As a reliability engineer, you rely on industrial systems staying structured and predictable.
In reality, structures can drift over time, especially when changes are made across multiple systems.
In SAP Asset Performance Management (APM), centrally defined templates help prevent this. They act as a single source of truth for system structure and hierarchy, ensuring what you see reflects an approved, governed state.
This blog shows how to update templates and synchronize linked systems. You can follow along with the accompanying video for a step-by-step demo.
Why Templates Matter for Reliability Engineers
Industrial systems in SAP APM derive from templates that define standard structures, including active and intentionally deactivated elements. This lets you focus analysis and maintenance on relevant assets only, avoiding irrelevant parts.
Key benefits:
- Clear linkage: Every template-based system shows its template connection and follows its definition
- Scalable management: Filter and sort elements by activation status to quickly spot active, inactive, or excluded parts
- Bulk operations: Select multiple elements for activation/deactivation in one action, or use Excel upload for mass updates (add an “Activate Element” column for imports)
Templates enable controlled change management…update once, push everywhere, delivering governance at scale: consistent structures, intentional changes, no drift over time, reduced manual effort, and fewer errors across large landscapes.
Step-by-Step: Updating and Pushing Template Changes
1. Access the Template
Open the Manage Industrial System Templates app. Select a released template. Check Template Usage Count to view linked industrial systems and their versions.
2. Enter Revision Mode
Choose Change Status > Under Revision to unlock editing. Select Edit – fields become editable.
3. Modify Structure
Navigate to Structure (graph view shows relationships clearly). Add, remove, or adjust elements:
- Click + to add (e.g., subordinate air conditioning element to an air conditioning station)
- Fill description, set object class code, and Create
- Cross-reference or re-parent as needed
4. Finalize and Release
Save changes. Set Change Status > Released. Push Changes button appears.
5. Push to Linked Systems
Dialog lists affected systems. Select targets (e.g., one linked system):
- Created/Reopened systems update automatically
- Released systems update and re-release
Trigger Push Changes to create a background job.
6. Monitor and Verify
Track via Job List. Once complete:
- Return to Manage Industrial Systems app
- Confirm structure matches updated template (e.g., new substation appears)
- Sync Status verifies synchronization
Flexible System-Level Adjustments
Templates govern the standard, but adapt per system:
- Deactivate elements (e.g., sub-station out of service/not commissioned) without altering the template
- Reactivate anytime to reflect operational state – no manual restructuring needed
Governance Benefits: Single Source of Truth in Action
This workflow eliminates error-prone manual tweaks, ensuring consistency, completeness, and correctness across systems. Like a true SSOT, templates standardize definitions, propagate changes reliably, and build trust—no more conflicting structures or “which version is right?” debates.
Reliability engineers gain confidence in governed, synchronized assets, supporting reliable analytics and maintenance at enterprise scale.
Ready to implement? Follow the video demo in the APM system and experience governance without the hassle.
Have you experienced challenges with maintaining consistent system structures across multiple industrial assets before implementing template-based governance? Share in the comments below!
Don’t forget to submit or vote for the improvement you would like to see in the SAP Continuous Influence session for SAP Asset Performance Management! Furthermore, explore our SAP Asset Performance Management Topic Page and follow the tag SAP Asset Performance Management to not miss out on more content to come! @SonamKinger @omprakash_balakrishnan2
