Using Mobile Devices

SAP EWM includes the implementation of a RF framework, which satisfies the following objectives:

• Decouples business logic from the physical presentation of application data on a selected presentation device, and enables personalized menus and screens

• Supports a large variety of device sizes, device types, and data entry types

By providing an RF framework, error-free data communication can be attained in the warehouse through the use of mobile RF devices.

The RF framework supports both GUI and character-based devices, as well as browser-based devices.

GUI devices are connected to the SAP system just like any other client-dependent PC.

The screens can be operated through touch screens, using predefined buttons, or they can be operated using a keyboard. If you are using touch screens, you press the appropriate positions on the touch screen instead of clicking with the mouse on a button.

Character-based devices are linked to the system through SAPConsole. SAPConsole operates on a 32-bit Windows server and interacts with the RF terminals connected to it.

The system uses ITSmobile or SAP GUI for HTML for connecting browser-based devices.

ITSmobile uses the ITS template technique to do this. This technique is based on the concept that an HTML template for visualization in the browser is provided for every screen (Dynpro) of the application. You can include dynamic content or data in the templates at runtime using HTMLBusiness (HTMLB).

ITSmobile is delivered with a new template generator that allows you to generate the templates of simple screens directly. You can then change these further to meet your requirements. You can also create a completely new template generator or create a new template generator based on the one delivered.

SAP GUI for HTML is used for mobile devices in Warehouse Management in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, but can also be used for EWM in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition or SAP S/4HANA on Premise. The personalization of RF interfaces can be done with SAP Screen Personas. For details about working with the SAP GUI for HTML see SAP Note "3048632 - Information and Restrictions for Mobile Data Terminals in Warehouse Management in S/4HANA Cloud or EWM in S/4HANA On-Premise".

The SAP RF framework provides the following standard RF functionalities:

• Logon:

  Logon to the RF environment enables the tracking of resources, stock on resources, and warehouse order (WO) selection. After logging on to the system, a resource can operate as an active resource, which can request and execute work in the warehouse.

• Logoff

• Recovery:

  During logon, the system checks with the content provider whether the user is logged on as a resource, and if so, whether they were interrupted during WO execution. The system checks whether a specific WO assigned to the resource was stopped before completion. If yes, and if the WO can be locked, the system finds the WO's data and displays the screen of the relevant step to continue the process.

• Position Management

  Position management enables a radio-frequency (RF) device user to validate handling units (HUs) by their position number, rather than by their HU number. This is particularly useful when the HU number tags are not readily accessible, such as when the HUs are stacked on top of each other.

• Radio Frequency Transaction Log

  You can activate the logging of transactions used in the radio frequency (RF) framework to allow you to identify error messages that often occur, wrong validations, or where your warehouse workers need to use exception codes. The system writes the log entries at the following points in time:

  • A user logs on to a resource

  • A user logs off from a resource

  • An RF transaction is started

  • An RF transaction is ended

  • A user selects an RF menu item

  • The system raises a message or an error message

  • A user triggers a function, either by choosing a function key or a button

  • A user validates a field

  • A user displays an RF screen

  • The system triggers a function module in the step flow

  • A user triggers an exception.

  • A user enters data into a screen field

  You can enhance or change what the system includes in the RF log using the Business Add-In BAdI: Write Radio Frequency Log Entries (/SCWM/EX_RF_LOGGING).

• Work execution transactions for the following warehouse processes (examples):

  • Picking

  • Putaway

  • Loading

  • Unloading

  • Deconsolidation

  • Packing

  • Physical inventory

  • Replenishment

In the RF framework, both menu navigation and transaction navigation are supported on mobile devices.

The RF framework supports the following options for menu navigation to RF transactions:

1. Standard navigation:

   You choose the required menu item.

2. Direct navigation to transaction:

   You enter the number of the required menu item displayed in the Menu field.

3. Virtual navigation:

   This option enables "virtual" navigation between menus. You enter the numbers of all required menu items, including those not displayed on the current screen, but displayed on subsequent screens.

When in the screen for a particular logical transaction, you may be required to enter data, validate existing data, or a combination of both.

When data entry is required, the input field is open. Enter the data by scanning bar codes or typing. If you enter data manually, choose Enter.

After all input fields on the screen are filled in, one of the following actions occurs:

• If the Skip Shortcut indicator is set, the posting (for example, warehouse task (WT) confirmation) is triggered automatically.

• If the Skip Shortcut indicator is not set, you will automatically be redirected to the Shortcut field.

You can invoke functions by choosing the corresponding function key pushbutton, or entering the function key in the Shortcut field. Where necessary, you enter exception codes in the Shortcut field (for example, for differences).

Function keys are provided with the RF framework.

Standard function keys are not necessarily displayed in the function key line of an RF screen. Instead, they are accessed directly by the function key or shortcut. For touchscreen devices without function keys, they can also be displayed on the screen. This is a setting in the definition of the Presentation Device.

Transaction-specific function keys are displayed in the function key line. If more than four function keys or pushbuttons exist for a screen, > is displayed. You can then choose F5 to display the other pushbuttons.

The following sections present the most important objects and settings in the RF framework: RF Screen Manager, Presentation Device, Presentation Profile, RF Menu Manager, and Wizards.

The pick by voice (PbV) functionality in SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) supports voice-based picking and internal moves in the warehouse, independently of the RF picking transaction. It is based on the RF framework, the RF picking transaction, and the ITS template generator, Mobile Devices with Speech Input. It supports bar code scanning and voice-enabling.

The pick by voice transaction uses SAPGUI Dynpros whose fields have speech properties. From these Dynpros, the system generates HTML templates using the ITS HTML template generator Mobile Device with Speech Input. These HTML templates contain speech-specific tags that are interpreted by the web browsers on the device.

