WM Interface to Inventory Management (IM)
The most important system component that is linked to WM is the Inventory Management (IM) application component. Most activities that take place within WM are initiated in IM.
Interim Storage Areas
The Inventory Management component communicates with WM through interim storage types.
When you process a goods receipt in IM that is posted to a WM-managed storage location, the quantity is automatically posted to an interim storage area (goods receipt area). When this happens, a quant is created in a storage bin in the interim storage area. Afterwards, WM posts the goods to a storage bin in the warehouse. This second step can take place automatically. This increases the total stock quantity in both IM and WM.
When you process a goods issue, the system posts a quantity to an interim storage area (goods issue area or shipping zone). This time, however, a quant with a negative quantity is created since the IM posting reduces the total stock quantity (see
It is through the interim storage areas that the stock quantities remain constant in both IM and WM. The total sum of the stock of all the WM storage areas for a warehouse number, both physical and logical, should always be identical to the sum of the stock in the IM storage location (see
Comparing Stock Quantities in WM and IM).How many interim storage areas do I need?
You need to decide how many and the types of interim storage areas to define and use. Generally, you need at least four:
The interim storage area for differences manages stock differences that occur during stock movements. Data pertaining to stock differences (such as overages, shortages, and damages) is kept in the interim storage area until the conditions that led to the differences are resolved. Stock differences are cleared with a difference posting from the WM interim storage area to the IM component. (See
Stock Differences)Additional Interim Storage Areas
You can also set up several interim storage areas for goods receipt and goods issue, depending on the requirements in your company. For example, you could define the following additional interim storage areas:
This would make it possible for you to keep a record of each of the different types of documents and compartments completely separate at the storage type level.
How do I define an interim storage area?
You define interim storage areas the same way you define any other storage type in WM. You use the Customizing application to set up the storage types for each warehouse. Then you define the characteristics for each storage type.
See also:
The Storage Type