Checking Capacities

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to describe the various capacity checking methods in EWM

Capacity Checking

When you implement certain putaway strategies, such as the fixed bin strategy or the additions to stock strategy, it is necessary to perform a capacity check in the search for a suitable storage bin. If you have activated the capacity check, the system checks whether the selected storage bin can accept the quantity to be put away when it creates a warehouse task (WT).

You can maintain capacity data for the storage bins. The capacity of a storage bin can be checked for the following:

Weight
Volume
Capacity key figure

Capacity Check based on Weight or Volume. Forklift and diagram showcases logistics and weight management parameters within a storage environment

For a capacity check based on weight and/or volume, no customizing configuration is required. The system automatically performs weight and/or volume capacity checking when the maximum weight and/or volume is entered as storage bin data.

Capacity According to Key Figure

You can calculate the capacity consumption for the capacity key figure (a capacity without dimension) in three different ways:

Check according to key figure product
Check according to key figure packaging material (for the handling unit)
Check according to key figures of the product and packaging material

With check according to key figure product, the system calculates the capacity consumption for the product based on the product master. The capacity consumption is specified at the unit-of-measure level on the UOM tab in the product master. You can enter the total capacity in the storage bin or at the storage bin type level in Customizing.

With check according to key figure packaging material, the system calculates the capacity consumption based on the packaging material used for the HU.

With check according to key figures of the product and packaging material, the system calculates the capacity consumption based on both the product and the packaging material used for the HU.

In the case of mixed storage (that is, different products in one storage bin), we recommend the capacity check in accordance with the product and Packaging Material.

Deactivation of the Capacity Check

For all storage types where no capacity check is required (typically storage types for work centers and material staging areas), you can set the capacity check code to 4, to turn off all capacity checking.

Storage Bin Type Determination

As an alternative to a "real" capacity check using weight, volume, or key figures, you can also use storage bin type determination. To activate storage bin type determination, you first activate the HU type check on the storage type level. You also maintain the allowed HU types per storage type, and the sequence of allowed bin types for each HU type.

Alternatively, in a warehouse product master, you can directly maintain the storage bin type without using the HU type.

Depicts forklift and diagram with an illustration on Storage Bin Type Determination

You can also use the maximum weight and volume capacities that are maintained in the storage bin types for the early capacity check. With this check, all bins with a weight or volume capacity value that is too low are immediately removed from the bin search. This is very important to speed up the bin search in conjunction with a capacity check.

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