Fig. 25: Numerator for Conversion and Denominator for Conversion fields in the Manage Substitutions app. The numeric relationship is also displayed on the Configuration subscreen in sales orders.
This blog provides an overview of innovations in SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2105 for Manufacturing and Supply Chain. The content of this blog is only a selection from the multitude of innovations described in the What's New document.
Figure 1 visualizes the table of contents of this blog with its order of business areas considered. This order is equal to the flow of topics in the Early Release Webinar for Manufacturing and Supply Chain from which demos shown there are embedded here. If you are interested in the recording of the webinar, read this blog.
Fig. 1: Order of business areas considered in this blog post
First, this blog post starts with the table of contents for ease of reference and allows you to navigate directly to the topic you are interested in by clicking on a specific entry:
Watch my video in which I present the following innovations:
Video 1: Highlights for Manufacturing and Supply Chain in the 2105 release
The functionalities mentioned in this video are only a selection of the many innovations in the area of Manufacturing and Supply Chain. Let us start with Manufacturing.
Maintaining routings or master recipes is a core capability required by every manufacturing company. Until now, users had to call up different apps to create, change and display a routing or master recipe.
The new SAP Fiori apps Manage Routings and Manage Master Recipes are so-called wrapper apps which enables you to search through existing master data and navigate to the apps for creation of new routings / master recipes as well as change and display of existing routings / master recipes.
Using the Manage Routings app as an example, Figure 1 shows the standard capabilities of the new apps such as filter customization, adding additional table columns and their export to excel.
Fig. 1: SAP Fiori app 'Manage Routings'
Figure 2 shows the navigation to the wrapped Create, Change and Display apps using the app Manage Master Recipes as an example.
Fig. 2: SAP Fiori app 'Manage Master Recipes'
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As an production planner, be informed that two SAP Fiori apps in Capacity Planning were renamed with 2105 release.
Fig. 3: Renamed apps in Capacity Planning
Both renamed apps offer a few new options:
Capacity Scheduling Table
Capacity Scheduling Board
In the next demo video my colleague Markus Oertelt shows you the feature enhancements in capacity planning:
Video 2 : SAP Fiori app Capacity Scheduling Table: Set a threshold for scheduling order operations in the past and realign order schedules
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With the time-dependent safety stock you can make the safety stock more flexible and
dynamic.
The new ODATA API API_PROD_TIMEDPDNTSTCK_SRV enables you to create, read and update the time dependent stock levels such as max stock, reorder point and safety stock. In addition, you can split and merge the stock validity intervals.
In the Manage Product Master Data app, you can specify the safety stock method. A new field is available to select static or time-dependent safety stock. If you choose the second option,
Fig. 4: Time Dependent Safety Stock in MRP
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With this feature, you can display information on the planning plant in the Manage Material Coverage and Manage Production Orders or Process Orders apps if a material is planned and produced in different plants. The new column with this information is only visible if a material is relevant for this scenario.
These are the enhancements in the Stock/Requirements List:
The following figure illustrates the functionality with the example material FIO-AP-FERT-01 that is planned and produced in three different plants (FIO1 / FIO2 /1010).
Fig. 7: Planning plant in the Manage Material Coverage and Manage Production Orders or Process Orders apps
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Now coming to Demand Driven Replenishment. With the last release we have introduced the Projected On-Hand Alerts app which enables a production planner to monitor the occurrence of material stockouts closely and hence ensure that optimum quantities of stock are maintained. For this purpose, the app investigates the near future to warn about impeding buffer problems. To do so, it takes the current on-hand status and projects on-hand status for each future day based on quantity and timing of known demands and supply orders. This shows the responsible persons what replenished positions will get into trouble up until the end of the decoupled lead time. With this release, the Projected On-Hand Alerts app displays an alert chart that represents the projected-on hand alerts in time - from today till the decoupled lead time (DLT). You can also view the planning view and execution view of stock projections for buffered materials from the time-dependent buffer level charts.
I recommend that you watch the five and a half minute video below in which Markus explains the Projected On-Hand Alerts app with an example.
Video 3: Demand Driven Replenishment - Projected On-Hand Alerts app
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In the Simulation Components view of the Process pMRP Simulations app, you can now display the constraint quantities for each material and source of supply in a simulation. An exceeded constraint quantity is displayed in red. If there is an issue with a material constraint in a simulation, you can now check which maximum constraint for which material component has been violated.
Video 4: Show Constraints in the Simulation Components View of the 'Process pMRP Simulations' app
A new API allows you to read flexible constraints in your system. You can also manage certain aspects of the flexible constraints for example, by assigning a period or language specific text.
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With the new SAP Fiori app Manage Process Order Operations a Production Supervisor in Process Manufacturing you can monitor the progress of process orders at the detailed operations level. You can have an overview of the phases, components, relationships between phases, all the other operations linked to the process order.
Video 5: New SAP Fiori app Manage Process Order Operations
By the way: With the Manage Process Order app supervisors can now view the interruptions at the phase level for time event confirmations which includes details such as date and timestamp of interruption and reason for interruption.
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The enhancements for the Manage Production Orders and Manage Production Operations apps support you even more in your daily work as a Production Supervisor in Discrete Manufacturing.
In the Manage Production Orders app, you can now display suboperations in the Order Schedule section on the detail screen. The relevant column is displayed by default.
Fig. 8: Manage Production Orders app - Suboperation
In the Manage Production Operations app, you can display suboperations as well in the worklist as in the Order Schedule section on the detail screen. A default filter for suboperations is available.
Fig. 9: Manage Production Operations app - Suboperation
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The SAP Kanban Replenishment Process in Lean Manufacturing is an effective procedure for the production and material flow control based on the physical material stock in production.
The blog Preview SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2105: Release Highlights in the Area of Kanban describes the key highlights in the 2105 release:
Even though the Kanban highlights of the 2105 release are already described in the blog mentioned above, I would like to explicitly point out Auto-ID Enabled Kanban with SAP Internet of Things in this blog. For more information about this innovation please read the blog Taking manufacturing optimization one step further: IoT-enabled Kanban.
