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Author's profile photo Andrey Andriyan

Preallocated Stock in SAP Extended Warehouse Management – Configuration

In the frame of this blog post, I’d like to give a detailed description of the configuration for Preallocated Stock functionality available in SAP EWM since the release SAP S/4 HANA 2020. This functionality is aimed to simplify the staging of components for production as well as fulfill the demand for materials in a specific area of the warehouse. In my article I’m going to consider a scenario with a Deconsolidation work center, check how the system behaves in a case of packed or unpacked stock, and also provide some references on required materials to succeed in your configuration.

Introduction

If you are already familiar with the functionality available in the WMS system you could probably find some similarities. The concept of preallocated stock in SAP EWM implies that in a specific area of the warehouse there is a demand which should be fulfilled urgently (e.g. Production Supply Area), in a best-case with a direct task from Goods Receipt Area, omitting the steps of stock processing, putaway, etc. So, to generate such a request in a warehouse we need to create the entry of preallocated stock for a specific product, storage bin, stock type (and other attributes of stock). A special node within the warehouse monitor has been introduced for that, the node has been added in the existing folder Stock and Bin -> Preallocated Stock. Once your preallocated stock entry is created it’s going to be considered for the specified product as a destination in the Goods Receipt process. If you work with products only a direct task is going to be created. For the packed stock, it can be required to send the handling units to Deconsolidation Work Center, for repacking the relevant stock for urgent allocation.

Scenario 1

In this scenario, we do not use handling units. so, the task is created directly from the goods receipt area to Production Supply Area where we have a demand for products. There is no additional effort on the processing of the stock, it is rerouted to another destination according to the request.

Scenario 2

In this scenario, we have packed stock on pallets, so it is required to repack the stock according to the demand. A first part of the stock goes to the storage as it is expected in a regular putaway procedure; a second part is routed to a new destination as requested for preallocated stock entry.

Configuration

  • Create Layout for Deconsolidation Work Center

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management Master Data →Work Center → Specify Work Center Layout

To avoid any manual configurations, you can activate a BC Set /SCWM/WORK_CENTER_LAYOUT for getting the required layout or copy the settings from warehouse number 0001 (if exists).

  • Create Storage Type for Deconsolidation Work Center

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management Master Data Define Storage Type

To avoid any manual configurations, you can activate a BC Set /SCWM/WE_STOR_TYPE for getting the required storage type or copy the settings from warehouse number 0001 (if exists).

  • Create Storage Section for Deconsolidation Work Center

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management Master Data Define Storage Section

If you do not use the concept of moving stock to the outbound section after completion of processing it might be sufficient to create only a single section.

  • Create Storage bin for Deconsolidation

SAP Menu → Logistics → SCM Extended Warehouse Management → Extended Warehouse Management → Master Data → Storage Bin → /SCWM/LS01 – Create Storage Bin

If you have only one bin in your deconsolidation work center this step can be adjusted correspondingly.

  • Create External Process Step

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management → Cross-Process Settings → Warehouse Task → Define Process-Oriented Storage Control

>External Storage Process Step

 

 

 

This step is only required if you do not have an external step for deconsolidation yet.

  • Check Warehouse Process Type for Repacking and HU movement

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management → Cross-Process Settings → Warehouse Task → Define Warehouse Process Type

Check if warehouse process type 3040 exists, if not, create it>

Check if warehouse process type 3060 exists, if not, create it>

  • Create Deconsolidation Work Center

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management Master Data →Work Center → Specify Work Center Layout

To avoid any manual configurations, you can activate a BC Set /SCWM/WE_WC for getting the required work center or copy the settings from warehouse number 0001 (if exists).

  • Define Attributes of Work Center

SAP Menu → Logistics → SCM Extended Warehouse Management → Extended Warehouse Management → Master Data → /SCWM/TWORKST – Define Master Data Attributes

  • Create Storage Process for Putaway with Deconsolidation

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management → Cross-Process Settings → Warehouse Task → Define Process-Oriented Storage Control

> Storage Process – Definition → Assign Storage Process Step

 

 

 

In my example, I copy a standard Storage Process INB1 and remove the steps which are not required.

