Interview Question & Answer
Q.1- What is Extended Warehouse Management System?
Answer:
SAP EWM is used efficiently manage inventory in Warehouse and for supporting processing of goods movement. It allows company to control their warehouse inbound and outbound processes and movements of goods in warehouse.
The main processes in warehouse are
1) Incoming and outgoing of materials/goods.
2) Goods Receipt and Goods Issue
3) Fulfill customer orders
4) Distribution of goods
· Inbound processes involve storage of goods in warehouse and their location
· Outbound Process involves picking up the goods. Whenever a material is stored in a warehouse, it is stored in a storage bin and you can find its current location.
Q.2- What is Extended Warehouse Management System is different from SAP Warehouse Management System?
Answer:
SAP EWM is a part of Supply Chain Management like warehouse management system but provides more robust and advance feature to manage key activity in warehouse.
SAP EWM is similar to WM but it provide more features like picking, put-away and RF Framework, Warehouse Structure and more flexible options to manage warehouse functions.
In EWM you can create new elements like
· Activity area
· Resources
· Labor Management
· Work Centers
Which was not available WM
It is also a part of SCM and support all the processes with in logistics and supply chain.
Q.3- What are the Key features Warehouse Management?
Answer:
1) Using EWM you can control warehouse activities- picking, posting, and managing storage bin and goods receipts.
2) You can set alert for change data before goods receipt from EWM to the ERP system. reversal or correction of the Goods Receipt from EWM to the ERP system and an inbound delivery split from EWM to the ERP system.
3) You can perform deconsolidation of handling unit contain different products before put-away in different storage sections.
4) You can determine storage concepts using slotting for products and optimize arrangement of goods warehouse automatically.
5) Its allows you to perform executable task like work packages, consisting of warehouse tasks warehouse employees should perform as part of warehouse management activities.
6) It allows you to manage track vehicle and Transportation Units, from yard check-in to yard-check out, including movement’s tasks within the yard.
7) SAP EWM also includes storage of and handling of hazardous substances and their transportation in accordance with regulations from SAP Environmental Health & Safety EHS.
8) In SAP EWM you can also plan labor times and resources more effectively and hence you can make your warehouse efficient by managing key resource management tasks effectively.
9) In SAP EWM you can use EWM cockpit that allows you to display warehouse key figures graphically and to evaluate or monitor activities using defined chart types.
10) You can use cross docking that allows you to perform transportation of handling units across different distribution centers or warehouses till they reach final location in warehouse.
Q.4- What are the different deployment options in EWM?
Answer:
· SAP EWM can be considered as deployed in ERP server or you can also consider it as an application in SCM landscape.
· SAP EWM is integrated with ERP to access transaction and master data and use of features like slotting, availability check also requires integration with CRM.
· SAP EWM is considered as separate application and share the same server with SCM applications. You can also run SAP EWM in its own SCM environment which is suitable to get improved performance.
EWM Deployment options
· SAP EWM on SCM Server
· SAP EWM as Standalone
Q.5- How SAP ERP System communicates with EWM or CM with APO ?
Answer:
SAP ERP and EWM are closely integrated with each other for transfer of transaction and master data. There are two different ways of communication.
Core Interface (CIF)
Core interface is one of the common method of communication between SAP SCM system and SAP Advanced Planning Optimization APO. Master Data maintained in ERP system like customer, material and vendor which are available in ERP system are transferred to EWM system use Core Interface (CIF).
Q.6- How do you check various menu structure of EWM system?
Answer:
Login to SCM system and navigate to EWM node in SAP Menu. You can use various transactions to manage basic functions of Warehouse Management.
T-code
Function
/SCWM/MON
Warehouse Monitor
/SCWM/PRDI
Maintain Inbound Delivery
/SCWM/PRDO
Maintain Outbound Delivery
/SCWM/RFUI
RF Environment
/SCWM/LS01
Creating Storage Bin
/SCWM/TO_CONF
Confirm Warehouse Task
/SCWM/MAT1
Warehouse Product Maintenance
Q.7- What are different Organizational Unit in EWM?
Answer:
· Warehouse Number
· Storage Type
· Storage Section
· Storage Bin
· Quant
Q.8- What is Storage Bin?
Answer:
Storage Bins represents the physical location of storage space where the products are stored in Warehouse. They are at lowest level of organization structure and when you store an item in a Warehouse you need to mention its exact location.
Q.9- What is the use of Activity Areas in Storage Bin?
Answer:
Storage Bins are further categorized in activity area, It includes activities like picking, put-away or a physical inventory. As per activity, you can assign same storage bin to multiple activity area.
Q.10- What is Quant?
Answer:
The Quantity of goods in storage bin is represented by Quant. The quant is used for managing inventory in storage bin.
Q.11- How you can create Storage Bin?
