WM-SD - Cross Docking Functionality in SAP ECC 6
This blog Post is for SAP consultants and WM
Teams to understand the cross dock functionality in SAP ECC6 (WMS).
The post also discuss about planning for Cross docking and how the cross docking actually
taking place with or with out cross dock monitor.
I personally feel that deciding which type of cross-docking and what kind of materials
suitable for Cross Docking is important. Most Clients may use to customize the SAP Cross-
docking function based on their requirements. Type of material suitable for cross docking are
like a) pre-picked, pre-packed customer orders from another plant or warehouse b) materials
that are pre-tagged, pre-ticketed c) promotional material d) Staple retail materials with a
constant demand or low demand variance.
Let’s talk about Cross-Docking: In very simple SAP terminology “Cross docking matches
inbound and outbound deliveries to avoid having to store material in the warehouse”. Not all
material is suitable for cross docking, but when it can be used it reduces labor costs, delivery
time to the customer, and the amount of warehouse space.
Types of Cross Docking: A number of cross-docking scenarios are available for warehouse
management.
a) Manufacturing Cross Docking- Warehouse may receive the material and issue for
production orders, b) Distributor Cross Docking- example: computer parts distributors often
source their components from various vendors and manufactures and combine them into one
shipment for the customer , c) Transportation Cross Docking- Combines shipments from
different shippers in the less than -truckload (LTL) and small package , d) Retail Cross
Docking- Receipt of material from multiple vendors and sorting onto outbound trucks for a
number of retail stores, e) Opportunistic Cross Docking -The like is manually created,
transferring a material directly from the goods-receiving dock to the outbound shipping dock
to meet a known demand; i.e a customer sales order.
SAP enables warehouse managers to plan the cross docking process by decisions. A cross
docking decision is a link that can be made between a planning document, which can be an
inbound or outbound delivery, and a candidate document, which is another inbound or
outbound delivery.
Cross Docking Movements:
When cross docking decision is made before material arrives, the movement can be processed
as a one-step or two-step cross docking process.
One-Step Cross Docking: Movement process directly from the inbound goods-receiving area
to the outbound goods issuing area. For one-step cross docking to be active, check the
configuration for the warehouse to ensure that the two-step cross docking indicator is not set.
So there will not be any Cross-dock storage type required. This can be a opportunistic cross
docking, transferring a material directly from goods receiving dock to the outbound shipping
dock. After due configurations for one -step system process steps are..
You need to create either Putaway TO/Pick TO and then system checks the cross doc config
and cancel the TO and create a new TO from 902 to 916. and also updates in the document
flow. This you can do with out Cross dock monitor.
Two-Step Cross Docking: When a link is created between an inbound and outbound delivery
as part of a cross docking decision. If system active for two-step process, the system will
create two transfer orders: 1) A transfer order for the inbound delivery materials from the
goods receipt storage type (902) to the cross docking storage type (XCD). 2) A transfer order
from the cross docking storage type(XCD) to the goods issue storage type(916).
Configuration for Cross Docking
Configure for planned and opportunistic cross docking for the warehouse and the storage
type. IMG> Logistics Execution> Warehouse Management> Cross Docking> General
Setting> Maintain Warehouse Level settings.
The next configuration step is to confirm that a movement type that is to be used for cross
docking is set to allow cross docking. IMG> Logistics Execution> Warehouse
Management> Cross Docking> General Setting> Define Cross-Docking Relevancy for
movement Types. The CD Relevant indicator should be set for movement types to be used
cross docking.
Accessing the Cross Docking Monitor
Transaction: LXDCK or SAP> Logistics> Logistics Execution> Cross Docking> Cross
Docking Monitor
Cross Docking Alert Monitor
Transaction: LXDCA or SAP> Logistics> Logistics Execution> Cross Docking> Alert
Monitor
Note: The cross dock decision made automatically by the system (means no cross dock
monitor used) will not give good results for all the materials for cross docking. SAP checks
Material and Qty for both inbound and outbound documents will not able to do more fields
checking before deciding the automatic link between documents.
Click the link here for more at SAP:
http://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp60_sp/helpdata/en/c6/f85c504afa11d182b90000e829fbfe/fra
meset.htm
