Warehouse Management Guide 

Computer support for the organization and management of warehouses has become imperative for timely, effective processing of logistic requirements within a company. The SAP Warehouse Management (WM) application provides flexible, automated support to assist you in processing all goods movements and in maintaining current stock inventories in your warehousing complex.

WM supports warehousing processes by making it possible for you to

Selection Criteria

Although it is possible for you to manage warehouse inventories using the Inventory Management (IM) application component, the primary difference between managing stock in WM and in IM is that in IM, the system can only display the total stock of a material for a storage location. If a warehouse is small and easily manageable, then the use of IM may be sufficient to fulfill your needs.

WM, on the other hand, offers the capability to manage stock quantities in each individual storage bin in highly complex storage facilities. This means that, with WM, you can optimize the use of all storage bins, mix pallets belonging to several owners in randomly slotted warehouses and know exactly where a particular material is located in the warehousing complex at all times.

Integration

The Warehouse Management application is fully integrated into the SAP R/3 system. Transactions that are initiated in other SAP components result in corresponding tasks in WM which activate the actual physical transfers within the warehouse.

A few of these activities include:

Most activities that take place within WM are initiated in Inventory Management. For example, most goods receipts, goods issues and posting changes are initiated in IM and subsequently processed in WM.

WM is also interfaced to Sales and Distribution (SD) through the Shipping module to process delivery documents for both the integrated WM application and the decentralized WM system.

The WM interface to Quality Management (QM) allows warehouse administrators to track and manage inspection lots that are stored in the warehouse.

WM is also interfaced to the Production Planning (PP) system to assist in providing materials to supply areas in production.

Features

WM provides several features that support warehousing activities. These include the following:

Warehouse Structure

Goods Movements

Controlling

Inventory

With its inventory functions, WM ensures that book inventories in Inventory Management match the stock in the warehouse at any time. Because SAP components are fully integrated, you do not need separate interface programs between IM and WM.

Printing Tasks

Although it is possible to print material documents for each separate transaction in the warehouse, WM facilitates automatic flowthrough warehousing tasks that are virtually paperless.

Interface to External Systems

Lean WM

See also:

Using a Transfer Order as a Pick Order in Lean WM

R/2-R/3 Link

For users who already have the SAP R/2 System, it is possible to install the R/3 WM user interface so that WM functions can be carried out independent of the availability of the R/2 host system.

See also:

R/2-R/3 Link

Storage Unit Management

See also:

Storage Unit Management

Decentralized Warehouse Management System

See also:

Decentralized Warehouse Management System