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Process documentationTransportation Cross-Docking (TCD)

 

Transportation cross-docking (TCD) supports the transportation of handling units (HUs) across different distribution centers or warehouses, up to the final place of destination. Examples for this are to switch the means of transport, to consolidate multiple deliveries to new transports, or to process export activities centrally. If the final place of destination is a distribution center or warehouse at the customer site, a sales order in SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM) forms the basis for TCD. However, you can also use TCD to transport HUs to your own final warehouse. In this case, a stock transfer order forms the basis for TCD.

Note Note

For more information about the complete process for stock transfer orders in SAP ERP, see the SAP Help Portal under Start of the navigation path http://help.sap.comInformation published on SAP site Next navigation step SAP ERP Next navigation step SAP ERP Central Component Next navigation step Logistics Next navigation step Logistics - General (LO) Next navigation step Service Parts Management (LO-SPM) Next navigation step Transportation Cross-Docking Next navigation step Process Flow for Stock Transfer Orders End of the navigation path.

For more information about the complete process for sales orders in SAP CRM, see the SAP Help Portal under Start of the navigation path http://help.sap.comInformation published on SAP site Next navigation step SAP ERP Next navigation step SAP ERP Central Component Next navigation step Logistics Next navigation step Logistics - General (LO) Next navigation step Service Parts Management (LO-SPM) Next navigation step Transportation Cross-Docking Next navigation step Process Flow for Sales Orders End of the navigation path.

End of the note.

When you pick a TCD-relevant HU, Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) uses a stock removal HU-warehouse task (stock removal HU-WT) to update both the corresponding inbound delivery and the corresponding outbound delivery order simultaneously.

In EWM, you can use the warehouse management monitor to display the TCD-relevant inbound deliveries and outbound delivery orders for the warehouse in which you are currently working. The monitor only gives you information about the current process status. However, the Transportation Cross-Docking Monitor in SAP ERP gives you an overview of the complete process that has already run up to that point. For more information, see the SAP Help Portal under Start of the navigation path http://help.sap.comInformation published on SAP site Next navigation step SAP ERP Next navigation step SAP ERP Central Component Next navigation step Logistics Next navigation step Logistics - General (LO) Next navigation step Service Parts Management (LO-SPM) Next navigation step Transportation Cross-Docking Next navigation step Monitor for Transportation Cross-Docking End of the navigation path.

Restrictions

The following restrictions apply:

  • TCD does not support returns.

  • If you use nested mixed pallets in TCD, a subordinate HU can contain either TCD-relevant delivery items only, or non-TCD-relevant delivery items only.

  • In a supply chain in TCD, only the final place of destination can be located domestically.

  • With transportation integration, outbound deliveries and outbound delivery orders that are relevant for transportation planning in SAP ERP are not relevant for transportation cross-docking in EWM.

To use transportation integration, you must activate the business function EWM, Integration with Transportation (SCM_EWM_TRANS_INT_1).

Prerequisites

SAP ERP

For a description of the prerequisites in SAP ERP, see SAP Library for SAP ERP Central Component under Start of the navigation path SAP ERP Central Component Next navigation step Logistics Next navigation step Logistics - General (LO) Next navigation step Service Parts Management (LO-SPM) Next navigation step Transportation Cross-Docking End of the navigation path.

EWM

  • You have performed Customizing for Route Determination with the Routing Guide and defined CD routes. For more information, see Route Determination and Cross-Docking Routes.

  • As standard procedure, EWM calls SAP Global Trade Services (SAP GTS) in the TCD process for each outbound delivery order or each outbound delivery in the supply chain. You can deactivate this call for all outbound delivery orders or for outbound deliveries in Customizing for each document type. The check criterion is the existence of a final ship-to party, meaning EWM only calls SAP GTS for a document type if no final ship-to party has been specified. For more information, see Customizing for EWM under Start of the navigation path Cross-Process Settings Next navigation step Cross-Docking (CD) Next navigation step Planned Cross-Docking Next navigation step Basic Settings for Transportation Cross-Docking (TCD) End of the navigation path.

