Understanding SAP EWM in comparison

with SAP WM
POSTED BY TKREDDY SEPTEMBER 18, 2011 14 COMMENTS
FILED UNDER SAP EWM, WAREHOUSE ORDER, WAREHOUSE TASK

After long time, I am updating my blog in SAP category. Hope i could share this time with a blog post
on my understanding of SAP EWM (Extended Warehouse Management) in comparison with SAP WM.

If you google it, you will get valuable EWM information on the Internet with articles from SAP, Catalyst
and other Implementation partners. Now a days more consultants are taking EWM training in North
America and Europe due to the demand of EWM projects. Being a SAP WM Consultant, I could see SAP
EWM was designed the same SAP WM functionality with more flexibility in building the objects like
Warehouse structure, picking, put away, HU, RF and so many. Of course EWM had lot of new
business functionality added. I personally feel that eWM is a very Robust, Complex, Good WMS system
better integrated with other components & interfaces having a new look and feel for everyone.
I am not going to share EWM functionality /Configurations, but sharing on how EWM was designed in
comparison with SAP WM from a functional consultant prospective. Below are some I could
understand
A: SAP WM movement types are similar to EWM Warehouse Process type and this will determines
any warehouse task creation with reference to document types.

B: SAP WM TO and line items are similar to Warehouse Order and Warehouse Tasks with lot of
flexibility in splitting the picks/puts in a controlled manner through WO Rules.
C: Handling unitss are designed in EWM in such a way that you can have more flexibility for the
products or resources having with or without tasks associated. HU types, groups and status profiles
with storage type and bin association are new things in EWM.
D: Print/Outputs: SAP eWM printing concepts are completing different than SAP WM. Post Processing
Framework (PPF) had the new term and PPF had same condition table concept with having Action
profiles.
E: EWM Stock types are new designed linked to appropriate Storage location and are more flexible
in associating with product. F1 and F2 for unrestricted. B5 and B6 for Blocked, and S5 and S6 for
Scrap.
New objects in Warehouse structure: Activity areas, Work Centers and Resources are new things
from EWM Warehouse structure compare to SAP WM.

Activity

areas: Activity

areas groups storage bins together with regard to specific warehouse activity like put away, picking
and physical inventory. This will be the deciding factor to combine certain warehouse tasks with
Warehouse order to optimize the operations. Every storage bin will have sort sequence for pick and
putaway with a combination of activity area, storage type and storage section. EWM generates
warehouse orders for each activity area. When EWM generates warehouse tasks, it considers the
activity area and copies attributes from this activity area, such as the deconsolidation group.

Work Center: The work center is a physical unit in the warehouse, in which you can perform
warehouse activities such as packing, distribution, or weighing. This will be the key for a product or HU
Warehouse task confirmation takes place in the work center.You can use the work center in the
processes like Packing, Deconsolidation, Counting and Quality Inspection. You must assign each work
center to a warehouse number, storage type, and storage bin. Note that you can only use storage
types that have E, B I and C. You can configure more than one work center for each storage type in the
system.
Resource: Resource is an entity representing a user or equipment, which can execute work in the
warehouse. We can control resources to optimize the work by configuring Resource Type and Resource
group. A resource type is a grouping of resources with similar technical or physical qualifications. A
resource group is a grouping of resources for queue assignment purposes.

Warehouse

Task: Every

movement

or

work carries in Warehouse can be represented with WT. Document that uses Extended Warehouse
Management (EWM) to execute goods movements. Logical or physical goods movements or even stock
changes can be the basis for a warehouse task. These include Picks, Putaways, Internal goods
movements, posting changes, Goods receipt postings, Goods issue postings. You can identify the type
of the warehouse task from the warehouse process type in the warehouse task.
Warehouse Order: The warehouse order consists of warehouse tasks. Warehouse order creation: This
function groups together warehouse tasks into warehouse orders, according to your settings in
Customizing for warehouse orders (see Warehouse Order), and thus creates optimum work packages
for you. For warehouse order creation, you define rules with their relevant criteria. Warehouse order
creation

is

particularly

suitable

for

optimizing

processes

for

picking.

Example: EWM creates warehouse tasks for an outbound delivery with four delivery items. EWM uses
warehouse order creation to assign the resulting four warehouse tasks to a new warehouse order. A
warehouse employee receives this warehouse order as a work package to pick the items listed in the
delivery.

