If you do not know the storage location or batch number when you enter a goods issue, or if the required quantity is to be taken from various storage locations or batches, you can use the storage location and batch selection function.

• Storage location selection
• Batch selection

Depending on whether the material is handled in batches, either just the storage location selection list or the storage location and batch selection list are displayed.

The R/3 System can also use automatic functions to determine storage locations and batches:

• Stock determination
• Batch Determination

If the material is not handled in batches, the storage location selection list contains all of the storage locations at which the material is stored.

To display this list, enter * in the Storage location field for the item in question.

If the material is handled in batches, the selection list contains all of the batches of the material, with the respective storage location.

To display this list, enter * in the Storage location field. Alternatively, you can enter a storage location and enter * in the Batch field. The list is limited to batches belonging to the specified storage location.

You can sort the resulting list according to various criteria, as follows:

• By stock quantity, in ascending or descending order
• By the first in first out (FIFO) principle or by the last in first out (LIFO) principle (for batch list only)
• By the shelf life expiration date (for batch list only)

The system automatically proposes a distribution of the quantity to be withdrawn according to the selected sort criterion. You can still change the proposed distribution manually.

You can maintain the following values in the parameter ID MB_SORT as a specification for a sort criterion.

• ABST: Quantity in descending order
• AUFS: Quantity in ascending order
• FIFO: First in first out
• LIFO: Last in first out
• FIFV: Shelf life expiration date in ascending order
• LIFV: Shelf life expiration date in descending order

Enter * in the Storage location field for an item. If the material is handled in batches, you can, as an alternative, enter a storage location in the Storage location field and * in the Batch field.

The storage location selection list, or the storage location and batch selection list appears.

The quantity to be withdrawn is distributed in descending order by stock quantity: In the example, the system suggests distributing the requirement quantity.

To accept the proposed distribution, select Back. The system creates a goods issue item for every selected line of the list.

If you wish to distribute the quantity differently, you can do so manually or have the system propose a different distribution.

To distribute the quantity manually, proceed as follows:

1. Select the items (storage locations/batches) you want to process and deselect those that you do not want to use.
2. Enter the quantity for every item selected. Make sure you take the available stock (last column on the right) and the quantity to be distributed (Targ. qty field) into account.
3. Select Back to adopt the selected items as goods issue items.

To have the system create a new distribution proposal, proceed as follows:

1. Select Proposal and the desired sort criterion (for example, Quantity ascending).

A dialog box appears, in which you inform the system whether you want to keep the current distribution.

1. If you choose Yes only the items on the list are re-sorted. The system does not propose a redistribution of the quantity.
2. To have the system re-sort the items and propose a new distribution of the target quantity according to the new criterion, select no.
2. Select Back to adopt the selected items as goods issue items.