Fig. 10: IoT-enabled Kanban
In my release update video at the beginning of this blog you see an embedded system demo recorded in our kanban showcase room in Walldorf. Below you see a short clip from the demo video:
Video 6: RFID-enabled Kanban based on SAP IoT auto-ID services
Watch this demo in full length on SAP Industry 4.Now. You can find the demo video at the bottom of the page.
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As an Production Operator for Repetitive Manufacturing you have now access to a few new visual harmonized apps (in brackets the GUI transaction name for comparison with SAP S/4HANA On Premise):
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Since the last release, SAP S/4HANA Cloud offers the apps for shift note maintenance (see my 2102 blog).
With this release new apps for creating, displaying, and processing shift reports have been made available:
These are so called visual harmonized apps which are based on GUI transactions from On Premise. The transaction name in brackets is useful for searching the Fiori tile in the app finder but you cannot use it for starting the app in Cloud.
Fig. 11: Create Shift Report app
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As of the 2002 release, SAP S/4HANA Cloud enables continuous improvement through the standardized 8-D problem-solving process and its predefined process steps in Quality Management. The 8-D methodology supports you to identify, correct, and eliminate recurring problems (see my 2002 blog).
With 2105, the Resolve Internal Problems app enables you to get a visual overview of the step statuses on the selection screen of the internal problem-solving processes.
Fig. 12: Resolve Internal Problems app - Step Status Overview
In addition, you can assign attachments to the header data of an internal problem-solving process using the SAP Attachment Service.
Fig. 13: Resolve Internal Problems app - Assign Attachments
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As a quality engineer, you can print or send inspection results for an inspection lot in the form of a PDF document. By pressing the new button Print Inspection Report on the inspection lot object page the Output Details dialog opens, showing a list of output items with print and email channels configured.
Fig. 14: Manage Inspection Lots app - New button Print Inspection Report
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With this release you have access to several new apps for operation completion and for creating worklists to display or change quality notification items or quality notification activities. These apps are well known from On Premise. For comparison the On Premise transaction names are mentioned in brackets. You can use a transaction name for searching the app in the app finder of you SAP Fiori launchpad.
This feature enables you to complete the operations in an inspection lot individually. This allows you to document the exact inspection process for an inspection lot with usage decisions. If this feature is activated for a combination of inspection type and plant, you can make a usage decision at operation level in the following apps:
With this feature you have access to several new apps for creating worklists to display or change quality notification items or quality notification activities. In detail, you can now use the following apps:
Review also the What's New document which lists a few new configuration steps, Business Add-In (BAdI) and API enhancement.
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With this release, new configuration steps for making settings related to Batch Management have been added to Configure Your Solution in the Manage Your Solution app:
Fig. 15: Further configuration settings for Batch Management
As an Master Data Specialist - Batch Data use the Batch Information Cockpit app to copy batches into worklist folders. You can use private worklist folders for individual use, or public worklist folders to be shared with other users. You can open the worklist folders to see groups of batches and display their details.
Fig. 16: Batch Information Cockpit app
The Business Add-In (BAdI) Procedures for Quantity Proposal in Batch Management allows you to change the way the quantities are distributed in the batch determination quantity proposal.
In the standard setting the quantity proposal consists of choosing the first elements in the available batch in accordance with the search strategy. You can use the Procedures for Quantity Proposal BAdI to change the way the quantities are distributed in the quantity proposal. You can create and maintain implementations of custom logic with the Custom Fields and Logic app.
Fig. 17: New Business Add-In (BAdI) Procedures for Quantity Proposal in Batch Management
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With this release, configuration steps for making settings related to the use of handling units in Warehouse Management have been added to Configure Your Solution in the Manage Your Solution app. The configuration steps are now available in the Warehouse Management and in the Handling Unit Management configuration items.
New configuration steps in for General Settings in Handling Management are available:
Fig. 18: New configurations steps for General Settings in Handling Unit Management
New configuration steps in for Handling Unit Identification are available:
Fig. 19: New configurations steps for Handling Unit Identification
With this feature, you have access to new apps in the Manufacturing environment for creating handling units and planned handling units for documents due for delivery. The following apps are now available:
With this feature, you have access to several new apps in the Manufacturing environment for creating handling units and planned handling units for documents due for delivery. The following apps are now available:
With this feature you have access to a new app to pack physical material stocks that are already stored in a non-HU-managed storage location into handling units (HUs) in the system. The following apps are now available:
With this feature, you have access to a new app to create outbound deliveries for handling units that have already been created, for example, in production, and to assign handling units to existing open deliveries. The following app is now available:
Fig. 20: Outbound Deliveries for Handling Units - Documents due for Delivery app
The OData API Handling Unit - Read (A2X) (API_HANDLING_UNIT) is deprecated. It has been replaced by the successor OData API Handling Unit (handlingunit).
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CDS (Core Data Services) views for Serial Number Management have been released as follows:
Fig. 21: CDS Views for Serial Number Management
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Master data for Location Substitution (Plant and Storage Location) can be defined and managed in the following 5 apps:
The Manage Substitutions – Locations is the main app, where the substitution master data is managed and defined. The app depicts the substitution chain in both tabular and graphical mode.
Fig. 22: SAP Fiori app Manage Substitutions – Locations
As an Order Fulfillment Manager, you can now replace the delivering plant for sales order requirements with an alternative delivering plant on the basis of:
In addition to enabling you to decide which source to use for substitution method Plant Substitution, this method enables you to maintain exactly which plants to use as possible alternatives and exclude specific plants from being valid alternatives. Furthermore, you can consider time constraints during alternative plant determination thanks to the optional validity data that can be defined in the Manage Substitutions app.
Fig. 23: Configure Substitution Strategy app - Substitution Method for Plant Substitution
You can now replace the storage location for sales order requirements with an alternative storage location on the basis of:
In addition to enabling you to decide which source to use for substitution method Storage Location
Substitution, this feature enables you to maintain exactly which storage locations to use as possible
alternatives and exclude specific storage locations from being valid alternatives. Furthermore, you can consider time constraints during the determination of alternative storage locations on the basis of the optional validity data that can be defined in the Manage Substitutions app.
