Linear Asset Management (LAM)
Author: Aditya Apte
Contents
• Difference between Linear and Non-linear Asset
• Challenges in managing the linear assets
• How SAP-LAM could be useful
• Typical attributes of linear asset
• LAM functionality in SAP
• Linear Data in technical objects
• Linear Data with class/characteristics
• Linear Data – Offset concept
• Linear Reference Pattern
• Linear Data in Work orders, Maintenance plans, Notifications, Measuring Points
and Measuring documents
• Linear Data in Reports
• Linear Data Example
• Pre-requisites for LAM
• Configuration for LAM
• LAM Specific T-CODES
Difference between Linear and Non-
Linear Asset
Non Linear Asset
A non-linear asset occupies a defined space and can be tracked by its location or
modeled as part of a parent child hierarchy. They can be installed, maintained
replaced as a whole.
E.g. Physical Assets like Facilities, Generating stations, Substations etc
Linear Asset
Linear assets have linear properties and often connect with each other by their
relationship with the linear infrastructure itself. They can be preserved and
restored in place, and in segments.
E.g. Department of transportation managing roads or Railways managing rail
tracks and signaling, or the Oil & Gas industry managing pipeline or Utility
industry managing transmission and distribution lines.
Challenges in managing linear assets
• Need to manage the linear assets as a
continuous asset with dynamic
segmentation
• There should be supporting ways to
identify location information i.e markers,
mile posts, tunnels, signs, valve location,
transmission line tower, compressor
stations etc
• Linear aspect has to be reflected in
Inspection processing, Condition
monitoring, Maintenance and Repair
How SAP – LAM could be useful
• Asset intensive industries like Oil & Gas, Railways and Utilities are struggling to
manage their infrastructure or production networks which are complex and
difficult to maintain.
• Currently most of these businesses largely rely on different standalone, loosely
integrated systems and manual processes (e.g. GIS, Access database, LAM apps)
to access linear asset information. This makes their processes time consuming to
analyze, identify work location, perform work on the network asset and track
work status.
• SAP LAM application component is specifically designed to address these
requirements and challenges.
• SAP LAM solution allows aggregating the linear asset data and non-linear asset
data in single source of information which can be easily integrated with other
systems as per the requirement. This application works with SAP and Non-SAP
software to define, construct, manage and maintain network assets.
Typical attributes of Linear Asset
• A special type of an asset which has an associated length dimension. This
dimension can be specified by using start points and end points or by specifying
the length of an asset
• Components can be installed along the length of a linear asset
• Some of the attributes can change along the length of a linear asset
• Typically a linear asset is connected with other linear assets to represent a
network
• A linear asset can be dynamically segmented along its length depending on
requirement and attributes can change along any portion of the linear asset
• Markers can be set along the length of a linear asset along with offset
functionality
LAM functionality in SAP
• Linear Assets can be created as technical objects (functional locations and
equipments) in SAP with Linear Data fields
• Maintenance tasks can be carried out on these linear assets by creating
notifications, maintenance orders and measurement documents
• This enables monitoring of the condition of linear asset, identify where the
fault/damage has occurred (using start point, end point and offset) and manage
all kinds of maintenance tasks (planned, unplanned and preventive).
• Apart from technical objects, Linear asset data fields are available in
Maintenance/Service notifications, Maintenance/Service orders, operations of
maintenance/service orders, time confirmations and measurement documents.
• Linear data fields are also available in some of the standard list edit reports for
equipments, functional locations etc.
Linear Data in technical objects
• The customizing for
equipment/functional location
category will determine whether they
are linear asset or not.
• Linear data for technical objects can be
maintained in separate tabs
(depending on customizing)
• If point assets are also managed in
LAM i.e Lamp posts, road signs etc
then only start points need to be
maintained.
• For linear assets, the length
maintained is not checked against the
difference between the start point and
end point
Linear data with class/characteristics
• For linear assets (functional
locations/equipments) the
valuation of characteristics has
been enhanced with linear data
fields.
