Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) is SAP's solution for complex warehouse and distribution center management. It supports all logistics activities in the warehouse in an automated, planned, and efficient manner. While EWM does not replace the standard SAP Warehouse Management application, it provides more advanced functionality suitable for high-volume warehouses with complex processes. EWM can be deployed either in a centralized manner on the ERP system or independently on the SCM system. It integrates with ERP through standardized interfaces to exchange master and transactional data between the systems.
2. Topics
• Introduction to EWM
• SAP WMS Solutions
• System Landscape and Deployment options
• Data Transfer between ERP and EWM Systems
• EWM features
3. • The basic functions of the Warehouse are to provide solution for receiving, storage and
shipping. The involved basic processes are always incoming and outgoing materials,
goods receipt and goods issue, procurement and distribution
• But recently the warehouses are evolved to facilitate full scale, high volume and flow
through distribution operations aiming to hold less inventory and still providing goods to
customers much faster than earlier with more precise timing
• Extended Warehouse Management was introduced in October, 2006. Although it is not a
replacement for the SAP standard Warehouse Management application, it represents a
new generation of SAP warehouse management software
Introduction
4. Introduction to EWM
• SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM) offers you flexible,
automated support for processing various goods movements and for
managing stocks in your warehouse complex.
• The system supports planned and efficient processing of all logistics
activities in your warehouse. It is the most advanced and flexible of the
warehouse solutions offered by SAP
• EWM is designed for the execution of complex supply chain networks. It is
recommended for warehouses or distribution centers with high volume in
number of articles or number of parts to be moved, vast product
differences (size, weight, model year, serial numbers, country of origin,
batch and valuation), complex cross docking requirements and order
fulfillment processes, detailed packaging and shipping logistics.
6. • The SAP ERP warehouse management system remains a viable
alternative for many warehouses
• The introduction of the SAP Extended Warehouse Management
System does not mean that it replaces the SAP WM system. It just
means that there is now an additional alternative for those
warehouses that require the functionality provided by EWM
• An SAP customer can implement the SAP WM system for some
warehouses and EWM for other warehouses in its enterprise
• One of the main differences between the SAP WM system and the
SAP EWM system is that functionally, the WM system in more
inward focused
10. SCM EWM
• In 2005, SAP announced the availability of its Service Parts Management (SPM)
System. Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) was an integral component of
this system. However, today, EWM is considered a standalone application that can
be used in any warehousing environment and it does not require any connection
to SPM
• Since it's introduction, SAP has continuously enhanced EWM . In August, 2007,
EWM was upgraded with a number of functional additions and with the Labor
Management component. This release is called EWM 2007
• From ERP point of view, EWM is a decentralized WM solution.
• This means that inbound and outbound deliveries are mandatory. They are created
in the ERP system and replicated to a SCM system with EWM. Besides the main
functionality as inventory management on storage bin level, storage bin
determination for incoming goods and stock removal for outgoing goods, stock
transfers and physical inventory, various additional functionalities are possible to
optimize the warehouse management
11. System Landscape
• Extended Warehouse Management is designed to run as a de-centralized
system.
• It is considered an application in the SCM server landscape, although it
can be deployed in the ERP server.
• The deployment options are shown below
12. • Although EWM in SCM 2007 shares the same server as the other SCM applications such as APO
and Event Management, it is a standalone application.
• In fact, if due to performance considerations, EWM can be run in its own SCM server
environment
• SAP recommends that EWM not run in the same SCM server as a production planning application
such as the APO Demand planning and Production Planning/Detail Scheduling
• It is important to note that in it's de-centralized deployment, EWM must run in a SCM server
environment
• Although EWM is a self-contained application, it does require integration with an ERP system for
master and transaction data.
• Use of certain functions or features in EWM such as entitlement processing, slotting and
availability checking may require an interface to other SAP applications/systems such as CRM,
Global ATP in APO and Service Parts Planning in APO.
13. SAP EWM uses the SAP SCM core and can share one server with other SAP SCM applications like
Advanced Planning and Optimization (APO) or Event Management (EM).
In regards to performance considerations, SAP EWM can also run on its own server.
Additionally, SAP EWM can be deployed on top of an SAP ERP system. That way the system resources
are shared. Nevertheless, SAP EWM still behaves like a decentralized system, and the communication
requirements are the same as before.
14. • In the SCM 2007 release of EWM, the ability to run EWM in a centralized mode
within the SAP ECC 6.0 became available.
• A limitation in this deployment option is that EWM installed on ERP is able to work
only with storage locations within the same client the warehouse is running
• Some functions that were introduced in EWM 2007 and EWM 7.0, such as batch
selection, kit-to-stock, and production integration, require ECC 6.0 with a certain
Enhancement Pack
16. Data Transfer between ERP & EWM
For the communication between the ERP system and the EWM system (wether
this is part of a bigger SCM system, a standalone system, or an add-on) two
different functions are used.
• Master data, like material master, customers, and vendors, which are centrally
maintained in the ERP system, are transferred to the EWM system through the
Core Interface (CIF). The CIF is the standard and long proven interface solution
for the SAP SCM system and SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization, so it
was simply reused for the EWM integration. The master data is only
transferred from ERP to EWM; there is no communication back via CIF.
• For communicating delivery information between the systems, a separate
distribution model, which uses queued remote function calls (qRFCs), is set
up. This distribution model exists already in SAP EWM. You have to create it in
customizing in ERP for every warehouse number you activate as administrated
by SAP EWM.