Explaining Store Operations

You want to introduce SAP In-Store Merchandise and Inventory Management as a new POS solution in your company. Therefore you are gathering information about access possibilities, the user interface content, and the work environment.

You are interested in a POS solution that your store manager can use via different devices. They also want to work without being directly connected to the network or using laser scanning. They want to execute their logistics processes such as creating purchase orders, entering store orders and triggering a store physical inventory, depending on their role, in an easier way.

The business logic of the SAP solution for In-Store merchandising resides in the ERP system. Different user interfaces are built upon this logic and the following terms are used:

• In-Store Merchandise and Inventory Management (with Web-Dynpro) refers to the new store solution based on ABAP WebDynpro UI technology.
• In-Store Merchandise and Inventory Management - UI5 Apps are applications (SAP Fiori apps), which are developed once for different devices supporting HTML5.

In the Concept Store Merchandise and Inventory Processes with SAP Fiori 2.0, we will focus on the SAP Fiori apps available in the system.

The In-Store merchandising and Inventory Management functionality provides the store associates in operations, sales, and service areas with a set of functions to save time, achieve customer and employee satisfaction, and prevent lost sales. It provides worklists and functions that allow you to do the following:

• Manage purchase orders with distribution centers or external vendors.
• Manage customer orders at a service desk.
• View promotions and edit or confirm planned promotion quantities.
• View goods movement.
• Run mobile applications.

The following are advantages of using SAP Fiori 2.0:

• Lookup features give store associates the ability to answer nearly any question a customer might have about inventory, price, and product details.
• Perform in-store markdowns using sales price change function.
• Goods movement can be used by store associates to correct the inventory on the shelf or transfer products.
• With ad-hoc and planned counting, store associates can perform counting and ensure an accurate inventory.
• Receiving features give store associates the ability to post receiving from vendor or distribution center.
• Order product features give store associates the ability to order products by revising the order proposal, or to order products by entering a quantity into the order.

The figure shows 2 different SAP Fiori Launchpads.

The SAP Fiori Launchpad is the entry point to apps on mobile or desktop devices. It can be used as a mobile or desktop portal for In-Store Merchandising. Depending on the role, the user can choose from a wide array of ready-to-use apps from the SAP Fiori catalog as part of the Launchpad personalization.

Capabilities are:

• Role based and personalized work environment.

• Integrate solution and information.

• Embed SAP Fiori and non SAP Fiori standard apps into the launchpad.

• Select home store.

Customizing for the apps are possible under the menu path: SPRO → Logistics General → Store Operations - Instore Merchandise & Inventory Mgmt. → UI5 Apps.

All extensibility points via available BAdI's are listed under the node available for each app.

An extensive list of all available SAP Fiori apps can be accesses via the link: www.sap.com/fiori-apps-library.

The figure illustrates the complementing SAP Fiori Scope.

The following In-Store MIM applications are pre-configured in the SAP Fiori Business Catalog "Retail Store Associate – Content":

• Create Sales Order

• Customer creation via Business Partner

• Create Goods Receipt (to cover unplanned goods receipts)

• Create Goods Movement

• Maintain Purchase Order

• Maintain Promotion

• Create Physical Inventory Documents

• Post Physical Inventory Differences

• Create Stock Transfer Order

• Maintain Store

The figure illustrates the entry to SAP Fiori functions.

Some of the standard core functions are simplified and harmonized to look like SAP Fiori. You can embed the standard transactions that are simplified and are relevant for In-Store Merchandising into Launchpad.