Answer:
T-code: /SCWM/LS01
Q.12- What are the Structural Elements in hierarchical structure?
Answer:
· Warehouse Number
· Storage Type
· Storage Section
· Storage Bin
· Activity Area
Q.13- What is the highest unit and smallest unit in a Warehouse Structure?
Answer:
The highest unit in a Warehouse is Warehouse Number and smallest unit is a storage bin.
Q.14- What is a storage section? Provide example of Storage Section?
Answer:
This is part of storage type and represents a group of bins with same characteristics. Commonly used storage sections are fast moving and slow moving items etc.
Q.15- What Work Center in a Warehouse?
Answer:
A Work center in warehouse is assign to a storage type and a physical unit to perform packing, deconsolidation or weighing activities. Storage type assigned to work center has a role of work center, pick point, or pick point identification. You can also configure more than one work center in a storage type.
Q.16- Where do you use Work Centers in Warehouse Processes?
Answer:
· Packing
· Deconsolidation
· Counting
· Quality Check
Q.17- How can you create a work center for packing in SAP EWM system?
Answer:
To create a work center for packing, need following information
· Warehouse
· Storage type
· Inbound Section
· Outbound Section
To define a work center, navigate to Extended Warehouse Managementè Master Dataè Work Centerè Define Work Center
Q.18- What are different Warehouse Process Type in SAP EWM System?
Answer:
The different warehouse process categories that are pre defined in EWM system.
· Stock Removal
· Put-away
· Internal Movement
· Goods Receipt Posting
· Goods Issue Posting
· Physical Inventory
· Cross Line put-away
Q.19- What are value added services in Warehouse Management?
Answer:
Value added service define the product processing to be performed in a warehouse and includes activities like packing, labeling, assembling etc.
Q.20- How do you inform employees about the work that they have to do as a part of delivery and packing specifications?
Answer:
VAS order inform warehouse employees about the work that they have to do as a part of delivery and packing specification.
Q.21-What are the different components of VAS order?
Answer:
A Value Added Services Order consists of the following components
· Order header
· VAS Activities to be performed
· Items
· Auxiliary products ( Packing materials, labels, oil etc)
Q.22- Where do you manage packaging specification?
Answer:
Go to SAP Easy Accessè EWMè Master Dataè Packing Specificationè Maintain Packaging Specification
Q.23- How do you perform direct Goods issue in SAP EWM System?
Answer:
The goods issue process in EWM starts with outbound delivery request. When an outbound delivery document is created, this process starts in ERP system. For items that are relevant in EWM, delivery document is replicated in SAP EWM system.
Q.24- What do you understand by stock removal strategy?
Answer:
Stock Removal Strategy is method of determining storage bin for one or more products to be picked. You can customize stock removal rule definition table in customizing for SCM EWM.
Q.25-What do you understand by Denial Scenario in Outbound Delivery?
Answer:
When an outbound delivery request is created, EWM system doesn’t create a warehouse task or task is created with partial quantity, this is called as denial scenario.
Q.26-When do you use Denial Scenario in Outbound delivery in EWM system?
Answer:
When a warehouse task can’t meet the quantity requested in inbound delivery in out bound delivery request, system can be configured to raise a pick denial.
In case of stock discrepancy picked by an employee, smaller quantity as per outbound delivery and no other stock is available in warehouse, you can set the system to execute a pick denial.
Q.27- What is Storage Control?
Answer:
Storage control is used to determine product movements in warehouse. It is used to execute put-away or stock removal process in warehouse.
Q.28- What are different types of storage control?
Answer:
· Layout Oriented Storage Control
· Process Oriented Storage Control
Q.29- In combined storage control which one is executed first?
Answer:
In SAP EWM, process oriented storage control is executed first and layout oriented storage control is executed to check if put-away step is possible in warehouse layout view and also adjust the put-away or stock removal as per layout view.
Q.30-When no storage no storage location is specified for picking in Order item, what happen?
Answer:
System determines the storage location when it creates outbound delivery and copies it to delivery item.
Q.31-In EWM where do you find exact whereabouts of a material quantity in the warehouse?
Answer:
Storage Bins
Q.32- What are the transactions available to create a transfer order for moving partial stock with in a warehouse?
Answer:
· LT01
· LT02
Q.33- What is the goods movement status of the outbound delivery after a goods issue has been cancled?
Answer:
Not yet started
Q.34- What is pick, pack and pass of goods in EWM system?
Answer:
This is used to manage picking, packing and transportation of goods in activity areas in warehouse. This can be used in RF environment commonly and process flow is same as for standard RF process. In pick pack and pass goods are moved from activity area till its arrives at destination point.
Q.35- What is difference between system controlled and user controlled?
Answer:
You need a warehouse creation rule that supports the top warehouse order creation for the pick, pack and pass process. The creation categories are.