  • You have defined separate document types and warehouse process types where required.

    Recommendation Recommendation

    If you want to work more quickly with TCD-relevant inbound deliveries, for example, if you want to search for TCD-relevant inbound deliveries, we recommend that you define separate document types and warehouse process types for TCD in Customizing. EWM can use TCD-relevant document types to find TCD-specific warehouse process types.

    For more information, see Customizing for EWM under Start of the navigation path Goods Receipt Process Next navigation step Inbound Delivery Next navigation step Manual Settings Next navigation step Define Document Types for Inbound Delivery Process End of the navigation path and Start of the navigation path Goods Issue Process Next navigation step Outbound Delivery Next navigation step Manual Settings Next navigation step Define Document Types for Outbound Delivery Process End of the navigation path.

    For more information about the warehouse process type, see Customizing for EWM under Start of the navigation path Cross-Process Settings Next navigation step Warehouse Task Next navigation step Define Warehouse Process Type End of the navigation path.

    End of the recommendation.

  • You have defined the mapping of the document types from SAP ERP in Customizing for EWM.

    For more information, see Customizing for EWM under Start of the navigation path Interfaces Next navigation step ERP Integration Next navigation step Delivery Processing Next navigation step Map Document Types from ERP System to EWM End of the navigation path.

    Note Note

    We deliver Business Configuration Set (BC Set) /SCWM/DLV_TCD, which makes settings for Customizing in the delivery. You have to deactivate SAP GTS for TCD-relevant document types manually. For more information, see the documentation of the BC set.

    End of the note.

For more information, see Customizing for EWM under Start of the navigation path Cross-Process Settings Next navigation step Cross-Docking (CD) Next navigation step Planned Cross-Docking Next navigation step Basic Settings for Transportation Cross-Docking (TCD) End of the navigation path.

Process

The following graphic provides an overview of the process flow in EWM for stock transport orders in SAP ERP. For sales orders from SAP CRM, the process flow in EWM is more or less identical. However, the goods are sent to the customer after posting goods issue from the last CD warehouse. SAP ERP generates the outbound delivery out of the delivering warehouse from the SAP-CRM sales order.

The process flow description represents the simplest TCD scenario without using storage control. For a description of TCD with storage control, see Example Scenario for TCD with Storage Control.

  1. SAP Advanced Planning & Optimization (SAP APO) or materials management (MM) generate a stock transfer order in SAP ERP.

  2. SAP ERP generates a relevant replenishment delivery, corresponding to the stock transport order from SAP APO or MM. When SAP ERP generates the outbound delivery, it calls the routing guide together with the ATP check via SAP APO. The routing guide determines the route from the delivering warehouse to the receiving warehouse. If the routing guide determines that a CD warehouse lies between these two warehouses, such as EWM2, it informs SAP ERP (see Cross-Docking Route). SAP ERP copies the route for the CD warehouse into the outbound delivery as a proposal. For more information about determining the CD relevance in SAP ERP, see the SAP Help Portal for SAP ERP Central Component under Start of the navigation path http://help.sap.comInformation published on SAP site Next navigation step SAP ERP Central Component Next navigation step Logistics Next navigation step Logistics - General (LO) Next navigation step Service Parts Management (LO-SPM) Next navigation step Transportation Cross-Docking End of the navigation path.

  3. EWM1 creates a related outbound delivery order. Here, EWM1 considers the route proposal already determined from SAP ERP. However, EWM1 calls the routing guide again via SAP APO. The routing guide checks whether the outbound delivery is to be transported to a CD warehouse or to the final ship-to party. This additional call also ensures that the routing guide can take into account any changed situations, such as a date/time change.

    If you have defined only one CD route, and this route is valid, then the routing guide always uses this CD route. If you have defined multiple CD routes that are valid, the routing guide works with dynamic criteria, such as whether weight restrictions have been exceeded, so that the transportation in a CD route is more reasonable.

