Procedure documentationEntering Inspection Results in the Warehouse

 

You use this procedure to record the results of an inspection carried out on returned goods in the warehouse. Based on these results, you can specify logistical follow-up.

Note Note

Inspection and logistical follow-up are one step in Advanced Returns Management. However, depending on the roles in your organization and the authorizations assigned to these roles, inspection and logistical follow-up may be performed by different people. The roles and authorizations are configured in Customizing for Advanced Returns Management using inspection profiles and user groups.

End of the note.

Prerequisites

  • The user in the plant to which the goods were returned has created the initial returns document (a returns order or returns stock transport order).

  • The user in the receiving warehouse has posted the goods receipt.

  • The system has created the necessary stock transfer documents (for example, outbound and inbound deliveries).

  • The goods have been physically inspected.

Procedure

On the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Start of the navigation path Logistics Next navigation step Central Functions Next navigation step Advanced Returns Management Next navigation step Returns Inspections Next navigation step Enter Material Inspections in the Warehouse End of the navigation path.

The selection screen for creating an inspections worklist appears.

Entering Inspection Results

  1. Select the returns delivery or deliveries for which you want to enter results by specifying your selection criteria.

    A list of all relevant deliveries appears in the navigation tree on the left with status icons indicating the current overall level of processing. You can now choose the required delivery.

    Note Note

    If you want to open a specific document, you can exit the selection screen, and then enter a delivery number, handling unit number or inspection number in the Header Type field. You can re-open the selection screen at any time by choosing Call Selection Screen (Call Selection Screen).

    End of the note.

    The system copies the basic delivery information to the inspection document (quantities, materials, returns reason, and so on).

    The inspection status of the document is automatically Not inspected and its LFU status is Open.

  2. Enter the inspection results at header or item level, depending on whether the results vary between the items.

    If you enter the results at header level, the system prevents you from entering results at item level and vice versa.

    You can enter the following information:

    • Inspected quantity in the base or sales unit of measure (UoM)

      The system proposes the original quantity in the delivery item as the inspected quantity. If the sales UoM is different to the base UoM, the system automatically calculates the base or sales UoM as appropriate.

    • Inspection code

      This allows you to indicate the quality of the returned material.

    • Inspection comment and attachment

      You can enter a comment and upload images, if necessary.

    • Inspector

    • Date of inspection

    Note Note

    You can also split items and enter different inspection results for subquantities.

    For more information, see Creating Inspection Splits.

    End of the note.

  3. Save the inspection results.

    The system updates the inspection status to Inspected.

You can change the inspection results at any time up until logistical follow-up has been confirmed. After that, you must follow the procedure described in Changing Inspection Results.

Specifying Logistical Follow-Up

  1. Select the returns delivery or deliveries for which you want to specify logistical follow-up (LFU).

  2. Based on the inspection results, specify all the necessary logistical follow-up information. The system may already have copied some or all of this information from the initial returns document (for example, customer returns order).

    • Follow-up activity

      This allows you to specify where you want to send the returned goods. For more information about the follow-up activities available, see Follow-Up Activities.

    • Next plant(s)

      If you select a follow-up activity that routes the returned goods through several plants, you can enter these other plants by choosing Multiple Selection (Multiple Selection).

    • Vendor

      Enter a vendor if you select a follow-up activity that sends the returned goods to an external vendor

    • Vendor RMA

      Enter the RMA number that was received from the vendor during customer returns order processing or returns purchase order processing.

      For more information, see Creating a Customer Return and Creating a Supplier Return.

    • Follow-up activity block

      You set this block if you want to prevent the confirmation of logistical follow-up and the automatic creation of follow-up documents. You might want to have the returned goods appraised externally before you decide what to do, for example. You can later search for deliveries with a follow-up activity block on the selection screen.

      Note Note

      If you set a follow-up activity block, the system sets the overall inspection status in the navigation tree to Blocked (Blocked). The status at header and item level is not affected.

      End of the note.

    • Refund code

      You select a refund code if you want to propose the amount to be refunded during returns refund determination.

    • Refunding after receipt of credit memo

      Select this indicator if you do not want a refund to be issued until internal credit has been received, either from another plant or an external vendor. This indicator does not prevent the creation of a credit memo request, but it can be used as the basis for selecting documents in returns refund determination.

      For more information, see Selecting Documents for Refunding.

  3. Save and confirm logistical follow-up.

    The system checks that:

    • An inspection code has been selected

      An inspection code must be entered before the final step of confirming logistical follow-up can be performed. If inspection information is not available, because the returned goods must be forwarded elsewhere for inspection, for example, then a provisional inspection code can be entered.

    • The inspected quantity is the same as the original quantity

    • All required LFU information has been specified

    Note Note

    If any of the required information is missing, you can save the document but it is not confirmed.

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    The system updates the LFU status of the inspection document to Confirmed and creates the follow-up documents for the selected follow-up activity (see Automatic Creation of Follow-Up Documents).

    If you subsequently need to change any inspection-related or LFU-related information, you must follow the procedure described in Changing Inspection Results.

    The system also ensures that stock movements are reflected correctly in the Warehouse Management System. For more information, see Integration into Warehouse Management System (WMS).

    Note Note

    To be able to confirm logistical follow-up, you must be authorized to confirm the selected follow-up activity. If you are only authorized to propose the activity, then the inspection document receives LFU status In process when you save it. An authorized user can subsequently generate a worklist of deliveries due for logistical follow-up as described above and confirm (or change) the proposed follow-up. See the example below.

    End of the note.

Result

The inspection is now complete. You can get an overview of the returns process and the documents created by choosing Returns Overview. For more information, see Returns Overview.

Example

The following is an example of how the task of inspection and logistical follow-up can be shared by two people with different authorizations. Two roles are involved: The inspector and the warehouse manager.

Inspectors physically examine returned goods and assign an appropriate inspection code. They are also authorized to make decisions regarding uncritical follow-up activities such as Transfer to Free Available Stock. However, they are authorized only to propose critical follow-up activities, such as scrapping, to the warehouse manager. The warehouse manger is responsible for checking, correcting and confirming proposed follow-up activities.

The inspector is assigned the following inspection profile:

Follow-Up Activities That Can Be Proposed

Follow-Up Activities That Can Be Confirmed

Transfer to Scrap

Transfer to Free Available Stock

Ship to Vendor

Ship to Other Plant

The warehouse manage is assigned the following inspection profile:

Follow-Up Activities That Can Be Proposed

Follow-Up Activities That Can Be Confirmed

Transfer to Free Available Stock

Transfer to Free Available Stock

Ship to Other Plant

Ship to Other Plant

Transfer to Scrap

Transfer to Scrap

Ship to Vendor

Ship to Vendor