Quality Certificate The book 'Quality Certificates' is a part of the Implementation Guide for the QM (Quality Management) module.

Quality certificates (or certificates as they are commonly called) apply to cert ain materials; they can be created for different objects in the R/3 System: in the QM (Quality Management) module for the inspection lot in the MM (Materials Management) module for a batch in the SD (Sales and Distribution) module for a delivery The integration of the certificates in the SD module means that the settings in QM will, to a great extent, overlap with the settings in the SD module. Since yo u will have to coordinate some of the settings in the QM module with those in th e SD module, access certain tables in the SD module and have appropriate skills in this area, it may be advisable to have an SD expert make these settings. Important: the function for creating certificates is not active in the standard system! To activate the function, you must: process an output determination procedure assign this output determination procedure to the relevant delivery item categor ies You can design the certificate layouts with considerable flexibility and thereby fulfill a variety of requirements; from simple quality certificates (without re ference to quality characteristics) to certificates of inspection (with referenc es to general values of the quality certificates). You can combine the elements of these basic certificate types in any combination and you can design the certi ficate layout sets freely, allowing you to satisfy all requirements in terms of form and content. You can tailor the layout and content of the certificates to the needs of the pa rtner for whom the corresponding delivery item is intended. Finally, you can also flexibly define the printing and dispatch parameters for t he certificates. Recommendation Before you make any changes to the default settings, test the function for creat ing certificates using the settings and sample data contained in the standard sy stem. Follow the instructions described below: 1. Make sure the following conditions have been fulfilled: Create a certificate profile ; in the profile, assign the sample layout set QM_C ERT_01 (contained in the standard system) to the profile. Create a material and make sure all of the data that is required by the certific ate is available for the material (for example, the characteristic results). Set the print control parameters . 2. Release the certificate profile and assign it to the material. 3. Define the output dispatch: Define an explicit certificate recipient ("goods receipt" function). Use the out put type "LQCA" and set the dispatch time to "3." 4. Create a delivery for the material. Create a customer order in the SD module (type "TA"). Create a delivery with an item for the material in question. Post the goods issue. 5. Check the delivery item to see if the system created an output. 6. Trigger the certificate dispatch for this delivery item and check whether a p rint job was created for the required certificate. Further notes

Troubleshooting strategy in the event the system does not create a certificate f or the delivery. 1. Did you find an output for the delivery item? Transaction: change delivery; "Logistics -> Sales/distribution -> Shipping -> De livery -> Change." Select the appropriate item on the fast entry screen and then select "Item -> Ou tput" to call up the fast entry screen for the item outputs. Does an entry exist that corresponds to a quality certificate in your system (for example, output t ype "LQCA" or "LQCB")? a) If an entry does not exist: no output was found yet. Select "Goto -> Determination analysis" to display a log for the output determin ation. Double-click the mouse (F2) to display several levels of detailed informa tion. If a log is not available, check the following items in the Customizing applicat ion: - Is a suitable output determination procedure available? - Is the procedure assigned to the delivery item category? Explanatory information is provided further below. The log indicates which data the system used to try to find an output. b) If you find a line associated with the expected output that contains the mess age "Condition ... not fulfilled," a specified condition must be fulfilled (for example, "picking for delivery carried out" or "goods issue has been posted") be fore the system can find the output automatically. This requirement is predefine d in the Customizing application. In this case, the system responded properly by indicating that it did not find the output yet. If you still want create a cert ificate, you simply have to enter the desired output type manually (for example, "LQCA" or "LQCB"); the system then proposes various data automatically (which y ou can still change, if necessary). If you find a line associated with the expected output that contains the message "Output not found," the system cound not find a recipient (condition record). T he detail function (F2 or double-click) shows which keys the system used to try to find a recipient. In a new session (select "System -> Create session"), you c an determine whether a recipient record exists for this key. To verify this, sel ect "Logistics -> Quality management -> Quality certificates -> Cert. recipient -> Display"; enter the output type (for example, "LQCA") and choose any key comb ination after you select "Enter." The system then displays a selection screen th at contains the function "Condition info." If you select this function (and, if necessary, specify an output type again), the system displays another selection screen. If you select the function "Execute" (F8), the system displays a list of certificate recipients that meet your selection criteria. If you do not find the desired recipient in the list, create a corresponding dat a record by selecting "Cert. recipient -> Create." If the recipient is contained in the list, check the following items in the Cust omizing application: - Is the condition table entered in the access sequence? - Is the access sequence assigned to the output type? - Is the output type contained in the profile? - Is the profile assigned to the delivery item category? Explanatory information is provided further below. c) If an entry does not exist: an output was found. What status does the output have? (The "Status" field is located to the left of the "Language" field.) The statuses have the following significance: 0 = not processed

