{"id":1026,"date":"2025-01-08T16:04:35","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T10:34:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/?p=1026"},"modified":"2025-01-08T16:04:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T10:34:35","slug":"lims-and-erpsap-integration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/industrial-iot\/lims-and-erpsap-integration.html","title":{"rendered":"LIMS and ERP(SAP) Integration"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>This blog describes how LIMS is interfaced with SAP QM.<\/strong>\u00a0 Using this interface, SAP can create an Inspection LOT automatically and log samples along with required tests.<\/p>\n<p>Based on the quality test results LIMS can send results back to SAP called as usage decision with disposition status of inspection LOT of which testing is completed. This integration can significantly streamline quality control processes, improve data accuracy, and enhance overall operational efficiency.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Terms used<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Inspection Lot<\/strong> &#8211; ERP creates an inspection lot when material is to be tested, it will have details like material number (product), plant, inspection date, customer, inspection lot type, quantity of material inspected, etc.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Inspection Lot Type<\/strong> &#8211; Defines Raw Material \/ Finished good and mapped to Sampling Point in LIMS.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Inspection Plan<\/strong> \u2013 This is mapped with LIMS -Product specifications, it defines the inspection characteristics and specifications that will be used to inspect the material on the inspection lot.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UD \/ Usage Decision<\/strong> &#8211; Inspection lots receive usage decisions indicating: 1.) Status of lot \u2013 Open\/Closed, and 2.) Disposition of the material on the inspection lot will be (in -spec \u2013 USE, Out-of Spec- Reject\/Scrap).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Work Centers<\/strong> \u2013 denotes physical location of resources\/production line.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Specifications<\/strong> &#8211; SAP defines specifications by plant, material, inspection type, and inspection characteristic.\u00a0 This corresponds to product, sampling point and component within LIMS.\u00a0 SAP defines several limit levels; e.g., plausibility and tolerance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Inspection Characteristics or Master Inspection Characteristics<\/strong> &#8211; In SAP an inspection characteristic corresponds to a component on an analysis in LIMS.\u00a0 There are two types of inspection characteristics: quantitative (numeric) and qualitative (list).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lot Associated Samples:<\/strong> Samples associated tests that are required for the disposition of Lot, LIMS will prevent disposition of lot until all samples are reviewed<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sampling Point \u2013<\/strong> The primary sampling point refers to specific combination of sampling point and product grade that has been setup as a quality master data in LIMS.<\/p>\n<p>criteria used to determine how many samples to draw from a quantity of material in a Lot.\u00a0 This corresponds to the Sampling Plan in LIMS.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>QM IDI<\/strong> is Inspection Data Interface in Quality Management &#8211; is an open interface designed for exchanging inspection processing data between the SAP QM (Quality Management) application component and external systems; by leveraging QM-IDI, LIMS can be integrated to download the inspection lot along with inspection characteristics and push the UD status back to SAP-QM<\/p>\n<p>Once Inspection lots and inspection characteristics is created within SAP. The process begins when an inspection lot is created in SAP. This process will be used to test only Raw Material and Finished good samples and micro, water samples (EM samples) will not be created by SAP Interface as part of Inspection download process.<\/p>\n<p>When an Inspection lot is created in SAP, corresponding LOT or Batch is created in LIMS leading to log samples in a LIMS. This is based on the mapping of inspection characteristics with Product specs and analysis (master data in LIMS). Inspection characteristics will have multiple fields (metadata) but LIMS will use only limited \/sub-set of fields.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ERP\/SAP V\/s LIMS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>ERP will serve as the central hub for product recipes, process flows, specifications, and sampling protocols. It will generate the necessary inspection methods, characteristics, and units of measure, which will be linked to corresponding analyses, components, and units in LIMS.<\/p>\n<p>LIMS will then manage the laboratory operations, sample flow, analytical methods, and execution. It is important for both ERP\/SAP and LIMS team to work in cohesion and do initial mapping of the material, inspection characteristics, inspection plan with product specs, test method, UoM, sampling plan etc.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How LabWare LIMS and SAP \u2013 QM IDI interface works:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>LabWare LIMS provides OOB solution for SAP Interface \u2013 Module# M0189 (One of the most widely used Module)<\/p>\n<p>To enable this interface , need to have following pre-requisites,<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pre-requisite for SAP<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The SAP client needs to be installed on the main LIMS server to download\u00a0 inspection lots from SAP or send results \/ usage decisions back to SAP.<br \/>\nPrivileged account with access to SAP &#8211;\u00a0 This account will be used for logging into SAP in order to download inspection lots and send results \/ usage decisions back to SAP.\u00a0 This account is\u00a0 a standard SAP user account with no password expiry condition. It utilizes existing RFC function modules in SAP to handle the data transfer and processing. Configured modules is to trigger specific actions in LabWare<br \/>\nTo ensure seamless integration between SAP and LabWare LIMS, it&#8217;s crucial to establish a clear connection between inspection lots in SAP and work centers in LabWare.