Documentary Batches (LO-BM) 
Purpose
Documentary batches are intended for use in areas such as the automotive or consumer product industries. You use documentary batches to ensure that partial stocks of a material are traceable, without it being necessary to manage the stock of the material in batches. This reduces the amount of effort involved in tracing where batches have been used.
In comparison to "real" batches, documentary batches have the following advantages:
· A lower level of complexity
· Less effort involved in entering batches
· Lower costs for inventory management, physical inventory and confirmation
In the event of recall campaigns, you can use the existing batch where-used list (transaction MB56) for affected documentary batches.
In the production process, you can use a combination of “real” and documentary batches. For example, you can use ingredients that must be managed in batches in the production of foods, but use documentary batches for the containers (packaging).
You can use documentary batches if you do not need to have batch-related stock information in the system. Documentary batches are not suitable for use with dangerous goods or narcotics.
Integration
You can only use some of the current batch functions for documentary batches. You can use the batch where-used list (transaction MB56) and the batch master (MSC1N, MSC2N and MSC3N).
Overview: Batch Û Documentary Batch
Functions for "Real" Batches |
Used for Documentary Batches? |
Batch master |
Yes, but only to a limited extent. (Can be automatically created by the system on goods receipt.) |
Where-used list |
Yes |
Batch determination |
No |
Batch status management |
Yes, but no link to stock |
Batch numbering |
No. You can enter batch numbers manually in the dialog; automatic entry is only possible using the Business Add-In (BAdI) VBDOCUBATCH. |
Batch stock |
No. Stock only at storage location level - no stock at batch level. |
Batches in other SAP products (for example, SAP APO) |
No. No integration with other SAP products such as SAP APO, SAP CRM or SAP BW. (A material that is subject to documentary batch management requirement in SAP R/3 or ERP is treated as a material that is not subject to batch management requirement in other SAP products.) |
Derivation of batch data |
Yes. (Derivation of batch data from documentary batches requires a batch master record.) |
Batch Information Cockpit |
No, or only in the worklist |
Batch worklist |
Yes |
Class assignment |
Yes |
If a material is subject to batch management requirement but the material type requires the entry of documentary batches, the material is still subject to batch management requirement, in other words, the batch management requirement has priority.
In contrast to “real” batches, the following constraints apply to documentary batches:
· No availability check for documentary batches at batch level
· No QM check for documentary batches at batch level
· No functions in batch status management (in other words, no stock postings take place when the batch status changes)
· Documentary batches are not saved in the documents themselves
· Documentary batches cannot be entered in transfer posting or stock transfers
· Upon goods receipt of documentary batches, the system can automatically create a batch master record in the background (if you have made this setting in Customizing). This record does not contain the country of origin, which is copied from the purchase order for "real" batches.
When a batch master data record is automatically created, the system generates only one entry in the corresponding table MCHA/MCH1. In other words, the batch master is created without additional data. You can use the enhancement SAPLV1ZN to fill the batch master fields or the batch classification.
Constraints
The following constraints apply to the use of documentary batches:
· For materials that are subject to documentary batch management requirement, it must be possible to distinguish between the batches (for example, using bar codes or labels).
· Neither serial numbers, nor handling units are supported.
· You cannot enter documentary batches in RFID transactions.
· You cannot enter documentary batches in Task and Resource Management (TRM).
· Neither Kanban nor DI production backflush from SAP APO are supported.
· Existing IDocs have not been enhanced (for example, shipping notification/delivery message type DESADV, basic type DELVRY*; goods movements IDoc message type MBGMCR, basic type MBGMCR*).
· If you work with RFID or TRM functions, or call IDocs/BAPIs, you can only book in documentary batches by calling up the RFC-capable function module VBDBDM_DATA_MAINTAIN_RFC beforehand or incorporating it into the process.
See also:
Creating a Batch Master Record
Changing a Batch Master Record