Configurable purchased items in Warehousing

This topic explains different concepts and activities related to receiving, storing and issuing of configurable purchased items within Warehousing.

Configurable purchased items-Important Points
  • Configurable purchased item (configured item)

    To define configurable purchased items in Warehousing; complete the following steps in the Items - General (tcibd0501m000) session:

    • Select the Item Type as Purchased item.
    • Select the Configurable check box.
    • Select the Purchase Schedule in Use check box and the Schedule Type set to Pull Schedule.
  • Option List ID

    The option list ID in the ASN specifications is populated from the Inbound Order Lines (whinh2110m000) session.

    For configurable purchased items in Warehousing, only the option list ID is part of the specifications. This means that inventory is maintained per option list ID, which is an accumulation of inventory of all product variants with the same option list ID.

    The option list ID is displayed only if the Assembly Control (ASC) check box is selected in the Implemented Software Components (tccom0100s000) session.

  • Handling units

    The use of handling units is mandatory for configurable purchased items. You must select the Handling Units in Use check box in the Master Data Parameters (whwmd0100s000) session.

  • Allocation level

    For a configurable purchased item, the Allocation Level is treated as Physical Item. This means that when you receive a configurable purchased item, a handling unit is generated, and the specifications, including the option list ID and allocations, are stored in the handling unit.

    The inventory of the option list ID that is transferred can be allocated to a business partner, business object, or to a reference in the Inventory by Specification (whwmd2519m000) session. If you want to change the configuration of this inventory, you must specify this allocation on the Specification tab of the Outbound Order Lines (whinh2120m000) session. Optionally, you can first remove the allocation, or can remove it after the transfer is completed. To change the allocations you can use the Allocation Change Orders (whinh1120m000) session. If you remove the allocation before the transfer, no allocation is required to be specified on the outbound order line. For more information, refer to CINDI process.

  • Supply system

    To call-off configurable purchased item, based on the Sequence Shipping Schedule, you must set the supply system for the combination of the configured item and warehouse to the Order Controlled/SILS.

  • Inventory Valuation Method

    Configured items are always valued against actual costing (MAUC/FIFO/LIFO/Lot Price/Serial Price). You can select any valuation method for configured items, except the Fixed Transfer Price (FTP).

Following are the main Warehousing activities:
  • Creating an ASN for a configured item

    You can create an advance shipment notice (ASN) for a configurable purchased item. The ASN can be created manually, or generated based on an EDI message. The ASN specifications include the option list ID. The ASN specifications are populated from the Inbound Order Lines (whinh2110m000) session. In turn, the specifications on the inbound order line are populated from the purchase schedule line.

    For a manually created ASN, you can modify the option list ID, as long as the ASN has the following status:

    • ASN Received
    • Scheduled Manually
    • Under Review
    • Open

    Note: The ASN specifications are populated only if the specifications on the inbound order line are functional and meaningful. Example: Specifications with null or no values is not functional and meaningful.

    When the ASN is created based on an EDI message, is for a purchase schedule, and the item is a configured item, the option list ID is populated from the EDI message. If the option list ID of the EDI message differs from the option list ID of the related inbound order line, following are the possible scenario:

    • The option list ID is present in a sent revision of the related purchase schedule line. This means that the option list ID received by the EDI was ordered earlier, but the ordered configuration was changed later. A warning message is generated but the ASN and ASN lines are created. The specification contains the option list ID of the EDI message and the other attributes of the related inbound order line.
    • The option list ID is not present in a sent revision of the related purchase schedule line. An error message that the configurations are different are displayed and an ASN is not created. The EDI message cannot be processed.

    You can view the features and options of the option list from the ASN line.

  • Receiving a configured item

    You can receive a configured item based on an ASN. When you receive the configured item, one or more receipt lines are created. The ASN specifications are copied on the receipt line including the option list ID. You can view the features and options of the option list from the receipt line. Before you confirm the receipt line, you can change the option list ID. The new option list ID that you specify must be present on one of the sent revisions of the related purchase schedule. When the option list ID that you specify differs from the option list ID on the latest purchase schedule revision, a warning message is displayed. If the option list ID is not present on a sent revision of the related purchase schedule, an error message is displayed and you cannot save the receipt line. For more information, refer to CINDI process.

    Additionally, you can also receive a configurable purchased item based on the Reference field in the Shipment Notice - Lines (whinh3101m000) session. This reference is sent to the supplier with the purchase schedule, and the supplier specifies this reference again on the shipping documents that accompany the shipped configured item.

    In a scenario where

    • The customer changes the ordered configuration at the last minute and orders a new configuration, and

    • The supplier has already produced and shipped the first configuration which is not yet received by the manufacturer

    In this scenario the manufacturer can receive the first configuration as an unexpected receipt. You can create an unexpected receipt line in the Warehouse Receipt (whinh3512m000) session and specify the received option list ID.

    The unexpected receipt line can be handled in the following two ways:

    • Confirm the unexpected receipt line. When the unexpected receipt line is confirmed, a purchase order is generated and the first configuration is received against this purchase order.

    • Link the unexpected receipt line to the original purchase schedule line and confirm it. When you confirm the receipt, the first configuration is received against this purchase schedule line. Effectively, a different configuration is received than the last ordered configuration.

  • Storing a configured item

    The configured item is stored in inventory when you confirm the receipt. You can view the inventory of all option list IDs and if applicable the allocations for the option list IDs in the Inventory by Specification (whwmd2519m000) session.

    The specification including the Option List ID is also stored on the handling unit. You can view inventory for handling units with option list IDs in the Inventory Overview (whinr2510m000) session.

  • Issuing a configured item

    Configured items that are received in the warehouse can be issued to a work center at the assembly line through an Assembly Control (ASC) production order. The specifications of the warehousing outbound order line for the ASC production order, including the option list ID must exactly match the specifications and the option list ID of the configured item.

    You cannot modify the option list ID for warehosing orders that are created by LN. For manually created inbound and outbound order lines, the option list ID must be entered if the item is a configured item and can be modified till no outbound advice or inbound advice to cross-dock the outbound order line is created.

    When you create an outbound advice, the purchased configurable item to be advised must have the same specification contents as the specification contents of the outbound order line. Note that the outbound advice is always for handling units, and these handling units must always have the correct specifications. Example if the outbound order line specification contains an option list ID only, the handling units for which the specification contains the same option list ID only can be advised. If the outbound order line specification contains an option list id and an allocation, the handling units with specification containing the same option list id and the same allocation can be advised . It is not possible to advise handling units with specification containing the same option list id, but without allocation.

  • Backflushing a configured item

    You can backflush configured items for an ASC production order without generating warehouse orders.