SAP PM Interview Questions

1). What is SAP Plant Maintenance?

Ans)SAP Plant Maintenance application component provides the organization with a tool for all maintenance activities to be performed. All the activities that are performed under maintenance are interconnected and hence this module is closely integrated with other modules- Production Planning, Material Management, and Sales and Distribution.

2). What are the key responsibilities in SAP Plant Maintenance?

Ans)You perform the following activities under Plant Maintenance −

Inspection

Inspection is done to check the actual condition of a technical system.

Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance is used to maintain high availability of the technical system. It includes maintenance planning and work scheduling activities for technical objects.

Repair

Repair involves all measures that can be performed to restore the ideal condition. Repair process it is can be performed at many planning stages- like work scheduling, resource planning and initial costing, etc. and you can response immediately w.r.t to a damage events causing production shutdown. You can create required Purchase requisition, processed work orders to reduce the downtime.

3). What is Equipment Master Record?

Ans) An equipment is known as an individual object in the system that is maintained independently. Equipment can be installed at different functional locations. You can create individual equipment in an organization based on Object based structure of a technical system.

4). What is Breakdown Maintenance?

Ans) In SAP PM, when there is a malfunction occurs for any of the equipment which requires a response from Maintenance team. The process of correcting this situation is known as Breakdown maintenance.

5). What is Refurbishment process?

Ans) Refurbishment is defined as process to repair spare parts and to return the spare parts to warehouse or to the equipment. You can define a Refurbishment order as Maintenance order by which you can execute the process of refurbishing damaged equipment and to perform this you need a material and Serial # combination.

As part of Refurbishment process, you can uninstall the damaged equipment or material from the maintenance plant and this is moved to Warehouse using movement type 101. A Refurbishment order is created to collect the cost for the refurbishment process.

Once Refurbishment process is completed, you change the conditional state of the material from damaged to Refurbished state. The Refurbished equipment can be reinstalled in the maintenance plant and order is closed.

6). What is the use of CATS?

Cross Application Timesheet component is a tool used for recording time and tasks in Plant Maintenance. Employees can record their own data and hence ease the administrative workload.

7). What are the activities of a SAP PM?

Ans)The SAP PM consists of the following activities such as preventive measures to maintain and measure the ideal situation of a technical system, to establish and measure the actual condition of a technical system, repairs to restore and measures the ideal situation of the technical system and other steps that need to be taken using the maintenance organization. The SAP PM is closely combined with other programs such as production, controlling, Sales and Distribution, personnel management and material management. The data is kept current always and the processes which are mandatory for Customer Service and Plant Maintenance have triggered accordingly in other fields consider the example, a purchase requisition for non-stock material in the purchasing area or materials management.

8). What is the use of the field “Standing order”?

Ans) The Standing orders are used to perform current maintenance jobs and help to settle them at the end of the month instead of creating a fresh PM order every time. You can attach sub-orders to the standing orders by using order hierarchies and can settle them to the standing order to bring you the more precise recording of maint costs at the level of sub-order and the budget monitoring at the level of standing order.

9).What is the use of item number in maintenance order?

Ans)The item number is the number that is used to identify the material component to perform operations in the maintenance order. In the components tab of a maintenance order, it is the first field and it is generally defined in increments of 0010.

10).Where is a service contract is assigned to a piece of equipment?

Ans) The service contract is assigned to a material. In the Equipment master, the Material is assigned to the equipment. This functionality is not designated for managing equipment that is bought from vendors, where we are getting service instead of providing services.

11). What is multiple counter maintenance plan?

Ans) A multiple counter plan can be created without a maintenance strategy and is used for performance-based maintenance. In the multiple counter plan, you create maintenance cycles and allocate counters of equipment or functional locations with different dimensions to them.

In live scenarios, you use multiple counter plan for the individual activities or for the individual groups of activities.

12). What is Maintenance Planning? What are different types of Maintenance Planning?

