Enterprises using SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM) can optimize their operations and enhance efficiency with a collection of functionalities offered for inbound and outbound logistics, wave management, yard management, and labor management.
A major advantage of implementing SAP EWM in your SAP S/4HANA system (embedded or decentralized) is its ability to integrate with other functionalities and business processes. In this blog post, we'll explore the integration options that allow you to create a unified and streamlined operation with SAP EWM.
Functionalities and Processes
SAP EWM is armed with preconfigured integration capabilities that connect to business procedures in other functionalities, applications, or departments within a company. These functionalities provide accurate inventory counts and enhance the connections between essential organizational components and operations, such as plant locations and inbound/outbound production. Let’s take a look at each functionality supported by SAP EWM.
Inventory Management
SAP EWM’s integration with inventory management and delivery processing enables business processes that are triggered in other application components to result in physical goods movements within the warehouse. These movements can be effectively organized, monitored, and controlled with SAP EWM.
The comprehensive integration between SAP EWM and inventory management means that all goods movements (goods receipts, goods issues, stock status changes, and goods disposal) can be executed in both systems. This also ensures that the book inventory balance is always in sync with the warehouse stock in SAP EWM.
Production Planning
SAP EWM supports the production staging process, component consumption process, and production goods receipt for semi-finished or finished materials. SAP EWM can be integrated with both SAP Manufacturing Execution and non-SAP manufacturing systems, and it can handle advanced production integration and delivery-based production integration processes.
Quality Management
The Quality Inspection Engine in SAP EWM facilitates inspection procedures within the warehouse. Customers can either use the Quality Inspection Engine exclusively for their quality inspections, or integrate their existing quality inspection processes in the quality management functionality of SAP S/4HANA using the Quality Inspection Engine.
SAP EWM’s close integration with quality management enables support for various business processes, such as goods receipts, stock inspections, return inspections (customer returns and advanced returns management), and preliminary handling unit inspections.
SAP TM
Companies can leverage the real-time visibility and control over their inbound and outbound logistics processes by integrating SAP EWM with SAP’s transportation planning system, SAP Transportation Management (SAP TM). The integration automates the creation of outbound deliveries in SAP EWM based on transportation planning data in SAP TM and allows for the transfer of shipment and tracking information between the two systems. Uniting SAP TM with SAP EWM means companies can improve their transportation planning and execution, reduce costs, and achieve greater efficiency in their logistics operations.
SAP Dock Appointment Scheduling
Customers can integrate SAP Dock Appointment Scheduling with SAP EWM to help streamline the flow of goods through their warehouse. While SAP EWM provides information about inventory levels and locations of goods, the dock appointment scheduling system provides information about when carriers are scheduled to arrive and depart. Integrating these systems makes the process of planning movements of goods more effective, ensuring the goods, location, and timing are correct. Additionally, information from customers’ supply chain hubs can improve the accuracy of inventory management, reduce transportation costs, and improve overall warehouse efficiency.
Warehouse Automation Systems
Material flow systems and warehouse robotics systems can be integrated with SAP EWM to enable a fully automated warehouse solution. The automation system communicates with SAP EWM to receive orders and send status updates on inventory levels and location information. Material flow automation systems, such as conveyor systems and automated storage and retrieval systems, can be integrated with SAP EWM to provide real-time inventory tracking and optimization of material movement. Warehouse robotics, such as autonomous mobile robots and automated guided vehicles, can also be integrated with SAP EWM to improve inventory accuracy and speed up order fulfillment.
SAP Yard Logistics
SAP EWM can be integrated with SAP Yard Logistics to improve the overall efficiency of logistics operations within your warehouse, distribution center, or freight terminal. Real-time data from SAP EWM can be used to optimize yard operations, such as trailer and container movements and dock scheduling.
Plant Maintenance
The integration of a plant maintenance system with an SAP EWM system involves coordinating maintenance activities and managing the inventory and logistics in your warehouses. This integration includes processes such as asset management, maintenance scheduling, work order management, and asset tracking.
SAP Advanced Track and Trace for Pharmaceuticals
SAP EWM can be connected with SAP Advanced Track and Trace for Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical serial number management and repository application. Integration involves establishing a communication link between the two systems to exchange data and information related to pharmaceutical serial numbers. Once the communication link is established, SAP EWM exchanges data about product identification, product traceability, and shipment details with SAP Advanced Track and Trace for Pharmaceuticals.
SAP Advanced Track and Trace for Pharmaceuticals then uses this data to track and trace products as they move through the supply chain. This feature allows companies to monitor product movements, identify potential risks or issues, and take necessary actions to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
SAP Global Trade Services
An SAP EWM and SAP Global Trade Services (SAP GTS) integration allows for real-time visibility into and control over warehouse and trade compliance processes. It also enables the optimization of logistics and trade compliance planning and execution. This integration automates the creation of outbound deliveries in SAP EWM based on trade compliance data in SAP GTS, along with the transfer of compliance and shipment information between the two systems. This feature helps companies streamline logistics operations, improve trade compliance, and reduce costs and risks associated with non-compliance.
Yard Management
SAP EWM can be integrated with yard management to manage inbound and outbound delivery operations. There are various steps to complete when trucks arrive and depart with goods, and these processes ensure that all incoming goods are properly documented and safely unloaded before the truck leaves the facility and that all outgoing goods are properly documented and loaded before the shipment leaves the facility.
Project System
Resource-related billing in Project System is a feature for billing customers for goods and services based on the resources used by the project. Integrating SAP EWM with Project System enables users to automatically log the resources used in a project to generate invoices. This integration can also be used to manage the inventory of goods required for a project to ensure the right materials are available when needed and excess inventory is reduced.
Another way to take advantage of the SAP EWM and Project System integration is optimizing transportation planning for project materials. SAP EWM can help ensure that goods are delivered to project sites efficiently and cost-effectively by considering factors like delivery dates, route optimization, and carrier selection.
IoT and Machine Learning
An SAP EWM system can be integrated with IoT and machine learning to improve operational efficiency, accuracy, and productivity in your warehouse. IoT sensors can be placed throughout the warehouse to track the movement of goods and assets in real time. These sensors collect data on temperature, humidity, location, and other variables to optimize warehouse operations. The data collected by these sensors can be integrated with SAP EWM to provide real-time information on the status and location of goods and assets.
Machine learning algorithms can be used to analyze the data collected by IoT sensors and other sources, such as historical transaction data, to identify patterns and predict future trends. These algorithms help improve warehouse operations by providing recommendations for inventory management, demand forecasting, and scheduling.
About the Integrating EWM in SAP S/4HANA Book
Integrating SAP EWM with other SAP solutions and business processes creates a unified and efficient operational environment. By harnessing the power of this integrated ecosystem, businesses can achieve a level of operational excellence that sets them apart in today's competitive landscape. We’ve explored several key possibilities an SAP EWM integration offers, so what’s the next step? Turn to our Integrating EWM in SAP S/4HANA book to help you plan and execute your integration journey.
The introduction to this book will answer any questions you have about what SAP EWM is and the various features and advantages it offers. Different deployment options and data transfer techniques are discussed, and you’ll get all the information you need for choosing your integration approach.
Each of the remaining chapters are dedicated to the different solutions and functionalities that can be integrated with SAP EWM: production planning; quality management; SAP TM; SAP Dock Appointment Scheduling; warehouse automation; SAP Yard Logistics; SAP Environment, Health, and Safety Management; plant maintenance; and SAP Advanced Track and Trace for Pharmaceuticals. These chapters focus on the necessary configuration and master data requirements and provide in-depth business process demonstrations.
The book supports your learning by addressing best practices and offering real-world case studies and success stories. You’ll get detailed insights and knowledge for navigating and executing your integrations successfully. After reading this book, you’ll walk away with a clear and deep understanding of how SAP EWM interacts with SAP S/4HANA.
Who Is This Book For?
This book is for organizations, warehousing professionals, and SAP EWM consultants who require a comprehensive warehouse management functionality integrated directly into their SAP S/4HANA system. This guide can benefit a wide range of organizations in the areas of manufacturing, distribution and logistics, retail and e-commerce, high-tech, and pharmaceuticals, along with third-party logistics providers and wholesale and distribution centers.
About the Authors
Shailesh Patil stands as an eminent solution architect and subject matter expert at Infosys Limited, showcasing a remarkable and extensive career spanning 19 years of expertise in supply chain management solutions. His focal competencies revolve predominantly around extended warehouse management, warehouse management, transportation management, serialization, and cold chain management solutions, with a specific focus on the pharmaceutical industry.
Sudhakar Bandaru is a highly accomplished digital logistics execution solution architect with extensive experience in various modules, including SAP EWM, SAP Yard Logistics, and SAP TM, spanning an impressive career of over 19 years. Throughout his professional journey, he has developed a deep understanding of the complexities within a wide range of industries, including 3PL, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, automobile distribution, fast-moving consumer goods, energy, oil and gas, and utilities, among others.
How to Purchase
If you’re interested in purchasing Integrating EWM in SAP S/4HANA, follow this link and choose the format that works best for you: e-book, print edition, or bundle (both e-book and print).
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