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The Sign-Off Table

Lesson 6 of 6

Testing inbound: full, partial and exception receipts

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An inbound test proves three things: the documents are right, the stock is where the system says, and the books agree with the warehouse. This lesson turns the previous five into a test set for Contoso's Detroit warehouse, with the evidence each case needs and the traps that make inbound tests pass when they should not.

The core test set

IDScenarioExpected resultKey evidence
IN-01Full receipt from ASN, 1,200 kits, explicit receipt, RF putaway10 pallets in 0030; 1,200 in 171ADelivery, material documents (receipt and posting change), tasks, bins
IN-02Full receipt of alternators from production, palletized 24 per palletPallets in empty 0010 binsTasks per pallet, destination bins
IN-03Partial receipt, 720 now and 480 laterDelivery open for 480; PO history shows 720Delivery status, PO history
IN-04Short receipt charged to supplier, 1,080 of 1,200Delivery and receipt 1,080; buyer notifiedDelivery quantity, material document
IN-05Breakage during putaway charged to warehouse1,199 in bins; 1 in difference analyzerTask with exception code; difference entry
IN-06Damaged carton at dock to clarificationCarton in 9030 as blocked stockPosting change, bin 9030
IN-07High-rack full (prepared data)Overflow to 0030 per sequenceTask destination
IN-08Synchronous receipt without delivery (if in scope)Putaway task created automaticallyMaterial document, task
IN-09Unannounced truck, delivery created in EWMLogistics delivery created tooBoth delivery numbers
IN-10Customer return from Great Lakes Fleet ServicesReturned alternators in 9030 for inspectionReturns delivery, bin, stock type

Inbound test cases for warehouse 1710.

Inbound sign-off needs every case family, real devices and roles, and three clean days of stock comparison.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-ewm-202

The evidence chain

  1. BeforeStock overview for the product in 171R and 171A; bins in 0030; open PO quantity
  2. DocumentInbound delivery number, handling units, warehouse process type
  3. ReceiptMaterial document and journal entry; PO history
  4. ExecutionWarehouse orders, tasks, user, resource and device; exception codes
  5. AfterStock per bin and per storage location; delivery status complete
  6. ReconcileEWM stock in bins equals inventory management stock in 171A, and value agrees
Evidence for one inbound test case, before to after.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-ewm-202

The last step is the one teams skip. At the end of each test day, compare EWM stock for the products touched with inventory management stock for the same products. For embedded EWM, SAP provides a stock comparison between EWM and inventory management (/SCWM/ERP_STOCKCHECK); use it as a diagnostic in testing. It assumes EWM is right and can correct the other side, so run it in comparison mode and report differences instead of letting it adjust them.

The daily stock comparison runs in compare mode: differences become findings to explain, not corrections the tool posts.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-ewm-202

Traps that make tests pass falsely

  • Desktop confirmation instead of RF for floor tests (lesson 4).
  • Super-user roles that allow every exception code and queue; test with the real roles.
  • Clean test data: empty warehouses never show overflow or addition to existing stock; prepare realistic occupancy.
  • Stopping at the first material document: the business needs the stock in 171A, so the posting change is part of the result.
  • Expected results copied from ECC: Contoso ran classic warehouse management in ECC, and transfer-order thinking does not describe EWM tasks, statuses or storage locations.
Spot checkRare and low impact: unannounced trucks with small parcels. One test case, one run.
Test once, carefullyRare but high impact: customer returns, damage claims. Full evidence and finance review.
Regression setFrequent and low impact: bin full exceptions. Keep in the regression set and automate where possible.
Core and repeatFrequent and high impact: ASN receipts and palletized production receipts. Test every cycle with real users and devices.
Prioritizing inbound test cases.
The Sign-Off Table · thesignofftable.com/academy/sap-ewm-202

What would you do?

Two days before the end of integration testing, IN-05 (breakage charged to the warehouse) fails: the difference never reaches inventory management. Everything else passes. Grace asks whether inbound can be signed. What should Priya recommend?

Key points
  • Cover full, partial, short, damaged, overflow, returns and alternative routes.
  • Collect before-and-after evidence for documents, stock per bin and stock per storage location.
  • Run a daily EWM-to-inventory-management stock comparison during testing, in compare mode.
  • Avoid false passes: real roles, real devices, realistic occupancy, and EWM-based expected results.

Check your understanding · not graded

Lesson check

  1. 1. Which step completes the evidence chain for an inbound test?

  2. 2. Why prepare realistic occupancy in test data?

  3. 3. How should the EWM stock comparison be used during testing?

  4. 4. Why are expected results copied from ECC risky at Contoso?