Control Charts and Process Control in SAP, a White Paper

By Shashank Shekhar, Deloitte Consulting

Statistical Process Control is a technique for ensuring any process used to deliver a
service or produce goods has the fidelity to meet standards and predefined
specifications. All processes are subject to variability and it has been established that
these variations can be attributed to common and special cause for variations called
natural and assignable cause. Control Chart is a statistical tool developed to separate
the two types of variations.

Natural variations affect almost every production process and are to be expected.
This is variations that has several common causes and are very difficult to identify and
correct. Natural variations, behave like a constant system of chance causes. In effect
this variability is inherent in the process. Although individual values measured in a
process are different, as a group they form a pattern that can be described as a
distribution. When distributions are normal and remain within specified limits, the
process is said to be in control and natural variations are tolerated.

Assignable or special variations are those effects on a process that are not built in.
Causes of the assignable variations are unpredictable and can be directly identified and
corrected (particularly when the time they occur is identified) to bring the process into
control. Assignable variation can be traced to a specific reason. Factors such as
machine wear, incorrect machine settings, fatigued or untrained workers or issues
related to raw material are all potential sources of assignable variation. The objective of
management is to identify and eliminate assignable variations so that processes will
remain in control. The Control Charts are important statistical tools employed for
filtering the assignable causes from the natural variations and help stabilize the process.

Process Control: A process that is in control will consistently produce parts or service
within its own natural tolerance limits. This is done by eliminating all of the special
causes of variation that exist. The first objective of SPC is to get the process in control,
which means the identification and elimination of special causes of variation.
Process Capability Ratio is calculated as Six Sigma divided

By Total Tolerance, where Sigma represents Standard Deviation.

Control Charts: Control charts are the best tool to bring a process into control. These
charts are simple statistical charts for detecting special causes of variation in the
process at the time they exist. In addition these charts also measure the natural
tolerance of the process due to normal variation or common causes. Control charts are
the main tool to distinguish between random, natural variability and nonrandom
variability. The basis for building a control chart is the concept of sampling and
distribution which describes random (natural) variability. Sample measurements are
made and plotted on the chart.

Control Charts and Process Control in SAP:

SAP Quality Management module supports control charts and process control using
control charts. The control charts in SAP is designed based on the concept of Shewhart
Control Chart and Acceptance Chart. In Shewhart Chart the control limits are based on
process mean but in the Acceptance Chart the control limits are based on specification
limits. Different control charts designed by SAP are primarily based on the control
variables like Mean Value, Standard Deviation, Median Value, Range, Original Value of
Sample, number of defects, number of non-confirming units

Following is the sample representation of the different control charts provided by SAP
 Control Char Picture 1 in Attachment

Master Data Requirement for the Control Charts:

The following Master Data is required to be maintained for using control charts in SAP

1. Maintain the Sampling Procedure for the Control Charts

2. Maintain Master Inspection Characteristics for the Control Chart

Sampling Procedure

Picture 2 in Attachment

A Sampling Procedure with Fixed Sample and valuation mode as SPC Inspection
should be maintained while creating the sampling Procedure.

Master Inspection Characteristics:

The MIC control Indicators must be set for the Sampling Procedure and SPC
characteristics.

Picture 3 in Attachment
Control Chart Configuration Details:

Standard SAP provides number of preconfigured control charts but based on the
business requirements additional control charts can be configured as well as the
existing control charts can be modified. The configuration of SPC Criteria Settings and
Control Charts Types governs the required control chart functionalities.

The SPC Criteria Settings: The SPC criteria can be Master Inspection Characteristics,
Task List Characteristics, and Task List Characteristics/Material etc.

Each SPC criteria contains the Function Module used in the Program for to maintain the
control charts. The system calls the function module automatically during inspection
processing when it calculates the sample size, in order to assign the selected criteria to
the open control chart.

Control Chart Types: The control Chart Types contains the definition of control charts,
the reference axis to be used in the control chart ( sap provides object number, time of
creation, time of last change, time of inspection as the reference axis). If the object
number is selected as the reference axis then the control chart will display Inspection
Lots on the X axis of the control chart. Characteristics types related settings are made
based on the Function Module used in the definition.
Using Control Charts: Control Charts can be called from the result recording screen or
it can also be called using separate SAP transactions for the control charts,

QGC1: Control Chart for Inspection Lot

QGC2: Control Chart for Inspection Characteristics

QGC3: Control Chart for Master Inspection Characteristics

When transaction QGC1 is executed, a selection screen appears and based on the
selection made a list of control chart appears and the control Chart can be called,

The control chart displays the Central Line, Upper Control Limit, Lower Control Limit
and the process variations based on the result recording for the samples.

The Tolerances, Mean Values and the standard deviations can also be displayed for the
control charts.
For Process Control the control charts can also display the Upper Warning Limit, Upper
Action Limits, Lower Warning Limits and Lower Action Limits.

Possible Developments & Interfaces: Additional configuration and developments to

meet the business requirements are supported in the control charts. For a global
pharmaceutical client I modified the reference axis based on their requirements (they
wanted to display batch numbers on the reference axis). Additional control chart types
can be configured based on the existing control chart and the related program can be
modified to include the additional functionalities.

For the Detailed Analysis of the QM results (which are not supported in SAP) Statistical
Data Interface (QM STI) can be used to link QM application to the external data
evaluation system. Quality Control Charts can also be used to export the result data
using QM Statistical Interface to the evaluation system by choosing QM-STI
evaluation from the menu option.

Control charts in SAP QM

created by K Kumar on Jun 25, 2015 11:42 AM, last modified by K Kumar on Jun 25, 2015
12:23 PM
Version 1
inShare2

Hi,

It has been observed forum members are posting questions on control charts generation and
settings required frequently. I am creating this document to address those issues on this...

This document explains how to generate the control charts in QM with required settings and
process flow with step by step screen shots...
1. MM01/MM02 - Activate required inspection type in the material master QM view as shown
below...here inspection type manual 89 as activated...

2. QS21 - Create MIC with indicator SPC characteristic activated in the control indicators with
UOM as mm and Lower limit as 1 mm and upper limit as 10 mm as shown below...
then save....

3. QDV1 : Create Sampling Procedure with valuation mode as SPC inspection and select the
required control chart type.. here control chart type selected is

Shewhart chart for X bar / S / USA

then save the sampling procedure..

4. QP01- Create inspection Plan and assign the MIC and sampling procedure created in the
previous steps..

Create operation as shown below...

Select the operation assign the MIC to operation as shown below...

Select the SPC criterion as Master Inspection Charac./Material as shown below

Finally save inspection Plan...

5. QA01/QA02 - Create inspection lots for the material and do the results recording and
Complete UD...Here 4 inspection lots are created manually and Results Recording done with
different values...Finally complete the Usage decision..

Inspection lot no : 890000000650 Result Value : 6 mm

Inspection lot no : 890000000651 Result Value : 7 mm

Inspection lot no : 890000000652 Result Value : 8 mm

Inspection lot no : 890000000653 result Value : 5 mm

6. QGC3 : Generate the control chart for the MIC with entering following selection criteria on
the screen..Use SPC Criterion as 70.
then execute. Following screen will be displayed.

Select the control chart and click on the button call control chart..Control chart will be
displayed as below...
then save the control chart..