Could we set up 1 warehouse for multiple plants and simplify master data ?

[Former Member]

Hi,

We are in the process of setting up few manufacturing plants and about 20 distribution plants. We want to warehouse manage all the plants. (All these plants are distributed geographically all over US)

I notice that the table MLGN, where warehouse data is stored for material master, has only warehouse number as the key and plant is not part of the key.

So we are thinking of having same warehouse code for all plants (even though they are physically located at different places), so that we can simplify material master data management. Will it have any other issues? Please suggest.

(i.e. Can we create material master data-warehouse management view only once and use it for all plants)

Thank you

KM

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

HI

If i have understood your query properly you are planning to set up different warehouses for different plants with a single warehouse number

such as

PLT1 + SLOC1 - WM1

PLT2 + SLOC1 - WM1

PLT3 + SLOC1 - WM1

three different warehouses with the same number but different names & the intention to do so is to avoid creating material mater data many times?

you cannot create more than one warehouse with similar warehouse number

you can use same warehouse for more than one plant & storage location combinations. but not advisable since your plants are accross USA

you need to create warehouse specific master data for every warehouse

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Coolboy,

Yes. You understood the intention correctly.

Could you please give me the reasons for saying it is not advisable?

Thank you

[csaba_szommer · Accepted solution]

Hi,

If you check SPRO > Enterprise Structure > Assignemnt > LE > Assign WH number to plant/SLoc you can see that data table T320 is behind. Key fields are plant & SLoc that's why you can see that it is possible to set the same warehouse number to plant / SLoc.

I agree with Franck that the relation between warehouse and physical location should be 1:1.

SAP help says:

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp60_sp/helpdata/en/c6/f838d24afa11d182b90000e829fbfe/frameset.htm

You can also manage stock for several plants in the same warehouse at the same time. In this case, the same warehouse number is assigned to the storage locations for these plants.
As a rule, it is a good idea to manage only the stocks of one storage location and the same plant within a warehouse number. However, you can also manage several storage locations of one and the same plant within a warehouse number. For scenarios associated with this structural configuration, see Storage Locations in TRs, Tos and Posting Changes.

It means - in my opinion - if you can solve it, you should use one plant / SLoc for one WH (possibly several storage location and one plant).

If you use 1 plant / several storage location or several plant / several storage location for one WH object then - as SAP help says - you have to always define them for your transactional data (you have to define in the TR, TO what is the plant / sloc) - if you have only one plant / SLoc assigned to the WH there's no need for this.

But if you have e.g. a WH / DC (distribution center) that belongs to many plants you can do thsi assigment there's no problem I think (you can also create a plant for the DC and assign this plant / SLoc to the WH if all the plants belong to the same company code).

If your plant / sloc combinations are located in several different places you should create separate WH number for them in my opinion. The reason is that in this case your organisational strucure is not mapped properly in the system - 1 WH in SAP coresponds several physical WHs. You cannot solve it properly (in standard system), you just make your life more difficult.

Regards,

Csaba

[MANIS · Accepted solution]

Hi

In my opinion technically there is no problem creating the same warehouse code for the plant scattered across the region.

However operationally you will have lot of issue e.g. WM related master data which are at Warehouse code level, Documentation, Financial entries e.t.c

operationally it is not recommended to have the same warehouse code for the plant scattered across the region

Regards

Mansih

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I agree with the inputs provided by Csaba

[Former Member]

It is not at all advisable, though SAP allows that.

How can you trace a material in two different plants then?

[Former Member]

Thank you for your reply. But I do not follow you. If you mean tracing the material movements, then every where plant is also key (at transaction level).

Any more suggestions?

Thanks

[Former Member]

hi,

its not possible in sap b'coz it will follow the below hierarchy only.

for ex:

plant-1000

sto.loc-0001

wh-100

plant-1001

st.loc-0100

wh-101

even though you having plants in different locations you are not able to place same warehouse to all plants. b'coz for one storage location one warehouse combination only allowed.if you try to do common warehouse it will give lot problem (not at all possible) .just think material document and accounting doument how the posting take place?

regards

muthuraman.d

[Former Member]

Well, Just to be clear, I am talking about having the same warehouse code (or number) across all plants.

Of course, physically they are different warehouses.

For eg I will have warehouse code 100, but I will use the same code for all plants/ storage locations.

Plant Storage location Warehouse number

1000 0001 100

1001 0100 100

CNBK MAIN 100

....

Are there any specific issues you see with this kind of set up?

The benefit I see is, I need to create warehouse management view for the material master only once.

Any input is welcome.

Thank you

[Former Member]

hi,

what u said is possible in sap. i understood your problem

possible combination

Plant Storage location Warehouse number

1000 0001 100

1001 0100 100

not possible combination

1000 0001 100

1000 0100 100

regards

muthuraman.d

[Former Member]

..I am talking about having the same warehouse code (or number) across all plants.
Of course, physically they are different warehouses

Each WM warehouse in SAP corresponds to a physical warehouse.

There is a scenario were you use the same WM number for several plant but it only makes sense when it is the same location.

Did you evaluate not using WM for some production plant?

Best Regards,

Franck