Scribd
Upload
23 views

SAP-Scenarios Warehouse Control Unit Interface SAP Library

This document discusses scenarios for interfacing an external warehouse control system with SAP's Warehouse Management system. It describes a 4-layer and 3-layer system model and divides interface scenarios into 6 groups based on operating mode. The scenarios are examples of implementing external systems with or instead of the WM system, with the optimal scenario depending on individual customer requirements and function distribution between systems.

Uploaded by

E-learning
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
23 views

SAP-Scenarios Warehouse Control Unit Interface SAP Library

This document discusses scenarios for interfacing an external warehouse control system with SAP's Warehouse Management system. It describes a 4-layer and 3-layer system model and divides interface scenarios into 6 groups based on operating mode. The scenarios are examples of implementing external systems with or instead of the WM system, with the optimal scenario depending on individual customer requirements and function distribution between systems.

Uploaded by

E-learning
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Scenarios: Warehouse Control Unit Interface (SAP

Library
help.sap.com/saphelp_46c/helpdata/en/52/16aafa543311d1891c0000e8322f96/content.htm

Scenarios: Warehouse Control Unit Interface

This section describes the possible scenarios for interfacing the SAP R/3 Warehouse
Management system (WM) to an external system. The interface is described from the
point of the view of the application.

The term "external system" can refer to both secondary storage systems such as
warehouse control units (LSR) or fork-lift control systems (FLS) and systems, such as
production control stations, that remove stock from the warehouse automatically. The
interface to the WM system can be used effectively irrespective of the type of external
system.

The complexity of the interface is not just due to the wide range of external systems that
can be interfaced to the WM system but is rather more the result of the functionality that it
must take account of. The intention of the scenarios described in the following section is
to illustrate typical examples of applications for this interface paying special attention to
function distribution between the WM system and the external system.

The individual scenarios are preceded by a description of how the SAP Warehouse
Management system fits into the system landscape, i.e. the role the system plays in the
system architecture, as seen from the point of view of SAP, and the tasks it performs. This
can be illustrated using the 4 and 3-layer models.

The 4-layer model describes the use of an R/2 host system (layer 1) with a distributed R/3
Warehouse Management system. The 3-layer model describes the use of the integrated
R/3 system.

1/3
Materials management, production planning and sales and distribution are at the
materials planning level (1). Warehouse management on layer 2 is, in fact, an
independent component but is fully integrated in the materials planning layer. From the
point of view of the system architecture, the two layers run on the same system or, to be
more precise, on the same database. Only in the case of the distributed WM system,
which is linked to the R/2 system, are there two separate systems.

The two layers perform all of the warehouse management functions. The warehouse
control functions and executable moving commands are not, however, executed by the
SAP system. These layers must, therefore, always be regarded as independent systems
from the point of view of the application. The warehouse control functions must, therefore,
be performed by an external system which, in addition to controlling the material flow, can
also perform other tasks such as optimizing warehouse control or implement additional
check mechanisms.

The objective of the new interface to the external system is to provide more effective
support for communication between warehouse management and warehouse control by
means of standardized data carriers (IDocs) and communication techniques (tRFC) and
by means of the flexible interface options.

The scenarios can be divided into 6 groups according to the mode of operation:

Summary

2/3
The interfaces in this section are examples of how external systems can be implemented
in conjunction with the WM system or in place of the WM system. The individual
scenarios can be summarized as follows:

There are many different ways of interfacing warehouse systems


There is no rigid formula for choosing the optimum scenario
Function distribution between the WM system and external system must always be
determined in accordance with individual customer requirements
A high coverage is already achieved for the interface with the standard
The flexibility of the interface enables customer-specific configurations and
enhancements to be incorporated

Refer to the appropriate descriptions of the individual IDocs for details on their technical
structure and sending and receiving them.

3/3

You might also like