Handling Units in Inventory Management (SAP Library - Handling Unit Management (LO-HU))

Handling Units in Inventory Management

Use

If you use the Inventory Management (MM-IM) component, you can use Inventory Management functions for goods movements involving handling units. The following goods movements are supported:

Goods receipts

Goods issues

Transfer postings

Stock transfers

When you post a goods movement in a storage location that is subject to handling unit management, the system creates a delivery. It does not create a material document. The goods issue is not valuated until the delivery is posted in Shipping (also refer to Goods Issue).

Prerequisites

Setting Up and Cancelling the HU Requirement in a Storage Location

To set up or cancel the handling unit requirement in a storage location, all the stocks in the storage location have to be posted out, so that the stock balances are zero for all materials. This also applies to special stocks that are managed at storage location level. After the handling unit requirement is changed, you can re-post the stocks to the storage location. You can define the handling unit requirement in Customizing for Handling Unit Management, in the step HU Requirement for Storage Locations and Default Values for Deliveries.

Creating a Delivery

To create a delivery in the Shipping (LE-SHP) application component, the following data must be maintained in the R/3 System (also refer to Creating Outbound Deliveries):

Plant data (sales organization, distribution channel, shipping point, and division)

The sales and distribution data in the material master record

The Customer field in the central vendor master record, as the vendor for shipping is also the customer

You can define the required plant data in Customizing for Handling Unit Management, in the step HU Requirement for Storage Locations and Default Values for Deliveries.

Features

You can use all the functions of Inventory Management, with the exception of the following:

Physical inventory in Inventory Management does not support Handling Unit Management.
When goods are received for a purchase order, you cannot subsequently enter a freight vendor that is different from the vendor. You can only enter a different freight vendor by changing the relevant purchase order.
When goods are received for a purchase order, you cannot create a purchase order automatically, as goods movements in a storage location with handling unit requirement are carried out using deliveries.
You cannot post a goods receipt with reference to an inbound delivery.
The EAN128 functionality is not supported.
Handling Unit Management is only supported for special stocks if the special stocks are managed at storage location level.

Partner Storage Location for Stock Transfers

If, in a storage location that is subject to handling unit management, you want to increase or decrease the stock of a handling unit by transferring stock, you can define another storage location as a partner storage location. The system then suggests this partner storage location any time you do not enter any other storage location. You configure this in Customizing for Handling Unit Management, in the step HU Requirement for Storage Locations and Default Values for Deliveries.