  4. You execute your warehouse activities, such as picking or posting goods issue, in delivering warehouse EWM1, as for a standard outbound delivery order.

  5. EWM1 sends the updated EWM1 outbound delivery to SAP ERP.

  6. SAP ERP saves the changed route in the SAP ERP1 outbound delivery if required, and updates the stock transfer order.

  7. SAP ERP generates an inbound and outbound delivery for CD warehouse EWM2.

  8. EWM2 creates a related inbound delivery and outbound delivery order for both the SAP ERP inbound delivery and the SAP ERP outbound delivery. When EWM2 creates the outbound delivery order, it calls the routing guide again via SAP APO. This checks whether there is another warehouse after the CD warehouse, or whether the goods are to be transported directly to the final ship-to party. It proposes a corresponding route.

  9. You post goods receipt in CD warehouse EWM2. EWM2 updates the inbound delivery and sends the delivery information and stock information to SAP ERP.

    For more information about updating a warehouse request, see Creation of Warehouse Tasks for Putaway or Creation of Warehouse Tasks for Stock Removal under Activities.

  10. You execute your warehouse activities in CD warehouse EWM2.

    1. You or EWM2 generate an active pick-HU WT for the outbound delivery order. EWM2 receives the required data from the corresponding mapping information for the CD-relevant HU.

      If you attempt to generate an active HU WT for an inbound delivery, EWM displays a corresponding error message. Since this is a TCD process, there are no products that have to be put away.

      Recommendation Recommendation

      You use an ad-hoc warehouse task if required to move the HU to another storage bin. For example, you receive frozen goods and want to store them immediately in a freezer warehouse to preserve the goods. The intermediate storage bin must not be a final storage bin, otherwise the TCD process would be finished.

      EWM always uses the highest-level HU to generate the HU WT. If you are working with nested HUs, it can happen that the CD-relevant HU is located within the nested HU.

      When you pick a TCD-relevant HU, EWM uses a stock removal HU WT to update both the corresponding inbound delivery and the corresponding outbound delivery order simultaneously in EWM. In the inbound delivery, EWM updates the plan data and actual data for the status and quantity. In the outbound delivery order, EWM also updates the plan data and actual data for the status and quantity. For more information about updating quantities in HUs, see HU Integration in Delivery Processing. For more information about updating quantities and status in putaway and stock removal, see Creation of Warehouse Tasks for Putaway or Creation of Warehouse Tasks for Stock Removal under Activities.

      End of the recommendation.

    2. When EWM2 generates the pick-HU WT, the system determines the destination storage bin, such as the staging area in goods issue.

    3. You confirm the pick-HU WT for the outbound delivery order.

    4. You move the HU to the specified destination storage bin, for example the goods issue area.

    5. You load a truck with the HU.

  11. EWM2 updates the inbound delivery and the outbound delivery order with the picking data. You post goods issue in CD warehouse EWM2. EWM2 sends the updated EWM2 outbound delivery to SAP ERP.

    If the routing guide does not have any further TCD-relevant steps planned, then SAP ERP generates the inbound delivery for receiving warehouse EWM3. Otherwise SAP ERP generates another inbound and outbound delivery for the next CD warehouse. Steps 7 to 10 are then repeated.

  12. In EWM3 you post goods receipt and execute your warehouse activities.

  13. EWM3 informs SAP APO about the updated inbound delivery.

  14. SAP APO updates the stock information.

Result

  • You have performed a TCD process and moved the delivered HU directly from the goods receipt area to the goods issue area, for example. The CD route went from delivering warehouse EWM1 to receiving warehouse EWM3 via CD warehouse EWM2.

  • EWM1, EWM2, and EWM3 have all sent the updated data of the inbound and outbound delivery to SAP ERP.

  • SAP ERP has generated an inbound and outbound delivery for the CD warehouse.

  • You have posted goods receipt and goods issue in the respective warehouse.

  • EWM has updated the status and quantities for putaway for the inbound delivery and for picking for stock removal.

  • SAP APO has updated its stock information.