Integrated Process Management for SAP Digital Manufacturing

A Process-Oriented Approach to the SAP DM Life Cycle

Integrated Process Management for SAP Digital Manufacturing is a comprehensive process-oriented approach to managing the full life cycle of MES solutions from requirements analysis through application management support.

The focus here is on the SAP Digital Manufacturing (SAP DM) and the SAP tool landscape that supports it, particularly SAP Signavio, SAP Cloud Application Lifecycle Management (CALM), and Tricentis.

The foundation of this approach is a standardized process structure and a global template supported by a repository of building blocks that represent the standard functionalities available in SAP DM. Compared to other business software applications, MES implementations require a high level of detail. They must accurately reflect the physical flow of production processes and support real-time interactions between systems, equipment, and operators.

Where Standardization Works & Where It Needs Flexibility

Because of this, templating the SAP DM process layer works well for areas such as order management or material handling where integration scenarios with SAP ERP and SAP EWM are highly standardized. In manufacturing execution, however, similar processes can vary significantly depending on equipment, handling requirements, or automation levels.

To address these differences, SYSTEMA composes customer processes for SAP DM based on the comprehensive repository of building blocks and aligns them to a standardized project structure. All this is fully implemented in SAP Signavio, the central process-modeling tool used to define MES functionality based on building-block details. This enables structured process composition with full transparency and traceability. Where appropriate, complete processes (such as order management) or sub-processes (such as non-conformance handling scenarios) are available as pre-modeled templates.

Using Signavio & CALM to Define Project Scope

This established process structure and repository are used from the beginning of requirements analysis to define the detailed project scope. Major components of the Signavio template are replicated into SAP CALM to support scoping and requirements management. Based on the defined scope, detailed process models are developed in Signavio, usually in Business Process Model Notation (BPMN). During this phase required custom building blocks can be integrated into the Signavio repository.

Aligning Implementation & Documentation Through CALM

After review and approval, the BPMN models are uploaded, via standard interface, into SAP CALM where they serve as the basis for implementation tasks, testing activities, and solution documentation. System configuration and development follow the BPMN models closely. Any changes identified during implementation are updated in Signavio and then synchronized automatically back into CALM.

Structured Test Planning & Execution

For test planning and execution, CALM can generate a large portion of test scenarios directly from the BPMN models. Test execution is then managed in CALM. Tests may be executed manually including manual recording of results or executed automatically using Tricentis based on the process models. Through the standard integration between CALM and Tricentis, the test execution can be managed directly out of CALM with automatic detailed recording and documentation of the test execution and results.

A Consistent Foundation for Ongoing Support

By the time of go-live, a complete and fully consistent set of documentation is available. This forms the basis for Application Management Support. The BPMN process models allow detailed analysis of each building block and Tricentis automation supports efficient regression testing, especially during quarterly SAP DM upgrades.

Summary & Next Steps

To Summarize: With Integrated Process Management, SYSTEMA provides true end-to-end application life cycle coverage​ using SAP Signavio and Tricentis, integrated with CALM​ and built on a standardized process structure and SAP DM building-block repository​.This approach helps to accelerate all phases in the solution life cycle and provides an invaluable source for knowledge transfer.

If you would like to explore how this approach can support your SAP Digital Manufacturing initiatives, we invite you to request a consultation.