1. Pool Asset ManagementYou can use the Pool Asset Management (PAM) component to manage physical assets suchas vehicles, LCD projectors, cell phones, and similar objects that you have grouped into apool. These pool assets can be used jointly and removed from the pool for a certain period oftime. You can control and monitor the use of your pool assets from the requirement coveragerequest, through issue, to return and settlement of the service.Using Pool Asset Management, you can: • Schedule a pool asset request • Reserve a pool asset • Send a confirmation e-mail to the requester of a pool asset • Issue and return a pool asset • Complete the service • Oversee repairs to a pool assetA graphical planning board is available for these activities (transaction code PAM03).ArchivingYou can archive Requirements and Splits for Pool Asset Management. For this purpose, thefollowing two tables have been added to the archiving object for maintenance notifications(PM_QMEL): Requirements (Objects to be Scheduled) (technical name: PAMS_NEED) andSplits (Objects to be Scheduled) (technical name: PAMS_SPLIT).Overview of FunctionsPool Asset Management allows you to plan pool assets from the point at which they arerequested right up to the point at which the service is settled. Demand notifications can beentered in the system directly by the requester or by the planner. The graphical planningboard allows the planner to display and plan all demands. The planning board shows theindividual demands as a series of bars. The planner can then use drag and drop to assign thesedemands to the available pool assets, which are also displayed graphically. The current statusof each demand notification is indicated by various bar colors, which means that the plannercan instantly see how each of the pool assets is being used and what the utilization and statusof the entire pool is. 2. IntegrationThe functions in Pool Asset Management and the graphical planning board are implementedwith standard SAP objects, thus providing a maximum level of integration with the SAPsystem with minimum training requirements.The demand notification is stored in the system as a maintenance notification withnotification type MF. The notification collects all of the data relating to the operation. Itdocuments the individual planning steps and their status changes. The individual pool assetsare modeled in the form of equipment master records. Functional locations are used tocombine individual assets in a pool (whereby the functional location must allow theinstallation of multiple items of equipment). Service orders are used to collect the costs forusing a pool asset.PrerequisitesYou have configured the Customizing settings for Pool Asset Management and for theintegrated functions in Plant Maintenance and Customer Service.FeaturesThe process flow from the demand notification to the withdrawal and return of a pool asset isas follows:The employee enters a demand in the system in the form of a maintenance notification. Theplanner for the pool can see all the demands and available pool assets in the graphicalplanning board. When the planner assigns a demand to an available pool asset, the asset isreserved and the employee automatically receives an e-mail confirming the reservation.When the employee retrieves the pool asset, the data that is used later for settlement isrecorded.If the asset is a pool vehicle, for example, the employee receives the keys to the vehicle alongwith the registration documents, and the planner records the current mileage/kilometerreading. When the vehicle is returned, the new mileage/kilometer reading is entered so thatthe system can automatically calculate the cost of using the asset on the basis of the distancedriven and the duration. (The mileage/kilometer reading is modeled in the system in the formof a measurement document.) In this way, the use of the pool asset can be settled as soon asthe asset is returned, and the asset is available again immediately.If a demand cannot be fulfilled or is canceled, the relevant cancelation activities can becarried out.Status of the Demand NotificationWhen the demand notification is entered, it has the status "not planned". When the plannerassigns a pool asset to a demand, the status of the demand changes to "planned". When it isreserved, its status changes to "reserved" and the requester is informed of the reservation.When the requester picks up the pool asset, the notification status changes to "retrieved". 3. When the asset is returned, the status changes to "returned". The process flow ends when it issettled and the status changes to "settled".ActivitiesThe following transactions are available: • Graphical resource planning with planning board (transaction PAM03) • Create pool (transaction PAM01) • Edit pool (transaction PAM02)You can access these transactions from the SAP menu by choosing: LogisticsCustomer Service Service Processing Pool Asset Management .CustomizingSince Pool Asset Management functions and the graphical planning board display usestandard SAP objects, the settings for the respective standard objects must be configuredalongside the Customizing settings for Pool Asset ManagementIn the Implementation Guide (IMG), configure the Customizing settings for the followingobjects: • Maintenance Notification (Demand Notification) You can configure the settings for notification type MF underCross-Application Components Notification A BC set is available for these settings and is imported automatically. • Functional Location (Car Pool) You configure the settings for the functional location under Plant Maintenance and Customer ServiceMaster Data in Plant Maintenance and Customer ServiceTechnical Objects Functional Locations • Equipment (Pool Asset) You configure the settings for equipment under Plant Maintenance and Customer Service Master Data in Plant Maintenance and Customer Service Technical Objects Equipment • Order (Settlement) 4. Configure the settings for the order under Plant Maintenance and Customer ServiceMaintenance and Service ProcessingMaintenance and Service OrdersSettings for the Graphical Planning BoardThe graphical planning board is based on the bar chart in the standard SAP system. You canconfigure the basic settings underSAP NetWeaverApplication ServerFrontendServicesBar ChartA BC set is available for these settings and is imported automatically. Furthermore, you canalso configure some settings for the planning board directly in Customizing for Pool AssetManagement in the activities Define Settings for Planning Board and Edit Display Variantsof Planning Board.Pool Asset Management SettingsConfigure the settings for Pool Asset Management under Plant Maintenance andCustomer ServiceMaintenance and Service ProcessingPool Asset ManagementSettings for Fleet ManagementIf you also want to use Pool Asset Management as fleet management, configure the settingsunderPlant Maintenance and Customer ServiceMaster Data in Plant Maintenanceand Customer ServiceTechnical Objects Settings for Fleet Management.Demand CreationBoth the requester and the planner can create a demand. The requester creates a maintenancenotification in the system using transaction IW21. The planner can create the demand directlyfrom the graphical planning board by choosing Create New Demand Notification. On theinitial screen for creating