Serialization Tracking in WM

[Former Member]

We use SAP 6.0 and WM. Soon we will implement serialization. Today everything is batch managed. We use a single pseudo batch for serialized products and track the serial numbers in another system. We send the serial numbers picked to the other system in the delivery. This system will retire. We need to track the serial numbers at the bin. We intend for serial product ot no longer be batched managed. I do not want to implement handling units.

My thoughts are to create storage units by bin and/or sku in a bin when a bin is mixed. When I pick less than a pallet and pick confirm, the storage unit will decrement (be reduced in the bin). Most of our picking is less than a pallet, multiple skus.

What is the best way to track that you see. Again I want to avoid handling units. Today all of our picking in SAP is paper based, although for serialized products we will be going RF. Someday with money and effort all will be RF, I hope.

thanks,

Bob Sarley

[Former Member]

Bob:

Your material is currently batch managed so personnel are already accustomed to the additional discipline necessary to pick by batch. Have you not considered making the batch number equivalent to the serial number?

It may not be exactly what you're looking for, but it definitely addresses the shortcoming of ERP WM not having visibility of serial number distribution across the bins. As others have mentioned, EWM addresses this issue but not sure if that feature alone could be justification for implementing EWM.

My current client uses the "batch = equipment record" method because they store customer-owned equipment (that my client originally produced) for overhaul or service. Therefore locating and picking the correct serial number for a delivery or production order is critical.

Why not use what you basically have already implemented?

[Former Member]

I would not want to pick by serial number, as this is a one to one relationship versus btach managed which is a one to many. We have come up with a solution which will allow us to use Storage Units in WM, thus giving us seriali number visibilty and allow us to decrement the SU when a serial number is picked and pick confirmed. The SU will not be carried over to handling units.

[Former Member]

There is no way in ECC to track a serial to a bin without handling units as once the product is receied into the warehouse it can be moed many number of times and at a material leel you cannot track that without handling units.

SAP EWM has the ability to track products at a bin leel

[Former Member]

Hopefully someone else will respond. I have read and been told that SU can be used for internal warehouse movement and HU is necessary for external movement. It may be this requires some customization.

[Former Member]

in one of my earlier implementations we implemented storage unit management and HU management where we always procured product in certain pallet data.so for example ee packed 84 kits into single handling unit and then placed all these kits on a SU.So we receie and ship out a full HU.

Here we created a custom Z table which wud be populated with serial number and HU on receipt of the ASN idoc/inbound deliery from the endor.This way we could track ery serial number to a HU and also a SU.

Hope this helps

[Former Member]

I appreciate your input, but I still do not want to use HU's. Most of our products are case and/or unit pick, batch managed and there is no reason for us to use or implement handling units. Hence, my sole goal is to have serial number visibility in WM, there fore I am thinking storage units. Another "work around" that I reject is to have serialized product batch managed where the serial number is the batch (one to one).

My IT people tell me we can use the storage units without handling units, although it is custom. I am looking for any type of confirmation where someone has done this.

You see, if iIonly have the serial number in IM, I have the real potential of picking and assigning serial number in WM when I do not want to. Such things as block ithe bin is no good. I could go into many reason why I need this, but the result is I do.

thanks,

bob sarley

[Former Member]

Storage units without handling unit management is not custom. It is standard warehouse management configuration.

WM does not place serial numbers in the warehouse because in SAP, you do not pick by serial numbers, you pick by material/batch/handling units. The serial number is then added to the delivery after picking process is done. This is why you do not need the serial numbers at the WM level.

Edited by: Nate Risner on May 12, 2010 8:36 PM

[Former Member]

Please explain or give some details. What I want to do is utilize SU without out handling units on a 1 to many basis to have visibility to serial numbers in WM, be able to move them and count them (through inference), and decrement the SU with the pick confirm. In other words a SU would contain many serial numbers.

thanks

[Former Member]

How would you be able to show the serialization level at the warehouse level if it were a one to many relationship? The only way that you could get that level of detail would be a one to one relationship at the storage unit level.

[Former Member]

Bob,

you need HU's to track serial numbers if not create 1 SU per LE quantity which is not a alid scenario.

Thanks

Kiran