Work-in-Process (WIP) Batch

Purpose

The WIP batch is a batch that you can create for a production order and for a process order to document the properties of a material during the manufacturing process (e.g. after individual worksteps). It also represents a link between input batches and goods receipt batches.

Use

You can use the WIP batch in manufacturing not only to document the steps in production on a quantity basis (confirmations) but also to record the current properties of the material that is to be produced.

Furthermore, the WIP batch ensures that end-to-end batch tracing is possible, because with this function the system can automatically record n:m relationships between input and goods receipt batches.

Prerequisites

You will find information on the necessary settings for WIP batch management under Prerequisites for WIP Batch Management .

Features

For WIP batches, the value WIP Batch is entered in the Batch Type field in the batch master record.

A WIP batch can only be created in the confirmation for an operation or phase. Batches created outside the confirmation transaction cannot be used as WIP batches.

You create WIP batches at operation or phase level. In the batch where-used list, the operation or phase is displayed for a WIP batch.

You can only use a WIP batch in the production or process order for which you have created the WIP batch.

You can create a WIP batch for the header material of the production order, the material of a co-product, or the original batch reference material (OB reference material) if you have defined an original batch reference material for the corresponding material.

You can book the stock of WIP batches into the warehouse and valuate it according to the planned costs (see Inventory Management for WIP Batches and WIP Batches: Inventory Valuation ).

When you process a WIP batch (copy, split, or merge), new WIP batches are created at the next-highest WIP batch level. WIP batches that contain the current properties of the material to be manufactured and are located at the uppermost WIP batch level are termed WIP batches of the highest level. As a rule, you can only process these WIP batches further using WIP batch management functions.

Note Note

If you wish to document the properties of the material for each operation or each phase, you must create new WIP batches for each operation or phase. Otherwise you can adjust the characteristic values of the WIP batches in accordance with current properties.

End of the note.
Item WIP Batches

After the production of a material has been completed, you must assign the WIP batches of the highest level to an order item. These assigned WIP batches are also referred to as item WIP batches.

You can also define any WIP batch of a production order as an original batch (see also Original Batches in WIP Batch Management ).

Archiving Production Orders with WIP Batches

When you archive a production order for which you have generated WIP batches and set a deletion flag for it, the system also sets a deletion flag for the WIP batches. Exceptions are original batches that came into being in WIP batch management.

When the production order has been archived, all WIP batches for which the deletion flag has been set are physically deleted from the system at the time of the next reorganization of batches. Such deleted WIP batches cannot be reimported into the system.

Archiving of WIP Batch Where-Used Records

When production and process orders are archived and deleted, the associated WIP batch where-used lists acquire a deletion flag. After this, this WIP batch where-used data can be archived with the aid of the archiving object PP_WIPCHVW and then deleted from the database.

Note Note

The WIP batch master records are not deleted with archiving object PP_WIPCHVW.

End of the note.
WIP Batches and Documentary Batches

You can use WIP batches and documentary batches together in a system.

When entering time tickets, however, you cannot simultaneously use both WIP batches and documentary batches. If the documentary batch functionality has been activated, the system checks whether the order header material, the reference material, or the order components are subject to a documentary batch requirement when the confirmation function is invoked. If a material is subject to a documentary batch requirement, the confirmation transaction is terminated.

The same check is carried out when the material is specified in the Goods Issue area.

Integration

Automatic goods receipt, backflushing, and milestone confirmation are not possible for production orders subject to WIP batch management.

WIP batches are displayed in the Batch Information Cockpit. Furthermore, partial lots can be created for WIP batches and all subsequent quality certificates generated. In the confirmation transaction and in the production order, a where-used list specially designed for WIP batches and a target/actual comparison for the characteristics of the WIP batches are available.

Example

Two rolls of green fabric are to be produced for production order 1000185. The production process consists of three operations: weaving, dyeing, and cutting. After each operation, the current properties of the fabric are documented in WIP batches:

  1. In operation 10 a roll of undyed fabric was produced. Its properties (length, width, and color) are recorded in WIP batch 185_01.

  2. In operation 20, this roll of fabric is dyed green. The new properties of the roll are documented in WIP batch 185_02. (You can also record the new properties in the WIP batch 185_01.)

  3. In operation 30, the roll of fabric is divided into two smaller rolls, one of 20m and the other of 80m. For this reason, the WIP batch 185_02 is split into two WIP batches: 185_03_1 and 185_03_2. The properties of the finished product are recorded in these two WIP batches.