Save vendor barcode

[Former Member]

Hi gurus,

Does anybody know if there is any standard SAP functionality that can be implemented in order to read and save vendor's barcode, when posting goods receipt with WM?

The process requirements are the following:

     1. Create inbound delivery.

     2. Scan vendors label barcode to create transfer order with this info and vendors barcode would be related to SAP storage unit.

     3. We don't need to print and label the material because we can always identify it by the vendor's barcode.

     4. Transfer order confirmations would be done by scanning vendor's barcode (wich is related to SU).

     5. Post Goods Receipt.

Basically what we need is something similar to batch and vendor batch in MM, but in this case is to identify WM storage units.

Please provide some information that may help to clarify this.

Thanks in advance,

Rita

[Former Member]

So basically you just want to make the vendors bar code the SU?

That is possible by using external numbering for SU. You could scan the vendor bar code and/or a pre-printed sequence of bar code labels during GR and use them as SU.

If this vendor bar code has information on it like material/qty and so on then please explain in more detail about the information in the bar code. Scanning a bar code full of details and expecting SAP to sort it all and post a GR with the materials and quantities on a bar code is not possible with standard transactions though.

[Former Member]

Hi Jacob,

Actually the idea is to keep our onw SU, with internal number range. This is because different vendors may send material with the same SU number.

So, what we would like to know is if there is any standard field for vendors SU or HU that would be linked to our SU/HU (similar to batch and vendor batch fields). Also, we would confirm transfer order by scanning this vendors SU.

Do you know if this is possible or do we need to develop this?

Thanks,

Rita

[Former Member]

Good day,

There is a standard field that can be used and it is the "HU identification 2" field mentioned by Manish. At my site we use this field during the outbound process to link our SAP pallet with a unique HU number that is sent via interface to legacy systems for RF goods receipt. We use a custom transaction to scan our SAP SU and the new HU2 to create the association (Update EXIDV2 ) . The receiving plant will scan the number we have linked to the SAP handling unit to post GR in legacy system. My warehouse is not HU managed.

To my knowledge standard transactions will not accept  HU identification 2 as SU number (although I have not tested). I believe you will need to go for custom solution.

One point that concerns me is the idea to use vendors number knowing they might not be unique. In SAP the SU number is a unique identifier for specific stock. Let's say for example you did move forward and develop a solution to scan the HU2 and use it as SU. If this number is not unique how could the system determine the actual stock you are scanning? You will scan a number that exists in inventory in some other location. You could perhaps add a pop-up message to list the SAP SU numbers that share the same HU2 number and allow the user to select the correct one but it may be difficult even for the user to know the correct one if they are not physically applied to the stock.

For me personally I would take a look at the process and ask if saving a label sent by vendor is truly worth extra effort when the cost of the labels and time to apply new ones is not very high. Also experience tells me when taking stock in from outside vendors its not possible to ensure that 100% of the stock will always have a number from the vendor (sometimes lost or never applied) so its also good to consider that scenario.

If you plan to interface with the vendors systems then it makes more sense to implement something that will allow the re-use of the HU/SU but if its simply to save time/labels...not so much (in my mind).

[Former Member]

Hi Jacob,

Thanks for sharing.

I think field "HU identification 2" might be a good option. However we want to keep SU as internal number to guarantee unique numbers. I am just wondering if there is any field in WM transfer order where I could pass "HU identification 2" to assing this to our internal SU number.

Maybe I will need to add custom field to transfer order item table. Do you know if that is possible?

Thanks for your help.

Rita

[Former Member]

There is no standard field in T.O. for HU2 but almost anything is possible with the right ABAPer. There is a special stock number and a certificate number field that could perhaps be used if you do not use them currently but it might take some complex coding to have the system ignore those fields during standard processing (like delivery picking). There is also the option of adding a field in the T.O. tables as you mentioned but I do not believe that is recommended. I would discuss with ABAPer, its better to discuss openly with the developer. Suggestions can help but its best to allow them to decide the best method or fields to use. As you can probably tell I am functional/process consultant and not a developer so I cannot be much help on the actual programming needed.

[MANIS]

When you say "Vendor Barcode" does this mean "Label on carton which are having Material, quantity, Batch detail "

If answer to my above query is yes then you can look to configure the system for HU management and at the time of delivery creation you can pack the HU number in delivery or through ASN as an external number range and can take that number as an reference for Transfer order creation

[Former Member]

Hi Manish,

When I say "Vendor Barcode" I mean, vendor HU/SU number.

So, if I configure the system for HU management and I pack HU as external number range will the vendor HU number be my SU number when I create transfer order?

If that's the case, can I receive another material from another vendor with the same HU so, I would have 2 different materials from different vendors with the same HU?

And what about SU? This has to be unique number, right?

Thanks for your help!

[MANIS]

You can share the unique number range to vendor and ask them to generate the HU number from that series  to avoid any duplicate in your system (As an industry best practice HU number should be unique)

once HU comes to warehouse it become SU in the warehouse and the number remains same. if you follow the above approach then the SU number will be unique 

[MANIS]

if you are planning to go with HU management then there is a field called HU identification 2 there you can map the vendor HU number and in the field  HU identification you can generate the running number from your warehouse . You need to take the help from developer to pass this value to HU IDENTIFICATION (EXIDV2)  field or else if you are trying to go ahead with Interface then mapping needs to be done