Master data - ready for S/4 Hana?

ERP systems house many thousands of master records that are subject to a cycle of creeping deterioration due to incorrect entries, inconsistent terminology, outdated data, different procedures, lack of conventions and responsibilities. In addition, a new system places special demands on the master data, which must be met -already in advance. A master data project in the run-up to a migration must therefore achieve two goals:

- Master data quality must be redefined in a tour de force, the extensive data treasure must be updated, cleansed and raised to a new level. 

- The master data must not only meet the requirements of the new ERP system in terms of structure, syntax and field length, but also the information content required in each case.

Today's ERP systems, it should be noted from the outset, contain neither efficient on-board tools that support a one-time master data opt-out, nor routines or functions for data modeling for an upcoming migration.

Efficient tools for master data preparation

simus systems fills this gap with its patented software suite simus classmate. The software modules classmate DATA and classmate CAD use predefined rules to analyze data sets of any size from all relevant internal company sources such as databases, spreadsheets or CAD, ERP and PDM systems. Meanwhile, the software captures typical features that serve as the basis for a class definition. For 3D CAD models, classification is additionally based on geometry and metadata. 

Know-how and Best Practices

In addition to the software, simus systems as a service provider brings a proven project methodology and standardized basic sets of rules to the collaboration. After all, the specialist for technical mass data has successfully completed more than 400 projects for around 250 customers in mechanical and plant engineering, the automotive industry and electrical engineering in over 20 years. Detailed knowledge of the structure and functionality of SAP's ERP systems has led to the development of interfaces that automate data exchange. This experience, the industry knowledge, the in-house developed software and the professional project methodology improve the cooperation with the customers.

Clear goals, accurate results

It begins with a preliminary project that creates clarity about the potentials and the internal and external efforts behind them. To this end, a manageable amount of data is first provided by the customer and processed externally. Based on the results, the goals for the actual project are defined in workshops and discussions. They start with a functional reorganization of the master data and often include the classification of standard and purchased parts as well as the creation of additional customer-specific functional classes that significantly increase the reuse rate of materials. Those who design their own products will need a geometric classification of the 3D-CAD-
Include models.

Change rules instead of editing data 

At the start of the project, the relevant data is read out from the ERP systems concerned and processed in classmate DATA. According to initially neutral rules for preparation and optimization, the data is sorted, enriched and stored in a results database. The results can now be filtered and viewed with the classmate FINDER search engine to find any errors, duplicates or inaccuracies. The results are reviewed in workshops or team conferences with the affected departments of the customer. However, the discrepancies and errors are not corrected via individual data records, but by changing the underlying formatting rules. 

Thanks to the rule-based approach, the classification can be adapted to any use case. Data is automatically structured into the appropriate classes. Thus, even in the face of huge amounts of data, the desired results can be achieved within hours. Thanks to this methodology of existing best practices, up to 80 percent of the effort for data processing is saved, both on the part of the customer and the service provider. The data, including the new structure, is then imported into SAP S/4 Hana using a flexible interface from simus systems.

Sustainable assurance of data quality

In order to maintain the quality of the material master data once it has been achieved, the class-mate FINDER already known from the project is used to implement a material master request process for new parts according to master data governance. In this process, users submit a material request when they cannot find a desired part in the inventory. A master data center reviews the material requests. Automatic processes and email notifications are set up for this purpose. After a positive decision, the material is automatically created in ERP systems such as SAP via simus classmate.

Cross-company care process

The maintenance of material masters by several departments, from engineering to marketing, can also be automated with a customizable process. An authorization concept ensures security, intelligent presettings reduce the effort and prevent incorrect entries. The process can even span distributed locations and be adapted to different workflows, for example for different types of materials. Intelligent support for routine tasks accelerates throughput times, and the database remains up-to-date and of high quality.

Easy integration with SAP

Seamless integration with ERP systems from SAP has proven itself in many companies. They benefit from the high -user-friendliness, flexibility and transparency of the processes set up, without giving up the data sovereignty of the ERP system. For this purpose, all results of the simus software are written to a database, which is used for all functions. The results are then synchronized with the ERP system at adjustable intervals. In this way, workflows can be defined independently of SAP - but the results are available centrally for all applications such as Product Life-cycle Management or Engineering Control Center (ECTR).

About simus systems

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Karlsruhe, simus systems GmbH is one of the market leaders in the field of automatic classification of CAD models, data cleansing of mass data, searching and finding existing data and automatic calculation with its simus classmate product family. The independent company offers experience from over 400 successful projects.

simus-systems.com