SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) is a tool that is designed to offer businesses utilizing SAP S/4HANA the ability to manage their warehouse data inside S/4HANA itself. Before S/4HANA version 1610, EWM was a separate addon. Currently, however, users can leverage the EWN as a module within SAP S/4HANA itself.
Ideally, users can utilize SAP EWM with the Production Planning and Control (PP) component. The use of SAP EWM alongside PP allows businesses to have control over the data for their product production, storage, and staging. With proper implementation, this solution can create a more transparent warehouse management system. The aim of utilizing SAP EWM is to create a more automated system for monitoring product or material movement between different locations within the business. However, before a company can start using SAP EWM, it must first be linked to an SAP S/4HANA system.
Types of Integration
For an SAP-to-SAP EWM integration, a business needs to utilize two separate integration methodologies to tie the systems together correctly. For integration to be complete, a company needs to implement both methods, as they each impact a different part of the EWM system, and how it handles inventory data. Core Interface (CIF) integration deals primarily with the master data elements. These include (but are not limited to) product or material master information, customer information, and vendor information. The second integration methodology is known as queued Remote Function Call (qRFC) integration. The second integration system is primarily used to record transactional data, such as inbound and outbound deliveries, as well as registering those actions within the EWM system. qRFC integration also manages Inventory adjustments and movement between multiple inventories.
Consider an Integration Dashboard
An integration dashboard should be one of the early considerations for an SAP-to-SAP-EWM integration strategy. Once errors enter the system, the complete integration can get held up. Tracing the location of the errors and correcting them can be a time-consuming process. Since there are two different methodologies for integration, a business must examine both. A dashboard allows the business to have an overview of the integration process and get immediate information about any issues that exist with it. SAP already provides a tool for this called the EWM Monitor. However, the monitor's interface can be quite complex and information isn't readily forthcoming to those who would like to know more.
A more straightforward solution would be to use SAP Fiori to develop an integration dashboard. Using a mobile application as the root, the business can then customize it to simplify the monitoring process. It can flag errors as they arise and speed up the go-live of the completely integrated system. You can then use this to get cheap hosting using
A2hosting promo code. Additionally, Fiori apps are usually quite easy to use, and a simplified interface won't confuse users quite as much as EWM Monitor. In the case of integration, simpler is definitely better.
Catching Problems Early is the Key to a Successful Integration
SAP-to-SAP-EWM integration is time-consuming. There's no quick and easy method for getting the system integrated in a short amount of time. The business must undertake both integration methodologies and ensure that they're fully functioning. Missing critical records from CIF integration or transactions from qRFC integration can be disastrous for the system. Catching those errors before the system goes live is crucial to a timely integration process. The time that it takes a business to deal with this issue can significantly impact their profit margins. Some of the information that doesn't make it to the integrated system may be crucial to getting paid. To this end, catching these errors and dealing with them early can only benefit the business. Overall, SAP-to-SAP-EWM integration increases the level of automaton in a business’s warehouse management, thereby increasing its efficiency.
