A service represents a set of functions that collectively provide behavior for a specific concept, such as SFC, shop order, routing, and assembly. Each function is expressed as a service method that may be customized using service extensions. For example, ShopOrderService provides methods for creating, releasing, and closing shop orders. You can use service extensions to customize how shop orders are created, released, or closed.

Services are organized by purpose into groups called modules. Modules are named according to the following convention:

com.<vendor>.<product>.<functional area>

All services provided with the core SAP ME application use “sap” as the vendor and “me” as the product so that they can be easily distinguished from services added by custom development. For example, core services related to inventory are organized into the com.sap.me.inventory module.

A service extension is composed of an activity and an extension configuration. The activity represents executable code that provides new behavior. The extension configuration associates an extension activity with a service method and provides settings for configuring extension behavior.

For more information about configuring activities and service extensions, see Activity Maintenance and Service Extension Maintenance.

Depending on the complexity of the requirement it may be necessary to extend several service methods using different service extensions. Typically the developer determines which service methods to extend and predefines the appropriate activities and extension configuration using initial data load definitions (see Reloading Initial Data (IDAT)). There are cases when the developer provides only the activity and does not associate the extension with a service method. In such a case the extension is designed to serve a general purpose and may be applied to many service methods. For example, SAP ME transporter service extensions can be used in any integration scenario when communication with an external system is required (see System Integration).