The Service Management Experts
Menu

small businss

Home / Posts tagged "small businss"

Variant Configuration – ETO CWG Tips

Here’s some quick ETO tips I got at the CWG that I didn’t want to forget.

If you are dealing with an engineering special or ETO configuration, you could use output determination to send an email to a group of engineers.  The drawback to this approach is that you need to know it’s a special in advance.  Much more difficult to use if it might be std or might be special.

In addition, the functions starting with CAVC allow you to build your own order bom workbench.  If you wanted to build your own CU51 or OEWB, you could use the functions to design your own transaction.

 

Remember, if you need more in depth VC help, please contact us,

Thanks,

Mike

Service Order – Using the Document Flow

Now in my opinion, one of the greatest things that SAP has added into the system is document flow.  this is especially true for SM.  If you’re new to SM or SD, you might not be all that familair with using document flow.  If you’ve ever visited an SD or SM document, you’ve most certainly seen this weird little icon:  .  If you plan to do anything in either of these areas of SAP, you’ll quickly realize it is your best friend.

Document flow in SAP is simply the connection to all of the preceding/follow-on documents.  In the in house service scenario, a type document flow may look something like this:

You’ll notice that in this picture I was able to see notification, the repair sales order, the inbound delivery, the outbound delivery, the invoice, and any other SD related documents.  What you also may have noticed is the distinct lack of the service order, but there is a service documents button.

Unfortunately, in the design of document flow and the table structure for capturing this, the service documents were neglected in the initial design, so the Service Documents button I believe was an afterthought.  It’s still better than nothing, and I’ll give you some tips for making the best of it.

The first big thing you need to know is, if you’re starting at an SD document (delivery, sales order etc. ) be sure to click once on the sales order (make sure it’s highlighted, and you’re good).  then press the service documents button.  This will bring up a new screen showing the service order and any of it’s related documentation.

One of the other issues I’ve encountered with document flow is the inability to see sub-service orders in the documentation.  The only way to see if there are sub service orders is to drill into the service order, and look for the structure button

You will then need to click this button to see the sub service orders.  You can then drill into the order and see it’s individual document flow.  As a follow-on to this topic, if you have a complicated doc flow, for example…

Notification

Service Order (for quoting) – Repair Sales Order
     Service order
          Sub Service Order
          Sub Service Order
Inbound Delivery
Outbound Delivery

 

Now with a structure like this, you again, won’t be able to see everything depending on where in the structure you are at.  For example, if start at the service order (for quoting), you won’t be able to see the actual service order used for repair.  Instead, you’ll have to navigate to the notification, and then you’ll be able to see the structure below the notification, including the repair sales order.  The way the documents are laid out above, shows kind of how SAP structures them.  Since it is a pseudo parallel path, you have to work your way up to a common document before you can see the next path.  In this example, the notification is that common document.

There is a another big thing to remember when dealing with service.  You have to turn on the document flow for many of the items.  For example, purchase reqs, material transfer, etc. must be turned on before they will generate items in the document flow.  I HIGHLY encourage you to make sure these are turned on.  Not seeing the purchase reqs, or materials issued to a service order makes your job as a troubleshooter FAR more challenging.

Now that’s the basics of document flow, and if you’re not already using it, get familiar.  For me, it’s personally one of the best tools offered in the SD/SM module.

Thanks for reading,

Mike

My Ideal Customer – More Marketing Stuff

Last week I started to talk about the unique selling proposition.  That was step one of the marketing class that my friend Justin and I both undertook.  The class is pretty good, but has some gaps, but that what you get when you sign up early and pay the bargain price =)

Well, step 2 (I’m a couple weeks behind on this, but luckily there are no tests) it to define who my idea customer is.  In my head this sounds easy, my ideal customer is anyone that will pay me a lots of money for my applications (or even services, but I’m trying to move out that model if possible).  However, after listening to the class, I learned there is a lot more to it.  Every person you interact can connect with you on different levels.  For example, I met my best friend James one night at a pick up game of flag football.  We had an instant chemistry, and someone knew after that night we would be lifelong friends.  Now I’ve met other people that when I initially met them, they drove me crazy, and hated to be in the same room with them.  Then we eventually built some rapport, and started to find common ground, and some of those people are now friends of mine that I keep in close contact with.  What I personally learned is that I often saw traits in other people that I hated about myself.  Until I realized that I didn’t them, I actually hated that part of my own personality, I couldn’t bring myself to like them.  Anyway, enough with the psychology lesson.  What is important is to know what sort of people you want to deal with, probably on a long term basis.  According to the class, you want to be able to visualize a single person that will be your customer.  It helps to avoid trying to sell to everyone, the whole be all things to all people.  We all know it doesn’t work, but it doesn’t stop us from trying.  Since I need to keep blogging, I figured the best way would be for me to figure it out with you… my audience (that I really hope will eventually show up.  ha ha)

My Ideal Customer is:
1.  someone that knows what they need, and can articulate it to me.
2. someone that can express their needs without being blunt/as ass.  (we all know the type)
3. someone that can afford what I’m selling
4. someone with vision for their organization.  Someone that is constantly seeking improvement.
5.  someone that understand their business.  For example, for me, they should fully understand their Service business and it’s problems.
6.  someone looking to build a long term relationship.  I don’t want a 1 and done customer.
7.  someone in their mid 30’s to early 40’s.
8.  and entrepreneur.
9.  someone with a small family and wants to be able to spend more time with time.
10. someone that reads self improvement books and listens to audio books.
11. someone that LOVES what they do.
12. someone that has seen multiple ways of doing business, not just a single company for their whole career.
13. someone very unassuming.  Doesn’t live and die by name brands or status symbols.
14.  someone that believes in the constitution of the US.
15.  a gun owner, or at least pro 2nd amendment.
16. someone that takes pride in being prepared for possible disasters (corporate or personal)
17. someone unwilling to accept government handouts in exchange for government control.
18. a Green Bay Packer fan (couldn’t resist)
19. someone that understands that success comes from hard work, not just a good idea.
20. someone that roots for the underdog.
21. low maintenance.  Won’t be pestering me daily with every little thing.
22. someone that can make a decision.
23. someone that takes care of their employees and wants to see them happy. (family too).
24. eats primal/paleo lifestyle.

The deal killers, or traits that I don’t want to deal with:
1.  short sighted, doesn’t look at the long term picture.
2.  Micro-managers.  Needs to be a hands off type person that will give a destination, but will allow people to get there any way they choose.
3. someone that thinks the status quo is good enough.
4. someone that procrastinates and just won’t pull the trigger, even when they know exactly what they should do.
5. vegan

Finally, you have to name your avatar (and I don’t mean the blue guys in that movie)…  So for me, my Avatar will be Alex.  I know it’s bias, but for those of you that don’t know, I have the coolest little boy, just about to turn 2.  So I can’t think of a name better than his =)  He will be 6′ tall, athletic build, brown hair, blue eyes.

Think I have him in my mind…
now…  who’s your ideal customer???  according to the class, we need this guy/girl for later lessons…  so start picturing =)