Metal Solution

Efficiency, Quality, and Competitive Edge for the Metal Industry

Complex Requirements of the Metal Industry

The metal industry operates in an environment that goes far beyond standard ERP processes. Materials are rarely simple catalog items—they are defined by complex properties such as chemical compositions, mechanical strengths, or tight tolerance specifications. In addition, there are individual customer requirements for packaging, labeling, or testing that must be precisely accounted for in every order.

Different business models face various challenges in this regard:

Manufacturing plants must manage complex metallurgical production processes from raw steel to the finished product—from melting and rolling processes to specialized heat treatments. Service centers focus on the efficient procurement, warehousing, and further processing of commercial materials with flexible processing capacities such as cutting, bending, or surface treatment.

Processes in SAP S/4HANA® already provide a powerful foundation for this. However, experience shows that additional support is particularly helpful in the metal industry.

We have gathered experience through many industry-specific customer projects and subsequently developed a “Best Practice” Metal Solution. This solution is tailored to the requirements of the metal industry and covers the needs of both service centers and manufacturing plants.

The QPPD Framework integrates seamlessly into existing SAP systems. It specifically extends the standard with additional data and functionalities and increases the degree of process automation.

Master Data Management

With QPPD, master data can be managed centrally and in a structured manner. Individual data structures can be mapped flexibly and linked directly with one another—e.g., material standards with matching tolerance standards. This creates a consistent database (“Single Source of Truth”) that can be used across all areas of the company.

With QPPD, master data can be managed. The QPPD Object Designer can be used to map the creation of individual data structures, resulting in a solution precisely tailored to the respective company. Direct linking of the corresponding objects is also possible. For example, material standards can contain a link to a separate tolerance standard object.

Status and versioning concepts ensure clean and traceable data management. Since all master data can be linked together, a Single Source of Truth is created, providing consistent product data for all business areas.

In combination with the BRF+ Framework, business-relevant rules can be defined directly by the functional department—without going through IT. For example, data can be checked for plausibility, default values can be set automatically, or complex calculations such as chemical analysis formulas can be performed. This significantly increases the quality and reliability of data management.

The integration into sales, production, purchasing, and quality management allows for a structured mapping of even complex product information. This makes product complexity transparent and controllable within the processes.

Our Metal Solution provides a predefined data model based on our many years of experience in the metal industry. It is designed to comprehensively map the typical structures and characteristics of metal products. This allows industry-specific requirements to be taken into account directly.

Included, for example, are:

  • Material standards with chemical as well as mechanical/technological properties

  • Tolerance standards for every material geometry

  • Quality inspections with uniform testing conditions

  • Production parameters that enrich the corresponding production versions

Another important object in the Metal Solution data model is the customer specification. It makes it possible to represent the individual requirements of customers in the metal industry clearly and traceably. Whether packaging, labeling, price-relevant properties, or quality-related test values—all information is maintained centrally.

Direct QM integration is also implemented, so that inspection processes with inspection characteristics can flow directly into inspection plans and thus also directly into the inspection lot. Redundancies are reduced because, for example, dimension-dependent material properties can be fully mapped within a single specification.

The result is a consistent and end-to-end process chain—from product definition, quotation, and order, through to costing, production, inspection processes, and certificate creation.

Material Master Integration

Extend your SAP material master with QPPD functionalities through two specialized views. The Product View links the material with basic material properties in the form of, for example, specifications and tolerance standards, while the Production View manages plant-specific production versions with detailed parameters.

The material master remains the central backbone of your SAP system and is significantly extended by the seamless integration of QPPD without affecting the familiar way of working. Two specially developed QPPD views make it possible to link materials with master data.

Product View for Material Properties: In the Product View, the basic characteristics of your materials are systematically recorded and managed. Here you can store specifications that not only describe the direct material properties but also contain references to other relevant master data. For example, tolerance standards, material standards, or quality standards can be linked directly, creating a complete picture of the material requirements. This structured data linking creates the basis for consistent product information across all business areas.

Production View for Production Control: The Production View focuses on plant-specific manufacturing and enables detailed control of production processes. Multiple production versions can be defined and managed for each material, each enriched with specific manufacturing parameters. This takes into account different production methods, machine equipment, or qualitative requirements of various plants. The manufacturing parameters include not only process settings but also quality specifications, inspection intervals, and plant-specific standards.

Through this two-part integration, complexity remains manageable for the user while the full flexibility of QPPD is simultaneously available. Production planners receive all the necessary information for optimal production control, while product developers and quality managers can access detailed material properties and specifications.

Sales Processes

The Metal Solution extends SAP sales processes with practical functions. Customer requirements are recorded centrally, versioned transparently, and can be used consistently throughout pricing and costing. This creates an efficient, consistent, and transparent sales process.

The Metal Solution fully integrates QPPD into all relevant sales documents—from quotations and contracts to orders. A requirement specification is stored for each document item, capturing all customer requirements centrally. There are no limits to the variety of product-describing characteristics. Even product descriptions with 2,000 characteristics can be mapped.

