Functional Location (SAP Library - Customer Service (CS))

Functional Location

Definition

The business object functional location is an organizational unit within Logistics, that structures the maintenance objects of a company according to functional, process-related or spatial criteria. A functional location represents the place at which a maintenance task is to be performed.

Use

A functional location represents system area at which an object can be installed. The objects that can be installed at functional locations are called pieces of equipment in the R/3 System.

You can structure functional locations according to the following criteria:

Functional criteria

Example:

"pumping station", "drive unit"

Process-related criteria

Example:

"polymerization", "condensing"

Spatial criteria

Example:

"hall", "location"

Example of a Function Location: Clarification Plant

The following applies to functional location master records:

You define and manage each functional location in the Plant Maintenance (PM) component in a separate master record.

You can build up a separate maintenance history for each functional location.

The labels for functional locations are structured hierarchically. You can specify their structure according to your own company criteria.

Using hierarchical labels, your company can easily represent systems or operational structures from a functional perspective. The hierarchical structure of functional locations can therefore represent the interrelations of the operational functions within a system.

Each hierarchy level of the functional location labels represents a given level of detail in the description of the system.

Example of a Functional Location With Hierarchical Label Assignment: Clarification Plant

Structure

The master record for a functional location contains the following data groups:

Location and maintenance data

This data includes, for example, maintenance plant and cost center, structure indicator, superior functional location and the maintenance planning group responsible.

Partner data

This is data that describes a certain responsibility for a functional location, for example, supplier, purchaser, responsible employee.

See Partners in PM/CS Processing.

The following functions are also available:

Measuring points, counters and measurement documents

Permits

Multilingual texts

Classification

You can use the classification system to classify functional locations according to technical characteristics. The classes make it easier for you to find similar or identical functional locations in the system.

Document management

Address management

You can define an address for each functional location. The address could be, for example, where the functional location is situated at a customer's.

Evaluation

Using ABAP reports, you can evaluate the data in the master records for functional locations at any level in the hierarchy according to various criteria.