Setup Matrix Generation in a

Complex Manufacturing
Environment

Applies to:
Production planning and detailed scheduling Planning and schedule optimization - SCM5.0 or higher

Summary
Imagine a manufacturing environment where there are many variables that drive the time spent on setting up
machine. The changes in the variables would cause the change in the setup time and in a very complex
manufacturing scenario the combination of these variables could run into thousands. For example an
organization that produces packaging materials could have different setup times when the height and size of
the packaging material changes. The setup time also changes when we bring in the type of packaging
materials as another parameter.
SAP provides the option of setup matrix maintenance where transitions are maintained manually. This will
get cumbersome to maintain manually as the combination for transitions increases. SAP has provided a tool
to generate the setup matrix automatically for such situations.
This document describes the Concepts and Scenarios to generate setup matrix for a complex manufacturing
environments.
Author:

Anand Srinivasan

Company: Intelligroup Inc

Created on: 10 December 2008

Author Bio:
Anand Srinivasan has over 13 years of experience in Supply Chain Management and Project execution. He
is a team- oriented Principal Consultant with 10 plus years of experience in SAP (MM, PP, APO-DP, SNP,
PPDS and GATP). He was involved in multiple SAP implementation projects, SAP Upgrades and SAP
support projects. He has expertise in supply chain process in High tech, Auto, Pharmaceuticals and
Machining industry

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Setup Matrix Generation in a Complex Manufacturing Environment

Table of Contents
Classical Setup matrix generation ..................................................................................................................3
Automatic Setup group and setup matrix generation......................................................................................4
Scenario..............................................................................................................................................................4
Brief Description of the Setup matrix generation scenario..............................................................................4
Define characteristics......................................................................................................................................4
Define characteristics value matrix .................................................................................................................5
Define rules to generate setup groups .........................................................................................................7
Define setup matrix rule ..................................................................................................................................7
Generate setup matrix ..................................................................................................................................8
Related Content..................................................................................................................................................9
Disclaimer and Liability Notice..........................................................................................................................10

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Setup Matrix Generation in a Complex Manufacturing Environment

Introduction to Setup matrix generation

SAP provides couple of ways to maintain setup matrix in the system. The classical way to maintain setup
matrix is

Maintain setup groups Setup groups are defined to identify the setup times required when a job on
the work center is succeeded by another job with different material/size/shape/color.

Maintain setup matrix define the transitions time between setup groups. The transition time shall be
defined for every setup group combination possible

Assign the setup groups to Production process model

Classical Setup matrix generation

The classical way of maintaining setup matrix gets complicated if there are many setup groups. Higher the
number of setup groups, higher number of combination is possible between the setup groups.
For example If there are two setup groups defined as Setup1 and Setup2. The possible combinations are
1. Setup1 Setup1
2. Setup1 Setup2
3. Setup2 Setup2
4. Setup2 Setup1
5. Start fresh Setup1Start fresh means if there is no preceding job on the work center and
the product with setup group Setup1 is the first job.
6. Start fresh Setup2 - Start fresh means if there is no preceding job on the work center and
the product with setup group Setup2 is the first job.
If there are three setup groups defined as Setup1, Setup2, and Setup3. The possible combinations are
1. Setup1 Setup1
2. Setup1 Setup2
3. Setup1 Setup3
4. Setup2 Setup2
5. Setup2 Setup1
6. Setup2 Setup3
7. Setup3 Setup3
8. Setup3 Setup1
9. Setup3 Setup2
10. Start fresh Setup1- Start fresh means if there is no preceding job on the work center and
the product with setup group Setup1 is the first job.
11. Start fresh Setup2 - Start fresh means if there is no preceding job on the work center and
the product with setup group Setup2 is the first job.
12. Start fresh Setup3 - Start fresh means if there is no preceding job on the work center and
the product with setup group Setup3 is the first job.

