This blog is a successor to this blog,
How I can keep my SAP system healthy? (Part-2 MM) . I highly suggest you read the first one before you read this part.
Part 3 Quality Management –
In this blog we will discuss some of the important aspects of quality management and it’s data processing.
Material Master
- If “QM procurement Active” indicator and “QM control key” are not configured as mandatory in the material master. Non activation of ‘QM Procurement active’ indicator along with the ‘QM control key’ could result in procurement being made without subjecting the materials for quality inspection.
- “Material authorization group” functionality is used to restrict authorizations for users to maintain quality data. If the key ‘QM material authorization’ is not maintained in the quality view, then no authorization check is made by the system with regards to the maintenance of quality view in the material master.
Usage Decision
- Usage decision and quality score can be changed even after stock posting from quality to unrestricted or blocked. Possibility of changes to usage decision after stock posting could result in stocks of inferior quality being posted to unrestricted stock. It could also adversely impact the vendor scores and MIS reports.
- If the UD is rejected, the stock can still be posted to unrestricted stock. It could result in unauthorized/inappropriate stock posting since rejected stock could be posted to unrestricted stock in SAP and vice versa.
- Usage decisions can be carried out even before results are recorded. It could result in acceptance of materials that do not satisfy the inspection parameters during results recording.
Invoicing
- Invoice can be processed even though a usage decision is rejected and stock is blocked for usage. This could result in payment to vendors for rejected materials or materials with poor quality leading to financial loss.
Again there is no thumb rule to define it. It depends upon the business scenario and practice: what controls should be there in the system? However, SAP System functionality and use remains to be limited in certain aspects, you are more than welcome to discuss your views and suggestions on it and any specific questions.
