Introducing Quality Management in Warehousing

Integration of Quality Management Processes

SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition integrates warehouse management with quality management, allowing you to handle quality tasks according to warehouse structures and requirements. For instance, it supports and executes the posting of goods to blocked stock and subsequent posting activities within warehouse management.

This feature lets you inspect products from production or external suppliers before the warehouse putaway, for example. You can also record usage decisions for partial lots, such as when only some items in the inspection lot meet quality standards. This feature leverages the quality management and warehouse management components of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.

Diagram depicts the physical activity or movement of goods through activity areas in the warehouse. Goods received via supplier inbound delivery or production goods receipt can be moved to the clarification zone for quality management inspections. Here, handling units can be unpacked, inspected, and repacked, either in part or in full, before approved goods are moved to their designated storage bin.

This process allows you to inspect products delivered from external suppliers and production before being putaway in the warehouse.

The process starts with creating a purchase or production order and an inbound delivery relevant for processing in the warehouse.
When the goods arrive at the warehouse, the delivery is checked, and the products might be packed into handling units as required.
Afterward, the goods receipt is posted and warehouse tasks are created to execute the movements to the clarification zone.
At goods receipt posting, the system creates an inspection lot and changes the stock type to quality stock.
A quality technician inspects the delivered goods and records the inspection results.
Based on these inspection results, the quality engineer makes a usage decision.
It is also possible to record usage decisions for partial lots.
At the end of the process, you create ad-hoc warehouse tasks to move the accepted products to a final storage bin.
The rejected products stay in the clarification zone for further processing.

Business Benefits

Receive products from different sources, with a complete quality inspection, before storing them in your warehouse.
Receive products from production, with a complete quality inspection, before storing them in your warehouse.
Profit from the seamless integration between quality and warehouse management.
Capture the usage decision of the quality technician in the clarification zone.
Make use of partial quantity decisions.
Store products based on the quality inspection result.
Control and record movements of products and handling units in the warehouse.
Map your warehouse complex in the system down to the storage bin level.
Improve visibility and control in warehouse operations.

Process flow showing the system activity, which tracks and records the movement and status of goods throughout the Quality Management in Warehousing process. These are fully explained in the body text following this diagram.

Key Process Flows

The process consists of the following main steps:

Create handling units and print labels (optional):
If the product to be processed during quality inspection is part of a multistep quality management process or is shipped on handling units (HUs) for warehouse storage, a handling unit must be created first. Typically, HU labels are printed simultaneously for further processing.
Post goods receipt:
After the vendor delivers the goods to the warehouse and the products and handling units are unloaded, the goods receipt must be posted in the warehouse via the EWM system. This can be done by confirming the unloading task or manually by the user. Once the goods receipt is posted in EWM, it is also posted in inventory management.
Create inspection lot (system step):
Upon posting the goods receipt, the system checks if the item is relevant for quality management based on the inspection rule and material master. If so, the EWM system triggers the posting into the quality inspection stock and creates an inspection lot in the quality management (QM) component.
Create warehouse tasks to move products to the clarification zone and print warehouse task lists:
Th quality inspection activities take place in another area in the warehouse. Therefore, you first have to create warehouse tasks so the warehouse worker can move the products to the clarification zone where the QM activities occur. Optionally, printing the warehouse task lists in a paper-driven environment is possible.
Confirm warehouse tasks:
The worker assigned to move the handling unit with one or more products to the clarification zone does so based on the warehouse order.
Record inspection results:
The quality inspection specialist performs QM activities in the clarification zone and records results and findings. Based on these findings and possible errors, the inspection lot may be accepted or rejected in the usage decision.
Make usage decision:
The essential part of the quality management process relevant to warehouse activities is the usage decision. The quality inspection specialist accepts or rejects the inspection lot based on inspection results, findings, and possible errors. The EWM system then decides if the goods are posted to unrestricted use and stored or moved to blocked stock, where they might be sent back to the supplier or scrapped (for example, when coming from production).
Repack handling units (optional):
Based on the quality inspection process and results, repacking of handling units might be required. For example, some products might be in good condition for putaway, while others might need to be returned to the supplier. They may need to be separated if both were originally in the same handling unit.
Create ad-hoc warehouse tasks from clarification zone to final bin and print warehouse task lists:
If the goods pass the quality inspection, they can be stored in the warehouse. An ad-hoc warehouse task is created to move the goods from the clarification zone to the final bin in the regular storage type, and the warehouse task list is printed if necessary.
Confirm warehouse tasks:
The warehouse task is assigned to another warehouse worker via a warehouse order. The warehouse worker stores the products in the warehouse in the final bin and confirms the warehouse tasks and warehouse orders.

For a graphical overview of the business process of the scope item Quality Management in Warehousing (3M0), refer to the SAP Signavio Process Navigator as described in the lesson The Impact of Warehouse Management.

Run Simulations to Check the System Behavior

Use the following simulations to guide you through the main process steps for running quality management in warehousing.

ExerciseStart Exercise

Business Roles and SAP Fiori Apps

The following SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition business roles are used for this scenario:

Purchaser
Receiving Specialist
Warehouse Clerk (EWM)
Warehouse Operative (EWM)
Quality Technician
Quality Engineer

Process Step	User Role	SAP Fiori App
Create purchase order	Purchaser	Manage Purchase Orders
Create inbound delivery	Receiving Specialist	Inbound Deliveries for Purchase Orders
Create handling unit	Warehouse Clerk (EWM)	Change Inbound Deliveries - Deliveries
Post Goods Receipt
Create Warehouse Tasks
Confirm Warehouse Tasks	Warehouse Operative (EWM)	Confirm Warehouse Tasks
Record inspection results	Quality Technician	Record Inspection Results
Make usage decision	Quality Engineer	Record Usage Decision
Repack handling units	Warehouse Clerk (EWM)	Pack Warehouse Stock
Create ad hoc warehouse tasks	Warehouse Clerk (EWM)	Create Product Warehouse Task
Confirm warehouse tasks	Warehouse Operative (EWM)	Confirm Warehouse Tasks