1 = successfully processed 2 = unsuccessfully processed If the output has the status 0, it has not been processed yet. Mark the output. Select the function 'Additional details' to display detailed information about t he processing activities. The field 'Dispatch time' defines when the output shou ld be processed. The certificate will be printed or displayed after this time ha s passed. If the output has the status 1, it has been successfully processed by the system . Check whether problems exist with the output devices ("System -> Services -> P rint requests"; transaction SP01). It is possible that the printer or telefax se rver cannot be reached. If the output has the status 2, it was not processed properly. It is possible th at the system did not find all of the data. To obtain more information, mark the output and select the function "Goto -> Processing log." Using the "Documentati on" function, you can call up the long text for the corresponding program messag e for each line. Check the individual messages. An explanatory note is contained in item number 2. Special note: if the system could not find all of the data for a characteristic that was defined as 'Required' in the certificate profile, the output of all dat a for the affected batch or the output of the entire certificate (if the item on ly has one batch or no batches) will be suppressed. 2. The output was found; however, since not all data could be found it has the s tatus "unsuccessfully" processed. a) No certificate profile was found. To be able to create a certificate, the system requires a valid assignment for t he certificate profile. Check whether a valid certificate profile assignment exi sts for the delivery item data (material, customer, ...., output creation date). To do this, select "Logistics -> Quality management -> Quality certificates -> Certificate profile -> Display" and then use the search function (F6). On the su bsequent selection screen, you can narrow down the selection further. The system will then display a list of profile assignments. By selecting the function "Cho ose," you can call up the respective certificate profile. If the system could not find a valid assignment, you must create a valid certifi cate profile assignment. To do this, select "Logistics -> Quality management -> Quality certificates -> Certificate profile -> Assignment -> Change." After narr owing down your selection and executing the program, the system displays a list of assignments that already exist for the key date. You can now make a new assig nment. b) No inspection lot was found. The quality inspection was specified as the data origin (for specifications or r esults) for at least one characteristic in the certificate profile. As a result, the system tries to find an appropriate inspection lot, taking the restrictions for selecting an inspection lot (defined in the certificate profile) into consi deration. In addition, the inspection lot must have a usage decision and it must not have been cancelled or marked for cancellation. If the system finds several inspection lots, it selects the lot with the latest inspection and create date (NOT the date of lot creation). Check whether an applicable inspection lot or partial exists. Use the informatio n in the certificate profile for this purpose. You can display a list of the pos sible inspection lots by selecting "Logistics -> Quality management -> Quality i nspection -> Inspection lot processing -> Usage decision -> Display" and then se lecting the function "Find insp. lot." If the material is maintained in batches, a batch must be specified in the deliv ery item. (-> Picking). The system then searches for inspection lots and partial lots for the batch specified in the delivery item. c) Not all data was found for the individual characteristics. Two situations can then prevent a certificate from being printed or displayed:

The indicator "Required" is set for a characteristic in the certificate profile. In this case, the output of data for the batch or for the entire certificate is suppressed. Find out which data is missing. For the characteristic, change the d ata origin in the certificate profile or make sure that the data can be found. The data could not be found completely for any of the characteristics in the cer tificate profile. In this case, the output of data is also suppressed for the batch or the entire certificate. If you want to create a certificate without characteristics, the ce rtificate profile must only contain the header and not any characteristics. 3. Customizing: check the settings. a) Output determination Is an output determination procedure assigned to the delivery item category? Check the settings in the Implementation Guide for -> Quality certificates -> Ou tput determination -> Output determination procedure -> Assign output determinat ion procedure to delivery item category. If there is no entry for the delivery i tem category you are using, assign a suitable output determination procedure to the delivery item category. Is there a suitable output determination procedure available? Check the settings in the Implementation Guide for -> Quality certificates -> Ou tput determination -> Output determination procedure -> Process output determina tion procedure . Select -> Navigation -> Control to display a list of the output types. At least one output type for quality certificates must be present in the procedure used for the item messages. Also check the specified conditions for t hese output types. Use the possible entries help (F4) to obtain additional infor mation about the conditions. Checking the output type(s). At least one output type for quality certificates must exist in the Implementati on Guide for -> Quality certificates -> Output determination -> Define condition types. In the detail screen (F2), check the following items: Is an access sequence entered? Should the output be found by accessing a condition? Are default values stored for the condition record? Have entries been made for the processing program? (Pushbutton 'Processing progr am'; SAP standard: RQCAAP00; you do not have to specify a layout set for the cer tificates.) Is there an entry in the printer parameters for the automatic determination of a printer? Is the proposed archiving mode (for example, print and archive) correct? Is the access sequence correct? In the Implementation Guide for -> Quality certificates -> Output determination -> Define access sequences , select the access sequence that is entered in the o utput type. To do this, select -> Navigation -> Accesses. Do the table entries m eet your expectations (that is, was the certificate recipient maintained under o ne of the key combinations specified here)? Using the function Navigation -> Fields, for each field you can check how the da ta for the delivery item is transferred to the key combinations for the conditio n tables via the communications structure. b) Output dispatch Check the output type to determine whether the proper identifier has been entere d for the printer parameters. Use the possible entries help (F4) to obtain the e xplanation (for example, 5 = shipping point). In the Implementation Guide, select -> Quality certificates -> Output determinat ion -> Set printer parameters. Position the cursor on the entry "Shipping." In t he list that is displayed, select the the output type(s) that correspond to cert

ificates by double-clicking the mouse. The system displays a fast entry screen i n which you can enter the output devices for the affected organizational units ( for example, shipping point). Check the entries.