Fig. 24: Configure Substitution Strategy app - Substitution Method for Storage Location Substitution
To achieve higher delivery rates and reduce out-of-stock situations, you can configure product substitutions. When a shortage of a product occurs, a different product can be used to substitute the originally requested product. In some cases, the quantity of the substitute product does not equal the quantity of the ordered product, for example:
This numeric relationship is maintained in the Numerator for Conversion and Denominator for Conversion fields in the Manage Substitutions app for substitution master data and consumed during availability checks using substitution strategies in which Substitution Master Data is maintained as the substitution method source. The numeric relationship is also displayed on the Configuration subscreen in sales orders.
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Review Availability Check Result has been enhanced to provide further insights to the confirmation determination for a single item. The Intermediate Results tab enables the user to identify which basic method cut the request and what the confirmation was. Furthermore, it makes transparent which material-plant combinations have been checked to determine the best confirmation.
Fig. 26: Review Availability Check Result app
Alternative-Based Confirmation determines alternatives according to substitution strategy definition so that the best alternative is chosen to fulfill the request. In addition to the best alternative, further alternatives may be valid and can be chosen by the user. Review Availability Check Result now enables the user to choose from the calculated alternatives.
Fig. 27: Review Availability Check Result app
Fig. 28: Review Availability Check Result app
Fig. 29: Review Availability Check Result app - Detailed explanation for product allocation check results
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Multiple Matches Alert in Supply Protection (Situation Handling)
With supply protection it is possible to define protected quantities for defined groups based on specific characteristics. It might happen that one demand occurs in multiple protection groups, although this was not intended. In case of a multiple match the real stock is reduced by the amount of the confirmed demand, but the protection is reduced by the amount of the confirmed quantity multiplied with the number of matches.
If a sales order matches multiple supply protection objects, an alert is triggered by the Situation Handling framework, and the user assigned to this situation will get a notification for all supply protection objects involved in this multiple matches situation. The user can now check the related supply protection objects and do some changes. If necessary, a reassignment with backorder processing can be done.
Fig. 30: Manage Situation Types app - Situations for Multiple Matches in Supply Protection
Protection Group Details
For every supply protection group there is an object page showing how the protection is planned for single time buckets.
The chart shows the planned protection, the consumed quantities, and the remaining protection.
In the table below the chart, the consuming documents are shown for every time bucket. Users can navigate to the details of the document, if they have the necessary permissions.
Fig. 31: Manage Supply Protection app - Protection Group page
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This feature enables you to enter comments on characteristic value combination level in the Manage Product Allocation Planning Data app.
Fig. 32: Manage Product Allocation Planning Data app - New comment column on Product Allocation object page
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With the past two releases we have enhanced the following SAP Fiori apps to support serial numbers in the goods receipt process (see my 2011 blog and 2102 blog😞
Now we have enhanced three more SAP Fiori apps to support serial numbers in the goods receipt process:
In the next demo video I show you how an inventory manager carries out an initial entry of stock balances for a serialized product. The app allows the user to assign up to 10,000 serial numbers at a time for the following stock types:
Three options for assigning serial numbers are available:
Video 7: Support for serial numbers in Manage Stock app
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Now we come to Warehouse Management in SAP S/4HANA Cloud which presents me with a challenge. The 2105 release provides so many innovations in the area of Warehouse Management, the description of which is far beyond the scope of this blog. For example, the description of the new configuration steps alone fills 144 pages in the What's New document. Therefore, I would first like to give an overview of the investment areas with the next figure.
Fig. 33: Areas of investment in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Warehouse Management 2105
The next figure summarizes the features which are added to Cloud WM with the 2105 release.
Fig. 34: Additional scope in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Warehouse Management 2105 in comparison to the 2102 release
In this blog, I would like to highlight the following from the multitude of innovations in Cloud WM:
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For more flexibility in setup and better support for customer-specific processes we provide a more accurate warehouse overview and configuration with 100+ new SSC UIs (self-service configuration UIs). The new folder structure in the Manage Your Solution app offers new SSCUI groups:
Fig. 35: App Manage your solution with SSCUI groups for warehouse management
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Now, you can manage serial numbers at a bin level with cloud warehouse management functionality. For this purpose, the use of serial numbers at a bin level is supported throughout warehouse processes:
The next figure shows the end-2-end serial number support in Cloud WM.
Fig. 36: Support stock based serial numbers (C-level) throughout warehouse processes
Hint: For support of serial number on bin level use the C-level serial number profile in the material master of the serialized product.
Fig. 37. Change Material Master app - Serial number profile
The next video shows the process in which a Warehouse Clerk (EWM) opens the Change Inbound Deliveries app, checks the assigned serial numbers for a particular delivery, then navigates to the new app Work Center Packing for Inbound Delivery by pressing the Packing button, with the help of which the user creates handling units (HUs) and assigns the serial numbers to the HUs. From here, the warehouse clerk navigates back to the Change Inbound Deliveries app and opens on the object page of the particular delivery again the serial number assignment popup window which shows now the created HUs assigned per serial number. After Goods Receipt posting the user creates Warehouse Tasks and checks them in the Process Warehouse Tasks - Putaway app. Last but not least, the warehouse clerk opens the Warehouse Monitor app to review the handling units with assigned serial numbers in physical stock.
Video 8 (without voice over): Serial number handling with Cloud WM at bin level
The process flow of the video is described above.
The process flow in the video above does not contain physical inventory, but also physical inventory supports now serial number handling. The next figure shows the serial number assignment on the Count Physical Inventory documents app.
Fig. 38: Count Physical Inventory app - Serial Number Assignment
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Fig. 39: Nested Handling Units
With this release, you can process nested handling units (HUs) in your warehouse. Nested HUs are HUs that have been packed into other HUs, for example, multiple cartons packed in a box.
You can:
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As a Warehouse Clerk (EWM), you have now access to the ABC Analysis Report. You can use ABC analysis as a mass-creation option for warehouse products with indicators for putaway, stock
removal, and cycle counting. The ABC Analysis enables you to
Fig. 40: Perform ABC Analysis app - Set ABC categories, desired putaway control indicator (PACI), storage section indicator and cycle counting indicator for product category (highlighted in red box).
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We have often been asked about cross-docking capabilities in Cloud WM in the past. Now here comes the first step for basic cross-docking.
