Processing a Goods Receipt in SAP EWM

When you create the purchase order, you must define whether you expect a shipping notification from your supplier or not. Define this using a confirmation control key (in our training system this is ANLI) which is set at each purchase item level. You can predefine the control key either in shipping customizing, the information record, or in vendor master data.

If the confirmation control key is set, an inbound delivery document must be created. The inbound delivery is based on the purchase order. If the confirmation control key is set but the inbound delivery not yet created, it is not possible to post a goods receipt.

The inbound delivery contains information from the purchase order, including the:

• Material to arrive
• Quantity of that material to arrive
• Plant and storage location

A warehouse request enables the processing of warehouse activities. Warehouse activities are:

• Picking
• Putaway
• Posting changes
• Stock transfers (within the warehouse)
• Scrapping

These are performed using warehouse tasks and these documents are created with reference to the respective warehouse request. Using the Warehouse Management Monitor, you can display and supervise all documents that are based on a warehouse request.

When a warehouse request is created, the delivery data from ERP is mapped, SAP EWM-specific data is determined, and a warehouse process type is assigned. The warehouse process type controls the processing of a warehouse task in SAP EWM.

When the warehouse request (inbound or outbound) is created or changed, the system automatically adds data. If a packaging specification exists, SAP EWM can automatically create handling units for inbound deliveries. You can determine packaging specifications using the condition technique.

During the creation of an inbound delivery with a corresponding handling unit, there is a check to determine if the handling unit is permitted in the warehouse. If a product is batch-managed, batches can be created.

In the ERP inbound delivery, you can create a handling unit (HU) manually in the packing transaction or your supplier tells you the packaging data in the shipping notification. The HU number is transferred to SAP EWM and is visible in the HU tab in the inbound delivery notification and in the inbound delivery.

You can putaway this HU. Customizing of the destination storage type defines whether you can or must putaway packed or unpacked products.

A goods receipt posting is triggered from the SAP EWM system and then posted to the ERP system. In the ERP system, the inventory management document, together with the required financial document, is created.

The goods receipt posting can be the first step when processing an inbound delivery, it can be done in the Warehouse Management Monitor, or it can be done automatically when confirming the warehouse task for putaway. Additionally, there is a separate transaction to post the physical goods receipt. That transaction is ideal for use at a warehouse door. Various objects are available for posting the goods receipt, for example:

• Transportation unit
• Handling unit
• Product number
• Deliveries

The goods receipt posting is usually performed when the goods have physically arrived. In SAP EWM, it is possible to map this complete process with two storage locations. While the stock is in the putaway process, it belongs to one particular storage location (in this course storage location RD00, received on dock is used for this). Goods that are in the final destination bin, belong to another storage location (in this course storage location AF00, available for sale is used for this). By doing that, ERP inventory management can display the stock, but makes it transparent for the user that this stock is in the process of putaway and it is not fully available from a warehouse perspective. This is a standard scenario.

Other inbound delivery scenarios are supported such as:

• Returns from the customer
• Goods from production
• Goods received from expected goods receipt processing

Warehouse tasks are used to execute good movements in the warehouse, and these movements may be physical or just stock changes.

Warehouse tasks are needed for:

• Picking

• Putaway

• Internal movements

• Posting changes

• Goods receipt postings

• Goods issue postings

A warehouse task is a document that tells the warehouse worker what to do, for example, move X pallets of product Y to storage bin ABC.

In a putaway or picking process, or for posting changes, the basis for the warehouse task is the warehouse request.

For each warehouse request item, the warehouse task is created either manually or automatically by the post processing framework (PPF).

In cases where warehouse stock must be transferred from one bin to another, it is possible to create a warehouse task without any reference document.

When a warehouse task has been executed, it must be confirmed. During confirmation, the warehouse worker confirms that the correct quantity of the correct product arrived at the correct destination bin.

If a product is moved from the bin, where goods receipt was posted, to the final destination bin in the warehouse with a single step, the associated document is a Product Warehouse Task. It contains the required information, for example, the Warehouse Process Type (WPT) to use, the source bin, and the destination bin. That is a simple case. The situation can be more complex, for example, it may be necessary to repack the goods at a packaging work station before moving the goods to the destination bin. In this case a combination of product and HU warehouse tasks is used for the complete movement. The HU warehouse task contains the same information as the product warehouse task, but it is used for packed products and when movements are done with several process steps.

Warehouse orders are created as follows:

1. Warehouse tasks are grouped together according to the activity area in which they are sorted, using predefined rules.
2. For each activity area, one or more warehouse order creation rules are defined.
3. The warehouse order creation rules are applied until each warehouse task is assigned to one warehouse order. Filters and limits are used as necessary.
4. If rules cannot be used, an SAP-supplied standard rule is applied.

The search sequence for warehouse order creation works as follows:

During the grouping of warehouse tasks into warehouse orders, SAP EWM uses the search sequence for warehouse order creation, for example, rule A, then rule B, then rule C. SAP EWM works through the warehouse order creation rules in sequence, as defined for each activity area.

• Filters and limit values: Control which warehouse tasks, and how many warehouse tasks, SAP EWM groups into a warehouse order.
• Sort rules: When SAP EWM applies a warehouse order creation rule, it sorts the warehouse tasks according to the sort rule. Individual warehouse order creation rules can contain sort rules.
  Note

  In addition to sort rules and filter and limit values, warehouse order creation rules can also contain parameters for packing and consolidation groups.

• Consolidation groups: During warehouse order creation, consolidation groups determine warehouse tasks that are permitted to be bundled together.

In order to be processed, every warehouse task has to be assigned to a warehouse order. If SAP EWM has applied all user-defined warehouse order creation rules for the search sequence, and unassigned warehouse tasks still remain, the system uses a remainder rule.

• Remainder rules: Create warehouse orders for any remaining warehouse tasks. SAP EWM summarizes these warehouse tasks per activity area, queue, and consolidation group.
• Standard rules: Group tasks per activity area, queue and delivery. If the system cannot find a warehouse order creation rule for an activity area, SAP EWM applies this rule.

One of the simplifications in SAP S/4HANA embedded EWM is the option to perform the goods receipt process without an inbound delivery in ERP and EWM (synchronous goods receipt). For a goods receipt posting directly in Inventory Management, the system then automatically creates the putaway warehouse task in EWM.

The following are some of the goods movements that can be posted using synchronous goods movement:

• Goods receipt with the Post Goods Movement app for manufacturing orders and for purchase orders
• Cancellation of goods receipt for purchase orders
• Return products to the vendor as a return delivery referencing previous goods receipts
• Confirmation of manufacturing orders

• The process starts in the ERP system with a purchase order. The ERP inbound delivery is copied into the SAP EWM inbound delivery notification. The inbound delivery in SAP EWM is created automatically by the post processing framework (PPF). It acts as the warehouse request. All subsequent actions in the warehouse are based on this document.
• A goods receipt posting is triggered from the SAP EWM system and then posted to the ERP system. This goods receipt posting can be the first step when processing an inbound delivery, or it can be done automatically when confirming the warehouse task for putaway.
• Warehouse tasks are used to execute good movements in the warehouse, and these movements may be physical or just stock changes. When a warehouse task has been executed, it must be confirmed. A warehouse order represents an executable work package that a warehouse employee should complete within a specific time frame. It contains one or more warehouse tasks or physical inventory items. This is based on so-called warehouse order creation rules (WOCRs)
• In SAP S/4HANA embedded EWM you can perform a goods receipt process without an inbound delivery in ERP and EWM. This is called a synchronous goods receipt. Several variants of synchronous goods movement postings are supported in SAP S/4HANA embedded EWM.