SAP EWM - Maintaining Serial Numbers
Using serial numbers, you can easily track the location of goods in the warehouse. A serial number can be used to identify the vendor and receiver details who has sent and received goods in a warehouse.
A serial number is a series of characters that have been assigned to each product in the warehouse so that it remains separate and are identified in the warehouse system. You can use serial numbers up to a length of 30 characters in an EWM system. However, SAP recommends to use a maximum of 18 characters to make it compatible with the ERP system.
Types of Serial Number Profiles
To assign serial numbers to a product, you use a serial number profile that determines transactions for issuing a serial number to the products.
There are two different types of serial number profiles that can be used −
Sales General Plant − This serial number profiles are used in the ERP system and must be defined to use serial numbers in the delivery documents for goods issue or receipts.
LES Serial Number − This is maintained in the product master data view.
When you click on the WM execution, you need to select serial number profile which is sent to SCM system and is used in EWM.
A serial number profile is maintained in the ERP or in the EWM system. There are four types of serial number requirement available in the system −
Serial Number for Document items − This serial number is used for returns. When a customer complains about a product and return is raised, you can perform a check if this is the same product that is supplied to him. This serial number is not used for other warehouse tasks.
Serial Numbers on warehouse number level − This serial number requirement type is used to check which serial number is available in your warehouse.
Serial number of warehouse movement − This serial number requirement type is used to know the exact storage bin information for products. Serial numbers are used in each warehouse task and must be entered before posting goods receipt or goods issue.
No Serial number requirement − This requirement type is used when some products are serialized in few of the warehouses.
Issuing a Provisional Serial Number
It is required to enter serial numbers before posting a goods issue or a goods receipt. In this scenario, you can configure the system to use provisional serial numbers.
The provisional serial numbers are 30 characters and always start with a $ sign. When you post goods receipt, provisional serial number is assigned and when you confirm putaway warehouse tasks, you must replace the provisional serial number with the real ones.