Preallocated stock is products that you urgently need for goods issue but which aren’t available in the warehouse, for example, products required urgently by production or customers. In the system, you can forward the preallocated stock directly from the interim storage area for goods receipt to the interim storage area for goods issue. This way allows you to skip the unnecessary putaway and stock removal of the preallocated stock.
New configuration steps allow you to
The next figure shows the process flow of preallocated stock in inbound delivery.
Fig.41: Process flow of preallocated stock in inbound delivery
Fig.42: Warehouse Monitor app - Preallocated Stock node
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Finally, the next figure provides an overview of innovations in the area of Logistics Execution (LE).
Fig.43: Overview of innovations in the area of Logistics Execution (LE)
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Thanks for reading this blog post. Stay tuned!
You will find a collection of my SAP S/4HANA Cloud release blogs here:
Recently, my colleague Markus Oertelt has started an interesting blog series about
Discrete Industries in SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
Would you like to learn more about how innovative organizations utilize Industry 4.0 to improve manufacturing processes? Register now for the Industry 4.0 Intelligent Products Report.
Follow us via @SAP and #S4HANA, or myself via @GerhardWelker and LinkedIn
Figure 1 visualizes the table of contents of this blog with its order of business areas considered. This order is equal to the flow of topics in the Early Release Webinar for Manufacturing and Supply Chain from which demos shown there are embedded here. If you are interested in the recording of the webinar, read this blog.
Fig. 1: Order of business areas considered in this blog post
First, this blog post starts with the table of contents for ease of reference and allows you to navigate directly to the topic you are interested in by clicking on a specific entry:
Manufacturing
Production Engineering
Manage Routings and Master Recipes
Production Planning
Capacity Planning
Time-Dependent Safety Stock
Alternative Plant
Extended Production Planning & Scheduling
Demand Driven Replenishment (DDMRP) – Projected On-Hand Alerts
Predictive material and resource planning (pMRP)
Production Operations
Manage Process Order Operations
Manage Production Orders and Operations
Kanban
Repetitive Manufacturing
Shift Report
Quality Management
Resolve Internal Problems via 8-D methodology
Printing Inspection Reports
Operation Completion and Worklists
Supply Chain
Logistics Cross Topics
Batch Management
Handling Unit Management
Serial Number Management
Advanced Order Promising
Alternative-Based Confirmation (ABC)
Review Availability Check Result (RACR)
Supply Protection (SUP)
Product Allocation (PAL)
Inventory Management
Support for serial numbers in goods receipt processes
Warehouse Management
Configuration Enhancements
Serial Numbers on Bin Level
Nested Handling Units
ABC Analysis of Products
Basic Cross-Docking
Delivery
Watch my video in which I present the following innovations:
- Auto-ID Enabled Kanban with SAP Internet of Things
- Demand Driven Replenishment - Projected On-Hand Alerts
- Warehouse Management - Serial number handling on bin level
Video 1: Highlights for Manufacturing and Supply Chain in the 2105 release
The functionalities mentioned in this video are only a selection of the many innovations in the area of Manufacturing and Supply Chain. Let us start with Manufacturing.
Manufacturing
Production Engineering
New SAP Fiori apps Manage Routings and Manage Master Recipes
Maintaining routings or master recipes is a core capability required by every manufacturing company. Until now, users had to call up different apps to create, change and display a routing or master recipe.
The new SAP Fiori apps Manage Routings and Manage Master Recipes are so-called wrapper apps which enables you to search through existing master data and navigate to the apps for creation of new routings / master recipes as well as change and display of existing routings / master recipes.
Using the Manage Routings app as an example, Figure 1 shows the standard capabilities of the new apps such as filter customization, adding additional table columns and their export to excel.
Fig. 1: SAP Fiori app 'Manage Routings'
Figure 2 shows the navigation to the wrapped Create, Change and Display apps using the app Manage Master Recipes as an example.
Fig. 2: SAP Fiori app 'Manage Master Recipes'
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Production Planning
Capacity Planning
As an production planner, be informed that two SAP Fiori apps in Capacity Planning were renamed with 2105 release.
- The app Schedule Production was renamed to Capacity Scheduling Table.
- The app Monitor Work Center Schedules was renamed to Capacity Scheduling Board.
Fig. 3: Renamed apps in Capacity Planning
Both renamed apps offer a few new options:
Capacity Scheduling Table
- Set a threshold for scheduling order operations in the past while rescheduling using the Past Scheduling Threshold option under App Settings.
- Realign your order schedules to a future date.
Capacity Scheduling Board
- Select a date range or set an offset value before and after the current date in the Evaluation Horizon filter to narrow down your search.
In the next demo video my colleague Markus Oertelt shows you the feature enhancements in capacity planning:
Video 2 : SAP Fiori app Capacity Scheduling Table: Set a threshold for scheduling order operations in the past and realign order schedules
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Time Dependent Safety Stock in MRP
With the time-dependent safety stock you can make the safety stock more flexible and
dynamic.
The new ODATA API API_PROD_TIMEDPDNTSTCK_SRV enables you to create, read and update the time dependent stock levels such as max stock, reorder point and safety stock. In addition, you can split and merge the stock validity intervals.
In the Manage Product Master Data app, you can specify the safety stock method. A new field is available to select static or time-dependent safety stock. If you choose the second option,
- Safety stock delta is determined as planned demand or receipt for MRP or MPS procedures
- Safety stock levels are considered in MRP Live + Classic, MRP Apps, Predictive MRP and Long Term Planning
Fig. 4: Time Dependent Safety Stock in MRP
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Production Planning with Alternative Plant
With this feature, you can display information on the planning plant in the Manage Material Coverage and Manage Production Orders or Process Orders apps if a material is planned and produced in different plants. The new column with this information is only visible if a material is relevant for this scenario.
These are the enhancements in the Stock/Requirements List:
- Supplying/Receiving Plant as Dynamic Column in Stock/Requirement List
- Planning Plant as Dynamic Column in Stock/Requirements List
- Quantity not counted as Available Quantity in Production Plant
The following figure illustrates the functionality with the example material FIO-AP-FERT-01 that is planned and produced in three different plants (FIO1 / FIO2 /1010).