> Process-Oriented Storage Control

 

 

 

  • Create Warehouse Process Type relevant for Preallocated Stock

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management → Cross-Process Settings → Warehouse Task → Define Warehouse Process Type

Specify a storage process created on a previous step

  • Configure the determination of warehouse process Type and Putaway Strategy

In that step, we must guarantee that our Warehouse Process Type is determined in a Delivery item and the following Warehouse Task for Putaway can be created. I’m proposing the settings as required in my test scenarios, however in your landscape it might defer, or you may choose other possibilities to configure the same scenario.

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management → Cross-Process Settings → Warehouse Task → Define Control Indicators for Determining Warehouse Process Types

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management → Cross-Process Settings → Warehouse Task → Determine Warehouse Process Type

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management Goods Receipt Process → Strategies → Define Storage Type Search Sequence for Putaway

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management Goods Receipt Process → Strategies → Assign Storage Types to Storage Type Search Sequence

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management Goods Receipt Process → Strategies → Define Putaway Control Indicator

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management Goods Receipt Process → Strategies → Specify Storage Type Search Sequence for Putaway

  • Check Consolidation Group for final activity areas

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management → Master Data → Define Number Ranges

>Define Number Range Intervals for Consolidation Group

 

 

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management Goods Issue Process Assign Number Range Intervals to Consolidation Groups

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management → Master Data → Activity Areas → Assign Storage Bins to Activity Areas

  • Define Attributes for Deconsolidation

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management →Goods Receipt  Process → Deconsolidation → Specify Deconsolidation Station

*if other settings for deconsolidation are relevant for your scenarios, please check them as well

  • Sort the Bins for Activity Areas

SAP Menu → Logistics → SCM Extended Warehouse Management → Extended Warehouse Management → Master Data → Storage Bin → /SCWM/SBST – Sort Storage Bins

  • Adjust Warehouse Product

SAP Menu → Logistics → SCM Extended Warehouse Management → Extended Warehouse Management → Master Data → Product →/SCWM/MAT1 – Maintain Warehouse Product

Other settings
>Staging Area and Door Determination

SAP Menu → Logistics → SCM Extended Warehouse Management → Extended Warehouse Management → Settings → Shipping and Receiving → /SCWM/STADET_IN – Staging Area and Door Determination (Inbound)

>Stock Determination

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management → Cross-Process Settings → Stock Determination → Maintain Stock Determination Groups

SAP IMG SCM Extended Warehouse Management Extended Warehouse Management → Cross-Process Settings → Stock Determination → Configure Stock Determination

If this configuration is relevant, do not forget to add Stock Determination Group to Product Master

Demo Scenarios

Before the testing of our preallocated stock scenarios we need to create the entries of preallocated stock in Warehouse Monitor, for that we go to SAP Menu → Logistics → SCM Extended Warehouse Management → Extended Warehouse Management → Monitoring → /SCWM/MON – Warehouse Management Monitor, under the folder Stock and Bin → Preallocated Stock. Here we create the entry for preallocated stock as below:

*the same quantity for both scenarios

Scenario 1

In that scenario, we move the stock from Goods Receipt Area to Production Supply Area according to the request defined for Preallocated Stock. To make an example more interesting I’m creating a delivery with a higher quantity (20PC) and part of the stock is still going to the storage according to the regular procedure (10PC). Let’s look at the steps of this Scenario:

Inbound Delivery
Inbound Delivery Item
Warehouse Task Creation

As requested, part of the stock goes directly to Production Supply Area

2 product warehouse tasks have been created.

 

Warehouse Task Confirmation and Delivery Completion

After confirmation of both tasks, I can see the change in required preallocated stock, and inbound delivery is completed.

Preallocated Stock Entry has been removed, as no further request exists.

 

 

 

 

Scenario 2

In that scenario, we receive packed stock on a pallet and distribute it according to preallocated stock requirements after deconsolidation. The delivery quantity is 20PC, and a request for preallocation is created for 10PC. This scenario is combined with a standard scenario for deconsolidation and only the part of alternative bin determination is added. Let’s look at the steps of this Scenario:

Inbound Delivery
Inbound Delivery Item
Packages in Delivery – 2 Cartons on 1 Pallet

Warehouse Task Creation

Confirm Movement to Deconsolidation Work Center and Repack Stock as Requested

As for every task we have a different destination consolidation group we need to repack it manually or automatically.

