Show TOC

 MRO Subcontracting in Refurbishment Orders

Use

In aircraft or other technical objects such as engines, high value components (rotables) are often used in a remove-install-rework scenario. The high value components are replaced in cases of damage by a serviceable rotable and then refurbished at a later point in time using a separate order.

The refurbishment of high value faulty rotables is of considerable economic importance for companies, and is a core process in plant maintenance.

The rework can either be executed internally (inhouse repair) or by an external vendor (subcontractor). Therefore, you can create subcontracting purchase orders (purchase requisitions) automatically from an external refurbishment order operation.

Partial subcontracting of certain repair tasks is also possible.

If an external service is needed to refurbish the part, one or more maintenance tasks are transferred to a subcontractor. The part to be refurbished, along with the provided components that are to be installed in the part during the maintenance process (if required), will be delivered to the subcontractor.

After rework the part returned by the subcontractor is received into stock.

The refurbishment process can be started manually by creating a maintenance order or be triggered from the material requirements planning (MRP) based on the current stock situation.

Planned orders created in MRP are converted into refurbishment orders to start the refurbishment process. Quantities and dates for the refurbishment order are provided from the planning process.

Creating refurbishment orders from planned orders is only possible for materials where the spare parts class code is set in the material master record. For more information, see Conversion of Planned Orders into Refurbishment Orders .

The following scenarios are supported for the subcontracting process with refurbishment order:

Prerequisites

  • You have activated the business function Refurbishment and Subcontracting (LOG_EAM_ROTSUB), Refurbishment and Subcontracting 2 (LOG_EAM_ROTSUB_2) and Serial Numbers in Purchasing (LOG_MM_SERNO).

  • The External Processing field in the general view of the maintenance order is set to Externally Processed Operation .

    You can maintain the control key for this in Customizing, under Start of the navigation path Plant Maintenance and Customer Service Next navigation step Maintenance and Service Processing Next navigation step Maintenance and Service Orders Next navigation step Functions and Settings for Order Types Next navigation step Control Key Next navigation step Maintain Control Keys End of the navigation path .

  • You have selected stock item category L or you have defined your own valid item category.

    Only valid item categories are permitted for MRO subcontracting. Stock item category L is provided for orders with an external operation; however you can also define your own valid item categories, which are stored in table T418, indicator KZBSF. You can define valid item categories by selecting the Inventory Management indicator for an item category in Customizing for Plant Maintenance and Customer Service , under Start of the navigation path Master Data in Plant Maintenance and Customer Service Next navigation step Bills of Material Next navigation step Item Data Next navigation step Define Item Categories End of the navigation path .

Features

  • Goods movement types

    The subcontracting process is supported for refurbishment orders that use transfer postings (313/315) as well as classic goods receipt and goods issue component movement types (101/261).

    For more information, see Additional Movement Types .

  • Beside the company’s own stock (normal stock), subcontracting from refurbishment orders is also available for the following stock types:

    • Customer stock (B)

      Material that belongs to a customer

    • Project stock (Q)

      Company own stock or customer stock linked to a project

    • Orders on hand (E)

      Material related to a specific customer order

  • It is possible to trigger the subcontracting process from any given operation of the refurbishment order, including the first operation.

  • Refurbishment order type SM03 is used within the subcontracting process for return material authorization orders.

  • Converting planned orders to refurbishment orders

    During the conversion, you can select serial numbers and transfer them to the refurbishment order.

  • The integrated solution supports all standard goods movement transactions including MIGO , MB11 , and ADSUBCON .

    Note Note

    Note, that in the subcontracting monitor ( ADSUBCON ), you can only make goods movements for external operations where the basis is the purchase order. In a refurbishment scenario, the basis is always the refurbishment order (though for external operations the refurbishment order can generate purchase orders as well).

    End of the note.

Constraints

  • Forward exchange is not supported

  • The following special stocks are not supported:

    • C onsignment vendor (K)

      Material that belongs to a vendor

    • Returnable transportation package vendor (M)

      Material that has been loaned from a vendor

  • It is not possible to allow more than one planned modification of the material number within one refurbishment order

  • A combination of one planned modification with an unplanned material number change is generally possible, but only for exchanges and replacements and not unplanned modifications. As soon as it is planned to do the upgrade internally it is not allowed that the subcontractor makes an unplanned modification (same equipment). Instead, the subcontractor can send an exchange (same material number, different serial number) or a replacement (material number, different serial number).

  • The unplanned material exchange scenario does not support partial deliveries.

  • For refurbishment orders with subcontracting operations not in DIMP, you cannot have unplanned modifications for operations that use MPN interchangeability.