Function documentationDifference Analysis

 

You use this function to analyze differences and to post them to the ERP system. The aim of posting differences is to reconcile stocks in the ERP system, and, in particular, in financial accounting. Differences can arise in the following processes:

  • Creating physical inventory documents

  • Confirming warehouse tasks (WTs)

  • Claims from sales orders

  • Claims from stock transfers

You analyze differences in the Difference Analyzer.

Integration

To be able to post differences to the ERP system, integration with the ERP system is necessary.

Prerequisites

  • You have defined priorities and reasons.

    For more information, see Customizing under Start of the navigation path Extended Warehouse Management Next navigation step Internal Warehouse Processes Next navigation step Physical Inventory Next navigation step Warehouse-Number-Specific Settings Next navigation step Reason and Priority End of the navigation path:

    • Define Priorities

    • Define Reason for Physical Inventory

    • Define Reason for Differences

  • You have defined tolerance groups for the Difference Analyzer.

    For more information, see Customizing under Start of the navigation path Extended Warehouse Management Next navigation step Internal Warehouse Processes Next navigation step Physical Inventory Next navigation step Warehouse-Number-Specific Settings Next navigation step Define Tolerance Groups Next navigation step Define Tolerance Group for Difference Analyzer End of the navigation path.

  • You have assigned each of your users to one of these tolerance groups.

    To do so, on the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Start of the navigation path Extended Warehouse Management Next navigation step Settings Next navigation step Physical Inventory Next navigation step Assign User to Tolerance Group for Difference Analyzer End of the navigation path.

Features

In the Difference Analyzer, differences are displayed at both a cumulative and individual level. The individual differences are given a link to the document that has caused the difference. At a cumulative level, differences with the same stock key are displayed in an aggregated way. In other words, they are displayed independently of the document and process in which they occurred. The aim of the cumulative display is to show the balance of the differences to reduce the number of postings to the ERP system (where possible, to zero), for example.

The following information, for example, is displayed in the Difference Analyzer:

  • Tolerance excesses

    The system indicates if the absolute difference value of the cumulative row exceeds the threshold value from the tolerance group for a difference.

  • Customs blocked stock

    The system indicates if the stock for a difference is in customs blocked stock. You can only post the difference if it balances with another difference from the customs blocked stock to make zero.

  • Serial number requirement

    The system indicates if a serial number requirement exists for a difference. In this case, you cannot post at cumulative level. For more information about the serial number requirement, see Serial Number.

  • Priority

    The priority of the document is displayed for each difference. At cumulative level, the highest priority is displayed.

  • Posting date

    The posting date specifies when you entered a difference. At cumulative level, the oldest posting date is displayed.

You have the following options, for example:

  • Lock differences

    If you first want to analyze a difference, for example, you can lock it to prevent another user from posting it. You can also enter a locking reason. When you release the difference again, the lock reason is kept for information purposes.

    When you lock a difference at detailed level, you also automatically lock the cumulative row.

  • Enter notes

    When you enter a note at detailed level, you automatically see at cumulative level that a note exists.

Status

The Difference Analyzer uses the following statuses:

  • Red traffic light: posting is not possible.

  • Green traffic light: posting is possible.

  • Yellow traffic light: posting is possible with a warning.

At detailed level, the traffic light is green if all the following conditions are met:

  • No tolerance has been exceeded.

  • You have not locked a difference.

  • No stock is in customs blocked stock.

As soon as one or more of these conditions is no longer met, the traffic light for the relevant difference is red.

At cumulative level, the traffic light is green if all the following conditions are met:

  • The balance does not exceed the tolerance.

  • You have not locked a difference.

  • The stock in customs blocked stock balances to make zero.

  • There are no serial number requirements with the attribute C (Serial Number Requirement in Inventory Management).

You can influence this overall status with a customer-specific status (customer status). If, for example, the customer status turns yellow, the overall status also turns yellow (if it is not already red due to other conditions). You set the customer status in the Business Add-In (BAdI) Set Customer Status (/SCWM/EX_PI_SET_STATUS). If you have not implemented this BAdI, the customer status is always green.

Correct

You can only correct differences that arose in the physical inventory. Moreover, you can only correct differences at detailed level.

Example Example

During the physical inventory for a storage bin in which 31 pieces of a product should be found, you have only counted 30 pieces and have therefore entered 30 pieces as the quantity counted. Later on, you are informed that two pieces are missing and not just one. You correct the difference from one piece to two pieces. The system creates an additional physical inventory document with the quantity counted of 29 pieces and the book quantity of 30, and automatically posts this document. In the total, you then get the required difference of two pieces.

End of the example.
Post Differences to ERP System

You can also post one or more cumulative differences or differences at detailed level to the ERP system. In the ERP system, a material document is created automatically that reflects the goods movement in Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) in the ERP system. You can no longer see the stock in the Difference Analyzer.

Caution Caution

To avoid short dumps in case of posting differences of several products in one mixed HU, we recommend to post single differences at cumulative level, or to post multiple differences at detailed level.

End of the caution.

Activities

To call the Difference Analyzer, on the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Start of the navigation path Extended Warehouse Management Next navigation step Physical Inventory Next navigation step Difference Analyzer End of the navigation path.

Note Note

When you enter a new warehouse in the Difference Analyzer, you must perform the search again to update the display.

End of the note.

To schedule the posting of differences to the ERP system as a background job, on the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Start of the navigation path Extended Warehouse Management Next navigation step Physical Inventory Next navigation step Periodic Processing Next navigation step Post Differences to ERP System End of the navigation path.