Introduction to Handling Unit Management
The SAP Handling Unit Management (HUM) module was created to facilitate operations with stock units as they are moved around warehouses and supply chains. In the logistics process of an organization, the individual unit of each material is not moved. Instead of that, the materials are packed together with packing materials like cartons, pallets, containers, etc., and moved together within the supply chain or stored in an inventory as a group. This group of material and packaging material is called a handling unit (HU) and managing the HU movement across the supply chain and in an inventory is called Handling Unit Management (HUM).
SAP Handling Unit Management Transactions
The following transactions are mostly used in SAP S/4HANA and SAP ECC for handling units:
HU01 – Creation of Handling Unit
HU02 – Change of Handling Unit
HU03 – Display HU
HUMO – Monitor Handling Units
SAP Handling Unit in Extended Warehouse Management (EWM)
In EWM, handling units are always stored in storage bins within the storage section/storage types. To activate the HUM in SAP EWM, we need to maintain the indicator of HUs permitted in storage type in the configuration of storage types. The stock of HUs in each bin can be checked in transaction /SCWM/MON. The same transaction can be used to manually print the HU labels.
HU types are configured in EWM to classify packaging materials and handling units with the same characteristics. These HU types are then grouped together in HU type groups. The HU types are assigned to each storage type as per the business requirement and accordingly determined during various processes in EWM like Put-away Deconsolidation, etc. There are several HU types like boxes, cartons, wire baskets, pallets, containers, crates, etc. In EWM as well the HUs are managed in inventory at bin level and can be moved within the supply chain.
The pallet storage put away strategy in EWM controls the storage functionalities of HUs. This takes into consideration the size of the HU and determines the most suitable bin in the storage type for that HU. In the configuration, HU types are assigned to the bin types and pallet storage is enabled at the storage type level.
During put away, the system uses the HU type for the HU to put away and the bin type of the main storage bin, to find a storage bin section and thus storages the HU there, as shown in the figure below.
Configuration steps HU Management in SAP ERP
In this activity contains all information for introducing handling units
1) Define Packaging Material
The packaging material type combines packaging materials into groups contains essential controls features for which apply to the corresponding shipping material. When you specify a shipping material type in material master record, each shipping material is assigned to a shipping material type.
The packaging material control, the following controls
o Output determination procedure, output type
o Sorting sequence
o Plant Determination
o Packaging Material Category
o Number Assignment
o Number Range Interval
o Handling Unit Category
Note: 1. Packaging materials for the packaging material category "auxiliary packaging materials" cannot be used for generating handling units. They can only be used for supplementing the packaging in a handling unit.
2. Always assign numbers clearly, using a number range interval or a SSCC18 generation
T-code: SPRO
Menu Path: SAP IMG Screen> Logistics General> Handling Unit Management> Basics>Define> Packaging Material
2) Define Material group for Packaging Material
In this IMG Activity, you define material grouping for packaging materials with which materials that are to be packed into similar packaging materials are grouped together. The material grouping for packaging materials is entered in the material master record of the shipping material.
T-code: SPRO
Menu Path: SAP IMG Screen> Logistics General> Handling Unit Management> Basics>Define Material Group for Packaging Material
3) Define Allowed Packaging Material materials or handling unit
When packing materials or handling unit, the system checks whether the packaging materials for handling unit, to which the items are to be packed, is allowed for packing. In this IMG activity we assign packaging materials type to the material groups for packaging materials, we defined which which packing materials are allowed for packing.
By assigning shipping material types to material groups for shipping materials, we define which shipping materials are allowed for packing.
T-code: SPRO
Menu Path: SAP IMG Screen>Logistics General> Handling Unit Management>Basics>Define Allowed Packaging Material
4) Maintain Number Ranges for Handling Unit
Maintain Number ranges for number assignment for handling unit identification via number range interval.
