We are now in the final third of 2019, which has so far to be an exciting time for the SAP Extended Warehouse Management Application (SAP EWM), which enables companies to optimize warehouse and distribution operations. Over the year we have constantly worked on enhancing usability and user experience, as well as offering new functions and scenarios, so that our customers have new, easier and more efficient tools at their disposal to fit their needs and improve asset utilization, minimize inventory costs and maximize service levels through fulfilment acceleration and inbound-outbound processes coordination.
And now our most exciting update of the year, the 1909 EWM release, is out since September 20
th. In order to best cover the myriad of features and enhancements this release brings, we have published a 4-part series of blogs, each covering a specific topic of enhancements. These topics are:
- Improved User Experience
- Enhanced Integration
- Innovation
- Simplification
In our 2
nd part covering the 1909 developments, we will highlight some of the integration topics that will enhance our Extended Warehouse Management solution.
Support Repetitive Manufacturing by EWM Embedded in SAP S/4HANA
Synchronous backflush posting
Now with synchronous backflush posting, the components used to produce a set amount of goods will be deducted from the warehouse management system with the receiving of the finished goods in the warehouse. These updates will be synchronized between the warehouse management and inventory management systems. This new approach will simplify the production process, remove bottlenecks in the repetitive production process and keep manual posting efforts to a minimum.
Synchronous goods receipt posting for repetitive manufacturing
Similar to the typical process complexity of issuing raw materials in repetitive manufacturing, the receipt of finished goods contained too many redundant process steps between releasing them from production and posting them in inventory management in the central ERP system. With this new release however, we have simplified this process through synchronous goods receipt posting, so that our users don’t waste their efforts on manual postings. This will also reduce errors that can arise from extended data communication channels, as well as reduce data bottlenecks.
Synchronous goods receipt posting upon order confirmation as well for production orders (and process orders) is currently available with the Warehouse Management in SAP S/4HANA Cloud 2002 release, and is planned for the On-Premise version with the SAP S/4HANA 2020 release.
Simplified KANBAN
For the KANBAN process we have reduced the number of steps a warehouse clerk has to complete. In the previous KANBAN approach from an EWM managed warehouse the replenishment would trigger warehouse requests in EWM, which then would need to be converted into picking tasks. Since this takes up more time and effort than is required, the 1909 release introduces a new KANBAN control type that will significantly reduce process steps and increase the automation of redundant and monotonous tasks.
Harmonized PSA & Control Cycle
Warehouses that support manufacturing processes must ensure a constant flow of raw- and semi-finished goods to the production location, specifically to the production work centers. Important master data for production are the Production Supply Area (PSA) and Control Cycles. Both objects are separated between ERP PP and EWM in decentral deployment scenarios. This causes additional effort in system setup and process configuration. With this release, we improved our users experience in maintaining PSAs and Control Cycles by deepening the integration between the production modules in the central S/4HANA ERP system and embedded EWM. This allows for direct replication of the ERP PSA into EWM as well as the harmonization of the Control Cycles in both application areas. For our users this means that less effort is required to maintain that data in both systems and the risks of data errors (and costs that are a result of such errors) are greatly reduced.
Production Material Request Simulation
We have added a simulation of Inventory Management postings, which will check for possible errors in the stock and consumption postings before they are processed in the central S/4 components like Inventory Management, Production Planning or Finance. This additional check ensures that users receive an accurate account of their stocks.
FIND OUT MORE!
Please do not forget to check out our other articles about the 1909 release -
Part 1 - Improved User Experience
Part 3 - Innovations
Part 4 – Simplification
For more information about SAP Extended Warehouse Management, please follow us on social media, our YouTube channel or our community pages:
SAP EWM Community ->
https://www.sap.com/community/topics/extended-warehouse-management.html
SAP Digital Supply Chain Channel ->
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCELmE2CEAkcwqpBLnuZHufA
EWM LinkedIn Community ->
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1952257/