Business may need to identify
and differentiate between individual items of a material. To supplement the
material master record, which may contain all data for describing and managing
a piece of material, but does not enable to differentiate between individual
items of that material.
Batch configuration is mainly
used:
- To work with homogeneous partial quantities of a material.
- To meet legal requirments or regulations.
- Defect tracing, callback activities, and regression requirement.
- To meet production or procedural requirments(for example, settlement of material quantities on the basis of different quantity specifications).
- To ease the goods movements processing.
- To optimize all logistic functions.
- · Inventory management
- · Sales and Distribution
- · Process industry
- · Production
- · Warehouse management
- · Manual creation of a batch master record
- · Goods receipts
- · Creation of a process or production order
- · Useage decision in Quality Management
- · Quality analysis
- · Transfer postings(including batch splits).
- · The functionality for which the class is intended
- · The type of objects that it can be used to classify.
- Objects can be classified via classification transactions or directly through their master record(i.e. the classification view of the material master).
- In order to do a search, a user must know the class to search within. It can be found by:
- · Placing a * in the class field
- · Using a search help
- · Exploding the hierarchy graphically
- · Via the characteristics to be used.
- Condition Type: It
represents the four character strategy type identification key, ZGM2.
- Access Sequence:
Access sequence represents the group of condition tables used as key
combinations to enter the condition records, which is assigned to strategy type.
- Class Type:
The class type is always 023—the batch class provided in the standard SAP system
for use with batch management, except for the material/plant level batch
maintenance scenario, where the class type is 022.
- Class Using Class:
A default classification can be defined for the strategy type.
- Selection criteria:
The Selection Type field defines how the selection for a batch needs to
happen. When left blank, the system immediately displays the batches that
meet the selection criteria when the batch search is executed in a
document.
- Sort Sequence:
The Sort Sequence field allows to sort the suitable batches based on
specific characteristics (Example, remaining shelf life or delivery date).
You can define ascending or descending sort sequence for each field. As an
example, You can instruct the system to pick those batches for which the
remaining shelf life ( No of days left for the material lot to be expired
from the date of delivery) is
greater than 40 days.
- Batch Split:
The Batch Split field controls the number of batch splits that are allowed
during batch determination. Batch splits are not possible for sales orders
unlike in deliveries, the default split values entered in the search
stratergy are overrided.
In various industry sectors,
particularly the process industry, you have to work with homogeneous partial
quantities of a material or product throughout the entire quantity and value
chain.
In SAP system, a batch is the
quantity or partial quantity of a particular material or product that is
manufactured to the same recipe.
SAP ba In SAP system, Batch
management process is utilized for Manufacturing Visibility and Execution and
Collaboration.
In
simple terms, SAP Batch Handling means an additional key fields for the user to
identify the same materials.
For
example, Normal Control: Plant + Material + Storage Location
Batch
handling: Plant + Material + Storage location + Batch Number.
Batch
management is a functionality used in every industry mainly:
·
Chemicals
·
Pharmaceuticals
·
Cosmetics
·
Hygiene and sanitation
·
Food
·
Retail
Batch
functions provide you with the possibility of managing and processing a
non-reporoducible production unit in all areas of logistics.
In
Pharmaceutical industry & food Industry, Batch function is used to avoid
selling lots which are no longer be used or sold after a certain period.
Batch
is structured under LO (General Logistics) area in SAP R/3 system. However it
will require Customizing setting in the respective Logistics area. These are:
Batches
are well integrated and can be traced throughout the complete supply chain,
From the point of entry into the manufacturing process till they leave the
production plant through Sales.
Batch Number Assignment
Batch
numbers can be assigned manually or allow the system to generate. Internal
number assignment is activated in Customizing for batch Management. It is
activated at the client level. A need to generate a batch number can occur due
to:
Classification and Batch Management
The
SAP Classification is used to : find similar objects or find out no suitable
objects exist.
The
three main activities within the classification system are : Maitaining
characteristics and classes, Linking objects to classes and assigning
characteristics values, and Finding objects.
Characteristics
are defined for a specific format, either Characteristic, numeric, a date, a
currency, or time. Reference
characteristics pull their values automatically from master record fields. No
user maintenance is required.
There
are two types of characteristics, Pre defined Standard characteristics and user
defined characteristics. To copy the standard characteristics to the current
client, report RMMCCH01 has to be used.
Classes
are defined for a specific class type. The class type controls:
Batch Determination
Batch
determination is used to select those batches which meet the specific business
conditions
·
Batch
determination is based on the condition technique.
·
Agreements
regarding specification customer accept are captured in strategy records.
During batch determination the system compares batch specifications to those in
the strategy record.
·
Two
lists can be used to track batchs:
i.
The
Batch where used list
ii.
The
Pick-up list
·
Pricing
can be done at either the batch or material level.
Each
individual batch search stratergy is based on a stratergy types and several
search stratergies are grouped under a search procedure which is assigned to a
business transaction.
Strategy
types are the condition types that control the search criteria. It can be
created using the transaction code is
V/C1, or the menu path IMG à Logistics à General à Batch Management à Batch Determination
And Batch Check à Strategy Types à Define Sales And
Distribution Strategy Types
The
important fields on this customization screen are as follows:
Once the strategy is defined
we need to assign the strategy types to a determination procedure that will
help determine the required batch during a sales transaction.
The transaction code is V/C3,
and the menu path is IMG à Logistics à General à Batch Management à Batch Determination And Batch Check à Batch Search Procedure Definition à Define Sales And Distribution Search Procedure.
Finally, we define the
determination rule.
The transaction code is V/C5,
and the menu path is IMG à Logisticsà General à Batch Management à Batch Determination
And Batch Check à Batch Search Procedure
Allocation And Check Activation à And Check Activation à Allocate SD Search Procedure/Activate Check.
Here, a combination of sales
area and document type helps in determining the relevant determination
procedure for a sales transaction. This can be represented in equation form as
follows:
Sales area + Document type = Determination procedure
If the business requires the
SAP system to automatically determine the relevant batches during sales order
and delivery processing, it can be specify by selecting the automatic
determination check box for each sales and delivery item category for which you
would like the automatic batch determination.
The transaction code is V/CA
for sales and V/CL for delivery. The menu path is IMG à Logistics àGeneralà Batch Management à Batch Determination And Batch Check à Activate Automatic Batch Determination In SD.
Batch Determination in Sales and Distribution
There are four points at which
you should use batch determination in SD:
a.
Quotations
b.
Quantity
Contracts
c.
Sales
Orders (or Scheduling agreements)
d.
Delivery
Batch Determination in Sales Orders
You should choose batch
determination in sales orders when customer requirements take precedence over
all other factors(such as, stock removal strategies for example). Use batch
determination here, if a customer, for instance, require a material with
certain set specifications.
You should use batch
determination for the sales orders to find batches for set specifications. You
can also reserve batches, as requirments are transmitted via the sales order in
the same way as they are via the quotation.
Batches assigned in sales order
are copied to the delivery and cannot be changed.
Batch Determination in Delivery
You should choose batch
determination in deliveries, if
- Dealing with materials that are constantly available(mass production).
- · You want to minimize capital lockup.
- · The specification are not very detailed(e.g. if you require batches that may not be sold in the USA but in Asia, or batches that are suitable for whole customer groups).
- · The expiration date, or the remaining shelf life are the most important criteria.
·
Batch
splits are necessary.