Collective HUs and HUs with Unknown Content in Inbound Process

 Introduction:

Inbound process using Handling units with unknown content was introduced in SAP EWM 7.0 version and its usability is quite remarkable in some of the business requirements where there are multiple HU without any information in an ASN. This blog is written to explain the business needs, definition of Collective HUs, HUs with unknown content and interdependency of these 2 objects in question.

Business requirement:

Business uses ASN or manual inbound delivery which contains the information of several physical handling units (HUs), but there is no information of the product items in the delivery which items are packed in which HU. Only number of handling units is known either during unloading manually in dock area or number of HU( Pallets) is sent in packing list from vendor. Business needs an accelerated inbound process where during unloading in dock area, user just counts the number of pallets and passes information to warehouse operator for further repacking, labelling and putting HU in defined bins.

Definition:

SAP says:

When a warehouse task is created to move handling units (HUs) with unknown content to a work center by grouping them under a system object called a collective HU. This allows you to route the HUs with unknown content in the system to the work center.

Below diagram exemplifies in detail.

A peculiarity of this process is that during the creation of the HUs with unknown content, the
system creates a collective HU that carries all delivery items. The HU WT for moving the
collective HU to the destination bin in the inbound section of the packing station is then
immediately confirmed. As a consequence, the HUs with unknown content are moved to the
same destination bin as the collective HU

So, you need a warehouse process type here with immediate confirmation.

Process Steps:

1. An inbound delivery with several physical HUs, but there is no information about which product items are packed into which HU.

2. Before goods receipt (GR) for the delivery is performed,  HUs with unknown content( Real HUs) is created  in the system for the product items in the inbound delivery.

With Fiori app- search Goods receipt preparation or directly run /SCWM/GRPE. HU with unknown content can only be created  GUI transaction not by RF, a restriction.

/SCWM/GRPE.

System creates Collective HUs and HUs with unknown content.

Here HU content labels can be printed to be put on each HUs with unknown content.

The Collective HU can reference of inbound delivery and each HU with unknown content makes a hierarchy.

8001000475– Collective HU

8001000476, 8001000477, & 8001000478 are HUs with unknown content.

The collective HU and HU with unknown content can easily be identified as system puts differentiating indicator.

Every HU with unknown content is referenced to collective HU and collective HU is assigned to inbound delivery, hence they make concatenated loop.

Once collective HU and HU with unknown content arrives at Work Center( through POSC), repack the product here a Work center so that each product can be identified. Here packing can be performed either by GUI or by RFUI.

Note: The collective HU is the source HU for the repacking transaction, and the HU with unknown content is the destination HU.

Pack all the products in HU with unknown content here.

 Note:-The moment all the HU with unknown content is packed, system deletes the collective HU and removes the HU header indicator for the HUs with unknown content.

The inbound delivery has now real HU as Collective HU is deleted.

Since, this replicated process involves POSC, so close the HU which will automatically creates a task for final putaway.

What additional benefits you can leverage here

• You can use Goods receipt reversal( GRR) process using exception code DIFD for the collective HU if there is quantity difference.

• You can mix deconsolidation also having collective HUs and HU with unknown content.

• Same can be deployed during GR of manufacturing order also.

Limitations.

• You cannot create collective HUs or HUs with unknown content with RF transactions.  May be SAP can think to put this process into RFUI based on votes from customers.

• This process does not use the quality inspection function.

References:

https://help.sap.com/saphelp_SCM700_ehp02/helpdata/en/0b/76e244e8d84d128a7efc4bcaec39e6/frameset.htm

Thanks for reading, appreciate your response in making this blog more productive.

All testing is conducted on S/4 HANA 1709 Sandbox system.

Thanks

Shailesh Mishra