Merchandise Distribution: Customizing Settings
Use
If you want to use Merchandise Distribution, you need to make special Customizing settings. These are described in brief below.
You make these settings in the merchandise distribution section of Customizing for general logistics.
This profile controls the adjustment and subsequent processing for merchandise distribution for a single site.
Here, you define for each processing method how distribution is to be adjusted in the case of an overdelivery or underdelivery. SAP Retail uses function modules for this and offers standard processes in function group WFR4. However, you can also include non-standard processes by assigning a function module you have created.
In this profile, you can enter default values for controlling merchandise distribution in a distribution center. You can assign the processing method and adjustment profile, for example.
Here, you must enter the warehouse management movement type intended for merchandise-driven flow-through for each warehouse number. You must create a new movement type for merchandise-driven flow-through (see Customizing settings for Shipping). This movement type is then entered in the distribution order during distribution order generation.
Customizing Settings for Allocations
If you plan merchandise distribution using an allocation table, you are advised to use the settings for the item type of the allocation table, which you can make in the Allocation Table in Purchasing.
Here you configure the system so that the processing method is determined from the master data. This enables dynamic determination of the processing method.
If you specify that deliveries are to be created as allocation table follow-on documents, the following restrictions apply for merchandise distribution:
You should set the distribution data indicator so that distribution data is always generated.
Customizing Settings for Inventory Management
You make these settings in the Materials Management section under Inventory Management and Physical Inventory. You should set up goods receipts so that the "Delivery completed" indicator is set automatically at goods receipt. If the "Delivery completed" indicator is not set, an entry in the distribution data is not flagged as completed after subsequent processing.
Customizing Settings for Availability Checks
You make these settings in the Sales and Distribution section under Basic Functions. You cannot use the blocking concept "Article block at article/site level" for availability checks based on ATP logic during the generation of deliveries for a merchandise distribution. You have to use the blocking concept "Article block with quantity transfer" instead. The result in real terms is the same. You therefore make the following settings:
Deactivate the block for the checking groups concerned and the calling program delivery.
Activate the article block for the availability check with quantity transfer for the checking groups concerned.
Customizing Settings for Shipping
You make these settings in the Logistics Execution section under Shipping.
If you want to distribute merchandise using merchandise-driven flow-through, you must manage the storage location used for this in Lean WM. For this, you must make all the basic settings for Lean WM in Customizing for Shipping (see IMG). The following settings are required for merchandise distribution:
A storage type must be maintained for merchandise distribution. You are advised to use a separate storage type for merchandise-driven flow-through. Confirmation must be required for this storage type. You use this storage type as the planned picking storage type for the movement type and/or controls for assignment of site/storage location/warehouse number.
You must create a separate movement type for merchandise-driven flow-through. You must maintain the destination storage type for this movement type, but you must not enter a source storage type, a source storage bin or a destination storage bin.
In addition, you must assign transfer type "Pick" and deselect the indicator that forbids manual inclusion of transfer orders. Immediate confirmation must not be possible.
Here, you must set the level for warehouse management to
The same storage location should be determined at goods receipt and goods issue. As a result, you are advised to have the same settings for picking location determination in Customizing for Shipping (Logistics Execution) and storage location determination for goods receipt. You must ensure that determination rule RETA is used for picking location determination.
When goods are received for a site, you are advised to use a different storage location for each processing method. You can set storage location determination under Controls in site master Customizing. You can enter the default values for the storage locations here.
To improve system performance, sales orders are no longer updated when a collective purchase order is created. Instead, the system checks in the following functions whether the sales order item concerned can be found in a merchandise distribution:
In this case, the item is no longer due for shipment and is no longer processed by the functions named. If there are no more items due for shipment after a collective purchase order has been created, then the sales order is deleted in its entirety from the delivery due list. You must ensure that when the system checks whether a delivery due index is to be created for a sales order, a FORM routine is run that checks whether the sales order items concerned are in a merchandise distribution.
Proceed as follows:
In the standard SAP System, you use FORM routine 108 (Delivery Due Date). Only enter this FORM routine if you use the collective purchase order in conjunction with sales orders. This is because using the FORM routine would otherwise restrict system performance unnecessarily, especially when processing a delivery due list (VL04 and VL10*).
Customizing Settings for Consumption-Based Planning
In Customizing for Materials Management, you can define planning areas under consumption-based planning and master data. For merchandise distribution you are advised to define no more than one planning area per site.
Other Settings
If you use the availability check for transfer documents (sales orders or warehouse orders), you should take account of the replenishment lead time in the check.