Fig. 7: Planning plant in the Manage Material Coverage and Manage Production Orders or Process Orders apps
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Extended Production Planning & Scheduling
Demand Driven Replenishment - Projected On-Hand Alerts
Now coming to Demand Driven Replenishment. With the last release we have introduced the Projected On-Hand Alerts app which enables a production planner to monitor the occurrence of material stockouts closely and hence ensure that optimum quantities of stock are maintained. For this purpose, the app investigates the near future to warn about impeding buffer problems. To do so, it takes the current on-hand status and projects on-hand status for each future day based on quantity and timing of known demands and supply orders. This shows the responsible persons what replenished positions will get into trouble up until the end of the decoupled lead time. With this release, the Projected On-Hand Alerts app displays an alert chart that represents the projected-on hand alerts in time - from today till the decoupled lead time (DLT). You can also view the planning view and execution view of stock projections for buffered materials from the time-dependent buffer level charts.
I recommend that you watch the five and a half minute video below in which Markus explains the Projected On-Hand Alerts app with an example.
Video 3: Demand Driven Replenishment - Projected On-Hand Alerts app
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Predictive Material and Resource Planning
Display Constraint Quantities in the Simulation Components View of the Process pMRP Simulations app
In the Simulation Components view of the Process pMRP Simulations app, you can now display the constraint quantities for each material and source of supply in a simulation. An exceeded constraint quantity is displayed in red. If there is an issue with a material constraint in a simulation, you can now check which maximum constraint for which material component has been violated.
Video 4: Show Constraints in the Simulation Components View of the 'Process pMRP Simulations' app
OData API: Flexible Constraints
A new API allows you to read flexible constraints in your system. You can also manage certain aspects of the flexible constraints for example, by assigning a period or language specific text.
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Production Operations (Execution and Control)
Manage Process Order Operations
With the new SAP Fiori app Manage Process Order Operations a Production Supervisor in Process Manufacturing you can monitor the progress of process orders at the detailed operations level. You can have an overview of the phases, components, relationships between phases, all the other operations linked to the process order.
Video 5: New SAP Fiori app Manage Process Order Operations
By the way: With the Manage Process Order app supervisors can now view the interruptions at the phase level for time event confirmations which includes details such as date and timestamp of interruption and reason for interruption.
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Manage Production Orders and Manage Production Operations
The enhancements for the Manage Production Orders and Manage Production Operations apps support you even more in your daily work as a Production Supervisor in Discrete Manufacturing.
In the Manage Production Orders app, you can now display suboperations in the Order Schedule section on the detail screen. The relevant column is displayed by default.
Fig. 8: Manage Production Orders app - Suboperation
In the Manage Production Operations app, you can display suboperations as well in the worklist as in the Order Schedule section on the detail screen. A default filter for suboperations is available.
Fig. 9: Manage Production Operations app - Suboperation
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Kanban
The SAP Kanban Replenishment Process in Lean Manufacturing is an effective procedure for the production and material flow control based on the physical material stock in production.
The blog Preview SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2105: Release Highlights in the Area of Kanban describes the key highlights in the 2105 release:
- Customer defined external procurement strategies and JIT call profiles
- RFID-enabled Kanban based on SAP IoT auto-ID services
- Latest Container status change in the Kanban Control Cycle Analytics App
Even though the Kanban highlights of the 2105 release are already described in the blog mentioned above, I would like to explicitly point out Auto-ID Enabled Kanban with SAP Internet of Things in this blog. For more information about this innovation please read the blog Taking manufacturing optimization one step further: IoT-enabled Kanban.
Fig. 10: IoT-enabled Kanban
In my release update video at the beginning of this blog you see an embedded system demo recorded in our kanban showcase room in Walldorf. Below you see a short clip from the demo video:
Video 6: RFID-enabled Kanban based on SAP IoT auto-ID services
Watch this demo in full length on SAP Industry 4.Now. You can find the demo video at the bottom of the page.
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Repetitive Manufacturing
As an Production Operator for Repetitive Manufacturing you have now access to a few new visual harmonized apps (in brackets the GUI transaction name for comparison with SAP S/4HANA On Premise):
- Collective Entry of Confirmations (MF42N)
You can use this app to enter several confirmations collectively. Collective entry is only possible with maketo-stock repetitive manufacturing. - Reprocess Components (MF45)
You can use this app to reprocess errors that occurred during confirmation. With this app, you reprocess collective records per component. - Collective Reprocessing (MF46)
You can use this app to reprocess errors that occurred during confirmation. With this app, you reprocess
records collectively. - Stock Transfer for Reservation (MF65)
You can use this app to select stock transfer reservations created in the pull list and process them further. - Log for Pull List (MF68)
You can use this app to display error logs for the pull list - Aggregate Collective Backflush (MF70)
You can use this app to backflush components and activity postings for confirmations that have been posted as decoupled confirmations.
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Shift Report
Since the last release, SAP S/4HANA Cloud offers the apps for shift note maintenance (see my 2102 blog).
With this release new apps for creating, displaying, and processing shift reports have been made available:
- Create Shift Report (SHR1)
- Change Shift Report (SHR2)
- Display Shift Report (SHR3)
These are so called visual harmonized apps which are based on GUI transactions from On Premise. The transaction name in brackets is useful for searching the Fiori tile in the app finder but you cannot use it for starting the app in Cloud.
Fig. 11: Create Shift Report app
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Quality Management
Resolve Internal Problems via 8-D methodology
As of the 2002 release, SAP S/4HANA Cloud enables continuous improvement through the standardized 8-D problem-solving process and its predefined process steps in Quality Management. The 8-D methodology supports you to identify, correct, and eliminate recurring problems (see my 2002 blog).
With 2105, the Resolve Internal Problems app enables you to get a visual overview of the step statuses on the selection screen of the internal problem-solving processes.
Fig. 12: Resolve Internal Problems app - Step Status Overview
In addition, you can assign attachments to the header data of an internal problem-solving process using the SAP Attachment Service.
Fig. 13: Resolve Internal Problems app - Assign Attachments
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Printing Inspection Reports
As a quality engineer, you can print or send inspection results for an inspection lot in the form of a PDF document. By pressing the new button Print Inspection Report on the inspection lot object page the Output Details dialog opens, showing a list of output items with print and email channels configured.
