Employing Serial Numbers

A serial number is a character-string that is assigned to a piece of a material to differentiate that piece from all other pieces. The combination of product number and serial number is unique.

In SAP EWM, a serial number can be up to 30 characters in length. To remain compatible with ERP, the serial number length must be restricted to 18 characters. A BAdI is available to map the longer SAP EWM serial numbers to the ERP serial numbers if it is required.

A serial number profile is a four-character code that is created in customizing. It determines the conditions and business transactions for issuing serial numbers to serialized products. You must assign a serial number profile in the product master records for products that require serial numbers.

There are two different serial number profiles that are maintained and assigned to the material master data in ERP. They are:

• The LES serial number profile that is maintained in the material master data view Sales: General/Plant.

  This serial number profile is only relevant for ERP and is defined to use serial numbers in delivery documents.

• The serial number maintained in the view: WM Execution.

  This is relevant for the use of serial numbers in SAP EWM.

From SAP S/4HANA 2020 on you can set up Harmonized Serial Number Profiles. This enables you to maintain the ERP and the EWM serial number settings in one LE serial number profile. This harmonization can be used for embedded EWM as well as for decentral EWM.

Serial number profiles are defined warehouse-number independent. You can then additionally define serial number profiles with the same key, but different settings, for specific warehouses.

SAP EWM first searches for the warehouse-number dependent serial number profile. If no warehouse-number dependent serial number profile is found, the warehouse-number independent serial number profile is used. In this way, you can have a product that requires a serial number in one warehouse, but not in another warehouse. In this profile, four options for serial number requirement are available, which are:

• A - Serial Numbers for Document Items: The serial number is required only at the document level.

• B - Serial Numbers at the Warehouse-Number Level: Serial numbers are required for all goods receipts/issues and are maintained at the warehouse level.

• C - Serial Numbers required for every warehouse movement: The serial numbers are maintained at the bin level.

• D - No serial number requirement: This is mainly used when a product is serialized in some warehouses, but not in others.

EWM copies the serial numbers from the ERP System in both the goods receipt and goods issue processes.

Goods receipt process:

• In the goods receipt process, SAP EWM copies the serial numbers from the ERP inbound delivery into the inbound delivery.

  • A prerequisite for this is that you have determined the serialization for the product in the serial number profile. Otherwise, SAP EWM does not copy any serial numbers to the inbound delivery.

  • You can make changes to copied serial numbers in the user interface of the inbound delivery up until the goods receipt posting.

• If no serial numbers have been specified in the ERP inbound delivery, then you must specify the serial number before the goods receipt posting in accordance with the serial number profile in SAP EWM.

Goods issue process:

• In the goods issue process, SAP EWM copies the serial numbers from the ERP outbound delivery into the outbound delivery order.
  • A prerequisite for this is that you have determined the serialization for the product in the serial number profile. In other cases, SAP EWM does not copy any serial numbers into the outbound delivery order.
  • Unlike with the goods receipt process, you cannot make changes to copied serial numbers in the goods issue process.
• If no serial numbers have been specified in the ERP outbound delivery, then you must specify the serial number before the goods issue posting in accordance with the serial number profile in SAP EWM.
  • For items with Serial Number Requirement for Document Items or Serial Number Requirement at Warehouse Number Level the serial numbers can be entered during the confirmation of the warehouse task or in the outbound delivery order.
  • For items with Serial Number Requirement in Inventory Management the serial numbers have to be entered during the confirmation of the warehouse task and are copied into the outbound delivery order.

In general, serial numbers are entered before the goods receipt is posted. As this is not always desired or practicable, you can configure the system to use provisional serial numbers. Provisional serial numbers begin with a $ and have 30 characters. When posting the goods receipt, the provisional serial number is assigned. In the deconsolidation work center you must replace the provisional serial number with a final serial number.