System-Driven
For the system-driven option, the sequence of the warehouse orders in the top of warehouse order is determined according to the sort sequence of the assigned in the configuration settings for joining the activity areas.
User-Driven
For the user driven option, the sequence is manually determined during the execution, which means it can also be done by material flow system (MFS).
Q.36- What is replenishment in SAP EWM?
Answer:
Replenishment is defined as movement of goods from warehouse to shipping locations. In SAP EWM, you can use predefined techniques for replenishment of storage bins. There are different replenishment control fields defined at storage type level or storage bin level. The data for control fields can be entered manually in system or you can use slotting process to define these fields.
Q.37- What are common controlled field in replenishment?
Answer:
Below are the common controlled fields in replenishment
· Minimum stocked quantity
· Maximum stocked quantity
· Replenishment quantity
Q.35- What are Planned Replenishment and Order Replenishment?
Answer:
Planned Replenishment
Planned replenishment can be performed either interactively or in the background. The system calculates the replenishment in accordance with the defined minimum quantity and maximum quantity. Replenishment control is triggered when stock goes less than minimum quantity.
Order Related Replenishment
Order related replenishment is performed when stock figure is less than required quantity. The system rounds up the replenishment quantity to a multiple of minimum replenishment quantity. The maximum quantity can be exceeded and order related replenishment can be performed in background or interactively.
Q.36- What is automatic and direct replenishment?
Answer:
Automatic Replenishment
The system starts automatic replenishment when a warehouse task confirmed. Replenishment is calculated as per maximum and minimum activity.
Direct Replenishment
Direct replenishment is started during a pick denial and is only possible for fix bin scenario. The system calculates replenishment as per minimum and maximum quantity.
Direct replenishment is performed by picket and it assumes zero storage bin quantity.
Q.37- Why do you use physical inventory in SAP EWM?
Answer:
To perform financial accounting and tax regulations, you may need to perform accurate inventory to get the value of an inventory in warehouse. Physical inventory process deals with counting with counting physical inventory of a warehouse and to get counting results.
Physical inventory can be used by management by to count inventory so that product can be stocked or corrected.
Q.38- What are the different types of Physical inventory?
Answer:
· Periodic
· Continuous
· Cycle Counting
Q.39- What is ad-hoc Physical Inventory?
Answer:
Ad-hoc physical inventory is type of continuous physical inventory and it can be executed anytime during the fiscal year, an ad hoc physical inventory may become necessary.
Q.40- What is slotting process in EWM? What are different parameters used in Slotting? What are different parameters used in Slotting?
Answer:
Slotting is a process in EWM to define most suitable put-away parameters- storage type, section etc. Slotting places the good in a warehouse in the manner that provides most optimal storage and picking of goods.
There are different parameters that are used in slotting process.
· Storage requirement data
· Product data
· Packing Data
· Demand Forecast
Q.41- What is direct and indirect labor?
Answer:
Direct Labor
This includes time to perform warehouse activities like picking, packing, put-away, etc.
Indirect Labor
This includes extra activities to manage warehouse like Sweeping, cleaning, house keeping etc.
Q.42- What is expected Goods Receipt?
Answer:
Expected goods receipts are used to create inbound deliveries. You can also create goods receipt in EWM system without inbound delivery.
Advantages of Using Goods Receipt
· This process occurs in EWM system only.
· If your ERP system is down, you can still execute expected goods receipt in EWM.
· Expected Goods Receipt is based on data in production order so it can be used as preview of goods receipt
· This process required two documents to be used in EWM system
o Notification Expected Goods Receipt
o Expected Goods Receipt
Q.43- What is Cross Docking in SAP EWM system? Why do we use cross docking?
Answer:
Cross docking allows you to reduce the costs of goods transportation in warehouse and shorten the time needed for delivery. Cross docking only creates one movement GR ZONE to GI ZONE and can only be used if stock for removal is not determined by First in First Out.
Q.44- What the different types of cross docking available in SAP system?
Answer:
· Transport cross docking
· Merchandise Distribution
· Push Deployment
· Pick from Goods Receipt
· Opportunistic Cross Docking
Q.45- What is the use of RF framework in EWM system? What are the functions that can be performed using RF framework?
Answer:
In SAP EWM, RF is stands for radio frequency mobile data entry that allows real time communication between warehouse employees and EWM system.
RF Frame work supports both browser based and GUI devices to connect to SAP system, You can create screen templates and merge them to a so called display profile. This display profile is assigned to the presentation device. This display profile is assigned to the presentation device,
RF Framework in SAP EWM system provides all warehouse functionalities
· Loading
· Unloading
· Deconsolidation
· Put-away
· Picking
· Packing
· Replenishment
· Physical Inventory
Rajesh Sharma
Certified SAP MM/EWM Functional Consultant
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