Integration of PPF and the Condition Technique 

Use

Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) uses the Post Processing Framework (PPF) to specify whether PPF is able to perform a PPF action (for example, printing a warehouse order) and which details (such as the printer) PPF should take into account when performing the PPF action.

Within the PPF, EWM calls determination of the condition technique in order to find the appropriate condition records for performing a PPF action.

Prerequisites

You have made the Customizing settings for PPF:

●      You have defined the PPF action definitions with the relevant processing types.

In Customizing for the PPF action definition, you have defined the following data:

○       Processing time

○       Scheduling

○       Determination technique

○       Rule type

○       Action merging

●      You have specified the PPF conditions for the defined PPF action definitions.

You have made the Customizing settings for the condition technique.

●      You have defined condition tables.

In Customizing, you have defined your condition tables from the field catalog, which SAP delivers. You have selected fields from the field catalog as key fields. These fields represent the condition under which the condition technique finds the condition record. If a data record transferred by EWM matches your key fields, then condition technique finds the matching condition record.

●      In Customizing, you have defined condition types , and therefore the access sequence to the condition tables to search.

●      In Customizing, you have assigned your condition types to the relevant determination procedures.

The determination procedure specifies the conditions that you permit for determining data (such as, printer, form type) and specifies the sequence (access sequence) in which condition technique are to consider them.

●      In Customizing, you have defined the condition maintenance group.

You need the condition maintenance group to create condition records. The condition maintenance group specifies the condition tables and therefore the key fields.

●      You have defined the logical conditions that you want to use in the condition records.

Features

The PPF is the framework for controlling scheduling and execution.

PPF specifies the following in scheduling, using the condition technique:

●      Whether it should print a warehouse order or warehouse task, using the condition record that was found using the PPF action name

●      The SAP Smart Form that it should use to print a warehouse order or warehouse task

●      The printer that it should use to print a warehouse order or warehouse task

●      Spool parameters

●      Number of copies

For more information about the structure and Customizing for PPF, see the SAP Library under SAP NetWeaver Components ® SAP Web Application Server ® Basis Services/Communication Interface (BC-SRV) ® SAP Communication: Configuration (BC-SRV) ® Business Workplace and Services (BC-SRV-OFC  ® Generic Business Tools for Application Developers (BC-SRV-GBT) ® Post Processing Framework (BC-SRV-GBT).

Activities

PPF is always called from:

●      Warehouse order creation

●      Warehouse task confirmation

●      Transfer order confirmation

●      Warehouse task confirmation

●      The functions for creating, changing, and deleting handling units

You have no influence on these calls. However, from the warehouse management monitor, choose Print or Repeat Print to trigger the process manually from the warehouse order, warehouse task, or handling unit.

●      As soon as EWM has all the data for the warehouse order, it automatically calls PPF at the end of warehouse order creation.

●      EWM transfers the data (for example, which goods should be moved and to where) to PPF.

●      PPF triggers the determination that returns a PPF action as a result.

SAP has defined a PPF action for each form type (for example, print warehouse order list, print warehouse order single form).

●      The PPF action is linked to a schedule condition (BAdI), which PPF uses to check whether the current action requested by EWM (for example, printing a warehouse order) can be performed.

○       In the schedule condition, the PPF calls determination in the condition technique. Depending on your Customizing settings, the determination returns the relevant condition records to PPF.

○       If a logical condition is stored in the condition record, PPF checks this condition.

○       If the schedule condition applies, PPF performs the action at the time you have specified in Customizing for PPF.

When performing the action, PPF calls the relevant BAdI, which in turn calls the function module for printing the SAP Smart Form.

○       If the schedule condition does not apply, PPF is not permitted to perform the action. PPF notifies EWM, which then displays a relevant message.

For more information about the structure and Customizing for Post Processing Framework, see the SAP Library under SAP NetWeaver Components ® SAP Web Application Server ® Basis Services/Communication Interface (BC-SRV) ® SAP Communication: Configuration (BC-SRV) ® Business Workplace and Services (BC-SRV-OFC  ® Generic Business Tools for Application Developers (BC-SRV-GBT) ® Post Processing Framework (BC-SRV-GBT).

Example

●      You define two condition records:

○       Condition record 001 for the warehouse process type 9999 for an internal stock transfer for activity area 0010 with the logical condition WFB01 (from source storage type 001A to destination storage type 001B)

○       Condition record 002 for the warehouse process type 9999 for an internal stock transfer for activity area 0010 with the logical condition WFB01 (from source storage type 001A to destination storage type 001C)

Condition Record	Warehouse Process Type	Activity Area	Printer	Form	Spool	Logical condition	PPF action
001	9999	0010	PRINT01	FORM01	01	LC01	WO_SINGLE
002	9999	0010	PRINT02	FORM02	02	LC02	WO_SINGLE
003	9999	0010	PRINT01	FORM03	01	LC01	WO_MULTIPLE
004	9999	0010	PRINT02	FORM04	02	LC02	WO_MULTIPLE

●      EWM creates the warehouse order and transmits the following warehouse order data to the PPF.

○       Warehouse process type 9999

○       Activity area 0010

○       Source storage type 001A

○       Destination storage type 001B

●      PPF has created several PPF action definitions for printing warehouse order documents (for example, WO_SINGLE and WO_MULTIPLE).

●      For each PPF action definition, the PPF checks the schedule condition.

●      Using the data, in the schedule condition PPF triggers determination in the condition technique for the PPF action definition WO_SINGLE.

●      The determination finds the condition records 001, 002, 003, and 004, which correspond to the data transmitted.

●      The condition records 003 and 004 are not relevant for this PPF action definition. They are only evaluted for the PPF action definition WO_MULTIPLE.

●      After checking the logical condition (LK01 for condition record 001, and LK02 for condition record 002), condition record 001 is left over, since the logical condition in this condition record is fulfilled.

●      Since the system has found a valid entry, the PPF schedule condition is fulfilled. The system saves the results fields from the condition record (for example, printer, form) and uses these later during execution in the PPF method for printing. The system prints SAP Smart Form form FORM01 on printer DRUCK01 using the spool parameters 01.