Fig. 14: Manage Inspection Lots app - New button Print Inspection Report
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New visual harmonized apps
With this release you have access to several new apps for operation completion and for creating worklists to display or change quality notification items or quality notification activities. These apps are well known from On Premise. For comparison the On Premise transaction names are mentioned in brackets. You can use a transaction name for searching the app in the app finder of you SAP Fiori launchpad.
Operation Completion
This feature enables you to complete the operations in an inspection lot individually. This allows you to document the exact inspection process for an inspection lot with usage decisions. If this feature is activated for a combination of inspection type and plant, you can make a usage decision at operation level in the following apps:
- Record Inspection Results – Hierarchical Worklist (transaction QE51N)
- Record Inspection Results – For Operation (transaction QE01)
Worklists for Quality Notification Items and Activities
With this feature you have access to several new apps for creating worklists to display or change quality notification items or quality notification activities. In detail, you can now use the following apps:
- Change Quality Notification Items – Worklist (transaction QM14)
- Display Quality Notification Items – Worklist (transaction QM15)
- Change Quality Notification Activities – Worklist (transaction QM16)
- Display Quality Notification Activities – Worklist (transaction QM17)
Review also the What's New document which lists a few new configuration steps, Business Add-In (BAdI) and API enhancement.
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Supply Chain
Logistics Cross Topics
Batch Management
New configuration steps
With this release, new configuration steps for making settings related to Batch Management have been added to Configure Your Solution in the Manage Your Solution app:
- Create worklist folders to structure the worklist by user-specific categories
- Assign public and private worklist folders to users
- Define quantity proposal procedures in batch determination
Fig. 15: Further configuration settings for Batch Management
Worklist Folders
As an Master Data Specialist - Batch Data use the Batch Information Cockpit app to copy batches into worklist folders. You can use private worklist folders for individual use, or public worklist folders to be shared with other users. You can open the worklist folders to see groups of batches and display their details.
Fig. 16: Batch Information Cockpit app
BAdI for Quantity Proposal Procedures in Batch Determination
The Business Add-In (BAdI) Procedures for Quantity Proposal in Batch Management allows you to change the way the quantities are distributed in the batch determination quantity proposal.
In the standard setting the quantity proposal consists of choosing the first elements in the available batch in accordance with the search strategy. You can use the Procedures for Quantity Proposal BAdI to change the way the quantities are distributed in the quantity proposal. You can create and maintain implementations of custom logic with the Custom Fields and Logic app.
Fig. 17: New Business Add-In (BAdI) Procedures for Quantity Proposal in Batch Management
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Handling Unit Management
New configurations steps
With this release, configuration steps for making settings related to the use of handling units in Warehouse Management have been added to Configure Your Solution in the Manage Your Solution app. The configuration steps are now available in the Warehouse Management and in the Handling Unit Management configuration items.
New configuration steps in for General Settings in Handling Management are available:
- Define how to generate serial shipping container codes (SSCCs) for your warehouse
- Define identification types for maintaining additional identifiers for a handling unit (HU) in Warehouse Management
- Define handling unit types (HU types) for classifying packaging materials and HUs with the same physical properties in Warehouse Management
Fig. 18: New configurations steps for General Settings in Handling Unit Management
New configuration steps in for Handling Unit Identification are available:
- Assign the number range intervals from which the handling unit (HU) identification is generated in Warehouse Management
- Define how to generate serial shipping container codes (SSCCs) for your warehouse
- Define how to generate global transport label (GTL) numbers for your warehouse
Fig. 19: New configurations steps for Handling Unit Identification
New visual harmonized apps for Handling Units in Discrete Manufacturing
With this feature, you have access to new apps in the Manufacturing environment for creating handling units and planned handling units for documents due for delivery. The following apps are now available:
- Create Planned Handling Units - Documents due for Delivery (COPP1)
- Create Handling Units - Documents due for Delivery (COPP2)
New visual harmonized apps for Handling Units in Repetitive Manufacturing
With this feature, you have access to several new apps in the Manufacturing environment for creating handling units and planned handling units for documents due for delivery. The following apps are now available:
- Create Planned Handling Units - Documents due for Delivery (MFPP1)
- Create Handling Units - Documents due for Delivery (MFPP2)
New visual harmonized apps for Handling Units in Inventory Management
With this feature you have access to a new app to pack physical material stocks that are already stored in a non-HU-managed storage location into handling units (HUs) in the system. The following apps are now available:
- Create Handling Units from Stock - Documents due for Delivery (HUPP3)
- Create Handling Units from Stock (HUP30)
- Create Handling Units from Stock - Without Reference (HUP31)
- Create Handling Units from Stock - Reference to Sales Orders (HUP32)
- Create Handling Units from Stock - Reference to Deliveries (HUP33)
- Create Handling Units from Stock - Reference to Stock Transport Orders (HUP34)
New visual harmonized app for Handling Units in Outbound Deliveries
With this feature, you have access to a new app to create outbound deliveries for handling units that have already been created, for example, in production, and to assign handling units to existing open deliveries. The following app is now available:
- Outbound Deliveries for Handling Units - Documents due for Delivery (VL10HU)
Fig. 20: Outbound Deliveries for Handling Units - Documents due for Delivery app
ODATA API: Handling Unit
The OData API Handling Unit - Read (A2X) (API_HANDLING_UNIT) is deprecated. It has been replaced by the successor OData API Handling Unit (handlingunit).
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Serial Number Management
CDS Views for Serial Number Management
CDS (Core Data Services) views for Serial Number Management have been released as follows:
- Serial Number Material Document 2 (I_SerialNumberMaterialDoc_2)
CDS view Serial Number Material Document 2 (I_SerialNumberMaterialDoc_2) provides information about which material serial numbers are used where in which material documents.
CDS view Serial Number Material Document (I_SerialNumberMaterialDocument) is now deprecated and replaced by Serial Number Material Document 2 (I_SerialNumberMaterialDoc_2). - Serial Number Physical Inventory Document (I_SerialNumberPhysInventoryDoc)
CDS view Serial Number Physical Inventory Document (I_SerialNumberPhysInventoryDoc) provides information about which material serial numbers are used where in which physical inventory documents. - Serial Number Delivery Document (I_SerialNumberDeliveryDocument)
CDS view Serial Number Delivery Document (I_SerialNumberDeliveryDocument) provides information about which material serial numbers are used where in which delivery documents.