Associated versioning of the requirement specification ensures that changes are documented at all times and can be traced transparently even during ongoing orders.

For simple or recurring requirements, a quick entry function is also available. This allows changes to be made directly in the sales document.

Beyond these basic functions, QPPD extends the SAP standard processes in sales with practical additional functions:

  • Product Definition: Determination/calculation of product data based on customer specifications and standards, also in combination with variant configuration.

  • Evaluation of Customer Requirements: Inputs are continuously checked for consistency and plausibility using BRF+ rules.

  • Pricing: Product properties flow directly into the pricing process.

  • Error Handling: Status concepts enable structured processing of sales items and ensure clean workflows.

  • Simulation and Costing: Production data derived from the product definition can be used directly for simulations. This allows for reliable calculations to be created within the sales process.

The close linking of product and production data creates high transparency throughout the entire sales process. Decisions are based on consistent information from the processes themselves. This enables precise calculations and well-founded quotation arguments.

Great added value is also offered for the service center business model:

The service center business is primarily based on the sale of stock items that require post-processing based on customer requirements.

Practical Example: A stock material requires further manufacturing steps, such as a cutting process and external subcontracting for surface treatment.

  • In the requirement specification, the dimension calculation is performed by the rule set and forms the specification for the cutting process.

  • For subcontracting, a vendor selection with price information can be made directly.

  • Based on this, a production version is generated and used directly in the costing. The determined costs can be taken into account in the pricing.

  • The mill test certificates for the stock material are linked directly to the requirement specification.

Production Order

QPPD enables a dynamic response to production events directly in the production order. Technical parameters are visible and adjustable—changes such as machine swaps can be easily managed within the production order and can lead to the adjustment of all affected operations and components without manual effort.

Practical Example: Machine Swap: A typical scenario illustrates the capability: If, for example, a switch from a small to a large press is necessary, this change can be made directly in the corresponding production version on the production order. The system then automatically adjusts all affected manufacturing parameters, operation times, and material components—without manual intervention or additional planning effort. This also includes the adjustment of setup times, throughput times, and any changes in material composition or specification.

Full Transparency and Traceability: All technical parameters remain visible and traceably documented throughout the entire manufacturing process. This enables not only precise control and monitoring in real time but also seamless tracking of all changes and decisions. Even with spontaneous changes in the production flow, these can be flexibly supported and documented at any time.

Advantages for Production Control: Direct integration ensures a seamless connection between planning and execution. Production managers and machine operators always have access to the latest parameters and can make informed decisions. At the same time, quality managers are automatically informed about relevant changes that could affect inspection programs or quality standards.

Manufacturing Engineering

The Metal Solution assists in defining individual metal products and ensures that manufacturing takes place exactly according to the specified parameters. Routings, bills of materials, and manufacturing parameters are automatically combined into a suitable production version—precisely tailored to customer requirements.

When manufacturing individual metal products, the product definition with all product-describing parameters is paramount. Manufacturing must then be controlled in such a way that the customer receives exactly the product that was defined. This means the technical process must be derived on this basis.
This directly leads to several important questions:

  • On which equipment can or must I manufacture the product?

  • Which production parameters must be set to achieve the desired material properties?

  • Which components do I need to create my product?

  • What costs arise from different possible manufacturing routes?

Here, too, the Metal Solution already includes a basic approach to optimize these processes:

  • Routings, bills of materials, and manufacturing parameters automatically generate the appropriate production version—exactly tailored to customer requirements.

  • Production and inspection operations are mixed directly with one another and displayed in the corresponding production version → direct QM integration in the production order.

  • With BRF+ rules, scrap calculations and feasibility checks can be reliably automated.

The production versions generated with QPPD are used in the processes of product costing, MRP runs, and production and inspection planning.

Integration into Purchasing

The Metal Solution links the structured QPPD database directly into the procurement process. All relevant product properties, production specifications, and inspection standards are consistently available in purchasing and can be automatically inserted into purchase order texts—without manual entry.

The integration of QPPD into the purchasing process creates a continuous information chain from product definition to procurement. Through the direct connection to the structured database, all relevant information is consistently and immediately available in purchasing and can be flexibly adjusted if necessary.

Procurement of Raw Materials: When ordering raw materials, the purchase order is automatically enriched with all necessary product properties. This includes, for example, the chemical analysis with the required element contents and tolerances, mechanical values such as tensile strength or hardness, precise dimensional specifications, and other material-specific requirements. The buyer no longer has to manually research these specifications or gather them from various documents—they are available directly from the linked material master.

Purchased Subcontracting: For externally assigned processing steps, production specifications and price information can be seamlessly integrated. This includes detailed manufacturing parameters, quality specifications, tolerance requirements, and the agreed conditions for the respective operation. This way, the supplier receives all the necessary information for precise execution, while purchasing maintains cost transparency.

External Testing and Quality Inspections: When assigning inspection orders to external laboratories, inspection standards, sample shapes, testing conditions, or other specific requirements can be taken directly from QPPD. This ensures that inspections are carried out exactly according to the defined standards and that the results are directly comparable with internal requirements.