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Setup Matrix Generation in a Complex Manufacturing Environment

Automatic Setup group and setup matrix generation

As it can be viewed from the above example that the transition combination multiplies as we add setup
groups. To simplify the setup matrix maintenance SAP has provided tool to generate the setup matrix
automatically. Setup matrix generation tool generates setup groups and setup matrix based on the rules we
define. Following are the steps to be followed to generate setup data
1. Maintain characteristics for variables
2. Define setup transitions for the variables
3. Define rule to generate setup group
4. Define rule to generate setup matrix
5. Generate setup group and setup matrix

Scenario
Brief Description of the Setup matrix generation scenario
Setup transition depends on variables like product family, height and diameter of packaging can. In this
scenario setup activities take place due to change in the product family, height or the diameter. Three
variables are defined as characteristics PRODUCTFAMILY, HEIGHT and DIAMETER. Variables have three
values defined
PRODUCTFAMILY CA1, CA2, CA3
HEIGHT 4 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches
DIAMETER 2 inches, 4 inches, 5 inches
Following steps needs to be followed to automatic setup matrix generation
Define characteristics
Characteristics should be defined in SCM system. Alternatively these characteristics can be transferred from
ECC system as well. The characteristics can be defined using transaction CT04 in APO.

Also define the possible values for the diameter

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Setup Matrix Generation in a Complex Manufacturing Environment

Define the variables Height and Product family in the same way.
Define characteristics value matrix
Define the transition time between 2 inch diameters of can to 4 inch diameter and so on as showed
below. To accomplish this step, open the transaction Maintain setup matrices for characteristics values.
Define the characteristics value matrix using transaction /n/sapapo/cdps_charmat

Click at the Generate setup transitions as indicated by the arrow below

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Setup Matrix Generation in a Complex Manufacturing Environment

Click here

It generates the possible combination of setup transitions. Specify the setup time required and save the
characteristics value matrix. Repeat this step for other variables as well.

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Setup Matrix Generation in a Complex Manufacturing Environment

Define rules to generate setup groups

Open transaction /n/sapapo/cdps_grprule to define rules to generate setup group. Define the prefix
which the setup groups should carry and then separate them to identify the transitions between
characteristics values (variables)

Define setup matrix rule

Open transaction /n/sapapo/cdps_matrul to define setup matrix rule. Specify if you want to consider the
total of the setup transitions time between variables or maximum. It is also possible to control the
calculation through custom defined formula as well

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Setup Matrix Generation in a Complex Manufacturing Environment

Generate setup matrix

Now we are ready to generate the setup matrix and setup group. Setup matrix is generated by running the
transaction /n/sapapo/cdps_matgen and selecting the rule defined in the previous step.

Click on the execute icon and check the results through display setup matrix transaction (transaction
/n/sapapo/cdps_setup)

Setup group indicating the

product belongs to CA1
family and has diameter 2
inches, height 4 inches
The transition time
between product with
setup group ZCA1-2-4
and ZCA1-4-4 is 26 mins

The setup matrix is generated with the setup time for the transitions of variables. The setup groups are
created with prefix z and separator -as specified in the definition of setup group generation.

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Setup Matrix Generation in a Complex Manufacturing Environment

Related Content
1.

SAP Help: www.help.sap.com

2.

Classical setup matrix maintenance

3.

Setup matrix generation

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Setup Matrix Generation in a Complex Manufacturing Environment

Disclaimer and Liability Notice

This document may discuss sample coding or other information that does not include SAP official interfaces and therefore is not
supported by SAP. Changes made based on this information are not supported and can be overwritten during an upgrade.
SAP will not be held liable for any damages caused by using or misusing the information, code or methods suggested in this document,
and anyone using these methods does so at his/her own risk.
SAP offers no guarantees and assumes no responsibility or liability of any type with respect to the content of this technical article or
code sample, including any liability resulting from incompatibility between the content within this document and the materials and
services offered by SAP. You agree that you will not hold, or seek to hold, SAP responsible or liable with respect to the content of this
document.

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