Fig. 21: CDS Views for Serial Number Management
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Advanced Order Promising
Alternative-Based Confirmation (ABC)
Location Substitution (Managing Plant and Storage Location Substitution – Master)
Master data for Location Substitution (Plant and Storage Location) can be defined and managed in the following 5 apps:
- Manage Substitutions
- Manage Exclusions
- Manage Substitution Groups
- Manage Substitution Controls
- Manage Substitution Reasons
The Manage Substitutions – Locations is the main app, where the substitution master data is managed and defined. The app depicts the substitution chain in both tabular and graphical mode.
Fig. 22: SAP Fiori app Manage Substitutions – Locations
Substituting plants on the basis of substitution master data
As an Order Fulfillment Manager, you can now replace the delivering plant for sales order requirements with an alternative delivering plant on the basis of:
- The substitution method source Substitution Master Data in the Configure Substitution Strategy app
- Substitution master data maintained in the apps for Location Substitution
In addition to enabling you to decide which source to use for substitution method Plant Substitution, this method enables you to maintain exactly which plants to use as possible alternatives and exclude specific plants from being valid alternatives. Furthermore, you can consider time constraints during alternative plant determination thanks to the optional validity data that can be defined in the Manage Substitutions app.
Fig. 23: Configure Substitution Strategy app - Substitution Method for Plant Substitution
Substituting storage locations on the basis of substitution master data
You can now replace the storage location for sales order requirements with an alternative storage location on the basis of:
- The substitution method source Substitution Master Data in the Configure Substitution Strategy app
- Substitution master data maintained in the apps for Location Substitution
In addition to enabling you to decide which source to use for substitution method Storage Location
Substitution, this feature enables you to maintain exactly which storage locations to use as possible
alternatives and exclude specific storage locations from being valid alternatives. Furthermore, you can consider time constraints during the determination of alternative storage locations on the basis of the optional validity data that can be defined in the Manage Substitutions app.
Fig. 24: Configure Substitution Strategy app - Substitution Method for Storage Location Substitution
Respect conversion factors when substituting products
To achieve higher delivery rates and reduce out-of-stock situations, you can configure product substitutions. When a shortage of a product occurs, a different product can be used to substitute the originally requested product. In some cases, the quantity of the substitute product does not equal the quantity of the ordered product, for example:
- One brick with a length of 20cm can be substituted by two bricks with a length of 10cm.
- Three bricks with a length of 20cm each can be substituted by two bricks with a length of 30cm each.
This numeric relationship is maintained in the Numerator for Conversion and Denominator for Conversion fields in the Manage Substitutions app for substitution master data and consumed during availability checks using substitution strategies in which Substitution Master Data is maintained as the substitution method source. The numeric relationship is also displayed on the Configuration subscreen in sales orders.
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Review Availability Check Result
Enhanced insights to confirmation determination
Review Availability Check Result has been enhanced to provide further insights to the confirmation determination for a single item. The Intermediate Results tab enables the user to identify which basic method cut the request and what the confirmation was. Furthermore, it makes transparent which material-plant combinations have been checked to determine the best confirmation.
Fig. 26: Review Availability Check Result app
Choose calculated alternative in the context of ABC
Alternative-Based Confirmation determines alternatives according to substitution strategy definition so that the best alternative is chosen to fulfill the request. In addition to the best alternative, further alternatives may be valid and can be chosen by the user. Review Availability Check Result now enables the user to choose from the calculated alternatives.
Fig. 27: Review Availability Check Result app
Detailed explanation for product allocation check results
Fig. 28: Review Availability Check Result app
Fig. 29: Review Availability Check Result app - Detailed explanation for product allocation check results
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Supply Protection
Multiple Matches Alert in Supply Protection (Situation Handling)
With supply protection it is possible to define protected quantities for defined groups based on specific characteristics. It might happen that one demand occurs in multiple protection groups, although this was not intended. In case of a multiple match the real stock is reduced by the amount of the confirmed demand, but the protection is reduced by the amount of the confirmed quantity multiplied with the number of matches.
If a sales order matches multiple supply protection objects, an alert is triggered by the Situation Handling framework, and the user assigned to this situation will get a notification for all supply protection objects involved in this multiple matches situation. The user can now check the related supply protection objects and do some changes. If necessary, a reassignment with backorder processing can be done.
Fig. 30: Manage Situation Types app - Situations for Multiple Matches in Supply Protection
Protection Group Details
For every supply protection group there is an object page showing how the protection is planned for single time buckets.
The chart shows the planned protection, the consumed quantities, and the remaining protection.
In the table below the chart, the consuming documents are shown for every time bucket. Users can navigate to the details of the document, if they have the necessary permissions.
Fig. 31: Manage Supply Protection app - Protection Group page
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Product Allocation
Manage Product Allocation Planning Data app: New Comment Column
This feature enables you to enter comments on characteristic value combination level in the Manage Product Allocation Planning Data app.
- You can enter comments up to 80 characters for each characteristic value combination.
- You can maintain the comments via the UI, via a file upload (spreadsheet and .csv files) and via the OData API Product Allocation Object
Fig. 32: Manage Product Allocation Planning Data app - New comment column on Product Allocation object page
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Inventory
Support for serial numbers in goods receipt processes
With the past two releases we have enhanced the following SAP Fiori apps to support serial numbers in the goods receipt process (see my 2011 blog and 2102 blog😞
- Stock- Multiple Materials
- Stock – Single Material
- Post Goods Receipt for Purchasing Document
- Post Goods Receipt for Production Order
- Material Documents Overview
- Post Goods Receipt for Inbound Delivery
- Post Goods Receipt without Reference
Now we have enhanced three more SAP Fiori apps to support serial numbers in the goods receipt process:
- Manage Stock
- Transfer Stock - In Plant
- Transfer Stock - Cross Plant
In the next demo video I show you how an inventory manager carries out an initial entry of stock balances for a serialized product. The app allows the user to assign up to 10,000 serial numbers at a time for the following stock types:
- Unrestricted-use stock
- Blocked stock
- Stock in Quality Inspection
Three options for assigning serial numbers are available:
- Automatic creation of serial numbers
- Assign existing serial numbers
- Copy and paste serial numbers from a spreadsheet into the serial numbers field of the app
Video 7: Support for serial numbers in Manage Stock app
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Warehousing
Now we come to Warehouse Management in SAP S/4HANA Cloud which presents me with a challenge. The 2105 release provides so many innovations in the area of Warehouse Management, the description of which is far beyond the scope of this blog. For example, the description of the new configuration steps alone fills 144 pages in the What's New document. Therefore, I would first like to give an overview of the investment areas with the next figure.
