This document provides a comprehensive overview of the warehouse structure and processes within SAP S/4 HANA Extended Warehouse Management (EWM). EWM is an advanced warehouse management system that supports complex warehouse operations, providing capabilities for managing storage, inventory, and logistics activities within a warehouse. The document details the fundamental organizational units, master data, and processes that are essential for configuring and operating EWM.
- Warehouse Structure Overview:
Describes the overarching framework of the warehouse in SAP EWM, breaking it down into Plant, Warehouse Number, Storage Locations, and respective sub-sections like Storage Types and Bins. - Warehouse Number:
Defines the top-level organizational unit in EWM, typically corresponding to a specific physical facility or distribution center, used for categorizing materials within the system. - Storage Types, Sections, and Bins:
Explains the organization within a warehouse, dividing it into types for spatial and operational sorting, followed by sections for grouping similar items, and precise bins for exact placement location of materials. - Warehouse Layout and Components:
Details the physical layout, including staging areas for temporary storage, entry/exit points via doors, and work centers where specific functions like packing and quality checks occur. - Quants in EWM:
Introduces ‘Quants’—groups of material quantities within storage bins determined by criteria such as material or batch number, essential for inventory management. - Business Partners and Supply Chain Units:
Defines roles like vendors and customers in warehouse transactions, and describes supply chain units as operational links in complex logistics processes. - Roles of Parties in Logistics:
Details roles such as Owner, Custodian, and Party Entitled to Dispose, essential for inventory management and operational authority in logistical scenarios. - Material Master and Product Views in EWM:
Discusses information integration from the Material Master with additional data essential for warehouse execution and packaging. - Activity Areas and Packaging Specifications:
Outlines key operational areas (like pick or putaway) and packaging specifications detailing how products are systematically packed, optimizing logistics operations. - Handling Units and Tasks:
Describes handling units as physical entities embodying groupings of goods for logistical ease, while tasks define specific actions for warehouse processing. - Warehouse Orders and Processing Flows:
Discusses the organization of tasks into executable orders, and provides a flow for inbound and outbound processes, detailing the entire lifecycle of goods within the warehouse from receipt to dispatch.