Automatic Purchase Order Text Creation: All available additional information from QPPD can be automatically inserted into the purchase order texts. This is done either through predefined text modules or through intelligent rule sets that compile the relevant information based on the material parameters. In this way, time-consuming manual entries are completely eliminated, and sources of error due to typos or outdated information are removed.

Efficiency Gain and Transparency: The entire purchasing process is made significantly more efficient and transparent through this integration. Buyers can focus on strategic tasks such as supplier negotiations and evaluations instead of spending time compiling technical specifications. At the same time, the quality of procurement processes is increased because all requirements are communicated completely, correctly, and up to date. This leads to fewer inquiries, reduced rework, and improved supplier performance.

Quality Management

The Metal Solution integrates QPPD seamlessly into inspection lot processing. Inspection operations are automatically created from the requirement specification and production version. Alternatively, CAQ integration enables the direct exchange of target specifications and actual results for end-to-end quality assurance.

The integration of QPPD into quality inspection and inspection lot processing creates a continuous connection between product definition, manufacturing, and quality assurance. The Metal Solution supports both classic SAP inspection lot processing and integration with modern CAQ systems to provide maximum flexibility for different system landscapes.

Automated Inspection Lot Creation: When creating inspection lots, the inspection operations and specifications are no longer defined manually but are generated automatically based on the stored requirement specification and the active production version. This ensures that all relevant inspection characteristics are taken into account and that the inspections correspond exactly to the requirements of both the product and the chosen manufacturing process. Changes in specifications or manufacturing parameters are automatically transferred to the inspection planning, ensuring consistency and up-to-date information.

CAQ System Integration as an Alternative: For companies using external CAQ (Computer Aided Quality) systems, the Metal Template offers a powerful alternative solution to the classic inspection lot. In this scenario, the target inspection specifications are transferred directly from the requirement specification and production version to the CAQ system. This enables seamless use of the specialized functionalities of the CAQ system while maintaining the central QPPD database as the Single Source of Truth.

Bidirectional Data Exchange: The actual inspection results from the CAQ system are automatically written back to QPPD inspection points. This bidirectional data exchange ensures that all quality information is centrally available and can be used for downstream processes. The inspection results are thus directly linked to production data, material masters, and sales orders, enabling seamless traceability.

Flexible Certificate Creation: Both classic SAP inspection lots and QPPD inspection points from the CAQ integration are available for automated certificate writing. This offers maximum flexibility in system design: companies can optimize their existing infrastructure without sacrificing the benefits of end-to-end quality documentation. The certificates contain all required inspection results and can be configured to meet customer-specific needs.

Quality Benefits and Compliance: Through automated inspection planning and end-to-end data integration, the quality of inspections is significantly increased. Manual errors in inspection definition are eliminated, all normative requirements are systematically taken into account, and documentation is seamless and traceable. This facilitates not only internal audits but also the fulfillment of customer requirements and regulatory specifications such as ISO 9001 or industry-specific certifications.

Mill Test Certificates

With QPPD, mill test certificates can be created automatically and fully integrated—from data determination and release to PDF generation and dispatch. This allows customer-specific certificates to be produced quickly, transparently, and in multiple languages.

QPPD provides fully integrated creation of mill test certificates. Based on a delivery or through manual triggering for preliminary certificates or third-party inspections, a QPPD certificate document is created.

The following functions are performed automatically in the certificate document:

  • Data Determination: The document collects all relevant data from inspection lots, sales orders, batches, and requirement specifications.

  • Release: The integrated target-actual comparison in the certificate ensures that all specifications are met and correctly documented.

    • In the event of negative usage decisions, the automation is interrupted. Manual special releases are required.

    • If a third-party inspection is required (3.2 mill test certificate), a preliminary certificate is generated and the results are taken into account during release.

  • Form Generation: The associated layout object defines the arrangement of content in the final PDF and can be configured without great effort. This allows customer-specific certificates with different content to be created automatically. The system supports multiple languages, so international customers automatically receive certificates in their desired language.

  • Output: An integrated email control system handles the dispatch of the form. An EDI connection can also be integrated.

  • Material Passport: The translation of target and actual values into a digital material passport is fully supported. This makes the certificate usable for holistic digital processes.

  • Versioning and Change Management: All certificates are versionable, and changes can be integrated quickly and traceably.

The Certificate Cockpit provides an overview of certificate documents with extensive filter options. It becomes immediately apparent which certificates are still incorrect or incomplete.

Ready for use in your company?

The Metal Solution already represents a best-practice solution: through the predefined database, central requirements for handling quality and production data are covered from the start. Furthermore, the solution provides not only structures but also the associated processes, which can be used immediately.

At the same time, the solution remains flexible. It can be expanded at any time and adapted to specific requirements. This is where the agile approach of QPPD comes into play: it is not necessary to define all details in advance. New requirements can be implemented step-by-step and integrated seamlessly.

In this way, companies benefit immediately from a ready-to-use industry solution while maintaining the ability to dynamically develop their systems further.

Do you have questions or would you like more information?

Contact us—we would be happy to show you the Metal Solution in a live demo and develop the next step for your company together.