Fig. 33: Areas of investment in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Warehouse Management 2105
The next figure summarizes the features which are added to Cloud WM with the 2105 release.
Fig. 34: Additional scope in SAP S/4HANA Cloud Warehouse Management 2105 in comparison to the 2102 release
In this blog, I would like to highlight the following from the multitude of innovations in Cloud WM:
- Configuration enhancements
- Serial number handling on stock level
- Nested Handling Units
- ABC Analysis of Products
- New Cross-Docking Option: Preallocated Stock
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Configuration Enhancements
For more flexibility in setup and better support for customer-specific processes we provide a more accurate warehouse overview and configuration with 100+ new SSC UIs (self-service configuration UIs). The new folder structure in the Manage Your Solution app offers new SSCUI groups:
- Master data
- Goods receipt processes
- Goods issue processes
- Internal warehouse processes
- Cross-process settings
- Interface to other components
- Mobile data
Fig. 35: App Manage your solution with SSCUI groups for warehouse management
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Serial Numbers on Bin Level
Now, you can manage serial numbers at a bin level with cloud warehouse management functionality. For this purpose, the use of serial numbers at a bin level is supported throughout warehouse processes:
- Receive and issue products with stock-based serial numbers
- Pick products with stock-based serial numbers
- Pack products with stock-based serial numbers
- Count products with stock-based serial numbers in physical inventory
The next figure shows the end-2-end serial number support in Cloud WM.
Fig. 36: Support stock based serial numbers (C-level) throughout warehouse processes
Hint: For support of serial number on bin level use the C-level serial number profile in the material master of the serialized product.
Fig. 37. Change Material Master app - Serial number profile
The next video shows the process in which a Warehouse Clerk (EWM) opens the Change Inbound Deliveries app, checks the assigned serial numbers for a particular delivery, then navigates to the new app Work Center Packing for Inbound Delivery by pressing the Packing button, with the help of which the user creates handling units (HUs) and assigns the serial numbers to the HUs. From here, the warehouse clerk navigates back to the Change Inbound Deliveries app and opens on the object page of the particular delivery again the serial number assignment popup window which shows now the created HUs assigned per serial number. After Goods Receipt posting the user creates Warehouse Tasks and checks them in the Process Warehouse Tasks - Putaway app. Last but not least, the warehouse clerk opens the Warehouse Monitor app to review the handling units with assigned serial numbers in physical stock.
Video 8 (without voice over): Serial number handling with Cloud WM at bin level
The process flow of the video is described above.
The process flow in the video above does not contain physical inventory, but also physical inventory supports now serial number handling. The next figure shows the serial number assignment on the Count Physical Inventory documents app.
Fig. 38: Count Physical Inventory app - Serial Number Assignment
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Nested Handling Units
Fig. 39: Nested Handling Units
With this release, you can process nested handling units (HUs) in your warehouse. Nested HUs are HUs that have been packed into other HUs, for example, multiple cartons packed in a box.
You can:
- Receive nested HUs
- Pick nested HUs
- Pack nested HUs
- Count nested HUs in physical inventory
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ABC Analysis of Products
As a Warehouse Clerk (EWM), you have now access to the ABC Analysis Report. You can use ABC analysis as a mass-creation option for warehouse products with indicators for putaway, stock
removal, and cycle counting. The ABC Analysis enables you to
- Categorize the importance of products based on confirmed warehouse tasks
- Update the putaway strategy of the affected products based on the ABC classification
Fig. 40: Perform ABC Analysis app - Set ABC categories, desired putaway control indicator (PACI), storage section indicator and cycle counting indicator for product category (highlighted in red box).
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New Cross-Docking Option: Preallocated Stock
We have often been asked about cross-docking capabilities in Cloud WM in the past. Now here comes the first step for basic cross-docking.
Preallocated stock is products that you urgently need for goods issue but which aren’t available in the warehouse, for example, products required urgently by production or customers. In the system, you can forward the preallocated stock directly from the interim storage area for goods receipt to the interim storage area for goods issue. This way allows you to skip the unnecessary putaway and stock removal of the preallocated stock.
New configuration steps allow you to
- Activate preallocated stock check in warehouse process type
- Activate change documents for preallocated stock information table to track changes
- Define reference categories to group documents or information relevant to preallocated stock (e.g. JIT calls)
The next figure shows the process flow of preallocated stock in inbound delivery.
Fig.41: Process flow of preallocated stock in inbound delivery
Fig.42: Warehouse Monitor app - Preallocated Stock node
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Delivery
Finally, the next figure provides an overview of innovations in the area of Logistics Execution (LE).
Fig.43: Overview of innovations in the area of Logistics Execution (LE)
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Thanks for reading this blog post. Stay tuned!
You will find a collection of my SAP S/4HANA Cloud release blogs here:
Recently, my colleague Markus Oertelt has started an interesting blog series about
Discrete Industries in SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
Would you like to learn more about how innovative organizations utilize Industry 4.0 to improve manufacturing processes? Register now for the Industry 4.0 Intelligent Products Report.
For more information on SAP S/4HANA Cloud, check out the following links:
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud release info here
- Latest SAP S/4HANA Cloud Release Blogs here and previous release highlights here
- Product videos on our SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP S/4HANA YouTube playlist
- SAP S/4HANA PSCC Digital Enablement Wheel here
- Early Release Webinar Series here
- Inside SAP S/4HANA Podcast here
- openSAP Microlearnings for SAP S/4HANA here
- Best practices for SAP S/4HANA Cloud here
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud Community: here
- Feature Scope Description here
- What’s New here
- Help Portal Product Page here
- Implementation Portal here
Follow us via @SAP and #S4HANA, or myself via @GerhardWelker and LinkedIn
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