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The Sign-Off Table

Lesson 3 of 6

Putaway: how EWM chooses the storage type and bin

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Once regulator kits are on the dock, EWM proposes where each pallet should go. A putaway warehouse task carries the product or handling unit, quantity, source bin (the staging bin) and destination bin. The proposal is the visible end of a chain of decisions, and when a test shows the wrong bin, you have to walk that chain backwards. This lesson explains it in the order EWM works.

  1. Quantity per taskFrom existing handling units, or palletization from the packaging specification
  2. Storage type search sequenceDetermined from warehouse number, putaway control indicator, process type, stock type, quantity classification and other inputs
  3. Storage section search (optional)Uses the product's section indicator, if activated
  4. Bin type determination (optional)Matches the handling unit type to suitable bin types
  5. Putaway rule of the storage typeEmpty bin, addition to existing stock, fixed bin, bulk, near fixed picking bin and others
  6. Capacity check (optional)Weight, volume or capacity limits of the candidate bin
  7. Next storage type if nothing foundContinue with the next entry in the search sequence
The putaway decision chain, in the order EWM applies it.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-ewm-202

The storage type search sequence

The search sequence is a list of storage types to try in order. EWM finds it from a determination table in which the warehouse number is the only mandatory key; other keys include the putaway control indicator of the warehouse product, the warehouse process type, quantity classification, stock type, stock usage, party entitled to dispose and hazard ratings. EWM first looks for a fully qualified entry and then follows an access strategy that defines which fields to drop and in which order. For Contoso, alternators with indicator PALL search 0010 (high-rack) and then 0030 (bulk floor); regulator kits with indicator BULK search 0030 only.

The search sequence is found by an access strategy: EWM tries the most specific entry first and drops fields until an entry matches.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-ewm-202

Putaway rules in each storage type

RuleHow it chooses a binContoso use
Empty binFinds an empty bin; typical for random high-rack and shelving0010 high-rack pallets of alternators
Addition to existing stockPrefers a bin with the same product and free capacity, else an empty bin; weakens FIFO0020 picking shelves when refilled
Fixed binPuts away to bins assigned to the productCMC-ALT-100 fixed bin P-02-05
Bulk storageRows of stacked handling units of one product; requires handling units0030 regulator kit pallets, housing crates
Near fixed picking binReserve bin close to the product's fixed picking binNot used yet; considered for a later phase
Manual entryWorker enters the destination binClarification zone 9030 only

Putaway strategies are mostly set through the storage type's storage behavior, putaway rule and related settings.

SAP sets most of this through a few storage type fields: storage behavior (standard, pallet, bulk or flexible), putaway rule, whether addition to stock is allowed, mixed storage, handling unit requirement and capacity check. Business Add-Ins can adjust the strategies, which is worth knowing if Kenji's team has enhanced them: an enhancement is part of the test scope.

Direct or through storage control

In a simple setup, the putaway task moves stock from the staging bin straight to the final bin. Many warehouses need intermediate steps: unload, count, deconsolidate a mixed pallet, inspect, then put away. EWM models these with storage control. Process-oriented storage control defines the steps of a storage process; layout-oriented storage control checks whether the physical layout requires intermediate points, such as an identification point in front of a high-rack. EWM determines the process-oriented steps first and then adjusts for layout. For testers, each step is a separate task with its own confirmation and evidence.

With storage control, one putaway becomes several tasks; each step is a separate task to confirm and test.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-ewm-202
Process-oriented storage controlContoso's inbound storage process: unload → count (for new suppliers) → putaway. Each step creates a task.
Layout-oriented storage controlPallets for the high-rack 0010 pass the identification point I-01 for a weight and contour check.
Final putaway taskFrom the identification point to the empty bin found by the strategy.
How storage control adds steps between the dock and the bin.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-ewm-202

What would you do?

Marcus reports that half of today's alternator pallets went to the bulk floor 0030 instead of the high-rack 0010. Yesterday all went to 0010. Nothing was transported to production overnight. What is the most likely explanation?

Key points
  • A putaway task carries source and destination; the destination comes from a chain of determinations.
  • The storage type search sequence is found from the putaway control indicator and other keys via an access strategy.
  • Each storage type applies its putaway rule; capacity checks and section or bin type searches are optional.
  • Storage control adds intermediate steps; each is a separate task to test.

Check your understanding · not graded

Lesson check

  1. 1. Which key is mandatory when determining the storage type search sequence?

  2. 2. What happens when no bin is found in the first storage type of the sequence?

  3. 3. Which putaway rule prefers a bin that already holds the same product?

  4. 4. Which kind of storage control checks the physical layout, such as an identification point?