Business case: There was a business requirement given to us to develop a solution managing 2 Handling Unit labels for same pallets in SAP EWM. Customer is using Pre-Printed HU labels during receiving against Manufacturing Order from RF. Customer is also printing an internal SSCC HU number for same Pallet. Hence 1 Pallet must carry 2 HU labels for its unique indemnification .( No Nesting)
Pre-Printed HU( For Storage inside warehouse)
The Pre-Printed HU label Pallets are used for Freezer location inside the warehouse as these Pre-Printed labels are made of the plastic labels which can easily withstand the minus temperature degree impact and very hard to tear. Hence inside warehouse logistical movement, Pre Printed labels were preferrable for scan.
Serial Shipping Container Code( SSCC)-( For Shipping to 3PL and Customer)
When pallets are transferred to 3PL, it must carry Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) label as robots were able to scan only in SSCC format not Pre-Printed labels. Also there was EDI requirement to send SSCC information from 3PL to customer, hence customer cannot accept any other HU label other then SSCC.
The SSCC barcode is easily scanned by 3PL robots when stock transferred from EWM warehouse and hence it ensured the Pallets can be accurately and easily identified as it travels between 3PL and customer.
Customer Expectation:
Customers want separate Pre-Printed Labels and SSCCs (Serial Shipping Container Code) for the same pallet. Customers do not want to create nesting HU( SSCC inside Pre-Printed) as this would de-accelerate the pallet movement inside warehouse & 3PL, customer cannot accept any other label format except SSCC.
Solution developed:
Tie the main HU( Pre-Printed) to SSCC via Alternative HU identifications.
- Generate the Pre-Printed HU during Goods Receipt.
- HU needs to have as HUIDENT as Pre-Printed and SSCC1 as additional “alternative HUIDENT”. We made sure that the alternative HUIDENT SSCC is accepted in all the processes, too (via HU Conversion Exit BAdI ).
- The pre-printed HU is scanned during receiving against manufacturing order which calls an FM SCWM/SSCC_GENERATE which generates the SSCC number( SSCC set up has to be maintained)
- Once SSCC is created, program calls another FM /SCWM/HUIDENT_INT_UPDATE which ties Pre-Printed to SSCC
- Badi /SCWM/EX_HU_APPL_CONVERSION is used to perform own conversions for the handling unit numbers. When SSCC alternate HUIDENT is scanned, it identifies the main HU & its content during Putaway, Picking, Bin to Bin transfer & PI process.
6. We developed RF logical transaction( Copy of REHU by Order & HU by HU) and in HU creation Function code, called the above FMs and tie Pre-Printed Main HU to SSCC Alternate HUIDENT.
How HU Alternate ID Works:
At the time of HU creation, the pre-printed HU number is used to create the Main HU, and the SSCC number is stored under HU ID type 'S'. And the conversion exit Badi /SCWM/EX_HU_APPL_CONVERSION allows to accept either labels in warehouse RF operations.
The HU ID (SSCC) is a selection parameter at the HU nodes in the warehouse monitor besides the system HU number (pre-printed label).
Once GR is posted Main HU Printed HU is tied to SSCC as an Alternate HUIDENT.
With PPF Action and custom action definition, SSCC HU Alternate HU is printed which also has Product qty batch, Pre Printed HU information.
Pre-Printed is first labeled after GR followed by SSCC. Hence customer Pallet has 2 HU labels. One Main as Pre-Printed and SSCC as an alternate HUIDENT.
Thanks to Shailesh Mishra for this posting