During the consolidation, I remove the boxes from the pallet and close the step of Deconsolidation to unlock warehouse tasks for further processing.

Two warehouse tasks are available and can be confirmed. The deconsolidation step is set as Completed.

This Task is also can be seen from Preallocated Stock View

After completion of the process, the entry for the preallocated stock is removed, delivery is completed.

Stock in PSA is increased with 10 PC more and now it is 20PC in total.

Scenario 2.1

In this short addition to scenario 2, I’d like to show that nothing happens with stock if there is no record for preallocation. As there is no need to do any deconsolidation activities the step of deconsolidation is going to be omitted.

The process itself is equal to the main Scenario 2, with the only exception that Preallocated stock is not created. I pack the delivery in the same way and create Warehouse Tasks

But this time stock goes directly to the destination (for the same storage process), the step of Deconsolidation is removed as it is not required.

Important Notes and References

 

This blog post is based on my personal investigations in the area of preallocated stock and configured as given in a test system. All the screenshots captured and pictures presented for demo purposes and may defer in your production environment. I hope you enjoy this article and it helps you to succeed with the same scenarios in your system. If you still have questions please do not hesitate to write them in the comment area below. Any feedback would be very much appreciated. Good Luck!

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      17 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Mauricio A Zamora Chaverri
      Mauricio A Zamora Chaverri

      Andrey -this is very well put together document.

      Quick question - when I clicked on the Monitor Node to create the Pre allocated stock  - I cannot even create - is that perhaps because I am missing a security role update or something for the new method?

      Regards,

      Mauricio

      Author's profile photo Andrey Andriyan
      Andrey Andriyan
      Blog Post Author

      Hello Mauricio,

      Thanks for your comment, you can check whether you have an authorization issue in SU53. If that is not that type of issue it would be worth to share a message or error you see on the screen.

      To verify that you are executing a procedure correctly please watch the video on SAP Help - Process Preallocated Stock - SAP Help Portal.

      Regards,

      Andrey

      Author's profile photo Ganesh Navale
      Ganesh Navale

      Hi Andrey,

      Creating pre-allocated stock manually might be lot of work for warehouse. In this case - Is it possible to auto generate pre-allocated stock. e.g. System can read the active PMR and check the stock in warehouse and if the stock is less than required quantity in production supply area, then system should be in position to create the pre-allocated stock for remaining quantity as required quantity for pre-allocated stock.

      Bin to be supplied can be fixed for each PSA in master data or can it be read from PMR.

       

      Regards,

      Ganesh

      Author's profile photo Andrey Andriyan
      Andrey Andriyan
      Blog Post Author

      Hello Ganesh,

      Thank you for feedback! At the moment the available options in standard are to create the entries via Warehouse Monitor or API method /SCWM/IF_API_PRE_ALLOCATED~CREATE.

      There is also SAP Consulting Solution, some details regarding this you can find in the note 2943235 (Missing Parts Handling, where the entries are being created automatically)

      2943235 - 50113932 - Enhancement service for EWM - Focus Area Industry Template PLUS for Discrete Manufacturing - SAP ONE Support Launchpad

      Regards,

      Andrey

      Author's profile photo Ganesh Navale
      Ganesh Navale

      Hi Andrey,

       

      Thank you very much.

       

      Regards,

      Ganesh

      Author's profile photo Max Mamai
      Max Mamai

      I can confirm this. You cannt get those entries created and populated in the standard.

       

      There is a development that can be purchased from EWM service team from SAP in order to do it.

      Keep in mind that their solution can upgrade the standard creation based on Inbound delivery to warehouse request level that gives you the option to use it within WH and not only upon receving.

      Author's profile photo Ganesh Navale
      Ganesh Navale

      1

       

      Hi Andrey,

       

      For me somehow destination not determined as deconsolidation work center and after confirming the first task putaway getting confirmed to final bin and task for pre-allocated stock get cancelled.

       

      Regards,

      Ganesh N

      1

      Author's profile photo Andrey Andriyan
      Andrey Andriyan
      Blog Post Author

      Hello Ganesh,

      It's difficult to judge what's specifically missing, please check again the settings, particularly in the part of deco station configuration. The test examples above are executed without specific inputs or debugger in a pure standard system, so I expect it should work for everybody in the same way.

