Warehouse Request of the Returns Type 

Definition

This warehouse request defines all product movements that are used to enable goods that were returned by a customer to be processed as an inbound delivery in Extended Warehouse Management (EWM).

Use

The warehouse request of the returns type forms the basis for executing follow-up activities in EWM.

Follow-up activities for returns include:

●      Reject the inbound delivery after carrying out a rough inspection

You first conduct a rough inspection of the inbound delivery. In doing so, if you determine that the forwarding agent does not need to unload the goods, but rather can take the goods straight back because they are damaged, for example, you can immediately reject the inbound delivery.

On the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Extended Warehouse Management → Delivery Processing → Inbound Delivery

○        → Maintain Inbound Delivery Notification and then Reject

○        → Maintain Inbound Delivery and then Reject

For more information about rejecting inbound deliveries, see Goods Receipt.

●      Putaway

●      Scrapping

●      Transferring

●      Delivery to internal remanufacturer

●      Delivery (to customer or external remanufacturer)

You cannot change returns deliveries that SAP CRM sends to EWM, for example. The external system controls the returns process and determines which items in which quantities the customer can send back. In particular, you cannot do the following:

●        Create new delivery items

●        Delete delivery items

●        Split delivery items

Structure

The structure of a warehouse request of the returns type differs from the generic structure of a warehouse request, as follows:

●      Different item types are used

●      Item category RET is used

●      A different configuration of the item types and the item category is used:

○       EWM uses a status profile specifically for the warehouse request of the returns type:

■       /SCDL/INB_PRD_RET for an inbound delivery

■       /SCDL/INB_REQ_RET for an inbound delivery notification

Thus, EWM can carry out the following:

■       Create the inspection documents automatically (inspection planning)

■       Adjust the status type Q-Inspection automatically when entering the inspection results

The status type Q-Inspection specifies the start and end of the quality inspection.

■       Control the follow-up activities, such as putaway, based on the inspection results

SAP CRM determines whether SAP CRM or EWM is to determine follow-up activities. EWM maps this using the status type Blocked According to QM.

The status type Blocked According to QM specifies that following the quality inspection, the returns stock is blocked from further use until an external system, for example, SAP CRM, makes a usage decision.

●        If the status type Blocked According to QM is not set in EWM, you can create the follow-up activity in EWM. EWM automatically triggers the corresponding logistics processes, such as putaway or returning goods to the customer.

●        If the status type Blocked According to QM is set in EWM, EWM must first send the inspection result to SAP CRM. Then SAP CRM determines the follow-up activity and sends it to EWM. EWM triggers the corresponding logistics processes. You can carry out stock transfers in the warehouse during the whole process.

If you carry out a step-by-step inspection in multiple warehouses, you carry out an individual inspection for each warehouse. If the current warehouse is not the last warehouse in the sequence, EWM sets the status type Blocked QM f. Putaway. As a result, you can only put returns away after the last inspection has been carried out. However, you can scrap or send returns back after each individual inspection. The step-by-step inspection does not affect delivery processing.

○       EWM adopts the validity dates/times from SAP CRM.

SAP CRM determines the date and time for the external and internal validity of the returns and sends this data to EWM. EWM maps the data for external and internal validity to the corresponding date/time types Internal Validity RMA for Returns and External Validity RMA for Returns and saves them in the delivery item. These date/time types determine whether EWM accepts or rejects returns.

■       If both date/time types have expired, EWM rejects the returns.

■       If the external date/time type has expired, but the internal date/time type is still valid, SAP CRM determines the follow-up activities and decides whether or not to reject the returns. EWM adopts this decision.

For the structural description of a warehouse request, see Warehouse Request.

Integration

SAP CRM triggers the returns. It sends a delivery message to EWM. EWM then creates a warehouse request of the returns type.

EWM conducts inspection planning with quantity offsetting, and saves the inspection results in the warehouse request of the returns type. In addition, EWM sends the inspection result to SAP CRM.