the maintenance notification, enter the notification type MF (poolrequest). The following data is necessary: Descriptive short text that is displayed to indicatethe relevant bar on the planning board; user (in the case of vehicles, the driver) and requester;information about location and account assignment; start and end of use; the equipment of thepool asset and the pool from which the demand is to be settled. By saving this maintenancenotification, the planner can view the demand on the planning board. You can create anoverview of all demands or the demands of a single requester using notification selection(transaction IW59). Existing demand notifications can be changed by the requester and theplanner.Demand Planning with the Graphical Planning BoardTo call the planning board, the planner enters the selection period, the display variant, and thepool that is to be planned on the initial screen. The system displays every demand for a poolas a bar on the graphical planning board. The demands yet to be planned are displayed in the 5. lower half, and the demands already assigned to a pool asset are displayed in the top half.Every pool asset in the top half of the planning board is represented by a row. The colors ofthe bars show the status of the demand. The assignment of status and color can be changed inCustomizing for bar charts. When you double-click a bar, the system displays a dialog boxwith the detailed data of the demand. You can cancel the demand here by choosing CancelDemand. By choosing Change Selected Demand Notification in the toolbar, you access themaintenance notification and you can change it.The planner schedules demands by dragging and dropping a bar onto a row in the top half ofthe planning board. The times defined in the demand are retained. The status of the demandnotification changes from "Not Planned" to "Planned". When you double-click a planneddemand, the system now displays the Reserve pushbutton in the dialog box, which you canuse to reserve the selected pool asset for the demand. A further tab page with detailed dataabout the assigned asset is also displayed.As long as no reservation has been created for a planned demand, a demand can berescheduled. To do this, drag the relevant bar to the bottom half of the planning board. Theassignment to pool and pool asset is deleted again and the status of the demand notification isreset to "Not Planned". It is also possible to assign another asset before creating thereservation in "Planned" status.To reserve a planned demand, choose Reserve on the detail screen. When the demand isreserved, the status changes from "Planned" to "Reserved". Once this status has been set, youcannot move the demand on the planning board and assign it to a different asset. When thereservation is created, the system sends an e-mail to the requester informing him or her aboutthe reservation, so that the pool asset can be picked up from the issue location.Cancel and Delete DemandsIf a requester wants to cancel a demand notification, he or she can do this from thenotification created by setting the user status to "Canceled". When the notification is saved,the system transfers the new status to the planning board where it can be viewed by theplanner. On the planning board, the planner can also cancel demands that are planned, notplanned, or reserved. A reservation can be canceled as long as the requester has not picked upthe pool asset. The requester automatically receives an e-mail about the cancelation of thereservation. If a reservation or demand has been canceled, you can delete it in the detailedview by choosing Delete Canceled Demand. The demand is not displayed on the planningboard anymore and the maintenance notification is assigned the status "Deleted".Reporting Functions for the PlannerOn the planning board, the following functions are available to the planner in the toolbar: • Overlapping on/off If the times of scheduled demands in a row overlap, one bar may cover another bar completely. By choosing this pushbutton, you can display the overlapping demands below each other. • Overview of Scheduled Demands 6. This pushbutton opens a dialog box, in which all scheduled demands for a pool are displayed with their respective status. • Demand Overview This pushbutton opens a dialog box, in which all unscheduled demands for a pool are displayed with their respective status. • Filter Functions By using the filter functions, you can filter the display according to certain demand characteristics, so that only the demands with the defined characteristics are displayed. With pool vehicles, it is also possible to filter according to license plate number.Issue, Return, and SettlementIssue Pool AssetAfter the requester has received an e-mail informing him or her that the required pool assethas been reserved, he or she can pick it up from the issue location. When the asset is issued,the planner calls the detailed data of the reserved demand and changes the status from"Reserved" to "Retrieved" by choosing Issue. The Pickup Data dialog box appears, where thecurrent data must be entered. If the reservation time period has already expired at the time ofpickup, the pool asset cannot be issued. The demand must be canceled and created again.To post the pickup, choose Save Pickup Slip. The actual data is entered in the system as ameasurement document for the equipment. The colors of the bar chart of the demand areadjusted on the planning board. For now on, you cannot cancel the demand. The demandnotification is assigned the status "Retrieved".Return Pool AssetAs soon as the requester has returned the pool asset, the planner enters the return data on thedemand detail screen by choosing Return. In the Return Data dialog box, he or she enters thecurrent data. You post the return by choosing Save Pickup Slip, and another measurementdocument is created for the equipment. The demand notification is assigned the status"Returned".SettlementYou settle the demand on the detailed data screen by choosing Settlement. In the settlementdetail dialog box, the system displays how the costs to be calculated are composed on thebasis of the assigned cost element. The system determines the cost element using the poolcategory. Any flat rates are taken into account during the settlement. When you save thesettlement by choosing Settlement, the system creates a service order in the background thatcollects the usage costs of the pool asset. The service order is linked to the demand 7. notification. When the settlement is posted, the bar-chart colors of the demand are adjustedon the planning board. The demand notification is assigned the status "Settled".Repair MeasuresMaintenance and repair work carried out on a pool asset can also be represented andmonitored using the graphical planning board. The system automatically creates a reservationfor the asset in question for the period in which it is not available (because it is in theworkshop) so that it cannot be assigned to a demand during this time. A separate bar color isused in the planning board to represent periods where an asset is in the workshop.You can specify regular maintenance work as part of maintenance planning for theequipment. Unscheduled repair work can be initiated by creating a maintenance notification(transaction IW21) with the notification type M1.