      Have a good day,

      Regards,

      Andrey

      Author's profile photo Ganesh Navale
      Ganesh Navale

      Hi Andrey,

       

      May be this is in relation to SAP note you mentioned. I do not have access to Snote but I asked SAP learning team to implement the given note so to determine decon station.

       

      Regards,

      Ganesh

      Author's profile photo Andrey Andriyan
      Andrey Andriyan
      Blog Post Author

      Hello Ganesh,

      The note describes the offerings from SAP Consulting, which you can purchase additionally to your standard system. It cannot be installed or influence somehow your process.

      Regards,

      Andrey

      Author's profile photo Manuel Grämer
      Manuel Grämer

      Hi Andrey,

      thanks for this documentation about the new feature.

      Is or will there be also a possibility for parts which are normally staged order-related, that the preallocation considers the allocation to the PMR, so after the GR is routed directly to the PSA, also the stock reference to the PMR is created? Otherwise, an additional staging WT would be created. In my test environment I could not set it up like that.

      As an additional question (knowing that your post is more production related), I'd like to ask if there is something foreseen for outbound delivery management. So that I could define a missing part with a reference to an outbound delivery, and as soon as it is available, the WT is created to the GI-ZONE, also updating the pick status of the delivery without an additional pick WT.

      Regards, Manuel

      Author's profile photo Andrey Andriyan
      Andrey Andriyan
      Blog Post Author

      Hello Manuel,

      As far as I know at the moment it is not foreseen, I do not see it also on the current EWM Roadmap. The reference we add to the preallocated stock entry is not copied to a following task. You can consider standard enhancement to adjust the logic according to your needs or propose this feature as a possible improvement on Homepage - Customer Influence (sap.com);

      For the scenario with Outbound deliveries you can consider Opportunistic CD (in EWM) in the Outbound Delivery Process;

      If you have any further questions I'd be pleased to help.

      Have a good day!

      Regards,

      Andrey

       

      Author's profile photo Manuel Grämer
      Manuel Grämer

      Hi Andrey,

      thank you for your fast answer.

      regarding the CD functionality, it does not really match my current requirement. CD starts when the OD pick WT is created. But in my "missing part" scenario there is nothing even lying in GR area. The process should be triggered on a later stage (OD is already there and not picked, ID is being created) and therefore the "pre-allocated stock" scenario is more suitable, because it starts during the GR / putaway process. Anyhow, the OD scenario would also be relevant for staging in the delivery based scenario.

      I will consider opening up a improvement request.

      Thanks and best regards, Manuel

      Author's profile photo Max Mamai
      Max Mamai

      Hey Manuel,

      the pre-allocated stock entry could be used to any destination as it is maintained manually. So it has no direct link to PMR, nJIT, Kanban, etc.

      Please keep in mind that standard pre-allocated entry works only with Inbound delivery and HAS TO BE CREATED before GR as far as I know.

      However it can be tested before GR from Production. It might work

       

      The Template + solution that Andrey is mentioning is upgrading the standard set-up based on delivery to warehouse request and gives u the options to route the goods after quality inspection, internal posting, etc.

      it costs money and has to be purchased from EWM service team from SAP. It would be an development handed overed to the customer for maintenance.

       

      Author's profile photo Ganesh Navale
      Ganesh Navale

      Hi Andrey,

       

      As per POSC mentioned by you is working if we have 2 steps - IB02 & IB03. But it does not work if we add the unloading step IB01.

      It gives error stating that 'Storage process step is not assigned to storage process'.

       

      Error

       

      This is the case where deconsolidation not required as there is no pre-allocated stock and stock need to be put-away directly to final bin.

       

      Err1

       

      POSC defined is like IB01->IB02->IB03.

       

      Regards,

      Ganesh N

      Err1

      Error

      Author's profile photo Andrey Andriyan
      Andrey Andriyan
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Ganesh Navale,

      The unloading step was not required in my scenario and I did not test it. But I believe the case should work with unloading as well. Unfortunately it's difficult to assess your case as I do not know any configuration and the error message is quite dynamic.

      Best Regards,

      Andrey

      Author's profile photo Ganesh Navale
      Ganesh Navale

      Hi Andrey,

       

      Just add IB01 (Unloading) step in your POSC & let us know all the cases you mentioned in your blog works.

       

      Regards,

      Ganesh