Batch Determination

Purpose

In the logistics process, that is from procurement to sales, you are required time and again to

specify batches for individual business transactions. You can use batch determination for all

types of goods movements from the warehouse to find batches that meet defined specifications.

• In Inventory Management (IM), you can use batch determination in goods movements

when you are dealing with a goods issue posting (for instance, a consumption posting to

a cost center), with a stock transfer or with a transfer posting. For further information, see

section Batch Determination in Inventory Management.

• In Production (PP/PP-PI) you can use batch determination in production and process

orders and run schedule headers to find suitable material components for the product to

be produced, and to pick these from stock. For further information, see section Batch

Determination in Production/Manufacturing.

• In Sales and Distribution (SD), it is possible to determine batches that match customer

specifications. Batch determination can be triggered at two points in the process, either

when the sales order is entered, or when the delivery is created. For further information,

see section Batch Determination in Sales and Distribution.

• In the Warehouse Management System (WM), batch determination is used to optimize

warehousing, for example, in view of stock removal strategies and replenishment from

stores. For further information, see section Batch Determination in Warehouse

Management System.

Features

• User-defined search strategies

You choose the key fields from the business transaction for which you want to search for

batches. For example, you choose the combination customer and material, and specify

the criteria for batch selection.

• Strategy types

These strategies are linked to the individual business transactions. In this way, you can,

for example, make batch determination dependent on the movement type and/or the

plant when carrying out a goods movement.

• Batch search procedures

You can prioritize and group several strategy types into one search procedure. For

example, you can define a general strategy that is canceled under certain circumstances

by a special strategy.

You will find further information on the condition technique, strategy types and so on, in the R/3

library under SD - Conditions and Price Determination [Ext.]

Changes to Batch Status

Use

Quality Inspection and Release

During goods receipts, for a purchase order, for example, the goods are posted to inspection

stock. The batch is given status unrestricted. However, the batch is not available as it is in

inspection stock.

Using the inspection results, you decide whether to accept the batch or not.

Once you have accepted the batch, you can use movement type 321 to make a transfer posting

from inspection stock to unrestricted-use stock.

If the goods are not accepted, you can change their status to restricted, and then use movement

type 321 to make a transfer posting from the inspection stock. As the status is restricted the

system automatically posts the goods to restricted-use stock.

Quality inspection and partial release

You may want to check the quality of a particular amount of goods (100 liters, for example) in

partial quantities (10 x 10 liters). In these cases, you might want to accept some partial lots, but

also need to reject others, as you are not dealing with one batch as you had expected, but with

several batches.

You handle these partial quantities as different batches and assign different batch numbers.

Depending on the inspection results, you assign status restricted or unrestricted to them.

Stock types

The status of the following stock types is directly linked to the status of the respective batch:

• Unrestricted stock

• Restricted stock

The status of the following stock types is independent of the status of the respective batch:

• Inspection stock

• Blocked stock

• Stock in transfer

• Blocked stock returns

Features

A change to the batch status starts a transfer posting from restricted to unrestricted stock, and

vice versa. All other stock types are not affected. They are status independent, and can always

be posted to. This makes it possible to use a partial release for quality inspection stock.

The ‘restricted’ stock and the blocked stock are treated identically as far as planning is

concerned.

If you change the status of a batch in the batch master record, the system automatically changes

the status of all subsets of this batch in all storage locations, and triggers an internal transfer

posting of the respective stock.

You cannot manually start a transfer posting of a batch from restricted to unrestricted stock, or

vice versa. A transfer posting of this type can only be triggered by changing the status indicator in

the batch master record.

Activities

1. You must set the Batch unrestricted or Batch restricted indicator in the batch master

record

Menu path:Logistics → Material master; Batch → Change

2. The system

• posts the stock of the batch from unrestricted-use stock to restricted-use stock, or

vice versa

• creates a change document for the change in master data

• creates a material document for the transfer posting

Authorization Profile for Batches - Example

Batch Status Management

Purpose

A batch may either be usable or not usable. This component

• Manages the usability of a batch

• Updates all stocks of a batch with a view to usability

Implementation Considerations

Batch status management must be activated in Customizing for Batch management.

Integration

The level at which you define the batches to be handled determines the plants in which status

management is used for a material to be handled in batches.

Status management automatically applies for all materials to be handled in batches.

There are no exceptions.

Features

• Batch Status

The system uses an indicator in the batch master record to show batch status.

• Status unrestricted = the batch can be used

• Status restricted = the batch cannot be used

The system automatically posts the batch to a stock, depending on the status.

Transfer postings from unrestricted to restricted use stock and vice versa can only be

carried out using status change. You change the status

• in the usage decision in Quality Management

• in the batch master record

In addition, for each status, you can specify details as to where the batch can be used or

why the batch is restricted, for example, blocking reasons such as faulty or spoilt. You

store these comments as user-defined characteristics within the classification of the

batch.

• Initial Status

You can define which status a newly created batch is to be given for each material type.

If you are using Quality Management, the initial status is changed, if required, when you

record a usage decision.

You can make the settings for the initial status of a new batch in Customizing for Batch

Management under Specify batch level and activate batch status management.

• Quality Inspection and Release or Partial Release

You post a batch after quality inspection from the inspection stock to unrestricted-use or

restricted-use stock, depending on the batch status. Batches can also be partially

released.

• Batch Status and Availability Check

The batch status does not determine whether or not a batch is available: A batch is

available as soon as it is in a stock that is included in the availabilty check.

You use a combination of availability check group (CH) and checking rules to control

whether or not restricted batches are to be considered during the availability check. See

also Controlling availability check in Customizing for the individual applications.