Resource Management in Warehousing as part of Warehouse Inbound Processing (scope item 3BR), allows you to use interfaces (APIs) for the development of customer-specific apps, for warehouse task processing on mobile devices. In addition, it enables you to manage your warehouse resources, such as a user or equipment that executes work in the warehouse. A resource is mandatory to process warehouse orders and tasks with the APIs.
 | |||
| SAP API Business Hub | Protocol | Documentation | Implementation |
| SAP API Business Hub (https://api.sap.com) is a catalog that can be used by the customer to browse and test released APIs. | These services are based on the OData protocol and can be consumed by external systems and user interfaces. | Well-documented APIs published in SAP Business Hub shall help customers and partners to adapt it faster. | Well-documented APIs published in SAP Business Hub shall help customers and partners to adapt it faster. |
The provided EWM API implements an "A2X" scenario for Business Objects warehouse orders and warehouse tasks.
The API enables users to process warehouse orders and warehouse tasks, and also enables the block of warehouse orders or prevents concurrent processing by different warehouse workers.
To monitor warehouse resources, a node has been added to the warehouse management monitor.
Published APIs enable open warehouse management, allowing partners and customers to access warehousing data on any device to process warehouse tasks, orders, or perform other resource management functions.
For example, the new API works with the mobile development kit in SAP Cloud Platform Mobile Services, empowering developers to build and customize rich, native, extensible mobile applications, and simplifying app lifecycle management.
The SAP Mobile Services Client is a native iOS application that derives its UI and business logic from JSON metadata, defined in a WebIDE-based editor. This metadata is provided to the client via the App Update service of Cloud Platform mobile services. The client connects to mobile services using an endpoint URL and other properties provided by the user, typically embedded in a custom URL sent via e-mail. The custom URL must start with sapmobilesvcs://. Upon connection, the client receives the app metadata and connects to one or more OData services, which can be securely stored locally for offline availability. The UI is implemented using the SAP Fiori framework. This app is generic, containing no predefined application definitions or data, and is only usable when securely connected to a mobile services instance.
Business Benefits
- Increase the efficiency of warehouse processes.
- Enable customers to manage warehouse resources.
- Optimize workload for a dedicated warehouse resource.
- Reduce additional work caused by paperwork.
Resource management in warehousing, provided by the API, enables the following functions:
- Use resource management for mobile warehouse execution.
- Integrate with mobile warehouse task processing.
- Implement customer-specific apps for mobile warehouse execution, for instance, via the SAP Mobile Development Kit.
Process Overview
For a graphical overview on the business process of the scope item Warehouse Inbound Processing (3BR), refer to the SAP Signavio Process Navigator as described in the lesson The Impact of Warehouse Management.
Resources
A resource is an entity representing a user or equipment that can execute work in the warehouse.
It can log on to a radio frequency (RF) or non-RF environment. Once the resource is logged on to the system, it can receive work for execution and it can be tracked and displayed in the warehouse management monitor.
A resource belongs to a resource type (a grouping of resources with similar technical or physical qualifications) and a resource group (a grouping of resources for queue assignment purposes).
Resource management maximizes the efficiency of warehouse processes by:
- Facilitating the management and distribution of work using queues
- Enabling the execution of work by resources in an RF and non-RF environment
- Optimizing the selection of warehouse orders for resources requesting work
- Enabling effective monitoring and controlling of resources
Assignment of Warehouse Orders to a Resource
Warehouse Orders (WOs) can be assigned to resources in RF and non-RF environments.
In an RF environment, WOs can be assigned manually or automatically. In a non-RF environment, WOs are assigned manually.
For automatic WO assignment to a resource, the WOs must belong to a queue to which the resource is assigned.
Queues
A queue is a logical file to which warehouse orders for processing are assigned. Queues define movements by which work in the warehouse is managed and assigned.
The management and distribution of work in the warehouse is accomplished by the assignment of resources and WOs to queues. In addition, a resource working within a particular operating environment may execute only those WOs that belong to a queue in the same operating environment.
Assignment to Queues
You can assign a resource to a specific queue or its resource group to a sequence of allowed queues. WO selection is first based on the resource’s assigned queue, and if none, on the resource group’s queue sequence.
When the system creates a warehouse task, it assigns an appropriate queue based on the following warehouse task parameters:
- Source activity area
- Destination activity area
- Bin access type
- Warehouse process type
- Activity
Resource Type and Resource Group
A resource type is a grouping of resources with similar technical or physical qualifications.
The resource type determines the following for its corresponding resources:
Applicability of position management:
Position management allows an RF device user to validate HUs by their position number instead of their HU number. This is especially useful when HU number tags are not easily accessible, such as when HUs are stacked.
- Qualifications and preferences (reflected by priority values) regarding bin access types and HU type groups.
A resource group is a collection of resources for queue assignment. It determines the sequence of allowed queues for its resources, influencing which warehouse orders are selected.
For system-guided processing, queues must be assigned to resource groups in the desired sequence. As WOs are selected from queues according to these sequences, this prioritizes WOs for the resource type.