Stock types

As I would like to add few more EWM stuff as and when I could able to do so again these are very
simple concepts in EWM we can explore in detail one by one. Till then have some Transaction codes
that we use every day in EWM.
Function Area

Description

Transsaction code

Monitor

Monitor

/N/SCWM/MON

Outbound

Maintain ODO

/N/SCWM/PRDO

Maintain Wave

/N/SCWM/WAVE

Inbound

Maintain Inbound Delivery

/N/SCWM/PRDI

Internal

Move product/ Create Warehouse Task

/N/SCWM/ADPROD

Move HU/ Create HU Warehouse Task

/N/SCWM/ADHU

Make Posting Change for Product

/N/SCWM/POST

Confirm Warehouse Task

/N/SCWM/TO_CONF

Log onRF Environment

/N/SCWM/RFUI

Physical Inventory

Master Data

Ouputs

Pack station

/N/SCWM/PACK

Process Transportation Unit

/N/SCWM/TU

Crete Phy Inv Doc

/N/SCWM/PI_CREATE

Enter count Results

/N/SCWM/PI_COUNT

Difference Analyzer

/N/SCWM/DIFF_ANALYZER

Business Partner

BP

Maintain Users

/N/SCWM/USER

Maintain Resource

/N/SCWM/RSRC

WorkStation Master Data

/N/SCWM/TWORKST

APO Product

/N/SAPAPO/MAT1

WM Product

/N/SCWM/MAT1

Storage Bin

/N/SCWM/LS03

Load Storage Bind

/N/SCWM/SBUP

Load Storage Bin sorting

/N/SCWM/SRTUP

PPF processing of Outputs

SPPFP

Links related to SCM topics

Capability comparison of SAP SCM EWM 9.0 with SAP WM in ECC 6.0

Functionality
SAP EWM product such as Tasks, Resources, 3-dimensional warehouse offers this functionality as a
part of the base product, thus improving the users experience in day-to-day operations. Other
functionality

features

of

SAP

EWM

include:

Deconsolidation Upon receipt, the products can be directed to a deconsolidation work area where
like products can be separated off of the mixed pallet and put away as different units.
Handling Unit Management Handling Unit Management is defined at the storage type level versus
the

Storage

Location level

in

EWM.

Rules and Prioritization Increased flexibility in work assignment and prioritization of tasks.
Wave Creation and Assignment Improved tools in order to group and efficiently pick Outbound

Orders.Kitting

Kit

to

Order,

Kit-to-Stock

and

Reverse

Kitting.

Slotting SAP EWM has slotting tools available to determine the best location of product storage
within the warehouse. It is broken into 2 pieces: Slotting planning tool materials movement, a
transparent view of warehouse processes and value. Rearrangement the execution of the planning
run

added

services

support

TU (transportation unit) A logical combination of Handling Unit to check un check load unload GI/GR
Post

Processing

Framework (PPF)now replaces Output Determination. PPF provides additional functionality after a
transaction

has

occurred (i.e.

messaging

and

other

follow-on

transactions,

etc).

Material Flow System Provides integration points to directly communicate with IP connected
Programmable Logic Controllers for automated material handling systems, including a graphical status
display

to

monitor

material

movement

and system

status.

Labor Management Provides the capture of direct and indirect labor tasks. Integrated with
Engineered Labor Standards for warehouse tasks. Increases visibility into workload, both planned and
actual,

and

integrates

with

SAP

Business

Intelligence (BI)

for

reporting.

Graphical Warehouse Layout Provides a 2-D representation of the warehouse and the yard of the
warehouse

for

both definition

and

re-warehousing

efforts.

Production Receiving and Supply Provides the functionality to perform Goods Receipt for
Production Order in the EWM warehouse, then staging of parts for Goods Issue in a Production Supply
Area.
Cross

Production
Docking

EWM

Supply
provides

multiple

is
cross

included
docking

in

scenarios,

EWM
including

pass

7.0.
through

transportation hubs, STO generation and transfers, and updating of open picking tasks to consider
material on the receiving dock before putaway. Merchandise Distribution and Opportunistic CrossDocking exist with EWM 7.0.