• The characteristics in linear data
allows multiple valuation so that
each value can be limited in
location/segment depending on
requirement
Linear Data – Offset Concept
Offsets are used to define the exact location of a feature, defect or work
Linear Reference Pattern (LRP)
• Linear Reference Patterns (LRP) are used to group the markers that are on or
alongside the linear asset
• These markers can be used as input help when LRP is assigned to the technical
object (functional location/equipment)
Linear Reference Pattern (LRP) - Cont
• Based on the LRP assigned to the technical object, the fields for relative
referencing would be enabled in the technical object
Linear Data in Work Orders
• In work orders the linear data fields are on the level of header and on the
level of operations
• On the header level the linear data fields allows to define for the
reference object where exactly the work needs to start and/or end and
what is the length/extension of the work
• At operation level, the linear data fields allows (in addition to the
information on header level) to describe in more detail where each of the
activities has to be performed.
• If the work order is performed for several assets, they will be listed in
object list entries in the work order. If work is performed especially for
one of these assets this can be assigned to the operation.
Linear Data fields in Work Orders
Linear Data fields in PM Work Order
Confirmation
Linear Data Fields in Maintenance
Plans
Linear Data fields in Notification and
Measuring point
Linear Data in Measurement
Document
Linear Data in Reports
Report Transaction
Functional Location IH06, IH11, IL05, IL20
Functional Location (multilevel) IL07
Functional Location (structure) IH01
Change Functional Location Object Network IN15
Display Object Network for Functional Location IN16
Functional Location Object Network Data (multilevel) IN24
Equipment IE05, IE06, IH08, IH10
Equipment (multilevel) IE07
Equipment (structure) IH03
Change Object Network for Equipment IN18
Display Object Network for Equipment IN19
Object Network Data Equipment (multilevel) IN25
Change Object Network Data (single-level) IN26
Display Object Network Data (single-level) IN27
Serial Number IQ08, IQ09
Serial Number/Unique Item Identifier (UII) IQ10, IQ11
Measurement Document IK17, IK18
Notification IW28, IW29, IW58, IW59
Notification (multilevel) IW30
Notification Item IW68, IW69
Maintenance Order IW38, IW39, IW72, IW73
Maintenance Order (multilevel) IW40
Order Operation IW37, IW49
Order and Operation IW37N, IW49N
Maintenance Item IP17, IP18
Confirmation IW47
Activities IW64, IW65
Tasks IW66, IW67
Linear Data in Reports – Selection
Criteria
There are various selection parameters available to search objects with linear
data including range, LRP ID, Start and/or end points etc. These selection
parameters are consistent across all the list edit reports
Linear Data in Reports – Report Output
and layout
Depending on the selection criteria, the report output will display the list of
functional locations depending on the layout. Linear data fields are also
available in report output and layout selection.
Linear Data Example
Pre-requisites for using LAM
Business Function – LOG_EAM_LINEAR_1 should be active
Configuration for LAM - FLOC
To be able to create Linear Data for functional locations, indicator “Linear Asset”
should be set the for the functional location category representing the Linear
Asset in customizing for Plant Maintenance and Customer service
Configuration for LAM - EQUIPMENT
To be able to create Linear Data for equipments, indicator “Linear Asset”
should be set the for the equipment category representing the Linear
Asset in customizing for Plant Maintenance and Customer service
Configuration for LAM – View Profile
View Profiles for technical object should be set so as represent Linear data
fields in Linear Data tab of the functional location or equipment
Configuration for LAM-Measuring
Point
To be able to create Linear Data for measuring point, the indicator
“Linear Asset” should be set the for the measuring point category in
customizing for Plant Maintenance and Customer service
Configuration for LAM – Maintaining
Characteristics Data
To be able to maintain the characteristics data in Linear
equipment/functional locations, the organizational area should be
defined for the relevant class type (002 – EQUI/003 – FLOC) in
customizing
Configuration for LAM – Maintaining
Characteristics Data
To be able to maintain the characteristics data in Linear equipment/functional
locations, the organizational area should be assigned for the relevant class
type (002 – EQUI/003 – FLOC) in LAM customizing
Configuration for LAM – Offset types
In this customizing activity, offset types are defined which can be
used in Linear Asset for pinpointing the position of marker/valve etc
Configuration for LRP type
In this customizing activity, LRP types can defined which can be
later on used as input help in Linear reference patterns.
LAM Specific T-Codes
Thank You !!!
