ith this structure, the system fills the bins in the warehouse on a stack-by-sta

ck basis for each row. When the system selects bins for stock received in the wa
rehouse, the first stack in each row is filled, then the second stack in each ro
w, then the third stack, and so on.
Capacity Checking
Use
For some putaway strategies, it is advantageous to require that the system check
the capacity of the storage bin when it searches for an available bin. If the c
apacity check is active, it means that during the process of transfer order crea
tion, the system checks whether the storage bin you selected has the capacity to
store the quantity that is to be put away.
Prerequisites
You can implement capacity checking on the basis of a storage type when you defi
ne the putaway strategy or the storage type in the Warehouse Management section
of Customizing. For more information about activating the capacity check, refer
to the Implementation Guide (IMG) for Warehouse Management under Master Data ?De
fine Storage Type. To activate the capacity check, enter the number that represe
nts the checking
Test Your Caliber
List of topics
Warehouse Management Guide
Warehouse Structure in the Warehouse Management System
Basic Functions
Planning and Monitoring
Basic Stock Management
Hazardous Materials Management
Warehouse Movements
Goods Receipt
Goods Issue
WM Interface to Quality Management
Stock Transfers and Replenishment
Posting Changes in WM
Putaway and Picking Strategies
Storage Unit Management
Inventory
Interfaces to External Systems
R/2-R/3 Link
Mobile Data Entry
SAP-WM
Putaway and Picking Strategies
Additional Factors that Affect Search Strategies
There are several ways that the putaway and picking strategies can be influenced
, for example by:
Storage types
Storage sections
Storage bin type
Cross-line stock putaway
Capacity check
You create and maintain these objects using the Customizing application. For mor

e information, see the Strategies section of the Warehouse Management section in

the Implementation Guide (IMG). For each of the first three options, the system
lists additional objects that you need to maintain and the order in which they
should be maintained.
Cross-Line Stock Putaway
Use
In this function, a sort variable helps the system to search for suitable storag
e bins. With the sort variable, you can eliminate the problems caused by one-sid
ed loading in the warehouse and optimize the stock putaway process in your wareh
ouse. If the sort variable has not been defined, the system sorts using the stor
age bin coordinate itself.
Integration
With the putaway strategies L (next storage bin) and P (storage unit type), you
can influence the search for a suitable storage bin with the help of a sort vari
able. This method can also be set up for storage types with putaway strategies L
(Addition to existing stock) or B (Bulk storage), since if the system does not
find a bin for adding to existing stock, it will use sort variables to find an e
mpty storage bin.
Prerequisites
You define the sort variable for cross-line stock putaway in Customizing for War
ehouse Management. For further information, refer to the Implementation Guide (I
MG) for Warehouse Management under the section Strategies.
For each storage type, you can use up to six fields of the storage bin coordinat
e to define the sort variable. You determine which positions of the coordinate a
re relevant for the variable structure and in which sequence the individual posi
tions are used in the variable.
For example, storage type 001 has
Coordinate positions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Coordinate structure R R - S S - L L *
Variable structure S S - L L
* R = row S = stack L = level
The fourth and fifth positions of the coordinate, which represent the two digits
of the stack, make up the first two positions of the variable. The seventh and
eighth positions of the coordinate, which represent the two digits of the level,
make up the last two positions of the variable. To define the sort variable, en
ter the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, as shown below, in the data entry table. Star
t at the fourth position.
Positions in bin coordinate -----When the system looks for an empty bin with the new structure, the first storage
bin it finds is 01- 01-01. However, the next time it looks for an empty bin, th
e next coordinate it finds is 02-01-01, which represents the first stack in the
second row. This process continues until all stacks in all rows are filled for t
he storage type. You must define the sort variable before you create the storage
bins. Any subsequent changes to the table affect only newly created storage bin
s.
Example
In the examples below we use the "next empty bin" strategy to explain the concep
t of cross-line searching.

The view shown in the figure is a top view looking down on the warehouse. To mak
e things simpler, we assume that the warehouse consists of one level.
Searching for Bins Without a Sort Variable
When searching for empty storage bins without using a sort variable, the system
makes its search based on the following structure:
With this structure, the system fills the warehouse row by row. For example, the
system fills the first row completely first, then the second row, then the thir
d. This can result in a one-sided load of the warehouse.
Searching for Bins with a Sort Variable
When you define a sort variable, empty storage bins are sorted differently. For
example, you transfer goods first to stack 01, level 01 in row 01, then to stack
01, level 01 in row 02, then to stack 01, level 01 in row 03, and so on. In thi
s case, you define the sort variable as follows, where R is the row, S is the st
ack and L is the level:
Storage bin: RR
SS - LL
Variable: SS - LL
With the sort variable, empty storage bins have the following structure.
With this structure, the system fills the bins in the warehouse on a stack-by-st
ack basis for each row. When the system selects bins for stock received in the w
arehouse, the first stack in each row is filled, then the second stack in each r
ow, then the third stack, and so on.
Capacity Checking
Use
For some putaway strategies, it is advantageous to require that the system check
the capacity of the storage bin when it searches for an available bin. If the c
apacity check is active, it means that during the process of transfer order crea
tion, the system checks whether the storage bin you selected has the capacity to
store the quantity that is to be put away.
Prerequisites
You can implement capacity checking on the basis of a storage type when you defi
ne the putaway strategy or the storage type in the Warehouse Management section
of Customizing. For more information about activating the capacity check, refer
to the Implementation Guide (IMG) for Warehouse Management under Master Data ?De
fine Storage Type. To activate the capacity check, enter the number that represe
nts the checking method in the Capacity check method field for the putaway strat
egy in the storage type record.
In order to control the capacity check according to capacity indicators, the fol
lowing basic prerequisites must be met: