Warehouse Process Type Fields and Attributes in SAP S/4HANA EWM

In this blog post, we’ll discuss all the fields available to configure a warehouse process type and their usage in an SAP S/4HANA system.

General Settings

Warehouse process types are defined via the IMG menu path SCM Extended Warehouse Management > Extended Warehouse Management > Cross-Process Settings > Warehouse Task > Define Warehouse Process Type. You’ll arrive at the screen shown here.

Let’s walk through the fields of the General Settings section: 

• Warehouse Proc. Category: A warehouse process category defines the nature of a movement in a warehouse. These warehouse process categories are predefined in an EWM system, for example, putaway, stock removal, internal movement, etc.
• Activity: This configuration works in connection with a warehouse process category and defines the product movement in the warehouse. Multiple warehouse process types can be linked to the same activity. For instance, repacking, bin-to-bin transfer, and any ad hoc movement will be INTL (internal). All these internal activities can be defined as different warehouse process types to control the follow-on process or determine different destination bins. Examples of defined activities are shown in this table.

• Manual WT Forbidden: If this indicator is set, then the system does not allow the manual creation of warehouse tasks. As a result, the system creates warehouse tasks using this warehouse process type automatically with reference to a warehouse request. For example, in inbound processing, a putaway task will be created automatically after the unloading is completed or a goods receipt is posted as the subsequent step. Manual warehouse task creation shouldn’t be allowed as putaway is dependent on unloading/goods receipt completion.
• Confirm Immediately: If this indicator is set, the system confirms the warehouse task immediately as soon as it is created.
• Priority: If a priority is defined in the warehouse process type, then the warehouse tasks created using this the warehouse process type will be set with a priority from the warehouse process type, and this priority is taken into consideration when executing the order of warehouse tasks specified in the warehouse order.
• Propose Confirmation: If this indicator is set, the system proposes confirmation at the time the warehouse task is created.
• Pick Denial Ctrl: This indicator is used to control the pick denial in foreground processing and background processing modes. The options are shown in this table.

• No Automatic Replenishment: When this indicator is set, the system does not create replenishment warehouse tasks using this warehouse process type. Therefore, this indicator should not be set for picking processes unless a separate replenishment process exists; still this indicator can be useful for a scrapping process.
• WOCR Activity Area: This field specifies which activity area should be used for the warehouse order creation rule search when a warehouse task is created using this warehouse process type. Available options are source or destination activity area, as shown in the next table. If for an inbound process like putaway, the warehouse order creation rule search should be based on the destination activity area. If for an outbound process such as picking, then warehouse order creation rule search should be based on the source activity area.

• WO Rule: If the warehouse order creation rule is defined at the warehouse process type level, then the system applies this warehouse order creation rule for the warehouse tasks created using this warehouse process type. The warehouse order creation rule can be determined in multiple ways:
  • If the warehouse order rule is defined at warehouse process type level, then the system uses this warehouse order creation rule for the warehouse task created using this warehouse process type to group into a warehouse order. However, if the warehouse task does not fulfill the warehouse order creation rule, then warehouse order creation rule DEF is used.
  • If the warehouse process type does not contain a warehouse order creation rule, the system uses search sequence strategy to determine the correct warehouse order creation rule for the warehouse task. If no warehouse order creation rule satisfies the criteria, the system uses the warehouse order creation rule UNDE.
• Print Determ. Procedure: A print determination procedure can be assigned to a warehouse process type for printing warehouse orders or handling units (HUs).
• Skip Process Block Profile: A process block profile is defined at the warehouse product master’s storage data view. The purpose of the process block profile is to control certain processes at the product level such as no putaway or picking for a specific product. In such cases, the system will block those processes either as an error or with a warning. However, if this indicator is selected for the warehouse process type, then the system does not consider the process block profile from the product master.
• Stock ID Control: A stock identification is a unique number to clearly identify stock in every product warehouse task during receiving and good issues processes. Multiple ways to control the stock identification are shown in this table.

• Negative Stock: If this indicator is set, then the system allows the posting of negative stock with this warehouse process type. Warehouse tasks can be created without available stock in the bin, but those warehouse tasks cannot be confirmed. This setting is also available at storage type level; if at the warehouse process type level negative stock is allowed, then the system can override the setting at the storage type level.
• Rounding After Split: If splitting is allowed during putaway at the storage type level, then the system uses this indicator to determine how a warehouse tasks quantity should be split for a product. The available options are shown in the table below. If no rounding is selected, then the system puts away the quantity into the first determined storage bin based on its capacity and then creates another warehouse task on the next storage bin (based on putaway rules) to store the remaining quantity. If 1 is selected, then the system rounds the warehouse task quantity down to a multiple of the UoM. 

