Outlining the PPF

For the PPF the following parts are important:

An action profile contains several action definitions, and the settings for all the action definitions in the profile. in SAP EWM, the action profile that is used by the application is either hard-coded or determined by customizing.

Profiles can be set as "common profiles". Common profiles contains reusable actions and are referenced by non-common profiles.

The action definition describes the content of an action. It is a function or a process that is scheduled for an application document under specific conditions and is started either immediately or later. Furthermore, if the action can be performed in the background by the system, or by a user. The execution can either be started directly after the scheduling of the action or later.

The processing of the action generates the desired output format. Possible output formats are:

• Smart Forms print, fax, or mail
• External communication (for printing Adobe PDF)
• Method call - the processing of the action is represented by the implementation of the BAdI EXEC_METHODCALL_PPF
• Trigger alert
• Workflow

The action definition includes the processing time. The options are as follows:

• Immediate processing
• Processing when saving document
• Processing using selection report

SAP EWM uses an application-specific logic to schedule actions, it does NOT use the determination described as default in the documentation of the PPF framework.

The determination checks whether the conditions for scheduling the actions are valid. SAP EWM uses the BAdI EVAL_SCHEDCOND_PPF in the conditions. For delivery processing the logic that is implemented consists of three logical steps:

1. Check that the action makes sense from the business point of view and that all relevant data for an action is available, for example:
   • Schedule warehouse task creation only for items that are relevant for picking or putaway
   • Schedule the creation of a TU only when all the information to create a TU activity is available in the delivery document
2. Evaluate the respective customizing, for example:
   • Schedule automatic wave assignment for an outbound delivery order item only when the warehouse process type is relevant for automatic wave assignment
   • Automatic goods issue for production consumption
3. Evaluate condition records. SAP uses condition records to determine actions for delivery processing when decisions about the execution of an action, especially the time for action execution in a business process, need to be very flexible. Printing related to warehouse orders or handling units always used condition records, because inside the schedule condition it is not only decided if a PPF action should be scheduled, but also which form, type of form, printer, and spool parameter should be used.

In SAP EWM three separate applications use the PPF.

• Delivery documents (application /SCDL/DELIVERY)

  The action profile is assigned to the delivery type. There are several profiles delivered by SAP, also due to the fact that profiles delivered with SAP EWM 5.0 and SAP EWM 5.1 used a different technology for action determination and scheduling then later in later releases.

• Shipping and receiving (application /SCWM/SHP_RCV)

  The action profiles are assigned to the means of transport for transportation units and vehicles, and to doors (only used for communication for external applications). Shipping and receiving does not use condition records, the action scheduling is based on hard-coded scheduling conditions.

• Warehouse management engine (application /SCWM/WME)

  The application warehouse management engine is used for all warehouse internal processes where printing might be required:

  • Warehouse orders
  • Handling units
  • Physical inventory documents
  • Value-added service orders
  • Transit warehouse (for sending notifications to TM)

  The action profiles are not assigned to any object, everything is controlled with condition records. Only the determination procedures for the condition records are assigned to different objects (like the warehouse process type for warehouse orders, or the packaging material type for HUs).

To configure the condition technique for this scenario:

1. Create a Condition Table that contains the fields you want to use to determine if the action shall be triggered. In our example, the fields are DPP_WHNO and DPP_GM_STATUS.

   Note

   Which fields are available for the condition table, is controlled by the Field Catalog. This is predefined for each application, but can be extended.

2. Assign the Condition Table to an Access Sequence. AW## is the access sequence in the example.

   In the assignment, you can set for fields from the condition table the Access TypeField in free key part. This is important if you want to use several condition fields in different combinations. This way you can combine them in one condition table instead having several and have to use a sequence. It is also important for a field which is either set or blank.

3. The Access Sequence is assigned to a Condition Type. In our example, we define a condition type ZW##. The condition type has an assignment to an Application (DPP) and a Usage (DP).

   Note

   The Application and the Usage values are predefined by SAP and indicate in which context in EWM the condition technique is used.

4. The condition type is assigned to a Condition Determination Procedure, in our example, ZWT##. The determination procedure is assigned to the application and usage.

5. You either create a new Condition Maintenance Group or use an existing one, and assign the Application, Usage, Condition Table, and Condition Type. The condition maintenance group is used to create the required screens for the condition record maintenance.

6. In case you created a new condition maintenance group, it is then assigned to a Maintenance Context. There is one predefined condition maintenance context for all of the applications of the condition technique in EWM. It is called GCM.

7. You assign the determination procedure. In our example, we use a combination of the desired PPF action, the warehouse number, the document category and the document type.

   Note

   While the condition technique used in EWM in general works the same in all applications (like wave management, packaging specifications, or PPF), the assignment of the determination procedure is the one thing that works differently in all of them.

When you have configured the condition technique, the final step is to set up the condition records in the master data used in the determination process. For this, you have different application specific transactions, but you can actually change the application in each of them.