Picking a maximum amount of different batches

[Former Member]

Dear All,

I have the following customer requirement. Some customers only want to receive a maximum of 2  different batches of a material. So for example, a delivery consist of 10 pallets of material A. During picking one batch or 2 different batches of material A can be picked. If this is not possible then a error message should appear.

Question: which user exit can I use for above requirement?

Thanks

Richard

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

If you maintain a batch search strategy via VCH1 that will populate batch codes in the outbound delivery during delivery creation (before T.O. creation) you will find an option there to limit the number of batch splits allowed in standard system. You may have to add customer in a custom access sequence (I don't believe that field is available in standard access sequence but it can easily be added).

For user exit info please share the current method you are using to determine batch codes, the batch code can be defined in the sales orders and flow into the delivery or it can be (as mentioned above) determined in the delivery document, or are you determining batch codes during TO creation itself?

Please provide more details on the method for batch selection you are currently using.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Dear Jacob,

Many thanks for your answer. For a customer I have to set up a new warehouse within SAP WM. This customer is working with Batches but the only characteristic in the batch is a lot number and a kind of a manufacturer number. In their current SAP environment batch determination isn't activated and they will pick all batches manually (Manual intervention during creation of transfer order)

This customer prefers not to work with batch determination because only a couple their customers demanding certain batch requirements. These customers only want to receive a max amount of different batches. Customers which not have any Batch requirements will be delivered based on FIFO.

So I will discuss  the  option of the batch search strategy as you explained. But this customer prefers not to  use batch determinaton. So I need a kind of back up plan. Could you please tell me which user exits or Badi's can I use to realise the batch requirements for these customers?

Best Regards,

Richard

[JL23 · Accepted solution]

The situation should be scrutinized. How can it be that you have more than 2 batches in stock if you deliver FIFO?

You can only get into a situation to get more than 2 batches for a customer if the FIFO rule is violated or if your produced batches have very small quantities, which in turn also means  you will not be able to fulfill a customer order with 2 batches only.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

This customer has end customers which can be delivered based on FIFO. But they have also end customers for which FIFO is not that important but they requires that they want to receive a max amount of different batches.

Example: Customer only want to receive max 2 different batches

Order QTY is 10 pallets of material A

-> Batch AAA -> 5 pallets on stock

-> Batch BBB -> 3 pallets on stock

-> Batch CCC -> 6 pallets on stock

During TO creation only batch AAA (5 pallets) and CCC (5 pallets) can be selected. So Not BATCH AAA (5 pallets), BATCH BB (3 pallets) and BATCH CCC (2 pallets)

Richard

[JL23 · Accepted solution]

I can understand such requirements and had them too in the past.

However, those requirements may end in screwing up your picking strategy, will cause countless batches with small leftovers and finally dead stock which has to be scrapped because the shelf life date is exhausted.

I had once a case the customer always wanted just 1 batch. Our batch size was 10 tons, he always ordered 8 tons.  After a while the warehouse manager complained about those many batches the warehouse and we made an analysis and found that this customer was the only customer for that material. So we asked him to either buy the whole batch at once or to accept a delivery of 2 batches (which should not give him extra analysis costs as he had received this batch already)

Analyze your case in a deeper detail. Find out how big the batch quantity is  at production. Find out how much this customer orders in one order. Assume you really use FIFO for all others.

Now calculate on paper or in Excel if you ever could theoretically end up with more than 2 batches for this customer.

Most probably the system just suffers on a wrong pick from the past which caused that you have more than 2 batches of one material in stock. Or you fulfill so many customer wishes that you end up in countless smaller left over quantities per batch.