Warehouse Management

This implementation guide (IMG) contains a description of the most important steps required for the implementation of the module "Warehouse Management" (MM-WM) in your company. To process the implementation guide and change the system configuration, you must be familiar with business terms and with the functions of the SAP Warehouse Management system. Further information on these topics can be found in the following SAP documentation: LE Decentralized Warehousing LE Warehouse Management

In the documentation for "Warehouse Management", you will find information on the following topics: Storage Unit Management Interfaces to External Systems R/2-R/3 Link

You will also find additional information on Customizing for LE-WM in the SAP courses "Warehouse Management" and "Special Topics for Warehouse Management".

Concept for Warehouse Management

In this chapter you wil find, in addition to the procedure model, notes and recommendations for working out and finalizing a target concept for the Warehouse Management system.

Execute Rec. of Actual Data

To set up a realistic target concept, you must first carry out a review of the present systems. To do this, you should make use of existing documentation (for example, suitability check, result of request analysis), which will provide information on Warehouse Management and the interfaces with other application areas. You can obtain further information for the review by visiting the warehouse, interviewing the warehouse employees and examining existing work documents.

Activities
1. Get an overview of the warehouse from a site plan of the plant premises. 2. Then number and name the existing warehouses on the site plan. 3. To prepare for the warehouse visit, you should draw up a form on which to note details. You can use the form Sample form, prepared by SAP, as a sample.

4. Enter the numbers and names of the warehouses in this form. 5. The information you enter in this form is the data you collect during the visit to the warehouse, from discussion with the employees in interviews which you carry out later.

6. If you already have a warehouse management system installed, collect the relevant posting procedures or the corresponding information from the warehouse card file. 7. Add these details to your form. 8. Get hold of a copy of all papers (forms, labels, lists) that are used in the warehouse. 9. The forms and work papers will be made available to all project members in a Warehouse Management project file.

Create Target Concept

When you set up your target concept, you should take a look at the organization of structures and processes on the basis of the information from the actual analysis. Please note the following points: 1. Path optimization for Putaways Picks Stock transfer (for example, replenishment)

2. Even utilization of warehouse capacity 3. Balanced utilization of warehouse personnel 4. Possibility for improvement in warehouse stocking 5. Handling of means of conveyance for putaways and picks 6. Possibility for improvement of work papers Work out alternatives for improvement. Using the Draft solution alternatives Information from the data forms Collected work papers

make a diagram to represent functions and processes in the SAP System.

To finish the target concept, include examples of the represented functions and processes.

Master Data
In this section, you configure the master data settings for the Warehouse Management system (LE-WM). Before you create master data in the Warehouse Management system, you should work through this section.

Define Field Usage

In this section You analyze the SAP data fields You define which fields you are going to use You define the respective field contents

This section also contains information about the topics Storage bins (master data) and Material masters

Storage Bin Data

The storage bin, also referred to as coordinate, is the smallest unit that can be accessed in a warehouse. Each storage bin must be assigned to a section. When you create a storage bin, you can maintain the following data also: Storage bin type (storage bin type search) Maximum weight (capacity check) Assignment of fire containment section (Hazardous Material Management)

There are two ways of creating storage bins : Creating a storage bin individually Creating several storage bins simultaneously

When defining storage bins, note the following restrictions: For technical reasons it is not allowed to use the special character "/".

For storage bins in storage types with the putaway strategy "pallet", only eight characters are available for defining the storage bin coordinates. If you use the putaway strategy "cross-line stock putaway", you must have activated this strategy in the storage type before you can create the corresponding storage bins. For further information, refer to the section Define sort sequence for putaways.

Further Notes
You can create storage bins using the Warehouse Management application menu ( Master data -> Storage bin -> Create.

Material Master
In the material master you maintain control data for the Warehouse Management System (WMS). You can create material master data at the warehouse number or the storage type level: Organizational Level "Warehouse Number"

Here you can maintain data that supports putaway/pick strategies, and so on. Organizational Level "Storage Type"

Here you can maintain special features of a material -- relating to a storage type. These features include, for example, the fixed bin assignment, the maximum storage bin quantity, or the replenishment quantity. You only need the data at the organizational level "Storage type" if this data is necessary for certain strategies (for example, fixed storage bin) or transactions.

SAP Recommendation
SAP recommends that you use the batch input technique to automatically transfer the material master data. You therefore use all the internal system checks and ensure that only the correct data is transferred.

Define Control Parameters for Warehouse Number

A warehouse number is an organizational unit in logistics that represents the company from the warehouse management view. In the Warehouse Management System (WMS), you can define various control parameters at the warehouse number level. The following settings are required: Weights / quantities The field documentation provides information on the respective field options. Control data / management

Decentralized warehouse active Warehouse Management can be implemented as a decentralized, integrated system. If you are using WM as a decentralized system, you must mark the warehouse number as such. SU management active If you are using the component "Storage Unit Management", you must activate this for each warehouse number. This activation means that various additional fields from Storage Unit Management will appear on the screen. Blocking logic Method For each warehouse number, you can define how many users may remove the same materials from the same storage bins. The individual blocking methods are described in the field documentation.

