Performing Posting Changes and Stock Transfers

A posting change is a change in a quant characteristic field, such as Unrestricted Stock to Quality Inspection Stock, or a change in the product or batch number. Generally, the physical location of the stock does not necessarily change.

An example of a posting change is the release of stock from inspection into unrestricted stock or the other way round. A posting change can be triggered from ERP or within EWM. The following figure shows the various process flows related to posting changes:

In this process flow, the posting change originates in the ERP system from either a MIGO or MB1B transaction. Both of these postings cause an outbound delivery document to be created. This document is replicated to the EWM system as a warehouse request document.

You can also create a posting change directly in SAP EWM. The goods movement for posting changes created directly in SAP EWM is communicated to SAP ERP through the goods movement interface as shown in the following figure:

Using the /SCWM/POST transaction, you can create either a direct posting change or a posting change through a warehouse request document (from the warehouse request document you then create the warehouse tasks).You can change a destination bin during a posting change only by using a warehouse request document and a subsequent warehouse task.

You can also create posting changes directly in the Warehouse Management Monitor (in the node Physical Stock). Different changes can be triggered (like stock type, product, or stock owner), but you can not choose what shall happen in the same way as in the transaction /SCWM/POST, the system always creates a posting change warehouse task.

The goods movement posting (Warehouse material document) is a warehouse task with category 7 (posting change) and can be viewed in the Warehouse Management Monitor.

Any type of posting change in EWM creates a material document with a corresponding material document in ERP The only exception is changes in the document reference of the stock (which is explained later), where there is no corresponding document in ERP.

Such an EWM material document is technically a warehouse task (WT), but with another number range as warehouse tasks for physical movements, and without a warehouse order. The warehouse process category for these are 5 - Goods Receipt Posting, 6 - Goods Issue Posting, or 7 - Posting Change (WTs for physical movements have the process categories 1 - Putaway, 2 - Stock Removal, or 3 - Internal Warehouse Movement).

Both material documents in the slide above may have a connection to another document. As an example: if the EWM material document is for a goods receipt posting, it has a reference to the EWM inbound delivery, and the ERP material document is part of the document flow of the ERP inbound delivery. In that case, the two material documents have no direct connection.

There also may not be a 1:1 relationship between these two material documents. Example: you have two deliveries (one item each) for the same customer. You pick them together and post goods issue for both outbound delivery orders in EWM together. Then you have one EWM material document with two items - but two separate ERP material documents.

A transfer of stock to another storage location or plant can be created in ERP. If the source storage location is connected to an EWM warehouse, the process in the following figure is performed:

If the storage location is not EWM-managed, the GR can be posted in the destination storage location together with the GI posting of the outbound delivery in ERP (movement type 311).

Stock Transfer from EWM

For a stock transfer from an EWM managed storage location to a not EWM-managed storage location in the same plant, the process can also be triggered directly in EWM.

You enter the details of the stock to be transferred in the transaction Post Unplanned Goods Issue (/SCWM/ADGI) and choose the GI Process: NWLO Storage Location.

Note

This option allows you to transfer stock from any bin, even if the flag "No GI" is set in the storage type. It also does not create any warehouse task for a physical movement. The advantage is that no deliveries are required.

Two-Step Stock Transfer

You can also create a two-step stock transfer (either using the MIGO or MB1B transaction codes) or a stock transport order (movement type 313/315), where the stock is posted with the GI posting into transit stock, and from transit into the new storage location. This process is shown in the following figure:

Note

The above examples where the stock transfer starts in ERP, always refer to a decentral EWM set up. For embedded EWM certain stock transfer scenarios can use a synchronous posting, which means that there is no delivery required.