will be listed (see explanation for ‘Mine’ on the next slide).

• It is possible to search for a tool by name or serial number.

• As in WFM, should they be available, user defined fields and attachments will be shown in the object view.

Tool of category equipment: master data view in SAP FSM Mobile, ‘Person Responsible’

If the tool is in the possession of a specific person, the person responsible should be assigned as a partner function against the tool equipment record in SAP ERP.

• The person responsible partner number corresponds to the unique personnel number of the technician.

• The person responsible partner relationship type is important as it is sent to SAP FSM and used in SAP FSM mobile to filter the available tools by ‘Mine’.

Tool of category equipment: attachments

Attachments can be added to the tool (equipment) via the object services menu option in SAP ERP. The attachment relationship will then be replicated to the SAP FSM cloud and presented in:

• SAP FSM WFM

• SAP FSM Mobile

Tools of the type item also support attachments.

Plan and Reserve Required Tool

Plan a tool required for the service intervention

Plan the “kind of tool required” (material) in SAP ERP

At this stage in the planning of the job, only the “kind of tool required” is planned. Therefore a tool of the type material (category M) is added to the service order under the PRT list for the operation view. It is possible to add one or more required tools. The required tool can be added from a connected task list.

View the “kind of tool required” in SAP FSM WFM

On the Dispatching Board under the unassigned activities list, any activity which requires a tool will have tool symbol and a number representing the total number of required tool.    

Assign the activity to a technician and initiate tool reservation

Following the standard activity assignment process, an activity is dragged to a technician on the planning board. It was recognized that this activity requires a specific kind of tool. So assignment, availability and reservation of a tool equipment can also be completed.

• From the activity sidebar navigate to the REQUIRED TOOLS submenu, here the “kind of tool required” entered against the service order in SAP ERP is shown.

• Select the Add Tool button.

Add a required tool equipment to the activity

It is intended that the activity be assigned to technician Damien Hayes and the “kind of tool required” is UMED Test Tool.

From the list of tools, check if Damien Hayes has the tool.

1)Using the search option, it is possible to search based on the name and serial number of the tool.

2)Select the tool.

3)Assign the tool.

4)Save the tool assignment.

Assign the activity to a technician including tool reservation

Back on the planning board, activity side bar: the specific tool required for the activity is assigned and shown as available. To complete the reservation of the tool, select “Reserve tools”.

The tool is then reserved according to the active reservation mode: FSM or FSM-ERP.

Reservation of the tool in the tool calendar

From the tool master data view, all reservations for a specific tool can be displayed.

• The calendar view can assist the planner in understanding why a proposed reservation fails.

• And to give an overview as to the planned usage of the tool. Information which could be useful when deciding when to take the tool out of service or send it for calibration.

Record Tool Usage

Tool information in the activity overview

Tools reserved for an activity will appear on the activity record in the mobile application.

• The figure to the left represents the number of reserved tools for the activity.

• The figure to the right represents the number of tools which have been recorded as used for the activity.  

Confirm usage of a reserved tool

Process Steps:

1)On the Reserved Tool submenu start by selecting Edit mode.

2)Once in Edit mode it is possible to simply select the reserved tool and move it to Used.

3)If no additional tools are required to be to recorded, then the used tools should be confirmed.

4)Finally, the activity should be synchronized in order to send the used tool information to SAP ERP.

Confirm usage of an unreserved tool

Process Steps:

1)Once in Edit mode select the Add Tools option.

2)All available tools are listed.

3)Select a tool, select Done.

4)Confirm all used tools.

5)Finally, the activity should be synchronized in order to send the used tool information to SAP ERP.