Preprocessing 

Use

This function gives you an overview of the workload that arises at a particular time for inbound and outbound deliveries or in the physical inventory for Cycle Counting.

In terms of time, this determination comes before the execution, meaning before you create warehouse tasks and warehouse orders for delivery items or for cycle-counting documents. You can use the result, for example, when planning employees for a particular activity area of for a particular process step. For planning, you define planning goals for your process steps in the formula editor.

The result of the preprocessing is only used for planning purposes; it does not affect the actual execution.

Integration

Preprocessing is part of the Planning and Simulation function.

Prerequisites

EWM System

       1.      In the Planning Data group box, you have selected an Object Type for the delivery or cycle counting within the physical inventory:

○       K for delivery item

○       F for warehouse order for physical inventory

       2.      In the planning function, you have selected the Use Preprocessing field in the Preprocessing group box, by choosing Open Enh. Search.

       3.      You have defined the planning period in the Planning Period group box.

Features

When you make Customizing settings for preprocessing, you can call the condition editor in the manual setting and in the wizard. This then starts in display mode, enabling you to view the details of the currently selected condition.

If you want to create or change conditions, on the SAP Easy Accessscreen choose Extended Warehouse Management ® Settings ® Labor Management ® Condition Editor.

Activities

On the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Extended Warehouse Management ® Labor Management ® Planning ® Planning and Simulation.  

       1.      Since preprocessing is only possible for delivery items or for cycle counting, you must select the key for the delivery item and/or for warehouse order for the physical inventory when calling preprocessing.

       4.      Call the function Planning and Simulation. Here you can make settings using the enhanced search in group box Preprocessing.

...

○       Read expected goods receipt: If you select this field, the system also considers the delivery information of the expected goods receipt for preprocessing.

○       Wave: You can specify waves for preprocessing. The system determines the workload for deliveries that are assigned to the specified waves.

○       Percentage: You use this value to define the percentage of deliveries that have already been recorded in the system. For the missing percentage, the system then creates an additional preprocessing for each activity area and each respective external process step.

The maximum value that can be entered is 100%. If you enter a value less than 100%, the preprocessing workload is increased by the difference between that value and 100%.

You perform planning based on delivery items. At the time of planning, only 50% of the deliveries have been created in the system. You therefore set the percentage value to 50%. The system adds the remaining 50% to the determined workload.

       3.      In the Planning Period group box, enter the time period for which you want to create preprocessing.

       1.      After performing the enhanced search, the system displays the determined workload records for the individual process steps and activity areas. If you look at the detailed information of the workload, you can identify workload records for preprocessing by way of the special workload object type K. If the records involved are workload records for delivery items, the reference documents contain the corresponding delivery items (F).

Example

●      Inbound delivery: 4711

●      Delivery date/time: 02.05. 16:00

●      Delivery: Item 10 containing 100 pieces of summer tires. The system finds activity area 0010 and warehouse process type 1011 for this delivery item in EWM Customizing.

The warehouse manager has also made these settings for the preprocessing header in Customizing, using the activity Set Preprocessing.

The system also assigns storage process INB1 for putting away this product.

Preprocessing Header

●      Warehouse number: EEG1

●      Activity area: 0010

●      Warehouse process type: 1011

●      Sequence number: 1

●      Condition

●      Storage process: INB1 (putaway)

Two steps were assigned in the preprocessing item, namely IB01 (unloading) and IB03 (putaway).

 

Preprocessing Items

Sequence Number	Process Step	Activity Area	Percentage	Duration	Unit
	IB01 (unloading)	9010 (staging goods receipt area)	100	30	min.
	IB03 (putaway)	0010 (high-rack storage area)	100	30	min.

 

Preprocessing

       1.      The warehouse manager calls the function Planning and Simulation.

       2.      He or she opens the enhanced search, and enters data for the planning. He or she selects K for delivery item, as the object type.

       3.      He or she selects the Use Preprocessing field.

       4.      For the planning period, he or she enters 02.05. 16:00 to 02.05. 18:00.

       5.      He or she chooses Execute. The system determines the workload. As a result, the warehouse manager receives two data records, one for unloading and one for putaway. From the workload details, he or she can see the respective detailed records. In the detailed area, he or she can also see that the records refer to delivery 4711, item 10.

Result

The result shows the warehouse manager which delivery will cause work in the given time period, and in which activity area this work will arise. He or she assigns planning goals to the individual steps, which preprocessing uses to evaluate the determined workload records.