As per the structure of the company, maintenance planning can be performed. You define the tasks under maintenance planning as per the structure and defined technical objects. Following types of maintenance, planning is possible −

Centralized Maintenance Planning

Decentralize Maintenance Planning

Partially Centralize Maintenance Planning

13).Is the functional location structure indicator unique across the system?

Across clients but not systems.

14). What steps must be defined in customizing for alternative labelling?

Ans) Activate alternative labelling and indicators for the primary label. Create a new structure indicator, define labelling system

15). What level of functional locations should be changed for alternative labelling?

Ans) Second level functional locations are to be changed, in changing master records extras>alternative labels>overview, change label ‘internal view’ choose structure indicator and press refresh.

16). Explain the meaning of equipment master?

Ans) Equipment Master pertains to one of the master data elements within the domain of Operations & Maintenance i.e. The SAP Plant Maintenance Module.

The business object “Equipment” is an individual, physical object that is to be maintained independently. It can be installed in a technical system or part of a technical system.

You can manage all types of device as pieces of equipment (for example, production utilities, transportation utilities, test equipment, production resources/tools, buildings, PCs).

Since many of these physical objects are managed as “assets” in Asset Management, the term “piece of equipment” was chosen for objects defined from a technical perspective, in order to avoid confusion with the activated tangible assets.

You define and manage each piece of equipment in the Plant Maintenance (PM) System in a separate master record and can set up an individual maintenance history for each one.

17). For an equipment master record what fields need to be filled in?

Ans) Depends upon the Equipment. Normally, the fields which used to maintain in an Equipment master are:

Equipment Category, Constr.type (serialized), Planning Plant, Work center, Plant, Maintenance plant, Location. You can attach an equipment to another using superior Equipment filed.

18). How to configure system to allow notification type change?

Ans) You can define in SPRO the “Allowed change of notification type”. Please follow the below path:

Maintenance and Service Processing –> Maintenance and Service Notification –> Notification Creation –> Notification types –> Allowed change of notification type

19). How overheades are calculated and from where the formula is picked?

My client has default setting of 10% overhead and now they want to change.

Plant Maintenance and Customer Service–> Maintenance and Service Processing–> Maintenance and Service Orders–> Functions and Settings for Order Types–>Costing Data for Maintenance–> and Service Orders–> Maintain Costing Sheet

Select the costing sheet that you are using and push costing sheet rows, next see the column overhead rate, select the row and push overhead rate.

consumer number, check your maintenance item or plan details.

20). Can a service order be generated automatically without running IP30 if we have scheduled a maintenance plan?

Ans) Yes, you can get a service order (PM Order) against this plant maintenance order with control key as PM03 you can get PR from PR. You can get service order again here MM integration if the auto PO concept used then auto PO (service order) gets generated.

But if you want to avoid lengthy process you can use IP10.

During each IP10 run if call falls within the date you will get maintenance call object that is

PM order – ——> PR —–> PO PM Order —–> FO (Frame Work Order) PM Order —–> Service Contract ——> Value / Qty (These tab you will get in PM order operation header general data)

21). Explain the integration points between PM and MM/FICO during the PM configuration.

Below are some integration aspects:

Integration with MM:

Material master record for Batch Managed material as Equipment
Reservations and Goods Issue for Maintenance Order
Material valuation class/types for refurbishment materials as equipment
Triggering PR from Maintenance Order

Integration with FICO:

Asset/Sub-Asset numbering in Equipment Master Data
Activity-based costing for Operations performed through Maintenance Order
Settlement of accrued costs in Maintenance Order to G/L Account, Cost Center, Asset etc.,

22). How to configure the integration of PP and PM, where it is being done in SPRO, what are the pre-requisite and what are the steps?

Ans) In SPRO – Under Maintenance and Service order —> general data —-> “Create System Conditions or Operating Conditions” –> check the box for PM Reservation.

In the equipment Master,

Under the Location tab, mention the PP work centre and

In the Order Header data,

Give the system condition as “0” ie M/C not in operation.