• Preallocated Stock Allowed: If this indicator is set, the system allows you to create warehouse tasks for preallocated stock. 

Controls for Putaway/Stock Removal

Warehouse process types define the movement of products in the warehouse. In the definition of warehouse process types, you’ll see multiple indicators to control these processes. In this section, you’ll learn about putaway and stock removal control indicators, as shown in this figure.

Let’s walk through the key fields in the Control for Putaway/Stock Removal section:

• Source Stor.Ty and Source Bin: During warehouse task creation, the system determines the source storage type and source bin for stock removal from the warehouse process type. If this configuration is not maintained at the warehouse process type level, then the system determines this information based on either external process steps or on rule-based indicators.
• Stor.Type and Destination Bin: During warehouse task creation, the system determines the destination storage type and destination bin for putaway from the warehouse process type. If this configuration is not maintained at the warehouse process type level, then the system determines this information based on either external process steps or on rule-based indicators.
• Round Whole Units: This field is used determine how a warehouse task quantity should be rounded. These values can be configured in the warehouse process type, as shown here.

• Automatic WT Creation at GR: This setting is used in embedded EWM in SAP S/4HANA (not in decentralized EWM) to trigger automatic warehouse task creation at goods receipt for processes with synchronous good receipts in the warehouse.

Settings for Storage Processes

This section of a warehouse process type defines the storage process required for any specific product movement in the warehouse. A storage process is used for complex business processes, and several settings can be defined, as shown in the next figure.

Let’s walk through the key fields in the Settings for Storage Process section:

• Storage Process: A storage process is a group of activities and process steps for complex warehouse processes using process-oriented storage control (POSC). A storage process describes the activities that should be performed and their sequence. For example, for a goods receipt process, the steps and sequence of the storage process would be unloading, receipt, deconsolidation, and putaway.
• Strge Ctrl Relevance: This field allows you to control whether layout-oriented storage control (LOSC) or POSC is relevant for tasks created with this process type.
• Deactivation Allowed: This field allows a user to manually change to a storage control process for the specific warehouse process type if activated. For special order processing, if a warehouse processor wants to create warehouse task to the destination bin directly without passing the product or handing unit through an interim storage type, then this indicator should be selected in the warehouse process type.

Posting Change/Production Supply/Warehouse Requests

These sections of the warehouse process type define the controls required for posting changes, production supply, and warehouse requests documents, as shown below.

Let’s walk through the key fields:

• Change in Bin: This setting controls the way a change should be posted in the bin, such as whether the posting change should transfer the stock directly into the bin or whether the warehouse task should be created to transfer the stock to a different bin. Different options available to control a posting change in a bin are shown in this table.

• Goods Mvmnt Before Warehouse Task: This indicator is relevant only if warehouse task creation is allowed for posting changes. This field controls whether a goods movement for a posting change warehouse request should be executed in the source bin or in the destination bin of the warehouse task. If goods movement is allowed before a warehouse task, then mixed storage should be allowed in the source storage type to enable the posting change of a partial quantity in the storage bin.
• Completely Pick WR: If this indicator is set, then all the items in the warehouse should be picked in full which means system will create pick warehouse tasks only if all the items in the warehouse request can be fulfilled. Thus, as a result, if a wave is used to create pick tasks, then the entire warehouse request should be assigned to the same wave only.
• Def Exc Code Kanban: This indicator is used to default the exception code in a Kanban process. If a Kanban container is set to full and the quantity is different from the requested quantity, then the warehouse task is confirmed with this exception code.
• Rough Bin Determination: If this indicator is set, the system determines a rough bin for the warehouse request item. Rough bins are the source storage bins selected by the stock removal strategy and are used for wave picks and replenishment orders.
• Automatic Wave Creation: If this indicator is set, then the system assigns a wave automatically to a warehouse request item of this process type so that work can be grouped and released for warehouse activities. If this indicator is not set, then a wave can be assigned manually to a warehouse request.
• Availability Group: An availability group maps stock types and represents a storage location linked to the warehouse; it is also assigned at the storage type level. When confirming a warehouse task, the system gives preference to the availability group at the warehouse process type level.
• Select HU w/o Storage Process: If this indicator is set, then the system creates an HU warehouse task for putaway instead of a product warehouse task when working without a storage process. This option is useful for optimizing warehouse processes by creating one task for an entire HU instead of creating multiple tasks for each item in the HU.

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Editor’s note: This post has been adapted from a section of the book Extended Warehouse Management with SAP S/4HANA Certification Guide: Application Associate Exam by Basawaraj Patil, Neetu Ramireddi, and Satish Komatlapalli.