The functions of the warehouse activity monitor are intended to assist warehouse administrators to oversee, plan and optimize work processes in the warehouse. It provides a means to notify responsible personnel in case there are delays or errors in the overall system. The warehouse activity monitor helps you to identify and correct warehousing errors or critical processes soon after they occur, thus enabling you to carry out warehousing transactions in a timely manner.
The warehouse activity monitor provides
- Automatic monitoring of warehousing processes
- Automatic recognition and display of errors in the warehouse
- Support in the analysis of processes in which errors have occurred
- Support to error correction
Why do I need the warehouse activity monitor?
The warehouse monitor is useful for several reasons:
- Not all warehousing processes are carried out in the system without errors.
- Errors are often not recognized until sometime after they have occurred.
- The search for the cause of an error and correcting it can be time consuming.
Orders to move stock in the warehouse should always be processed within a reasonable time period. One of the key features of the warehouse monitoring task is the checking of timely processing of transfer orders in WM.
For example, if a pallet has not been moved from the goods receipt area to its destination within a few hours, then it is likely that the transfer order has been lost, misplaced or that an error has occurred.
Prerequisites
Whether or not a process or situation is considered to be critical depends upon the object that is to be monitored. You can use various criteria to decide whether a process is critical:
- As a general rule, you can say that a process is critical if the process has not been completed within an acceptable period of time.
- For example, once the system creates a transfer order, it is expected that, as soon as the material in the has been physically moved to its destination in the warehouse, the transfer order will be confirmed.
- When the system creates a posting change notice, soon afterwards, it is expected that the notice will be converted into transfer orders.
- For some activities in the warehouse, a deadline is set for the completion of the activity. This applies to
- Supply of materials to production
- Delivery processing
- For some situations in WM, a certain period of time or duration is considered to be acceptable. These situations can be viewed as critical if the expected time span is exceeded. Examples include:
- Negative stock. As an example, negative stock is recorded in the goods receipt area if you post a goods receipt in WM before posting it in IM.
- Stock in interim storage types. For example, when you post a goods receipt in IM, the system stores this information in the interim storage area for goods receipts.
Setting Time Parameters
You maintain critical time periods using the Customizing application. For most of the objects, you can define several critical time periods. For critical time periods, you define the time duration and a corresponding unit of time.
Additionally, you can define a time period with reference to a particular calendar. This ensures that days are excluded that are not to be calculated into the critical time period (such as weekends, holidays and so on).
All transfer orders that have been created but not confirmed within 4 hours are to be listed as critical transfer orders by the warehouse activity monitor. If the critical time period is defined with reference to the factory calendar, not all non-confirmed transfer orders that are created on Friday will be displayed on Monday morning as critical transfer orders.
When you define the critical time period, you need to ensure that only the exceptional situations are displayed by the warehouse activity monitor. This is important because of the additional time required to investigate and resolve a critical situation.
For information on how to configure individual time parameters for the warehouse activity monitor, see the Warehouse Management IMG documentation.
Features
In Warehouse Management, the warehouse activity monitor displays objects with critical processes. For each of the monitoring functions, the warehouse activity monitor offers additional functions that help you to analyze and correct errors. The additional functions that are available depend on the object concerned.
The individual objects that you can manipulate in this manner include the following:
Activities
You can control which of the monitoring functions the warehouse activity monitor can display for individual users or for user groups.
Activate Warehouse Activity Monitor Objects
When you activate a warehouse activity monitor object for a warehoue, keep the following points in mind:
1. Warehouse number
Number of warehouse complex in which the warehouse monitor object is to be activated. Identification of the warehouse monitor object
2. For each warehouse number, you have the following warehouse monitor objects available:
01 Unconfirmed transfer orders
02 Open transfer requirements
03 Open posting change notices
04 Critical deliveries
05 Negative stocks
06 Interim storage stocks without movement
07 Critical stocks for production supply.
3. Display Variant
For each warehouse number and warehouse monitor object, the display variant controls the screen display of a warehouse activity monitor object on the overview display of the warehouse monitor (LL01). In the overview display, the system displays the warehouse monitor objects in the form of a hierarchical tree. Through the display variant, you can control the sequence of the hierarchy node within a warehouse monitor object. Only one standard variant is available for the warehouse monitor objects, with the exception of the warehouse monitor object "Unconfirmed transfer orders".