SAP recommends the use of blocking logic "B". Blocking logic "B" is absolutely necessary in Handling Unit Management. Multiple processing Partial picking You can create transfer orders for transfer requirements or delivery documents using the multiple processing function. With this indicator you can control how the system is to treat any underdelivery that is determined for picking quantities. Messages Capacity check If the capacity check is activated in Warehouse Management, you must maintain the capacity check data in the master data (material and warehouse masters). With this indicator you can control how errors are to be treated if data is missing. Batch missing If a user does not specify a batch for a material requiring batch processing, you can use this indicator to have an appropriate system message issued for the transfer requirements. The indicator has no effect on the maintenance of transfer orders. Performance data Certain parameter problems that occur during processing of TO target data can be treated as errors or warnings, or they can be ignored.

Activities
1. Define the basic data of a warehouse number. Weights / quantities Blocking logic Control data

The input of the remaining fields is discussed in later sections.

Further Notes
For more hints on the warehouse number, refer to the IMG section Company structure Define Warehouse Number. For further information on the block Control data / management, refer to the following chapters: Decentralized Link to R/2 Storage Unit Management

Define Number Ranges

In this section, you define the number ranges for the objects which have automatic number assignment in the Warehouse Management system. These are: Transfer requirement Transfer order Quant Posting change notice Group

The maintenance of the number range objects for the area "Inventory" is described in the chapter "Maintain Inventory Number Ranges". If you are using Storage Unit Management, you must take the following objects into account: Number range for storage units

The number ranges for the storage units cover all the warehouse numbers. Type of number assignment for storage units

Default settings
In the SAP standard system, the number range intervals are preset for warehouse number 001.

SAP Recommendation
Once you have defined your number ranges, it is extremely difficult to change them afterwards when the objects concerned are filled with data.

Bear in mind that you will be entering data on a long-term basis. Create your number range intervals accordingly.

Actions
1. Decide which number ranges you require for assigning the document numbers in the Warehouse Management system. 2. Create the number range intervals. The following action is only required if you are using Storage Unit Management: 3. Create the number range LE for assigning the storage unit numbers and the respective assignment type (column VA). Via the assignment type, you can define per warehouse number whether, for example, external or internal storage unit numbers are to be managed. 4. Conversion of the storage unit number In Warehouse Management, you can determine per client (!) how the storage unit number is to be converted. For information on the different input options, refer to the field documentation.

Define Storage Type

A warehouse number is divided up into a number of storage types . A storage type is defined on the basis of its spatial or organizational features (for example, high rack storage area, bulk storage area , goods receipt area). A storage type has the following features: A storage type does not have an address, but a short description. It is possible to store storage-type-specific material data. Within a storage type, inventory is executed for each storage bin.

Standard Settings
In the SAP standard version, different examples of storage types are preset in warehouse number 001.

Recommendation
These interim storage types (900-999) are required for various postings (for example, GR and GI postings, differences) in WM. When you define your warehouse numbers, copy the interim storage types from warehouse number 001.

Activities
1. Create your storage types with the respective descriptions. 2. Copy the interim storage types from warehouse number 001.

Further Notes
Further parameters are maintained in the chapters " " Transactions". Strategies" and

If you are implementing storage unit management, maintain the parameters that are described in the chapter " Storage type control".

Define Storage Sections

Within a storage type , a storage section is a series of storage bins with the same features. These bins are used for the purpose of stock placements. For stock placements, the following features of storage bins can be important: distance to the turnover point loading capacity temperature

Standard Settings
In the SAP standard system, sample entries are preset for the respective storage types in warehouse number 001.

Note
When you create a storage bin, you must enter a storage section. If you are using storage types without sections, you must define at least one storage section (for example, 001) per storage type. The storage section in this case is identical to the storage type.

Activities
Create your storage areas with the corresponding names.

Define Picking Areas

A picking area is an object within a storage type that groups together storage bins forstock removal. You can assign a printer to a picking area.

Standard Settings
In the SAP standard system, no picking areas are preset.

Note
If you create a storage bin, you can assign a picking area.

Activities
Create your picking areas with the appropriate names.

Define Doors
In a WM-managed warehouse, you can define dock doors (also known as doors or gates). A door is a location where the goods either arrive in the warehouse or leave it. You can assign different functions to a dock door, for example: Goods receipt Goods issue

and other transactions such as cross-docking and flow-through. You can also assign a picked-items zone to a dock door as a default value. This value is assigned to the dock door in the delivery document, provided the "Door and picked-items-zone determination" do not have a different assignment.

Requirements
First create the storage types for which you wish to define doors, if you have not already done so.

Activities
Define the doors in the storage types concerned.

Further Notes
For more information, refer to section Door assignment under "Activities".

Define Material Staging Areas

In a WM-managed warehouse, you can define staging areas. A staging area is an interim storage area for goods that have been received from goods receipt and afterwards need to be transferred into the warehouse. It is also an interim storage area for goods that were picked in a warehouse and are to be loaded for goods issue through loading ramps or doors.

You can assign different functions to a staging area: goods receipt goods issue

Or you can assign functions such as cross-docking and flow-through to the staging area. You can also assign a door to a staging area as a default value. This value is added as the staging area in the delivery document, if the "Door and staging area search" do not have a different entry.

Requirements
First, create the warehouse for which you wish to define the staging areas, if you have not already done so.

Activities
Create your staging areas within this warehouse.