Moving Items or Materials Between Sites

To perform simple, quick movements of inventory where there is relief of inventory in one site and receipt in another, use the Multi-Site Quantity Move form. A multi-site quantity move does not require paperwork and assumes no transit time. It is frequently used in Focused Factories or close proximity locations. All material and financial transactions occur automatically without user intervention.

Multi-site moves may be:

  • From/To a different location/lot
  • From/To a different whse/location/lot
  • From/To a different site/whse/location/lot
  • From/To a different entity/site/whse/location/lot

Multi-Site Quantity Move Assumptions

  • A multi-site and multi-warehouse environment must be configured.
  • The Unit of Measure for items or materials to be moved must be identical at all sites.
  • The Multi-Site Quantity Move provides for Price Code functionality with the following conditions:
  • The move is between sites in two different entities, and
  • the entities have the same currency.

If these conditions are not met, the system uses the Unit Cost.

  • The Multi-Site Quantity Move does not support Multi-Currency.
  • The Multi-Site Quantity Move does not support Landed Costing.
  • The Multi-Site Quantity Move does not support Freight costs.
  • The Multi-Site Quantity Move does not support EU reporting.
  • The Multi-Site Quantity Move does not generate paperwork or supporting documentation. Accounting entries are posted automatically into the IC DIST Journal for both the To Site and From Site.
  • The Multi-Site Quantity Move assumes no transit time.
  • The Multi-Site Quantity Move does not support movement of items or materials with reserved quantities.

Push/Pull Transactions

Multi-Site Quantity Moves can be either Push or Pull transactions.

Push transactions move material from Site A to Site B.

EXAMPLE: Site A is the originating site and moves material to Site B. Site A is considered the From Site and Site B is considered the To Site. The transaction uses the cost/price of Site A.

Pull transactions move material from Site B to Site A.

EXAMPLE: Site A is the originating site and moves material from Site B. Site A is considered the To Site and Site B is considered the From Site. The transaction uses the cost/price of Site B.

The system provides functionality for any one site to enter a Multi-Site Quantity Move for items to be moved at that site from one other shipping site.

Staging Locations

Note:  The following convention is suggested when you are performing a Multi-Site Quantity Move.

The Multi-Site Quantity Move form prompts for both From and To Locations. However, frequently you might not know a valid To Location. Therefore, we suggest that you use the location staging in one or both locations.

For example, if you are at Site A and performing a Multi-Site Quantity Move to Site B, when the form prompts for a receiving location, enter Staging. If the Staging location is consistently used, then the user at Site B will always check the Staging location for incoming items or materials as a result of Multi-Site Quantity Moves.

Costing for Multi-Site Quantity Moves

Costing functionality begins by performing validations for proper account numbers set up at both the From and To Sites. The transaction date is checked against the dates for the current accounting period.

When items or materials are moved between two different entities, the transaction can use either the Unit Cost or a price. For many moves the Unit Cost is sufficient, and in that case you are not required to enter the Unit Cost. However, you must enter two Price Codes if you wish to indicate a price:

  • A Price Code for the item, and
  • The Price Code defined on the Inter-Site Parameters form for the combination of sites.

The Multi-Site Quantity Move checks these two Price Codes, and if a match is found then the Price Matrix is searched and the appropriate Price Formula is used for costing.

Material Transactions records and journal entries are also created. For Multi-Site Quantity Moves there is no timing issue involved for posting journal entries because there is no transit time. Therefore, when a Multi-Site Quantity Move is entered, journal entries are created for both the To and From sites and they are both posted at the same time.

Types of Moves

The following table outlines what types of moves and types of costing and pricing Multi-Site Quantity Move supports.

Cost Type From Loc to Loc From Whse to Whse From Site to Site From Ent to Ent
1 - Same Cost yes yes yes yes
2 - Different Cost * * yes yes
3 - Price or Cost no no no yes

Key:

 * =  Specific Costing only

 Loc =  Location

 Whse = Warehouse

 Ent =  Entity

  • Same Cost for From Site and To Site - Moves allowed for all scenarios (e.g., location-to-location, warehouse-to-warehouse, site-to-site, entity-to-entity).
  • Different Cost for From Site and To Site - Moves allowed for site-to-site moves and entity-to-entity moves.
  • Pricing functionality used between From Site and To Site - Moves allowed for entity-to-entity moves where valid Price Codes have been set up. If pricing has not been set up, then the system uses the Unit Cost instead.

Price Codes

In determining which Unit Price to use on a Multi-Site Quantity Move, several validations take place by the system. The following conditions are assumed:

  • The two sites are in different entities.
  • Both sites have the same currency.
  • Valid Price Codes have been set up.

