Laboratory control

Deadline information laboratory planning cockpit

Relevant information for laboratory control is available within the process chain in the widest range of modules of the SAP system. For bringing together the information from the process chain, a pegging algorithm uses one or more steps to determine the last consuming data object.
In the cockpit there are various columns displaying information:

• Icons which can be used to quickly recognise whether an inspection order needs to be changed (alert monitor)
• The "Earliest Start" column indicates the earliest possible start time of the inspection lot/ inspection order
• The "Start" column indicates the time at which the inspection order begins based on the current planning
• The "End" columns indicates the time at which the inspection order ends
• The "Latest End" column shows the target time based on the installed master data (target lead time)
• The "Target-Date" column shows the deadline agreed with production planning

The alert display indicates whether the inspection order lies within the scheduled interval (green dot), whether the inspection order exceeds the target time (yellow dot) or the existing production planning is at risk (red dot).

The laboratory controller can work using a Gantt chart or in browsers. The configuration of the user interfaces is flexible and can thus be tailored to the individual needs of the users.
The user has a variety of types of function available for filtering, sorting and focussing. It is possible to implement simulated changes with the SAP system off-line first, to assess the consequences and then automatically save them all together.

Detecting potential urgent inspections

For example if only one raw material is lacking, production cannot start. The process orders and therefore also the inspection order must be processed immediately, as the date required by the customer is at risk or has already been exceeded.
Since inspection orders for production and procurement planning objects have already been generated in the lab control software, potential rush orders can be detected and taken into account in the lab planning in good time.

Construction of laboratory campaigns

To optimize laboratory operations and reduce inspection costs it is convenient to combine inspections with identical or similar materials into a campaign.
A key advantage of this is that the lab planning horizon is extended to cover planned receipt of goods from procurement planning and production planning. And so campaigns can be constructed already before the goods have arrived and balanced with the requirements situation.