Example
In the case of the warehouse monitor object "Unconfirmed transfer orders", you can select a sequence of hierarchy nodes within the warehouse monitor object from the following:
Standard variant:
Movement type --> Source storage type --> Destination storage type
Variant 2:
Movement type --> Destination storage type --> Source storage type
Variant 3:
Source storage type --> Destination storage type --> Movement type
Variant 4:
Source storage type --> Movement type --> Destination storage type
Variant 5:
Destination storage type --> Source storage type --> Movement type
Variant 6:
Destination storage type --> Movement type --> Source storage type
Standard settings
In the SAP standard version, all the warehouse activity monitor objects are activated in warehouse number 001. Also, the SAP standard version contains predefined values for the critical parameters for all warehouse monitor objects. You should check these values and, if necessary, change them. Note that the system will only determine critical processes and situations for a warehouse monitor object if you have defined the jobs for determining critical objects for this warehouse number and also planned them.
Activities
For each warehouse number, enter the warehouse activity monitor objects that you want to activate in this warehouse number, and define the display variant, for each entry, for the warehouse monitor object in this warehouse number.
Define Critical Parameters
In this section you define critical parameters for warehouse monitor objects. By specifying critical parameters for warehouse monitor objects, you define when a situation or an activity is to be classified as critical by the warehouse activity monitor. The definition of critical parameters is a prerequisite so that the warehouse activity monitor can determine critical situations and activities, and also display them. The following sections describe how you define critical parameters for each warehouse activity monitor object.
Unconfirmed Transfer Orders
For the warehouse monitor object "Unconfirmed transfer orders" you need to define the following parameters: Critical Time Period with Time Unit
An unconfirmed transfer order is viewed by the warehouse monitor as critical if the transfer order exists for a period longer than the critical time period. Calendar
By specifying a calendar you can refer to a factory calendar stored in the system. In this way you ensure that non-working days (weekends, public holidays, and so on) are not included in the calculation as long as an unconfirmed transfer order exists.
You can make the critical time period depend on the warehouse number, the movement type, and on the source and destination storage types of the transfer order. You can specify a masked entry (***) for the source and destination storage types. The entries in this case apply to all storage types.
Open Transfer Orders
For the warehouse monitor object "Open Transfer Orders", you need to maintain the following parameters: Critical Time Period and Time Unit
The meaning of the critical time period is defined in this case through the specification of the date reference in the reference document. Date Reference in the Reference Document
Here you can define whether the critical time period refers to the creation date and time or to the planned date and time in the transfer order. In the first case, all those transfer orders that are not "completely" delivered and are already in the system for a time longer than the critical time period are recognized by the warehouse monitor as being critical. In the second case, a transfer requirement is viewed by the warehouse monitor as being critical if, up to the time of the planned staging deadline, there are less days than the number of days defined for the critical time period.
Calendar
By specifying a calendar you can refer to a factory calendar. In this way you ensure that non-working days (weekends, public holidays, and so on) are not included in the calculation. Critical time period and time unit for "Immediate TO Creation"
For transfer requirements whose corresponding transfer order is created through "Immediate TO creation" when the transfer requirement itself is created, you can define a second time period. If you specify a critical time period here, the system will classify transfer orders created through "Immediate TO creation" if the creation time of the transfer requirement is further in the past than allowed by the critical time period and the transfer requirement does not yet have the status "completely delivered". For transfer requirements without "Immediate TO creation", this critical time period does not apply.
Open Posting Change Notices
For the warehouse monitor object "Open Posting Change Notices" you need to define the following critical parameters: Critical Time Period and Time Unit
A posting change notice is viewed by the warehouse monitor as critical if the posting change notice exists already longer than the critical time period and has not yet received the status "posting change complete". Calendar
By specifying a calendar you can refer to a factory calendar stored in the system. In this way you ensure that non-working days (weekends, public holidays, and so on) are not included in the calculation. Critical Time Period and Time Unit for "Immediate To Creation"
For posting change notices where the respective transfer order is created by "Immediate TO Creation" upon creation of the posting change notice itself, you can define a second critical time period. If you specify a critical time period here, the posting changes notices with "Immediate TO creation" are classified as critical if the creation time of the posting change notice is longer than the critical time period and the posting change notice does not have the status "posting change complete". For posting change notices without "Immediate TO creation" the specified critical time period does not apply.
