Quality Management (QM) in SAP
Quality is not created inside its own module but in procurement, production and sales. That is exactly why QM rarely fails on inspection planning — it fails on how it meshes with the processes around it.
QM is an integration topic
SAP QM seldom stands alone: an inspection lot arises from a purchase order or a production order, the usage decision moves stock, a quality notification triggers a complaint, and in the end the customer expects a certificate for the right batch. Introduce QM purely from the module perspective and you get clean inspection plans — and friction in daily business anyway.
We therefore start from the processes: where is quality data created, who makes which decision, what should a defect trigger, and which evidence has to be provable later? The customising follows from that, not the other way round. We bring this view from PLM practice, where quality is considered across the entire product lifecycle in any case.
In delivery our team covers the classic range: inspection planning with characteristics, sampling procedures and dynamic modification; inspection processing from results recording to the usage decision; the notification system for internal defects as well as customer and vendor complaints; plus certificates, batch reference and test equipment management.
Where the standard reaches its limits we extend selectively — with reports, forms, interfaces to test equipment and laboratory systems, or custom developments in the CaRD namespace. Here too our principle holds: first check whether the standard carries it, then develop.
At a glance
- Inspection planning: characteristics, sampling, dynamic modification
- Inspection processing through to the usage decision
- Quality notifications, complaints & corrective actions
- QM in procurement, production and sales
- Certificates, batch reference & traceability
- Test equipment management and calibration
Inspection planning
The foundation — and where every later discussion about effort is decided.
- Inspection plans, characteristics & master inspection characteristics
- Sampling procedures and sizes
- Dynamic modification: inspect where it pays off
- Inspection methods & catalogue maintenance
- Standardisation across plants
Inspection processing
From the inspection lot to the stock posting.
- Lot types for procurement, production and sales
- Results recording, including mobile
- Defect recording & valuation
- Usage decision and stock movement
- Blocked and quality inspection stock properly controlled
Notifications & complaints
What happens when something is wrong — and who works on it.
- Internal quality notifications
- Customer complaints
- Vendor complaints & evaluation
- Actions, tasks & root cause analysis
- Workflow integration and follow-up
QM in procurement
The most common entry point — and the fastest benefit.
- Goods receipt inspection
- Vendor evaluation
- QM systems & releases for vendors
- Quality assurance agreements & certificates
- Blocked stock and rejections
Certificates & traceability
What the customer and the auditor want to see.
- Quality certificates for the delivery
- Batch reference & batch determination
- Traceability across the process chain
- Test equipment management and calibration intervals
- Archiving of the evidence
Interlocking with the modules
The part that decides between success and friction.
- MM: purchase order, goods receipt, vendor evaluation
- PP: production order, in-process inspection
- PM: maintenance and test equipment
- SD: delivery, certificate, complaint
- PLM: specification, documents, engineering change
Frequently asked questions
Do you offer QM independently of a PLM project?
Yes. QM is a standalone service offering for us — from process capture through customising to support in operations. The fact that we also know it from the PLM perspective is an advantage, not a prerequisite.
Where does one sensibly start with SAP QM?
In most cases with goods receipt inspection in procurement: the process is manageable, the benefit visible quickly, and the foundations — inspection plans, characteristics, catalogues, usage decision — get built along the way. Production and sales can then be layered on top.
Can you connect test equipment and laboratory systems?
Yes. We connect test equipment, measuring stations and laboratory systems using the appropriate procedures — from results transfer to calibration monitoring. Our interface developers cover the technical side.
What about batches and traceability?
Both are part of the QM scope for us: batch determination and reference, certificates for the right batch, and end-to-end traceability across procurement, production and delivery — including audit-proof filing of the evidence.
Do you also develop QM enhancements?
If the standard does not carry it: yes. Reports, forms, interfaces or custom transactions are built in the registered CaRD namespace, without modifying the SAP standard. But we always check first whether the requirement can be met in the standard.
Does this match your project?
Talk directly to our consultants — no detours.