23). How do you define equipment/material loaned/leased to a customer?

Ans) Read documentation on ‘Structuring Technical Systems’ in ‘Plant Maintenance / Service management’ modules. You need to define sales area (sales org/dist channel/division) for an equipment with equipment category being one for which the equipment reference category is ‘Customer Equipment’.

24) Where to get the table which is having user status with Notification number. (not the system status)?

Ans) From table QMEL get OBJNR(object number) using the QMNUM( notification number).

Using this OBJNR get STSMA( Status Profile) from table JSTO.

Using the OBJNR get STAT(object status) from table JEST. You may/ may not get multiple object status for an Object number.

System status number will start from E. User status number will start from I.

To get the text of the status, use the status number (STAT) and STSMA to get the status text from table TJ30T.

25). Explain the meaning of equipment master?

Ans) Equipment Master pertains to one of the master data elements within the domain of Operations & Maintenance i.e. The SAP Plant Maintenance Module.

The business object “Equipment” is an individual, physical object that is to be maintained independently. It can be installed in a technical system or part of a technical system.

You can manage all types of device as pieces of equipment (for example, production utilities, transportation utilities, test equipment, production resources/tools, buildings, PCs).

You define and manage each piece of equipment in the Plant Maintenance (PM) System in a separate master record and can set up an individual maintenance history for each one.

26). What functions are determined by the category of the functional location?

Ans) Change documents, status profile, asset, object information key, partner determination, measuring point category.

27). What is the menu path for displaying the structure of a functional location in list form and as a graphic?

Ans) plant maintenance>technical objects>functional location>structural display

Give five examples of functional location structures.

Chemical Process, Energy (power station), Property Management, Transport, Steelworks, Production line.

28). Is the functional location structure indicator unique across the system?

Ans) Across clients but not systems.

29).What must you do if you have assets (functional locations) with the same number in several plants?

Ans) You must use the plant reference number as the first level of the functional location structure.

30). What is the menu path for displaying the structure of a functional location in list form and as a graphic?

Ans) plant maintenance>technical objects>functional location>structural display

Give five examples of functional location structures.

Chemical Process, Energy (power station), Property Management, Transport, Steelworks, Production line.

31). What steps must be defined in customizing for alternative labeling?

Ans) Activate alternative labeling and indicators for primary label. Create a new structure indicator, define labeling system.

32).How do you define an own view for alternative label?

Ans) Activate alternative labeling, define labeling systems for functional locations, enter label internal view.

33).What level of functional locations should be changed for alternative labeling?

Ans) Second level functional locations are to be changed, in changing master records extras>alternative labels>overview, change label ‘internal view’ choose structure indicator and press refresh.

34). What is the menu path for creating a user profile?

Ans) Plant maintenance>technical objects>functional location>labels>user profile.

35). What functions are determined by the category of the functional location?

Ans) Change documents, status profile, asset, object information key, partner determination, measuring point category.

36). What are activities of a SAP PM?

Ans) The ‘SAP Plant Maintenance’ comprises of the following activities such as inspection, to measures and establish the actual condition of a technical system, preventive maintenance to measures and maintain the ideal condition of a technical system, repair to measures and restore the ideal condition of a technical system and other measures that need to be taken using the maintenance organization.SAP PM is closely integrated with other modules (for example, Materials Management, Production, Sales and Distribution, Personnel Management, and Controlling) the data is always kept current and processes that are necessary for Plant Maintenance and Customer Service are automatically triggered in other areas (for example, a purchase requisition for non-stock material in the Materials Management/Purchasing area).

37). For an equipment master record what fields need to be filled in?

Ans) Depends upon the Equipment. Normally, the fields which used to maintain in an Equipment master are: Equipment Category, Constr.type (serialized), Planning Plant, Work center, Plant, Maintenance plant, Location. You can attach an equipment to another using superior Equipment filed.

