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Process documentationMerchandise Distribution

 

In Extended Warehouse Management (EWM), you can use merchandise distribution to plan and control your flow of goods flexibly, enabling you to move the goods through a warehouse in an optimal way. For the merchandise distribution, you use the warehouse-internal processing types merchandise distribution cross-docking or Flow-Through.

For more information about the processes that are available to you, see the following:

Prerequisites

SAP ERP

  • You are using SAP enhancement package 4 for SAP ERP 6.0 with business function Retail, CD/FT_EWM Integration, and your system is configureed as SAP Retail.

  • You have made the Customizing settings for merchandise distribution in Customizing for SAP ERP. For more information, see Customizing for SAP ERP under Start of the navigation path Logistics - General Next navigation step Merchandise Distribution End of the navigation path, and Start of the navigation path Integration with Other SAP Components Next navigation step Extended Warehouse Management Next navigation step Additional Material Attributes Next navigation step Attribute Values for Additional Material Master Fields Next navigation step Define Adjustment Profile End of the navigation path.

    For a process example, see SAP Solution Manager under Start of the navigation path Organizational Areas Next navigation step Logistics Next navigation step Business Processes Next navigation step Merchandise Distribution End of the navigation path.

  • In SAP ERP, collective orders or allocation tables were generated, and the merchandise distribution data was updated, including the process method for merchandise distribution.

  • Based on the vendor orders, or stock transport orders and sales orders, SAP ERP has generated relevant inbound and outbound delivery documents and sent them to EWM.

EWM

  • You have made the Customizing settings for merchandise distribution in Customizing for EWM. 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 Merchandise Distribution Next navigation step Basic Settings for Merchandise Distribution End of the navigation path.

Process

The following simplified figure shows a typical merchandise distribution process flow, in which the goods flow through a warehouse.

  1. Planning

    SAP ERP plans the merchandise distribution. As soon as the inbound and outbound delivery documents are available in EWM, EWM can perform the merchandise distribution.

    The inbound and outbound delivery documents contain information about whether EWM is to perform merchandise distribution, and with which processing method, for example recipient-driven flow-through, this distribution is to take place.

  2. Transfer

    SAP ERP distributes the inbound and outbound delivery documents to EWM. This transfer also contains information about which inbound deliveries and outbound delivery orders EWM is to assign to one another.

  3. Goods Receipt

    You post the goods receipt in EWM. EWM determines the relationship between inbound deliveries and outbound delivery orders based on the purchase order item reference and the merchandise distribution process.

    If the quantities in goods receipt are different from the expected quantities, in the flow-through process you can already perform a quantity adjustment in the outbound deliver order at this point, using the adjustment report. For more information about the quantity adjustment, see the following:

    For even more information about the quantity adjustment, 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 Merchandise Distribution Next navigation step Define Adjustment Profile End of the navigation path and Start of the navigation path Define Adjustment Method End of the navigation path.

  4. Warehouse-Internal Process

    When the goods are delivered, they are distributed to the recipients using different processing methods. EWM uses one of the following processing, according to the decision made in SAP ERP:

    • Merchandise Distribution Cross-Docking

    • Merchandise Distribution Using Flow-Through

      EWM uses either product-driven flow-through or recipient-driven flow-through. You can perform a quantity adjustment, and EWM adjusts the outbound deliveries to the actual delivered quantities, if required.

  5. Goods Issue

    • You take the goods to goods issue.

    • You post the goods issue.

      If required, you can select the inbound deliveries and outbound delivery orders for the merchandise distribution in the warehouse management monitor according to SAP-ERP purchase order or merchandise distribution process, and check the merchandise distribution.