"Reserved" batch numbers on orders "stolen" by deliveries

[MMartino]

Hi,

I've had a good look around the many postings on here relating to batch determination issues and can't find one that fits this scenario, so her goes with a new post....

For some batch managed materials we trigger batch determination at order entry. For all batch managed materials we trigger batch determination at delivery creation (obviously not if the batch has already been determined on the order).
I have a scenario that is causing a problem. Maybe it's just an issue of understanding how SAP really works.

I enter an order for material ABC and (correctly, due to set-up) batch determination is triggered and batch number 123 is assigned to the order. The quantity involved is the full quantity of the batch that is in stock. The order schedule line is confirmed but for a few days in the future so no Delivery to be created yet.

Meanwhile a Delivery is created for another order (that is confirmed for current date) for material ABC (where no batch was assigned to its order) and this assigns batch number 123, thus "stealing" the stock of the batch from the earlier order it was allocated to.

Is this "normal" or do I have a problem with a) my batch set-up or b) my availability check being applied on the deliveries?

Thanks,
MMartino

[mike_ac]

I think this is just another case of misunderstanding availability checking. Standard SAP doesn't reserve physical stock during availability check. Instead, it passes a requirement to MRP in accordance with availability.

If you choose to over-ride the batch number at time of delivery creation, SAP assumes that you really needed to, and considers it a "normal" exception scenario. Sometimes, you really do need to over-ride an assignment, in order to get a higher-priority delivery out the door.

This should be considered a training issue. I've been to many sites where SMEs were adamant that the reservation needed to be locked down, but it almost always came down to education. If the dock supervisor knows that orders are being missed, the problem will stop.

[MMartino]

Thanks for the response mike-ac but I'm not sure it addresses my problem.
My problem is not with allocation of stock at delivery time per-se but allocating a batch number that has already been allocated elsewhere.
I would have thought that a batch number assigned to an order is effectively an allocation of inventory of that batch number so do not understand why SAP allows that same batch number (if wholly allocated to the order) to be allocated again on a totally disconnected delivery.

If we allocate a batch number to an order we will tel the customer that is the batch number he will receive (this is important to our customers). If that batch number is subsequently allocated and shipped elsewhere we fail to meet the original customers expectation.

Is there a way that I can configure SAP, whether via availability check, checking rule, or something else, whereby a batch number allocated to a sales order (for the quantity of the sales order) is disregarded elsewhere?

Thanks.

[mike_ac]

No, this is exactly my point. There is no allocation to an order at all. You are simply stating which batch you wish to pull from, when you eventually do.

At time of delivery, you should pull from the batch proscribed. If you choose not to, it is because you have performed a manual override. If you want to lock it down, you must set this up yourself, at the risk of not being able to do an override when you really need to.

You can include the sales order in your delivery scope of check, but this may prevent delivery when open order quantities > stock on hand + delivery quantity.

[harishmahale]

Mike_ac: I don't think you and MMartino are on the same page.

MMartino is speaking of locking a batch to an order so that it cannot be used by the delivery of another order.
For example consider there are two sales orders S1 and S2.
Further there are two batches B1 and B2.

We enter B1 in a line item of S1. If we create a delivery for S1, then B1 gets pulled in automatically which is correct. We can override this and this is also correct.
But lets say, we don't create a delivery for S1 and proceed onto create a delivery for S2 first.
Now S2 should not get B1 (it may get B2) because B1 was allocated to S1.
And here lies MMartino's issue that B1 gets determined in the delivery of S2.

Martino: Is your issue solved??

[MMartino]

Hi harishmahale,

You have summarised my issue perfectly, and no, it is not solved.

Thanks,
MMartino

[harishmahale]

Martino, I suspect that the entire stock of batch (B1) which you assigned to the sales order (S1) was not utilized by the delivery of S1.
Hence system used it to propose for other deliveries (S2...)

For example say you created S1 for material M qty. 500. You allocate batch B1 to the line item.
But the stock in B1 is 1000. So 500 quantity of stock is still available in B1 for further use. Hence system can propose B1 for other orders until the remaining 500 stock is used up.

The allocation of B1 in S1 only tells the system to give preference to this batch when creating delivery for S1. It will not prevent B1 from being proposed for others so long as it holds stock. You can check by creating an order of quantity same as the batch stock. If still the system proposes B1 to other deliveries, something might be amiss in the configuration.

You can also develop some logic with quantity proposal routine to influence the above behaviour and attach it to the strategy. Check with your ABAP guy.

Hope this helps!

[vikasdevrani]

Hi Harish,

I am having the exact same problem in our environment. If the total stock for a material/batch is 1000 EA and if there are two orders S1 and S2 for the material (both with qty 1000 EA), system would allow the same batch to be allocated to both the orders. This is also true in case both of these orders have been delivered. The system carry the batch allocation in the delivery documents for both of these orders and will allow the user to conduct picking and PGI for the first delivery. However it will throw an insufficient qty error when trying to pick the second delivery.

I think this is the issue that Martino had originally started the thread for.

Martino - Please correct me if I misunderstood.

Has anyone else come across this issue? Please chime in...

I know that this is due to incorrect availability check settings but as of now I am not able to determine the exact setting.

Thanks and Regards,

Vikas

[sumpler]

considering the original question: the core of the problem lies here, mike_ac quote:
>You can include the sales order in your delivery scope of check, but this may prevent delivery when open order quantities > stock on hand + delivery >quantity.
Now what you need is to check availability at the delivery time taking into account only particular sales order requirements. while the only flexibility the system provides for such a case is either to check both all order and delivery requirements, or to check delivery requirements only, or to use one of this options based on your own logic (some abap needed). Maybe you there's a developer in your team who knows ATP deep enough to enhance the standard logic to meet your requirement but i feel like the chances are low and even if this happens this is not recommended from all points of view.

[mike_ac]

My suspicion is that VL01N is being used (or from the order, subsequent functions -> deliver). This is a very common mistake which leads to the exact symptoms described. VL01N is an over-ride transaction ("ignore availability, I'm telling you to make the delivery right now on an exception basis"). The VL10x transactions will perform the availability check desired. Using them often takes a re-think of delivery procedures, though.

[oldsapwm]

Hello All,

I have a very similar problem.
Batches are allocated to Outbound Deliveries.
But they are still 'available' for Goods Issue via MB1B-311 for example.

This leads to a problematice situation: Although a Batch is on a Delivery, it can be issued to a production SLoc. So then, when the Delivery is processed through (TO created) the material is no longer available.
It would be nice if the batches allocated to a delivery were not available for other movements.

cheers! enjoying the discussion..

[oldsapwm]

Hi again ,
I meant to inquire about the setting that controls which module has priority in batch determination. seems that i've seen it once before, where it can be specified WM takes precedence, vs IM takes precedence, etc. any info much appreciated.

cheers!

[sumpler]

if you run the availability check in MB1B you will get the combination of checking rule + cheking group.
you need to add sales deliveries in the scope of check for this combination to make the reserved stock unavailable for MB1B movements.