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Allow Negative Stocks

In this step, you specify whether negative stocks are allowed for unrestricted-use stockin the valuation area, in the plant, and in the storage location.

Negative stocks are necessary, for example, when goods issues are entered for organizational reasons prior to the corresponding goods receipts and the material is already physically located in the warehouse.

Once the goods receipts have been posted, the book inventory balance must again correspond to the physical stock, that is, the book inventory balance may no longer be negative.

Negative stocks are always a sign that physical movements must be be entered in the system at a later stage.

Example

1000 pieces of a material are delivered. Due to lack of time, the goods receipt is not yet entered in the system.
Physical stock: +1000 pieces
Book inventory balance: 0 pieces

The material is needed urgently and 100 pieces are withdrawn from the warehouse. The goods issue is entered in the system straightaway.
Physical stock: +900 pieces
Book inventory balance: -100 pieces

At the end of the day, a goods receipt is posted for 1000 pieces.
Physical stock: +900 pieces
Book inventory balance: +900 pieces

Note

Negative stocks are allowed for special stocks if negative stocks have been activated in the valuation area and for the special stock concerned in the plant. You do not have to activate negative stocks in the material master record for each special stock.

Standard Settings

In the default setting, negative stocks are not allowed.

Activities

Check whether negative stocks are needed in your company. If so, proceed as follows:

1. Set the indicator Neg. stocks allowed in the valuation areas in question. (A valuation area can be a plant or a company code, depending on the configuration.)
2. Choose a valuation area and specify per plant whether negative stocks are allowed for special stocks.
3. Choose a plant and specify in which storage locations of the plant negative stocks are allowed.
4. Save your settings.
5. Afterwards, you must change the plant data of all materials for which negative stock balances are allowed. The indicator for negative stocks is contained in the storage data of the material master record.