38). How to configure system to allow notification type change?

Ans)You can define in SPRO the “Allowed change of notification type”. Please follow the below path:
Maintenance and Service Processing –> Maintenance and Service Notification –> Notification Creation –> Notification types –> Allowed change of notification type

39). Why change data not display in order?

Ans) Please check if the check box for change documents is checked or not in Customizing
PATH:- Plant Maintenance & customer service –> Maintenance & service processing –> Maintenance & service Orders –>Functions & settings for order types –> Define Change Docs,Collective Pur.Req.Indicator,Operation No.Interval

40). How overheades are calculated and from where the formula is picked?

Ans) My client has default setting of 10% overhead and now they want to change.

Select the costing sheet that you are using and push costing sheet rows, next see the column overhead rate, select the row and push overhead rate.

consumer number, check your maintenance item or plan details.

41). How do you distinguish, in a simple manner, between Equipment that is being charged and not charged for service?

Ans) Define different equipment categories. Standard equipment reference categories for ‘Internal Machines’ and ‘Customer Equipment’ exist.

42).How can we block service to a customer ? It has to be done through the FL, since most of the Equipment belongs to the company and is loaned to the customer ?

Ans)Deactivate the FL. This allows no further creation of transaction data (service orders, etc.). However, the existing orders can be processed and closed. The deactivation can be reversed at a later date.

43). Where is a Service Contract assigned to a piece of equipment?

Ans) Service contract is assigned to a material. Material is assigned to the equipment in the equipment master. This functionality is not intended for managing equipment bought from vendors (where we are getting service rather than providing service).

44). What is the use of the field “Standing order”? What kind of order is it?

Ans) Standing orders are used to carry out on-going maintenance jobs and settle them at month end rather than creating a fresh PM order every time. Using order hierarchies, you could attach sub-orders to the standing order and settle them to the standing order to provide you with more precise recording of maint costs at sub-order level as well as a budget monitoring at the standing order level.

45).How to configure the integration of PP and PM, where it is being done in SPRO, what are the pre-requisite and what are the steps?

Ans) In SPRO – Under Maintenance and Service order —> general data —-> “Create System Conditions or Operating Conditions” –> check the box for PM Reservation.

In the equipment Master,

Under the Location tab, mention the PP work center and

In the Order Header data,

Give the system condition as “0” ie M/C not in operation.

46)How can a user find "commit work" statement in the PM orders (T-code IW32)?

Ans) The following steps can be done for finding the “commit work” statement in the PM order:

User goes to IW32 and fills the order number
Presses /h (enter into debug mode) in the command field:
Creates a breakpoint at statement:
User fills in 'commit work' at the field ‘Breakpoint at statement’:
Presses the 'F8' button for continuing

47).How can the user delete historical maintenance/service orders in the Plant Maintenance?

Ans) Using transaction IW38, users can delete the historical orders successfully.

48).How can a user differentiate simply between an equipment which has been charged and not charged for a service?

Ans) A user defines the various equipment categories. The standard equipment reference groups for 'Internal Machines' and 'Customer Equipment' exist.

49). Where is a Service Contract allocated to a portion of an equipment?

Ans) The service contract is typically allocated to a material. The material is allocated to the equipment in the equipment master. This functionality is not meant for managing the equipment which has been bought from the vendors (where the user gets the service instead of providing the service).

50).What is the integration between PM and QM in SAP?

Ans) There are many interwoven activities.

Let us consider one practical issue of Spare Parts purchase.

We prefer to inspect incoming material for compliance of our requirement.

While creation of material master, tick the ‘Post to insp. stock’ box in the Purchasing Tab.

If we do not want a task list / Result recording oriented inspection, in Quality tab, choose appropriate selections,

When that Spare is received, it will go to Quality Stock.

Maint. person can check it and transfer the stock to “Unrestricted Stock” through MB1B via 261 movement, giving a reason as Accepted after Inspection or Rejected.

SAP PM Interview Questions

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