Putaway Strategies 

Putaway strategies that are used by WM are used to optimize the storage of goods in the warehouse.

Overview of Putaway Strategies in WM

Strategy

The system searches

(Blank)

according to user entry

F

for a fixed storage bin

C

in the open storage section

I

for a storage bin that already contains stock

L

for the next empty storage bin in the storage section

K

near the picking bin

P

according to storage unit type (pallet)

B

in bulk storage

Q

based on a dynamic quant number

(user exit)

customer-defined strategy

 

To configure WM to use putaway strategies for your warehousing complex, see the corresponding sections under Strategies in the Warehouse Management IMG documentation.

Putaways

The system gets the information for the source and destination storage bins for a transfer into the warehouse as illustrated below.

Information About Putaways

When stock is put away in the warehouse, it generally is transferred from the interim storage area for goods receipts. Information about the source (interim storage type, interim storage section, and interim storage bin) is recorded in the transfer requirement or the system determines it from the WM movement type.

Storage Type Search

The system must now determine in which storage type the material should be put away. You define this information in the storage type search table. To make entries in this table, see the section on defining the storage type search sequence under Strategies in the Warehouse Management IMG documentation.

In the storage type search table, you can define a search sequence with up to ten storage types. (Make sure that you enter an E for putaway in the column Activity). This means that the system uses the search sequence for searching for a destination storage type. The storage type list is set up in a hierarchical form, that is, the system first searches for empty bins in the first storage type, then in the second storage type, and so on. The table entries that the system uses for this search depend on the movement type and/or the material being put away.

You can also group materials together by the storage type indicator so that the system uses the same search sequence and stores the group of materials in the same storage type or types. To implement this you define a:

Reference to Movement Type

Entries in the Ref column of the storage type search table influence storage type search according to movement type. To link specific movement types to reference column entries in the storage type search table, see the section on Defining movement type references under Strategies ®   Activate storage type search in the Warehouse Management IMG.

To link a movement type to a storage type search sequence, you enter a reference number in the Reference Type Search column of the table displayed. This same number will also appear in the Reference storage type search field for each movement type selected.

Access Optimization for Storage Type Search Strategies

When storage type indicators are used and several materials with different stock categories (such as special stock) exist, the number of entries in the storage type search table can become very large. To decrease the number of these entries, you can define an access strategy for the storage type search table using the access strategy table.

To define access strategies for the storage type search table, choose Access Optimization for Storage Type Search from the list of objects under Strategies ® Storage type search in the Warehouse Management Implementation Guide (IMG). For instructions on how to use this table, select online help for any of the fields displayed.

Hazardous Materials

You can also influence storage type search according to hazardous material storage classes and water pollution classes. For more information about this topic, see Stock Transfers and Replenishment.

Storage Bin Search

Once the storage type has been determined, the system then searches within the storage type to find an appropriate storage bin in which the material can be put away. To find a storage bin, the system uses a search strategy that has been defined for the storage type. For each storage type you can define a putaway strategy.

Regardless of the putaway strategy, there are two other factors that affect how the system searches for empty storage bins:

Both of these factors are independent of the strategy that is used for stock putaway. Both can be used with all putaway strategies with the exception of fixed bin strategy, for which storage sections cannot be used.

Storage Section Search

You can divide a storage type into several storage sections (see The Storage Section) in which various materials can be stored. You can use these storage sections, for example, to ensure that frequently used materials ("fast-moving" items) are stored in the front of the warehouse while seldom used materials ("slow-moving" items) are stored in the back of the warehouse. A storage type is divided into storage sections on the basis of storage bins. When you create a storage bin, you assign it to a storage section.

To set up the strategy for storage sections, see the section on activating storage section searches under Strategies in the Warehouse Management IMG documentation.

If storage section checking is active for the storage type, then the system searches in the storage type only for those empty storage bins in storage sections that have been allowed for the material being put away. When you are creating a transfer order and manually enter a storage bin, then the system checks whether the bin is in a storage section that is allowed for the material. You can also make an entry in customizing that permits you to override the section check for manual entries.

Storage Bin Type Search

In one storage type you may have storage bins of different sizes. The system then searches for a suitable bin that will accommodate a specific storage unit type for putaway. When you create a storage bin, you assign it to a storage bin type.

To set up the strategy for storage bin types, see the section Activating Storage Bin Type Search under Strategies in the Warehouse Management IMG documentation. In the table for assigning storage unit types to storage types, you can define up to ten storage unit types that can be accommodated in each storage type.

See also

Optional Storage Unit Type Check When Creating a Transfer Order.

Next you must assign the storage bin type to each storage unit type. In the storage bin type search table, you can define up to ten storage bin types that can be used for each storage unit type in a storage type.

As a final step, you must activate the storage unit type checking for a storage type.

The connection between a material and storage unit type checking is made in the material master record. (See Material Master Data) You can define up to three different palletization suggestions (storage unit type and number of units of material per storage unit type) for a material.

If storage unit type checking is active for the storage type, the system first determines if the storage unit type for the material can be put away in the storage type. Next the system searches for an empty storage bin in the first storage bin type that can accommodate the storage unit type. If the system does not find a suitable storage bin, it then looks in the second storage bin type, and so on. When you are creating a transfer order and manually enter a storage bin, then the system checks whether the bin belongs to one of the allowed storage bin types.

Customer-Defined Strategies

To use customer-defined strategies, you must select the User exit active field in the Putaway Control section of the appropriate storage type record. For instructions, see the section on Developing function extensions in the Warehouse Management IMG documentation.

Strategy Used for Storage Unit Management

Strategy Q is used in warehouses that are managed for storage units. For information about the use of this strategy, see Identification Points.

See also

Additional Factors that Affect Search Strategies