Using the Serial Number Requirement
help.sap.com/saphelp_ewm900/helpdata/en/46/4fd2416d9c1c7be10000000a1550b0/content.htm
Purpose
You use serial numbers to identify a product uniquely and to provide yourself with an overview of
which products you have sold to which customers. The serial number is only unique in conjunction
with a product, for example, cell phone CELL PHONE 0000000012345 or engine
ENGINE0000000012345.
For example, you can use serial numbers in the following instances:
● If a freight forwarder damages a pallet during transportation, Extended Warehouse Management
(EWM) can show you which engines were on the pallet and could now potentially be damaged.
● You can tell if a partner reports a product as having been stolen, but later sends it to you for
maintenance.
● If a customer returns a damaged engine, you can determine whether it is actually the engine
that you supplied them with.
● If, during quality control, you determine that a production error has occurred, you can identify the
affected product groups by using serial numbers. If necessary, you can also identify the customers to
which you have already sold damaged products and inform them of this.
You can use the following serial number requirements:
● Serial Numbers for Document Items
● Serial Numbers at Warehouse Number Level
● Serial Numbers in Inventory Management
Prerequisites
For a description of the prerequisites, see Making Settings for Serial Numbers (ERP-System and
EWM).
Process Flow
The following graphic provides an overview of the process flow for the individual serial number
requirements.
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1. If you execute a change in stock, EWM identifies the serial number profile that belongs to a
product. Depending on your settings in Customizing, this serial number profile can be dependent on
or independent of the warehouse number.
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The Customizing Scout in the ERP-System sends the product data and the information on which
serial number profile belongs to which product to EWM using the APO Core Interface (CIF).
For more information about the Customizing Scout, see the Help Portal at help.sap.com under
Documentation → SAP NetWeaver → Prior SAP NetWeaver 04 → SAP Solution Manager →
Customizing-Synchronization → Customizing Scout.
2. EWM copies either the serial number from the ERP system or you enter it manually.
If you choose the serial number requirement, you have to weigh up administrative expenditure
against the degree of detail of the information.
Serial Entry of Serial Number Entry of Serial Entry of Information
Number in Goods Receipt Number in Goods Serial
Requirement Issue Number in
Internal
Warehouse
Movements
Serial Serial number with Serial number with No entry Check if
Numbers for advanced shipping advanced shipping possible serial
Document notification by notification; number
Items scanning or entering mandatory for possible,
manually; mandatory if confirmed quantities for
the item type of the if the item type of the example,
delivery has been delivery has been in the
determined in defined in returns
Customizing Customizing process
Serial Serial number with Serial number No entry Information
Numbers at advanced shipping entered manually or possible about
Warehouse notification by by scanning for which
Number scanning or entering confirmed quantities serial
Level manually numbers
are
available in
which
warehouse
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Serial Serial number with Serial number by If Handling Exact
Numbers in advanced shipping scanning or entering Unit is only storage bin
Inventory notification by manually partly or stock
Management scanning or entering confirmed, information
manually serial
numbers by
scanning or
entering
manually
For a detailed process flow description of the individual processes, see Serial Numbers for Document
Items, Serial Numbers at Warehouse Number Level, Serial Numbers in Inventory Management.
3. EWM saves the serial number.
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