Listing via Layout

Use

Listing via layout provides retail companies with a new procedure for creating assortments. Assortment management determines the presentation of goods in the selling area. The presentation of goods in stores is achieved using fixtures (shelves) with articles placed in them. The fixtures are mapped as layout modules. Using the layout, several layout modules are grouped together to form a merchandise area.

Integration

A layout module can have several layout module versions, which have a time-based reference and contain the articles on a shelf. The validity periods of the individual versions within a layout module are unique and must not overlap. You can plan layout module versions and optimize them in view of certain key figures, using the Interface for Space Management Systems .

On the level of layout module versions, there is the special feature of layout module variants. Layout module variants each relate to one specific layout module version and are used to portray regional or even store-specific differences in articles. The layout module variants have exactly the same validity period as the version to which they refer. You can maintain layout module variants in the Layout Workbench (transaction WLWB).

Layouts and assignments of layout modules to layouts are maintained in Layout Maintenance (transaction WLAM). You create layout modules in Layout Module Maintenance (transaction WLMM). In Layout Module Version Maintenance (transaction WLMV), you can create different versions for a layout module.

There is also the option of assigning multiple assortments to sites. It is specified in Customizing whether there is a multiple assignment (n:m) of assortments to sites or a 1:1 assignment of assortments and sites. If multiple assignment is activated, general assortments (assortment category C) can be assigned to customers and to sites. A layout can also be assigned to a general assortment. The layout can therefore be regarded as a standard merchandise area in different stores.

Listing via layout is carried out using special “Shelf Module” category assortment modules. These are generated from the layout module versions to be listed in a 1:1 relationship. The shelf module contains a direct reference to the version of the relevant layout module and also has the same validity period. In addition, the assortments for which the layout module version is listed are assigned to the shelf module.

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text.

Prerequisites

To be able to use the listing functions via the layout, exactly one listing procedure must be defined in Customizing as the standard listing procedure for the Layout Workbench. In the standard delivery, the field in the listing procedure “B3 – Basic procedure: layout check” is set as default.

If this parameter is not set in any of the listing procedures used, listing via layout cannot take place.

Features

Listing via layout makes it possible to view the assortment in a completely different light. Up until now, new articles were normally listed centrally for the individual assortments, irrespective of whether the stores concerned were able to provide a suitable place to display the goods. In the worst case scenario, the new article may be displayed in a part the store, which is not very lucrative because the sales potential and any possible combinations with other articles are not exploited to their full potential.

Listing via layout now guarantees that space is found on a shelf for a new article before it is listed in the assortments to which the shelf concerned is assigned. A position is therefore first of all assigned to new articles in the layout module version. Only the articles positioned on the shelf, that is, articles in a layout module version with a facing > 0, are listed. The listing period of an article equals the validity period of the corresponding layout module version. In SAP Retail, only the first future layout module version can be listed. As soon as this becomes the current version, listing conditions can be created for the next future version. However, independently of this, any number of future layout module versions can be created. Structured articles such as prepacks or displays are listed together with all the components provided at least one of these components is positioned on the shelf. An article cannot be listed for a shelf as a single article and as a component of a structured article at the same time.

The ERP system differentiates between the listing period (the period in which goods receipts are possible) and the presentation period (the validity period for the layout module version during which the goods are presented in the stores). If possible, the listing period should be the same as or as near to the presentation period as possible. Ideally, goods should be put onto shelves immediately after being delivered thus allowing the presentation period to start immediately.

To consider preliminary phases of the procurement processes, you can set the period of the possible goods receipt (validity of the listing condition) to start before the presentation period. This function is realized with the internal BAdI WRF_WLAY_LIST_DIFF_I. In Customizing, you can specify the number of days by which the validity of the listing condition should start before the presentation period. This static difference is valid client wide.

The following looks at the listing of different article categories in more detail:

Listing Different Article Categories

Single articles:

A single article is listed using a layout module version if it is placed in this. This means the article has an entry in table MALG with facing > 0 and there is no exclusion flag for the version for the article in the layout module variant. The article number is entered in fields ARTNR and STRNR in table WLK1 for the listing conditions.
Generic articles and variants:

A generic article is listed with all variants if the generic article with facing > 0 is in table MALG for the version. There must also be no exclusion for the version in the layout module variant. If, however, only variants of the generic article are positioned, then only the positioned variants and the generic article are listed. The generic article is entered in fields ARTNR and STRNR in table WLK1 in the listing condition for the generic article. For variants, the variant is entered in field ARTNR and the generic article via which the variant is listed is entered in field STRNR.
Sales set:

A sales set is a group of single articles to be sold together. For listing purposes only the sales set header is taken into account. If the header article is positioned in the layout module version, the sales set and all the components are listed. In the listing condition for the sales set, the header article is entered in field STRNR of table WLK1 and H is entered in field STRLI to indicate header . For the components of the sales set, the header article is entered in field STRNR of table WLK1 and X is entered in field STRLI to indicate component . The components of a sales set can also be positioned in the layout module. The resulting listing conditions differ from those of the sales set in that the single article is entered in the STRNR field and the STRLI is blank.
Prepack articles:

The same rules apply to prepack articles as to sales sets.
Display:

For displays, the same basic rules apply as for sales sets and prepack articles. However, additional placement of display components in the layout module as single articles are not taken into account in the listing. A display also counts as being positioned in a layout module version, if either the display header with facing > 0 is entered in the MALG or the header with facing = 0 is assigned, but at least one of its components with facing > 0 is entered in table MALG of the version.
Full products and empties:

If a full product is positioned in the layout module version, it is listed as if it were a single article. The empties component belonging to it is determined and checked to see whether it is already listed in the store for the given time period and if not, a listing condition is created for the empties component for an unlimited period of time. The From date for the empties listing condition is the From date of the layout module version. The full product for which the empties component was listed in the store for the first time is entered in the STRNR field of table WLK1 .