You can define the critical parameters for this warehouse monitor object for each warehouse number and movement type.
Open Deliveries
For the warehouse monitor object "Open Deliveries" you need to define the following critical parameters: Critical Time Period and Time Unit
A delivery is classified by the warehouse activity monitor as critical if: the delivery is WM-relevant not all WM-relevant items in the delivery have been completely picked processing of these items needs to be complete in less time than the time defined for the critical time period.
The time still available for processing the delivery depends on the comparison time for picking wave creation defined for the picking wave (menu path in Customizing: Sales and Distribution -> Shipping -> Picking -> Picking waves -> Maintain comparison time for picking wave creation). Possible comparison times are the planned material staging time, the planned loading time, or the planned goods issue time of the delivery. Calendar
By specifying a calendar, you can refer to a factory calendar stored in the system. In this wave you ensure that non-working days (weekends, public holidays, and so on) are not included in the calculation. Select partially processed deliveries
With this indicator you can control whether the warehouse monitor should only display completely unprocessed deliveries as critical deliveries, or whether it should display deliveries where processing has already commenced, but has not yet been completed.
You can define these parameters for each warehouse number.
Negative Stock
For the warehouse monitor object "Negative Stock" you need to define the following critical parameters: Critical Time Period and Time Unit
All negative stocks are viewed by the warehouse monitor as critical if they are in the system for longer than the critical time period. Calendar
By specifying a calendar you can refer to a factory calendar that is stored in the system. In this way you ensure that non-working days (weekends, public holidays, and so on) are not included in the calculation. Indicator for Dynamic Storage Bin
With this indicator you can control that the warehouse monitor informs you of negative stocks that are in dynamic storage bins. If you do not set this indicator, all negative stocks that are in the system for longer than the critical time period are displayed by the warehouse activity monitor.
You can define the critical time period and the indicator for dynamic storage bin for each warehouse number and storage type.
Interim Storage Stocks Without Movement
For the warehouse monitor object "Interim Storage Stocks Without Movement" you need to define the following parameters: Critical Time Period and Time Unit
The warehouse monitor classifies all stocks with a quantity greater than zero in the interim storage types as critical if the last movement for this material stock is further in the past than the time defined by the critical time period. Calendar
By specifying a calendar, you can refer to a factory calendar that is stored in the system. In this way you ensure that non-working days (weekends, public holidays, and so on) are not included in the calculation. Indicator for Dynamic Storage Bin
You must set this indicator if you solely wish to have stocks on dynamic storage bins in the interim storage type monitored.
You can define the critical parameters of this warehouse monitor object for each warehouse number and storage type.
Standard settings
In the standard SAP system, default values for the critical parameters are supplied for all warehouse monitor objects in warehouse number "001". Check these default values and modify them, if necessary, before you copy them into your own warehouse number.
Recommendation
You should set the critical time period so that the warehouse monitor only displays processes and situations where it is obvious that the activies are not being processed correctly in the warehouse.
For example, you should set the critical time period for the warehouse monitor object "Unconfirmed Transfer Orders" so that, in the normal situation, all transfer orders are confirmed within the critical time period.
Activities
Enter the critical parameters for each warehouse monitor object that you have activated.
You have to run the programs to populate the data. They are:
RLLL01SE 01 Unconfirmed transfer orders
RLLL02SE 02 Open transfer requirements
RLLL03SE 03 Open posting change notices
RLLL04SE 04 Critical deliveries
RLLL05SE 05 Negative stocks
RLLL06SE 06 Interim storage stocks without movement
RLLL07SE 07 Critical stocks for production supply.
I have a batch job running on a periodic basis to run each of the
programs using a variant (Warehouse number). The scheduled job runs
about a minute in duration for each warehouse.
Staz. contr. mag.: riepilogo di tutti gli ogg. critici
Utilizzo
Questo report è l'effettivo report della stazione di controllo magazzino. Tale report non può essere richiamato direttamente, ma sempre tramite la transazione LL01 (nella videata della gestione magazzino: Ambiente -> Stazione controllo magazzino) dal report RLLL0100.
