ECC WMS vs Decentralized-WMS vs SCM - Extended-WMS. Confusing SAP Strat

[Former Member]

Have a Question ... pertaining to SCM-EWM = Extended Warehouse Management Functionality in SCM.

I am raising this under SCM out of not sure which Forum this belongs to.

I knew WMS Functionality that is part of erstwhile R3 4.6, 4.7 and now ECC 6 Releases.

Back in 2003-2004 also came "Decentralized WMS" which was the same thing, but WMS implemented

on a Separate Server integrated to R3 via IDOCs/BDOCs. It had additional functionality of TRM (Task & Resource Mngt)

which I know as my team has implemented in my earlier job as SCM Manager. At that time there was no WMS inside of SCM (primarily APO).

I am now quite confused with the "Extended WM" functionality that has come as part of SCM along with APO.

- What is the reason for coining EWM ? Architecture seems similar to D-WMS. Is this meant to be a 'Replacement' for D-WMS ?

- I am reading this EWM having functionality similar to D-WMS (eg : TRM, Cross Docking, RFID) ... so it

appears to be the same ... except now I am reading it has functionality called 'Slotting', 'Rearrangement',

'Transportation Cross Docking", "EH&S Integration" ... all honestly very confusing to me.

- Is it that SAP will now do all the Latest Developments around WM only in the "EWM" module & slowly phase out WMS in ECC ?

Thought someone might know. This confuses me a lot & I as Head SCM am unable to give the Right Opinion to our Customers on where to head for Warehouse Management.

Regards,

Ambrish Mathur

[Former Member]

Thanks for responding. But please bear with me for the confusion that still exists.

If I am looking to recommend to a Large Customer who is in Manufacturing or Consumer Products or Automotive/Service Parts or Pharmaceutical Domain who typically Manufacture Finished Goods Inhouse and then Distribute it from Mfg. Plants to Regional Warehouses to Local Warehouses in a Country or across countries to sell to some Distributor or Retail Store for selling it to the Consumers. In such an Environment most of the Warehouses need to be WMS Managed - particularly big ones where RF Automation is also needed. Some even track Handling Units and need to Track Plant Batches so usually Implement HUM / SUM and Batch Management along with WMS to allow Pallet Tracking.

If I were to recommend to such customers which WMS to choose for their SAP Landscape, it is a Confusion of Giant Proportions esp. when deciding between Decentralized WMS Server (i.e : WMS not in ECC but in a separate R/3 which was primarily given by SAP to avoid Performance Issues in the Core Operations in ECC - Batch Management, HUM & WMS can be very Performance Intensive) or use the SCM-EWM Functionality. I want to give a Recommendation that is Futuristic. Why does SAP need to keep both - D-WMS as well as SCM-EWM ?

Bear in mind that EWM is different in Terminologies from D-WMS or ECC-WMS in the sense that the "Transfer Orders" in ECC or D-WMS and they are called as "Warehouse Orders" in SCM-EWM so have different SAP Trainings . In both 'Deliveries' for Sales/POs/STOs get "Distributed" from the Executional ECC System to the EWM/D-WM system to manage Warehouse Picking, Putaway & eventually GI / GR. D-WMS exchanges information with Central ECC Orders via Middleware which is IDOC/BDOC based while I am not sure if EWM uses CIF of SCM or has a different Interface with ECC.

D-WMS & SCM-EWM both run in a Decentralized Fashion to take care of Performance Issues with implementing WMS in the Integrated ECC Environment which I do not recommend for Companies wanting to implement a Lot of WMS.

So the Confusion very much exists between what to recommend between D-WMS & SCM-EWM to a Customer like above with a Futuristic Outlook in mind. It does not make sense for SAP to keep both.

What do you recommend for above-like Customers ?

Where do SCM-EWM Trainings happen (seem to be still not common) ... can you refer me ? I cannot see them in the India/Asia SAP Training syllabus.

I want expert help to make a recommendation.

Regards,

Ambrish Mathur

[Former Member]

Hi Ambrish,

In my opinion these are the major different I found between ECC EWM & SCM EWM

1. ECC EWM is decentralized solution wherein SCM EWM is centralized solution. Hence SCM EWM allows the organizations which has many complex processes in Warehouses and wants to monitor the same from a single stand point

2. With SCM EWM the organization can have full view towards how the process & products exists across the supply chain. It allows the user to plan more accurately when it is in SCM EWM. However the execution still is with an ERP system.

3. SCM EWM is better when the organization has high volume of transactions happening. This helps on performance wise as only the inbound or outbound are going to be triggered to ERP, reserving the resource for better job.

Its the same Decentralised WM - now comes as Add-on to ERP with more functionalities. Typically if the organization does planning with some other Non-SAP solution this ERP EWM will allow them to plan for Warehouse orders systematically.

With this Centralized & Decentralized WM Solutions SAP tries to separate the Execution & Planning of the process at the same time doesn't want to loose the market where Non-SAP solutions are better ahead. I feel both the solutions will co-exists.

I remember reading a comparison between these two a month back. However I couldn't track that article Try searching in Google or Service Marketplace.

Regards,

Rajesh Manoharan