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pre-requsite for LIMS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The LabWare LIMS tables especially LOT are updated as per the defined mapping.<br \/>\nLabWare\u2019s SAP interface module must be installed.<br \/>\nLog-in templates for Lots and Samples must be in place before downloading inspection lots from SAP.<br \/>\nMaster Data also needs to be setup as per the requisite requirement.<br \/>\nHow LabWare LIMS Objects Are Created from SAP Data<\/p>\n<p>There are seven different objects that are created in LIMS from SAP data.\u00a0 Of these seven objects, four of them have a link to corresponding objects in SAP as noted below.\u00a0 The seven objects are created in the following order:<\/p>\n<p>Lists<br \/>\nLots<br \/>\nSamples<br \/>\nAnalyses &#8211; has a link to the inspection method using the inspection method identifier.<br \/>\nComponents on an analysis &#8211; has a link to the inspection characteristic using the inspection characteristic short text description.<br \/>\nUnits &#8211; has a link to the units of measure in SAP<br \/>\nProduct specifications &#8211; part of the product specification definition is the product name (material).\u00a0 This is linked to the material number in SAP<br \/>\n<strong>How interface works<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In summary :<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SAP as the Master System:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Manages product recipes, process flows, specifications, and sampling protocols.<br \/>\nCreates inspection methods, characteristics, and units of measure.<br \/>\nSends inspection lot information to LIMS.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LIMS as the Execution System:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Receives inspection lot information from SAP.<br \/>\nCreates samples and links them to SAP-defined tests.<br \/>\nPerforms laboratory analyses and enters results.<br \/>\nSends completed test results and valuation back to SAP.<br \/>\nManages additional non-SAP samples and their associated tests.<br \/>\nIntegration Workflow:<\/p>\n<p>SAP creates an inspection lot.<br \/>\nLIMS receives the lot and its inspection characteristics.<br \/>\nLIMS creates the Lot and its associated samples and assigns tests.<br \/>\nLIMS performs tests and enters results.<br \/>\nLIMS sends completed test results and valuation back to SAP.<br \/>\nSAP makes a usage decision based on the results.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1052 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-06-122552.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"589\" height=\"212\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Best practices for LIMS \/ SAP Integration :<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Below are some best practices to consider for LIMS -SAP integration<\/p>\n<p>1. Define Clear Integration Goals:<\/p>\n<p>Identify Key Integration Points: Identify the specific areas where data needs to be shared between the two systems (e.g., Inspection Lot, sample information, test results, material characteristics).<\/p>\n<p>Define Data Flow: Define the direction of data flow (LIMS to SAP, SAP to LIMS, or bidirectional) and trigger points for the frequency of data transfer.<\/p>\n<p>2. Choose the Right Integration Method:<\/p>\n<p>File Transfer: A simple but less efficient method, suitable for small-scale data transfers.<\/p>\n<p>API\/Web services Integration: A more robust and flexible approach, allowing for real-time data exchange.<\/p>\n<p>Middleware Integration: A complex but powerful solution for complex integrations, often used for large-scale, enterprise-wide integrations.<\/p>\n<p>3. Data Mapping and Standardization:<\/p>\n<p>O\/P Data Formats: Ensure that data formats for receiving and sending ends are templatized.<\/p>\n<p>Map Data Fields: Define mappings between data fields in LIMS (e.g prod specs) and SAP (Mat char) to ensure seamless data transfer.<\/p>\n<p>4. Security and Compliance:<\/p>\n<p>Data Security: Implement encryption and data masking to secure the data<\/p>\n<p>Compliance Adherence: Ensure to maintain audits and track changes as per ESER requirement<\/p>\n<p>By following these best practices, you can ensure a successful LIMS and SAP integration that improves efficiency, reduces errors, and enhances decision-making.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Advantages of having LIMS and SAP integrations are<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Real-time Data Synchronization in both systems for data accuracy<br \/>\nOvercome manual transcriptional errors reducing Turnaround time for Usage Decision<br \/>\nIncreased Efficiency and Productivity by automated workflows<br \/>\nEnhanced compliance by automated data capture and tracking in both systems<br \/>\n<strong>Conclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, a well-integrated LIMS-SAP systems can revolutionize laboratory operations. By streamlining workflows, improving data accuracy, and enhancing decision-making, organizations can achieve significant operational efficiencies. This interface helps to enhance decision making by posting UD status in SAP.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This blog describes how LIMS is interfaced with SAP QM.\u00a0 Using this interface, SAP [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":727,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,35],"tags":[89,88,86,87,85,9],"coauthors":[82],"class_list":["post-1026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industrial-iot","category-iot","tag-integrations","tag-lab-informatics","tag-lims","tag-qms","tag-sap","tag-iot"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/727"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1026"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1056,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026\/revisions\/1056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1026"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.infosys.com\/engineering-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}