Handling Unit Management

[former_member646025]

HI All,

I am just working on Handling Unit Management.

I am able to understand few things but a lot many questions have raised.

Basically want to understand the business process of using handling unit management.

And if HUM is used then do clients use HUM in all the 3 areas shipping , inventory management and WMS ?

1. Lets say I use packing functionalities in delivery, then when we do the packing in delivery HU is created.

So to use Packing functionality is it necessary that we activate the HUM for the concerned plant-storage location also or without activating HUM at plant-st locn can I use packing functionalities in shipping?

Is my inventory(Plant - storage location concerned)need to HUM managed if I am using packing functionalities in Shipping(i.e delivery)?

2. Lets say I have WM managed warehouse. Is it still necessary to activate HUM at inventory management i.e Plant and St locn combination)?

Basically my confusion is as I activate HUM in Inventory, instead of material document delivery gets created. So is it really necessary to activate in inventory  level.?

3. It would be really helpful if you can give me the process flow working with HUM with and without WMS.

Apologize if my questions are not clear enough.

I would really appreciate if you can state some of your experience setting up HUM across Shipping, inventory and WMS?

Thanks and Regards,

Anoop

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Anoop,

You can use Handling Unit Management (HUM) to reflect packing-based logistics structures in the SAP System. Using this method, you track the movements of entire handling units and the materials they contain rather than tracking each material individually.

1. Handling unit management doesn't necessarily have to be used in all the 3 areas Shipping, IM & WM. You can use HUM in only Shipping (Deliveries) without activating HUM in plant/sloc & Whse level. Your Inventory(plant/sloc) can still be non HU managed when you are using packing functionalities in deliveries, it would only be part of inventory if storage location is set to HU managed one.

2. If you call up normal material movements in connection with an HU-managed storage location, a delivery is created, rather than a direct material posting.

In HU-managed storage locations, all goods movements are executed through the specification of the respective HUs, and Inventory Management is performed through the handling units. If you are not working with HU-managed storage locations, you can use handling units (without stock information) as before in the delivery and in the shipment.

In HU-managed storage locations, materials can be managed in HUs only. Mixed stock (stock made up of packed and non-packed materials within the same storage location) is not supported. HUs can also be managed in interim storage types. Unpacking a material from an HU means that the stock of the material is posted to a storage location that is not HU-managed.

3. Please refer to the links below for more information.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_47x200/helpdata/en/c8/a44b749f3211d2858d0000e81ddea0/frameset.htm

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_ewm70/helpdata/en/2e/d93d41d19bf623e10000000a155106/content.htm

http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/ERPSCM/Logistics+General+Handling+Unit+Introduction

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_46c/helpdata/en/77/56c8ecaa83d311ae690060b03c9bbe/frameset.htm

[SAP Best Practice - Handling Unit|http://help.sap.com/bestpractices/BBLibrary/Documentation/G74_BB_ConfigGuide_EN_DE.doc]

http://scn.sap.com/thread/1861928

http://scn.sap.com/message/5830410#5830410

Reward if helpful

Thanks & Regards,

Mohan Ganganala

[former_member646025 · Accepted solution]

Hi Mohan,

Thank you so much for your detailed explanation

It really helped me a lot.

I have understood a lot and am simulating lot many things now.

If possible can you please give some of actual business set up in industries of your experience which makes to more clear on HUM.

Like which storage location do normally have HU managed like say

Will it be raw materials section or any other items like operating expense items etc...

Also one query is if I just create an HU (HU02) in a non HU managed but WM storage location, should I see the HU created in WM or will it just be HU created.

Any answers will be highly appreciated.

Thanks and Regards,

Anoop

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Anoop,

Any storage location (ROH, FERT, HALB..Etc) can be HU managed, but most of the cases I have seen is for finished goods.

For a HU managed storage location, a partner storage location (Non HU managed) has to be assigned from the same plant. When HUs are unpacked, the stock will be posted to the partner storage location.

Packing involves transferring unpacked material quantities to packed material quantities. You can do this by using the Create and Process Handling Units function (transaction HU02).During this process, you can either create handling units or increase the stock contained in existing handling units. A storage-location transfer posting into the HU-managed storage location occurs in inventory management. Stock is posted from the partner storage location of the HU-managed storage location.

If the plant/sloc you are working with is tied to a Warehouse, Inventory in Warehouse Management is also adjusted accordingly. The postings in WM will occur in the storage type and storage bin that were entered in transaction HU02. Otherwise, determination of the interim storage bin occurs via Customizing. This is valid for both the inventory at the HU-managed storage location and for the inventory at the partner storage location, if it is also managed in WM.

Unpacking involves transferring packed material quantities to unpacked material quantities. You can do this by using the Create and Process Handling Units function (transaction HU02).During this process, you can either delete handling units or decrease the stock contained in existing handling units. A storage-location transfer posting from the HU-managed storage location into the inventory of the partner storage location occurs in inventory management. Inventory in Warehouse Management is also adjusted accordingly.

The postings in WM will occur in the storage type and storage bin that were entered in transaction HU02. Otherwise, determination of the interim storage bin occurs via Customizing. This is valid for both the inventory at the HU-managed storage location and for the inventory at the partner storage location, if it is also managed in WM.

Below is the link for SAP SCM660 - Handling Unit, reading through this material would give you a better understanding of Handling Units.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/56838459/SCM660-Handling-Unit-Management

Reward if helpful

Thanks & Regards,

Mohan Ganganala

[former_member646025 · Accepted solution]

Hi Mohan,

Thank you so much for your reply.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

So what I understand is that you do the packing functionality in a HU managed storage location.

By doing this stock from non hu i,e from partner st locn stock moves into HU managed st locn.

Similarly unpacking means stock moves out from HU to Non HU st locn.

In both the above 2 cases, documents gets posted in the background.

There is no business process like doing the packing in a Non HU st locn without mentioning the detination st locn(HU Managed).

If I do this without mentioning Destination HU Managed st locn,just a packing takes place and HU gets created but there wont be any posting happening.

Whenever I use the packing in a Non HU storage location in HU02, I should mention the destination Storage location which has to be HU managed.

I have just pressed the correct answer button for rewarding. Am I correct or is there any other way?

Thanks a lot.

Regards,

Anoop