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Proper data formatting is essential when uploading and migrating materials data to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system. Improper data formatting during the initial implementation or migration can significantly hinder the functionality of the enterprise system, while creating a ripple effect of inefficiencies throughout the organization. So the initial setup period is an important one to get off on the right foot.
But what does it mean to have proper formatting? The challenge is, every system is unique and ultimately presents different data formatting and configuration requirements. Which is to say, you need to understand the different formatting options and what will work best for the system of your choice.
IMA finds that there are several variables to take into consideration tol help ensure maximum system functionality and ROI. In this blog post, we will discuss the top five most integral factors to help to define the optimum data format for your enterprise system.
1. Data Fields
Manufacturer Name, Part Number, Short Description, Long Description, PO Text… These are just a few of the fields you may have come across throughout your experience working with various ERP/EAM systems. Since each platform is so unique, it is important to understand the fields that are available within the chosen system, and which will be most valuable in the business process. Just because a system offers several fields doesn’t mean it is necessary to populate and use every single one. Remember, more is not always better.
When you start, you want to carefully select the fields that:
Pertain to your business processes.
Can be migrated from your legacy dataset.
Offer the greatest benefit to your organization.
Once you make these decisions, you will have established the foundation for your data formatting template.
2. Character Limits
After you’ve selected which fields will be populated and used, you must consider what data you have for each field. Various ERP/EAM systems have very strict character limits, which can present additional complexities during the formatting process. For instance, in SAP, the Material Description (Short Text) field, which is often used as the primary search field, has a 40-character limit. Similarly, JD Edwards has a 30-character limit for Search Text, Description, and 2nd Description.
Character limits must be carefully taken into consideration not only during the data formatting process, but also during the initial ERP/EAM selection process. Character limits will become the primary factor that defines which contents can and will be populated in each field.
For example, in your legacy system, you have a description field with 100 characters. With the new character limit, you will need to go through to see what information can be extracted to other fields or removed entirely. Consider, what information is needed? And of that, what belongs in each field in the new system? In our example below, you can see how we identified the most important information and simplified it:
Finally, ensure that everyone involved is on the same page with the decisions made. It is essential that your data is consistent, and without guidance employees may simplify descriptions and other entries in vastly different ways.
3. Search Capabilities
While there is often a misperception that every field in an ERP/EAM system is searchable, they are not. Before you get started, you need to understand:
Which fields within your enterprise system offer search capabilities.
What the search limitations are for each field.
Which fields will best suit your organization.
Going back to the SAP example, the Material Description (Short Text) field is one of the primary search fields within the system; however, its 40-character limit restricts the amount of content that can be populated. On the other hand, the PO Text field offers much more space for content with its 2000-character limit, but it is not searchable in a standard “out-of-the-box” SAP environment.
Since search functionality is one of the most important features for maintenance personnel, it’s important to find out what their search process and requirements are so that you can build the most useful and efficient work environment.
4. Contents and Arrangement
According to the fields, character limits, and search capabilities that you’ve already determined, it’s now time to consider the data contents and arrangement to be populated within each field. If there are strict character limits on the search fields, it is important to ensure that the primary data components are populated first to ensure efficient search ability for end users. For instance, if maintenance personnel habitually search by part number or noun, you must be sure to include these as the priority data to be populated within the search field. You can also use other tricks, like removing spaces between comma separators to save characters for content.
Based on the 40-character limit for Material Description in SAP, you may consider populating data as follows:
Material Description:
Noun, MFG Part Number, Attributes (up to 40-characters)
BEARING,6205-2RS,25MM ID,52MM OD
OR
Noun, MFG Part Number, MFG Name (up to 40-characters)
SEAL,13812,CHICAGO RAWHIDE
PO Text:
Noun, Modifier, Attributes, MFG Name, MFG Part Number
BEARING, BALL, 25MM ID, 52MM OD, 15MM WD, CONRAD, SINGLE ROW, LIGHT DUTY, 2 SEALS, STEEL, SKF, 6205-2RS
OR
Noun, Modifier, Attributes, MFG Name, MFG Part Number
SEAL, OIL, 2 LIPS, MIXED SPRING TYPE, OPEN CASE, 1.375IN ID, 2.445IN OD, 0.313IN WD, NITRILE, CHICAGO RAWHIDE, 13812
Whatever you decide, you’ll want to also create a reference guide or other training materials for your staff to make sure that input is consistent beyond the initial upload or migration.
5. Material Relations
Finally, it is important to understand the material relationship capabilities within your ERP/EAM system and determine how they will best be utilized within your organization.
Some considerations include:
Will you maintain a Corporate (a.k.a. Global or Client Level) Material Master, with each material record extended to their respective Local (Plant Level) Material Masters? Or will you create a new material record for each plant/site in which the part resides?
Will the same part number have a different Material Record (Item Number) for each manufacturer or will a list of manufacturers be related to a single Material Record?
These are just a couple of the questions you may want to discuss with your implementation consultant or integration team prior to data formatting and migration.
Overwhelmed? Don’t Do It Alone
Data formatting and migration is one of the most complex and time consuming tasks within an ERP/EAM implementation, data migration, or cleansing initiative. Fortunately, IMA has years of industry expertise and project experience, which allowed us to develop best-practice formatting recommendations for all of the leading ERP, EAM, and CMMS platforms. It is our commitment to support customers in their effort to achieve the most useful and efficient dataset, while enabling maximum system functionality, operational efficiency, and ROI.
For more information on how IMA can help you, contact info@imaltd.com or check out our Information page.
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