MILL_OC Operation combination

[andy_yeri]

Experts,

Using MILL_OC when Orders are combined, I expect -

1. All the operations on the 2 orders being combined to be the same (same # of operations & the same resources/workcenters). To me, it doesn't make sense to combine orders otherwise. Pls correct my understanding if wrong.

2. Also, when 2 Orders are combined, how does the scheduling of the Combined order work? Is it the sum of the time taken on both the orders?

Cheers

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I highly recommend to read the online documentation for the combined order functionality link. Scroll down to the section of 'combining production and process orders'. To gain a better understanding of the functionality run through the process a couple of times with different master data ... You will learn a lot that way.

1) There are various checks during the combination (see online help) and one of it is whether the operations have the same resources. By default they have to. However there is a customer exit available which gives you more flexibility. You might have multiple identical resources and would like to combine operations which are originally scheduled on any of these identical resources, that's what you can allow in this custom exit.

2) The scheduling is done based on the scheduling data of the reference order.

3) The difference is that you either combine all operations of the original orders or only selected operations. This option is only provided for PP-SFC orders (not PP-PI)

4) Yes, identifying a reference order is a must. The master data out of the reference order are used to create the combined order.

5) Think of two different orders where go through production in different ways. However at some point they meet at a common work center and you would like to process them together to reduce set up time, reduce scrap, ... That's when you combine these common operations.

6) Best you try executing a order combination to understand what happens. If you have very specific questions I'm happy to try answering them.

regards

Stefan

[alfred_becker]

Some answers to your questions above:

1. You can combine entire orders with all their operations or only single operations of different orders.

2. A quote out of SAP help: "You need to define one of the selected orders as a reference order."

3. Per my above statement, not all operations of an order (or routing) need to be combined. Specific scheduling for combined operations can be executed. The use of this function may be explained through an example: A producer of wood logs needs to buy, inspect, dry, cut, and pack wood. All operations are executed separately, but the drying happens in a kiln whereby it doesn't matter which logs are being dried together. So you would combine the operation "drying" only.

4. As orders may contain operations which are not to be combined, not all of them have to be the same. Per my example above, even materials can differ - although the standard behavior of the function expects the same material. But it can be modeled with different materials anyway. To check if operations can be combined the system will conducts checks regarding the resource to be used, UoM, activity type, and control key - but more checks can be modeled.

[sergioperguti25]

Hello Alfred Becker,

could you please explain the point 3 mentioned from you?
I have the same case that one operation its combined for two orders. Could you please share some explanations and process system flow for it?

thank you!

[andy_yeri]

Some more follow up questions-

•How does Combining Operations differ from Combining Orders?

•Is a Reference Order a MUST? What is its use in creating Combined Orders?

•What is the use of combining Operations? Potentially, all Operations on a Routing must be combined, else how will we segregate ops within a given routing, if we combine only a few?

•How does the Master data copy work? For Orders being combined, I would expect the same set of Operations & components? What if the Reference Ord has diff set of Operations than the rest of the orders being combined?