There are two type of number assignment
Internal Number Assignment: The SAP System automatically assigns sequential number from the specific number range
External Number Assignment: When creating a handling unit, you use a number from the external number range
T-code: SPRO
Menu Path: SAP IMG Screen> Logistics General> Handling Unit Management> External Identification>Number Range Maintenance for Handling Unit
5) Define Number Assignment for Each Packaging Material Type
A handling unit is technical system reflection of physical object. For this reason, it is logical to assign each handling unit is a unique number. A number range is a object can guarantee that all number assignments are unique to one client. Unique number assignment is only possible throughout the entire system via assignment of a SSCC18
In this IMG activity we define number assignment per packaging material type
T-code: SPRO
Menu Path: SAP IMG Screen> Logistics General> Handling Unit Management> External Identification>Define Number Assignment for each Packaging Material Type
Configuration steps HU Management in SAP EWM
In this activity contains all information for introducing handling units in EWM
1) Define Packaging Material
In this IMG Activities, we define packaging material types that we need for packing. The packaging material types groups packaging materials and contains the main control characteristics that are valid for the relevant packaging material.
T-code: SPRO
Menu Path: SAP IMG Screen> SCM EWM> Extended Warehouse Management> Cross Process Settings> Handling Unit> Basics>Define Packaging Material
2) Maintain Allowed Packaging Material Types for Packing Group
In this IMG Activities, we define the allowed packaging material types for the individual packaging groups.
When packing materials or handling units, the system checks whether the packaging material type pf the packaging material is permitted as packaging for the packing group of the material.
T-code: SPRO
Menu Path: SAP IMG Screen> SCM EWM> Extended Warehouse Management> Cross Process Settings> Handling Unit> Basics> Maintained Allowed Packaging Material Type for Packing group
3) Define HU Type
In this IMG activity, you define handling unit types (HU types) for the additionally-defined material master attribute. You need HU types in Extended Warehouse Management to classify packaging materials and handling units with the same physical properties.
If you transfer the material to the decentralized SCM system, the HU types is automatically transferred too. You have to transfer the relevant check tables separately
T-code: SPRO
Menu Path: SAP IMG Screen> Integration with other SAP Components> Extended Warehouse Management> Additional Material Attributes> Attributes Values for Additional Material master fields
4) Define HU Type Group
In this IMG Activities, we define the HU type groups. We can use HU type groups to group together similar HU types.
Slotting- HU Type Groups are used as an optional parameters
Put-away- We can activate an HU type check at storage type level, We can define either valid HU type or valid HU type groups.
Determining a deconsolidation station- All HU types used must be assigned to HU type group.
Resource Management- HU type group are mandatory. At a later point you assign a HU Type group, in IMG activity Assign HU Types for Each Warehouse Number and HU type group.
T-code: SPRO
Menu Path: SAP IMG Screen> SCM EWM> Extended Warehouse Management> Cross Process Settings> Handling Unit> Basics> Define HU type group
5) Define HU Type for Each Warehouse Number and Assign HU Type Group
In this IMG Activities, we specify which of the generally available handling unit (HU) types you want to use or permit in your warehouse.
We can assign following
Unit of measure load category for work load evaluations- You can assign a unit of measure load category for workload evaluations to each HU type.
HU Type Group- You can assign each HU type to a HU type group that you have defined. A HU type can only belongs to one HU Type group.
T-code: SPRO
Menu Path: SAP IMG Screen> SCM EWM> Extended Warehouse Management> Cross Process Settings> Handling Unit> Basics> Define HU type for Each Warehouse Number and Assign HU Type Group
6) Define Number Range for HU Identification
If you have packaging materials whose materials number comes from a simple number range object, you maintain the intervals for this number here.
Note: We will use same number range as we define in ERP HU Management, only difference that the Internal Number range will be External in EWM and External Number Range in ERP will be internal in EWM.
Rajesh Sharma
SAP MM/WM/EWM Functional Consultant
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