An efficient and effective supply chain management requires well-planned inventories. But managing inventories is a tough task. Well, don’t be perplexed or disappointed. We have a solution for your problem: SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) is a tailor-made solution to manage serialized inventory.
Now the question arises, how do we use SAP EWM to our advantage? To begin with, you must understand that in a warehouse, serial numbers can help an organization track the location of goods. A serial number is nothing but a series of characters. These are unique as they are given to each product in the warehouse. This way you can identify the vendor and details of the receiver who has received or sent the goods in a warehouse.
However, if you are opting for SAP EWM, you can use serial numbers up to a length of 30 characters. If you want to make it compatible with the ERP system, using a maximum of up to 18 characters is a viable option.
In this write-up, we focus on the main features as well as the effective plans for the realization of efficient serialized inventory tracking and management by using SAP EWM.
What is a Serialized Inventory?
The serial inventory assigns individual items with a unique identifier (serial number) and with the help of this tracking tool, businesses can locate all the items. This is particularly important for those industrial sectors such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles where products have unique individual personalities. They also need to be traced through their history to be recorded and protected. Manufacturers use SAP Inventory Management (EWM) which allows every item to be accompanied by useful information about its location, history, and characteristics.
Best Practices for Serialized Inventory Management with SAP EWM
Here are some guidelines for best-serialized inventory management with SAP EWM.
1.Serial Number Management
SAP EWM offers a very exhaustive serial number traceability feature. This lets you assign, track, and manage special serial numbers for items and goods.
2.Inbound Processing
While receiving goods, SAP EWM monitors the serial numbers. It can be guaranteed that an item (with a serial number already on it) starts with its identity logged at the moment it goes to the warehouse. The system can carry out validation, check, and update real-time online.
3. Storage and Retrieval
Itemized entries are created in such a manner that once an entry is saved, no other entries are allowed to take place with the same identification codes. This acts as a control mechanism to ensure efficiency in the operations of the warehouse and safety against the likelihood of mistakes or loss of items.
4. Outbound Processing
SAP EWM uses serialized item tracking to monitor the goods movement process at the distribution center and for packing the orders before delivery. These processes involve picking, packing, and shipping, which are verified by the system.
5. Stock Monitoring
SAP EWM has many reporting tools for tracking of finished goods based on serialization. This information is available at any production site in real time. Custom dashboard features and reports provide availability, expiration date, and data history. It, thus, follows the stipulated legal frameworks and makes decision-making easier.
6. Integration with Other SAP Modules
SAP EWM is smoothly assimilated with the other SAP modules such as SAP S/4HANA which improves visibility and control over serialized inventory. The integration of all relevant systems breaks the data silos. This helps provide accurate, reliable data across the supply chain.
How to use Serialized Inventory Management with SAP EWM to your Advantage?
Serialized Inventory Management eases a lot of operations regarding managing complex inventories in an easier way. Let's look at some of the best practices that you can follow to minimize bottlenecks by using SAP EWM.
1. Be Clear about Serialization Policies:
Once you decide to implement SAP EWM, you need to be clear about using serialized inventory. Plan ahead to determine the products which require serialization. You need to be aware about the lifecycle stages of the product so that the practice of serialization is easier.
2. Plan Warehouse Layout:
Once you opt for a serialized inventory try to finalize picking areas, packing places and locations for storage of products. This way you can easily track and receive serialized items without any confusion.
3. Ensure Quality Check
An organization needs to plan and implement regular audits and quality checks to identify bottlenecks in the serialized inventory promptly. Here. SAP EWM's reporting tools can help you to pay attention to issues that can cause trouble in the long run.
4. Appropriate Training for the Staff
Once you decide to use SAP EWM for your day to day operations, it is necessary to provide detailed training to warehouse staff about its technical know-how. This ensures that things move on a smooth track. Once they are given the brief, about data entry and troubleshooting, you can be assured that SAP EWM will make things faster and easier.
5. Stay Compliant with the Regulatory Framework
Serialized inventory is often subject to industry-specific regulations. One needs to ensure that your SAP EWM configuration aligns with these regulations. You need to regularly update the system to accommodate any changes in compliance requirements.
Final Thoughts
Effectively tracking and managing serialized inventory is essential for businesses aiming to achieve supply chain transparency, meet regulatory requirements, and enhance customer satisfaction. SAP EWM emerges as a powerful tool that not only streamlines serialized inventory processes but also integrates seamlessly with broader SAP ecosystems. It is a good idea to hire the services of a SAP Consulting Company to ensure smooth running of the system.