Recently, the Technical Center of Zhoushan COSCO Shipping Offshore Engineering developed a material coding management software, addressing the challenge of material coding inquiries.

In the SAP system, material codes serve as unique identifiers for all materials. Material procurement, palletizing, inventory management, and material requisitioning all rely on these codes for inquiry and subsequent operations. Traditionally, material code inquiries have been conducted manually. The system interface provides a query window where users manually input search criteria, click "search," and wait for database matching to retrieve material statuses. The resulting data must then be manually copied into forms and uploaded back into the system. This cumbersome, repetitive process consumes significant time for design and production personnel.

Moreover, manual input of search criteria lacks standardization, leading to inconsistent query results due to variations in search terms or fields. For instance, a material already registered in the system with a valid code may fail to appear in search results if the user’s input description differs slightly from the system’s recorded description. This discrepancy often prompts designers to request new material codes, resulting in mismatches between codes and descriptions—a phenomenon known as "one item with multiple codes." Such inconsistencies create inefficiencies in material management, design, and on-site production.

To resolve these issues, the Technical Center of Zhoushan COSCO Shipping Offshore Engineering conducted in-depth analysis and developed the material coding management software. This tool establishes seamless integration between AM design software and the SAP system, using database mapping to align material specifications in AM with corresponding SAP codes. When generating forms, the software automatically queries and synchronizes material codes into Purchase Order Requests (PORs) and Purchase Material Lists (PMLs), enabling visualized code management and reducing administrative workload. Its optimized logic ensures each material matches only one unique code, eliminating redundancies and significantly improving design and production efficiency.