The system checks for matching Price Codes as defined on the Item Pricing form and for the From Site and To Site combination as defined on the Inter-Site Parameters form.

Note:  The system checks the Item Pricing form for the item at the From Site.

When a match is made for the Price Codes, then the system searches the Price Matrix for a valid Price Formula and uses it for price calculations. If no valid Price Formula is found, then the Unit Cost is used.

Journal entries are made automatically based on the accounts defined in the Inter Site Receive To Accounts and Inter Site Ship From Accounts.

Incomplete Transactions

In order to perform a Multi-Site Quantity Move, it is necessary for both the From Site and To Site databases to be running and connected to the global database. If these conditions are not met, then error messages display and indicate that this option is not currently available. You are prevented from performing this transaction until the condition is corrected.

If an error condition occurs during a Multi-Site Quantity Move, (for example, one of the databases becomes disconnected), an error message displays and the transaction is not completed. The entire transaction is backed out and you must repeat it later when the necessary conditions have been re-established.

Note:  If previous transactions have been successfully completed, they are not backed out when an error condition occurs. The only transactions that fail will be the ones that were being entered at the time of the error condition.

How to Make Corrections/Reversals

You can correct or reverse a Multi-Site Quantity Move by entering a Quantity Adjustment at each site. This corrects the inventory, but not the accounting. The accounting must be manually corrected based on your situation and the type of costing that you use.

Accounting Transactions

Multi-Site Quantity Moves create accounting transactions automatically without user intervention. The following chart summarizes the accounts that are affected based on the type of move (for example, entity-to-entity moves, site-to-site moves, etc.). The cost used is also a variable. For example, the cost can be the same between two sites. When reading the chart, refer to the following key:

Key:

All = These accounts will record transactions for all costing conditions. In the case where the cost is the same for both the From and To Sites, then these are the only accounts that will have transactions.

y = The 'y' indicates that for this type of transaction this account will be affected.

* = Variances are recorded in the Val Var account when using Standard Costing.

Note:  Variances are recorded in the Inv Adj account when using Actual costing.

Cost Variables:

cost<>cost = From Site and To Site have different costs

price <>cost = From Site charges the To Site a price

Affected Accounts Based on Move Type

  Sales COS A/R Profit Cost A/R A/P Split WIP Val Var Inv Adj Clring
Ent to Ent -All Y Y       Y Y        
Ent to Ent - cost <> cost                 Y Y  
Ent to Ent -price <> cost       Y Y            
Site to Site - All               Y     Y
Site to Site cost <> cost                   Y  
Whse to Whse - All               Y      
Whse to Whse - cost <> cost                   Y  

Lot Tracking

Lot tracking is independent for each site. This means that each site creates/maintains lot numbers for that site only. There is not a common pool of lot numbers that is shared across all sites.

In order to perform lot tracking, you need:

  • Lot Tracking enabled for the system, and
  • Item Stockroom Detail authorizations for both sites you specify in the move.
Note:  This permits you to create item locations and item lots 'on the fly' for the To Site.

When doing either site-to-site or entity-to-entity moves, enter the lot number when you specify the To Lot. The system carries forward the lot number from the From Site to the To Site. Matltrack records are created automatically by the system, which can then be used to trace these transactions at a later time.

Serial Number Tracking

Serial Number Tracking assumes that serial numbers are corporate-wide and are not independent for each site. This means that each site creates/maintains serial numbers that are used by all sites.

To perform Serial Number Tracking, you need:

  • Serial Number Tracking enabled for the system, and
  • Item Stockroom Detail authorizations for both sites you specify in the move.
Note:  This permits you to create item locations 'on the fly' for the To Site.

When doing either site-to-site or entity-to-entity moves, enter the serial number when you specify the To Location. The Serial Number tab is enabled. Matltrack records are created automatically by the system which can be used to trace these transactions at a later time.

The following table presents your options for entering serial numbers.

From Site To Site

Yes-Serial Track Enabled

To Site

No-Serial Track Not Enabled

Yes-Serial Track Enabled From Site-user selects s/n and processes

To Site- process SAME s/n

From Site-user selects s/n and processes

To Site- Not Valid Option

No-Serial Track Not Enabled To Site-user enters NEW s/n and processes Not Valid Option
Note:  When the To Site has serial numbers enabled but the From Site does not, enter new serial numbers in the Serial Numbers tab after the To Loc and To Lot fields are entered.

Matltran Records

The following Matltran records are created for each type of move as indicated in the following table:

Move Type Ref
loc/loc M I
whse/whse M I
site/site M I
entity/entity M I
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