Se il report della stazione di controllo magazzino RLLL0000 viene richiamato dal report RLLL0100 (LL01) con una variante, il report della stazione di controllo magazzino non visualizza alcuna videata di selezione. Se la chiamata viene effettuata senza variante, il report visualizza una videata di selezione nella quale si possono predefinire gli oggetti della stazione di controllo magazzino che devono essere visualizzati. Inoltre per alcuni oggetti si possono predefinire ulteriori criteri di selezione.
Output
Il report della stazione di controllo del magazzino RLLL0000 legge le operazioni e le situazioni critiche da specifiche tabelle data base, da LL01 a LL07, che vengono alimentate in batch e riorganizzate dai report RLLL01SE -> RLLL07SE. Le operazioni e le situazioni critiche dei singoli oggetti della stazione di controllo del magazzino vengono raffigurati sotto forma di un grafico gerarchico sulla videata di riepilogo della stazione di controllo del magazzino.
Aprendo un nodo gerarchico, è possibile visualizzare i sottooggetti di un oggetto della stazione di controllo magazzino. Cliccando ad esempio sull'oggetto "Posizioni dell'ordine di trasferimento non confermate", si possono visualizzare le posizioni dell'ordine di trasferimento ripartite secondo il tipo movimento.
Rideterminazione Dati on line:
Dalla videata di riepilogo è possibile avviare online il report di analisi relativo a un oggetto della stazione di controllo del magazzino, posizionando il cursore sull'oggetto stesso e azionando la funzione "Rideterminare i dati". In tal modo si determinano i dati attuali relativi a un determinato oggetto della stazione di controllo del magazzino.
Con un doppio click su un oggetto o un sottooggetto di una stazione di controllo del magazzino, è possibile passare a una visualizzazione dettagliata dell'oggetto nella quale vengono visualizzate singolarmente tutte le operazioni critiche relative ad un oggetto. Per la visualizzazione dettagliata viene utilizzato l'ABAP List Viewer.
Nella visualizzazione dettagliata di un oggetto, sono disponibili le seguenti funzioni indipendenti dall'oggetto concreto della stazione di controllo del magazzino:
- Acquisizione di note di elaborazione per un'operazione critica
- Visualizzazione di informazioni di elaborazione per un oggetto della stazione di controllo magazzino
- Visualizzazione di messaggi di log errori dopo un'operazione.
In funzione agli oggetti della stazione di controllo del magazzino sono disponibili ulteriori funzioni elencate qui di seguito per ogni oggetto/processo della stazione di controllo del magazzino:
Posizioni di ordine di trasferimento non confermate:
- Confermare posizione ordine di trasferimento in background
- Confermare posizione ordine di trasferimento in foreground
- Stornare posizione ordine di trasferimento in background
- Bloccare ubicazioni (di provenienza, destinazione e ritorno) relative a una posizione OT
- Rilasciare ubicazioni (di provenienza, destinazione e ritorno) relative a una posizione OT
- Visualizzare dati stock e movimento per ubicazioni coinvolte da una posizione OT
- Ristampare una posizione OT
Posizioni fabbisogno di trasferimento aperte:
- Settare stato posizione FT su "consegna finale"
- Creare un ordine di trasferimento per la posizione FT in foreground
- Creare un ordine di trasferimento per la posizione FT in background
Istruzioni di modifica aperte:
- Creare un ordine di trasferimento per l'istruzione di modifica in foreground
- Creare un ordine di trasferimento per l'istruzione di modifica in background
Consegne critiche:
- Creare un ordine di trasferimento per una consegna in foreground
- Creare un ordine di trasferimento per una consegna in background
Stock negativi:
- Visualizzare tutte le posizioni dell'ordine di trasferimento per il quant interessato
Stock magazzino intermedio senza movimento:
- Visualizzare tutte le posizioni dell'ordine di trasferimento per il quant interessato
Stock critici approvvigionamento produzione:
- Visualizzare tutte le posizioni dell'ordine di trasferimento per il quant interessato.
- Visualizzare i fabbisogni di trasferimento e i dati di impegno per il materiale e l'ubicazione.
