Picking Nested Handling unit through Pick Handling unit

Purpose:

The conceptualization of this blog is to understand what is Pick Handling unit(HU), Nested HU and how in WM+HU managed Storage location, picking and packing is conducted in one step( Pick and Pack Procedure).

Overview:

Picking and packing is very vital business process in a warehouse and complexity happens when storage location is WM+HU managed and to pack the outbound delivery, VL02N triggers an error saying Packing in HU+WM managed location takes place through picking, technically through LT03.

Lets understand what is Pick HU. In my own understanding Pick HU is a Blank or empty HU in which some other HUS can be packed or materials can be packed.

If you want to understand the meaning of Pick HU in terms of Help.salp, here is the definition.

–>Partial quantities (materials or lower-level HUs) are transferred to a picking container such as a cart or container tub. This picking container, in turn, represents a handling unit, the pick handling-unit (HU).

Nested Handling units are kind of a concentric packaging layers in which multiple Sub Handling units are assigned in a main handling units. Like in a container—>Pallets—Boxes—Small boxes—Bottles.  A 4 level nested HU. Nested HUs are created by handling unit master transaction HU02 or can be created by HUPAST( Handling unit Packing Station)

Why Pick HU is required and its conceivable application?

Suppose you have a mixed storage type where multiple storage units of same materials are available in a storage bin or you have  handling unit with several materials or batches, business requirement is to conduct picking once Sales order is created, Outbound delivery is done and picking orders needs to be created to pick the Source HU as a destination HU from a inhomogeneous handling units.  In this case you are required to create a pick HU.

So, Picking a nested handling with a pick Handling unit can be better understood with below diagram.

In the diagram shown, there is a nested HU which consists of 9 boxes and suppose in 9 boxes there are different bottles or understand this Storage unit has multiple batches of same material, 9 batches. Both probability may happen with business.

To pick Box-1 which is available in a nested HU or multi batch SU, we need to create a blank Picking Unit which is in our case is Pick handling unit. We cannot move the complete Nested HU from destination storage Bin to 916 shipping area directly as this is restricted in standard SAP.

Configuration and process flow:

1 Create a sales order VA01

2 Create an outbound delivery VL01N

3) Check the inhomogeneous HUs/ SUs in Bin Status Report LX03

4) Create picking order LT03

5) Create a Pick HU by LH01 or with LT12

6) Confirm the Transfer order LT12

We will start from point 3 as i have already created SO and OBD.

3) Bin status report LX03. Observation can be made the storage type is mixed storage type where multi Sus are present.

Storage type configuration:

4) Create Transfer order LT03.

I created a transfer order and found that Quant is updated as 0 and blank SU. Since after picking order creations, material will be moved to 916 interim storage type with Outbound delivery as material coordinates( Bin number).( Dynamic bin numbering with the requirement type of delivery is configured in backend)

Before we create a pick HU, lets understand what error SAP gives if we directly confirm Transfer order in LT12.

During TO confirmation, it can be observed that Source HU as destination HU is not copied in TO despite the configuration done for the required storage type.

This indicator suggests that during TO confirmation Source HU=Destination HU. But in our case, destination HU is blank.

The reason is that our HU is inhomogeneous 3000001078, the HU picking control is only applicable for Homogeneous HUs

So, to pick from an inhomogeneous Handling units( A HU with several materials or batches), we have to conduct repacking by creating a Pick HU by LH01.

Technical perspective: 

There is one way to find if Pick Handling unit will be created for Transfer order or not. To determine if HU needs to be created for TO, the field LTAP-FHUTA must be set as 1. This field is set after checking if there is a HU requirement on the storage location. If there is none, then a pick HU is not required.

Lets check ours in LTAP table. We cab observe that the required field is set and hence Pick HU creation is indispensable

The check happens a below source code(SE38). The below source code checks if the storage location is HU managed or not.

5) Create a Pick Handling unit by LH01. 

In LH01, you need to assign the packaging material. The Pick HU is specific to Transfer order and delivery hence table LTHU  is updated.

6) Confirm Transfer order by LT12.

The destination storage type is referenced from Pick HU which we had earlier created.Since Pick HU is specific to TO hence, it is defaulted in LT12 as destination SU.

Click on Confirm Internally

An error is triggered saying HU is nested(Multi layered). This error occurs when you skip a POP up screen which is displayed after clicking on Confirm Internally. My intention was to show the error if you skip to fill the pop screen.

Pop Screen in LT12.

So you need to mention the lower level HU from from which Stock will be picked.

There is a catch here. 2 very important characteristics of this screen and 2 different business function can be conducted from here

1. If indicator is unchecked HU withdrawal, only material will be packed into the pick HU

2. If checkbox of HU withdrawal is marked, the Sub HU will be further packed into the Pick HU.

Lets check our nested HU.

The outer HU is shown in arrow and total of 6 quantities are packed. The outer HU contains 6 sub level HUS, a Nested Handling unit.

So, once TO confirmation is saved, 1 qty of SUB HU will be transferred to pick HU.

So, you can see now total quantity is decreased by 1 as 1 qty is packed into Pick HU.

It can be observed that the material of HU 8006535984 is deassigned and it is assigned to Pick HU.

Lets check the final screen of Confirmed Transfer order. The nested HU was our Source storage unit from which picked a lower HU by Pick HU and same was referenced in Destination storage unit.

Hence the process of Pick HU creation and Nested HU picking end here. In my next blog I will touch QM+HUM+WM interface, a very complex topic which is not too much discussed in SCN and latter Serialization of Handling units.

Please share your views or correction in this regard.

references:

https://help.sap.com/erp2005_ehp_07/helpdata/en/41/34bb536b13b44ce10000000a174cb4/frameset.htm

https://help.sap.com/saphelp_erp60_sp/helpdata/en/9d/8cbf53f106b44ce10000000a174cb4/frameset.htm

Best regards

Shailesh Mishra