The system interprets speech input either as a field input value or as a command. All possible commands must be visible on the screen and represented by a button. The RF framework supports up to 16 buttons. You cannot assign commands to function keys.

To trigger a command, you must switch to command mode by saying the built-in keyword "Command". Alternatively, the system automatically goes into command mode if you make entries in all input fields.

Using the command "Okay" is equivalent to pressing Enter.

You can use the start transaction /SCWM/RFUI_PBV to start the RF framework, set a voice-enabling parameter, and start the PbV transaction directly. This transaction is not part of the SAP Easy Access screen. The Internet Communication Framework (ICF) service RFUI_PBV is linked to this start transaction.

The standard RF transactions require the verification of every single field. This is usually not necessary, as information might be redundant. When you are picking from a handling unit which is stored in the warehouse, it is probably not necessary to confirm the HU and the source bin - as you have confirmed the bin during putaway of the HU already. The fields you require to verify can be defined by a verification profile.

You can define as many verification profiles for your warehouse as you require; assigning the verification objects to each profile. Examples for the verification objects are as follows:

• Source storage bin
• Pick HU
• Quantity

Define the determination of the verification profile with any combination of the following fields:

• Warehouse Number
• Warehouse process type
• Process category:

  Process categories are for example, putaway, stock removal, or physical inventory

• Activity
• Activity area

In addition, you can distinguish between the general data entry (an RF device with screen and scanner) or voice recognition.

SAP EWM offers possibilities to improve performance during picking with RF. These are:

• Asynchronous Delivery Update:

  During pick warehouse task confirmation, the system also updates the corresponding outbound delivery order item. To improve the response time of the warehouse task confirmation step, the system can perform the delivery update asynchronously in a Remote Function Call (RFC) queue. You can activate asynchronous delivery update on the SAP Easy Access screen under Extended Warehouse Management → Settings → Performance Settings → Activate Asynchronous Delivery Update.

• Asynchronous Pick Warehouse Task Confirmation:

  To improve the response time of the warehouse task confirmation step, you can activate asynchronous pick warehouse task confirmation. With asynchronous pick warehouse task confirmation, the system presents the next RF screen before updating the database. You can activate asynchronous pick warehouse task confirmation on the SAP Easy Access screen under Extended Warehouse Management → Performance Settings → Activate Asynchronous RF Processing. The asynchronous pick warehouse task confirmation can fail if, for example, the Customizing settings for the storage type allow the available quantity to be a negative value. If custom code is used for the RF picking, it must be verified that the custom code works with this setting. The coding must be able to handle that database changes are not available immediately.

• Asynchronous Creation of Pick-Handling Unit Warehouse Tasks:

  The system creates the pick-handling unit (pick-HU) warehouse task from the resource to the destination bin when confirming the first pick warehouse task into the HU. To improve the response time of the warehouse task confirmation step, the system creates the pick-HU warehouse tasks asynchronously in an RFC queue. The path is the same as that for the Asynchronous Pick Warehouse Task Confirmation.

There are other settings available to improve RF performance:

• Switching Off Printing:

  Warehouse task printing and HU printing are called during warehouse task creation and warehouse task confirmation. The function modules call the Post Processing Framework (PPF) which reads the relevant Customizing and calls the schedule condition for all active PPF actions.

  The schedule condition checks whether the warehouse process type or the packaging material type has a determination procedure from the assigned condition technique. If there is one, the condition technique is called, and based on the result, the system determines whether or not to print. If you know that you do not want printing as part of this process, you can control whether or not the PPF is called. You can set the value for the field QUEUE_PRINT in the queue definition. The resource has as similar field (RSRC_PRINT).

• Switching Off Messages:

  With the RF framework, you can send messages from the warehouse management monitor to resources. However, checking for potential messages can reduce the system's performance. Therefore, you can turn messaging off on the SAP Easy Access screen under Extended Warehouse Management → Master Data → Resource Management → Deactivate Messages to Resources.

You can use combined picking in the radio frequency (RF) picking transaction to collectively pick warehouse tasks with the same attributes. By doing this, you can avoid the picker having to confirm the same source bin or source HU more than once during the processing of one warehouse order.

The warehouse tasks can be combined if they have the following matching attributes:

• Warehouse task attributes:

  • Source bin

  • Source HU

  • Pick-HU

• Stock attributes:

  • Stock key, for example, product, batch, party entitled to dispose, and so on

  • Alternative unit of measure

• The Warehouse task consolidation group is an optional attribute is the Warehouse task consolidation group.

You can use the standard exception codes in the RF picking transaction. The exception codes are applied to the combined warehouse tasks.

• Exception codes such as BIDU or BIDF can be used for full denial of the combined quantity. The system applies the full denial to all the warehouse tasks that were combined.

• When the quantity in the storage bin is lower than the combined quantity and you still want to perform combined picking, you can use exception codes such as BIDP to distribute the partial quantity among the combined warehouse tasks.

Example: You have three warehouse tasks for picking the same product from the same source location:

• Warehouse task 1: To pick 10 pieces of product A

• Warehouse task 2: To pick 8 pieces of product A

• Warehouse task 3: To pick 5 pieces of product A

A warehouse worker is asked to confirm the combined picking of 23 pieces of product A. However, there are only 15 pieces of product A in the source location. The warehouse worker can pick products even if the number of products is lower than the number specified in the system. The worker enters the BIDP exception code. The system performs the following pick confirmation:

• Warehouse task 1: 10 pieces Full Pick

• Warehouse task 2: 5 pieces Partial Pick

• Warehouse task 3: 0 pieces Full Denial

You can use the SPLT exception code to split the product quantity of the combined warehouse tasks into different quantities.

You can choose the F3 UnCom button to cancel the combination of warehouse tasks that were combined previously by the system.