The R/3 System does not provide special functions for carrying out physical inventory (for example, for generating barcode data). However, it does provide standardized business application interfaces (BAPIs) that enable you to interface with inventory software. The interfaces allow you

• To transfer the current asset inventory data from the R/3 System to non-SAP software
• To import the data from the physical inventory back into the R/3 System, and trigger any necessary postings

The procedure for carrying out your inventory with the help of non-SAP software could look like this:

1. First the non-SAP system receives an overview of the fixed assets in the R/3 System. It gets this overview by calling the BAPI BAPI_FIXEDASSET_GETLIST, which provides information on all fixed assets managed in one company code in the R/3 System, or a subset thereof (for example, all fixed assets at a given location).
2. Then you carry out the inventory using the non-SAP system. Depending on the various possible results of the inventory, there are several possible scenarios:

• The inventory results match the fixed assets data from the R/3 System. If this is the case, you can use the BAPI called BAPI_FIXEDASSET_CHANGE to update the inventory date in the asset master record.
• The results of the inventory are not the same as in the R/3 System. For example, an asset is at a location different from the one stored in the R/3 System. If this is the case, you can use the BAPI called BAPI_FIXEDASSET_CHANGE in order to make the necessary changes (for example, to change the location) in the asset master record.
• The inventory does not find the fixed asset. If this is the case, use the BAPI called BAPI_ASSET_RETIREMENT_POST in order to post a retirement on the basis of the results of the inventory.
• The inventory finds fixed assets that were not recorded at all in the R/3 System. Using the BAPI called BAPI_FIXEDASSET_CREATE you can create fixed assets in the R/3 System. After creating the asset, you can use the BAPI called BAPI_ASSET_ACQUISITION_POST to post the asset acquisition, or BAPI_ASSET_POSTCAP_POST to post a post-capitalization.

For each BAPI that creates a posting (acquisition, post-capitalization or retirement), there is a corresponding BAPI that carries out all of the same checks as for the posting, but does not create a document. One example is BAPI_ASSET_ACQUISITION_CHECK. You can use these check BAPIs to find incorrect postings before they are imported into the R/3 System.