Unit 7: Inventory Management

Lesson 1 · Adjusting Settings for Material and Accounting Documents

Two documents per goods movement

A goods movement always creates a material document (quantities, movement details). If it is value-relevant, it additionally creates an accounting document recording the value change in the company code. Each has its own number range and number assignment.

Transaction/event types

Material document numbering depends on the transaction/event type the system derives internally from the transaction (e.g. GR for PO → WE). These keys are fixed, but you can search the material document list by them.

Rules for material/physical inventory document numbering: transaction types are grouped and each group gets its own interval; use internal numbering only; intervals are fiscal-year dependent – create year 9999 to avoid yearly maintenance.

Accounting documents

The MM transaction decides which FI document type is used: standard WA (goods issues, transfer postings, other receipts), WE (GR for purchase and production orders), and in LIV RE. The document type controls the allowed account types (asset, material, G/L…), whether postings are gross or net (cash discount), and can be protected by an authorization group. You can change the assignment in Customizing as long as the new type permits the required account types.

Each FI document type points to exactly one number range; intervals are per company code and fiscal year (or 9999). Goods-movement accounting documents must use internal numbering (invoices may use external).

Reservations and slips

Reservations have a single interval valid for all plants in the client, internal only. GR/GI slip numbers can be assigned (legally required e.g. in Italy when goods travel on public roads).

Configuration (IMG)

1. Material document number ranges: OMBT.
2. FI document types: OBA7; FI number ranges: FBN1.
3. Check the material document list with MB51 (selectable by transaction/event type).

Lesson 2 · Adjusting Settings for Goods Movements

MIGO settings

MIGO is the single entry transaction for goods movements; the old MB* transactions (e.g. MB1A, MB1C) are no longer supported in S/4HANA (SAP Note 2210569). Two Customizing activities shape it:

Preset variants: MIGO (all), MIGO_GR (GR from external procurement), MIGO_GO (GR for production order), MIGO_GI (goods issues and other receipts), MIGO_GS (subsequent adjustment of subcontracting components), MIGO_TR (transfer postings).

Movement types

The movement type is the central control key for goods movements. A new movement type must be copied from a standard one (it inherits controls, including value/quantity strings); also create and assign a matching reversal movement type, especially when posting to separate FI accounts. Typical reason: a GI to cost center that must hit a different G/L account → copy 201 to e.g. Z01, give it its own account grouping code and reversal Z02, and maintain GBB in OBYC.

Value string (e.g. WA01 for 551) controls G/L determination; quantity string (e.g. MA01) controls stock and other field updates; both are display-only. The Account and Reason field settings in the movement type do not apply to MIGO – use the field selection activities instead.

Plant parameters

Configuration (IMG)

1. Copy/maintain movement types with OMJJ (specify the work area containing all relevant movement types).
2. Assign account grouping and maintain GBB accounts (OMWN, OBYC).
3. Adjust MIGO field selection and default values.
4. Check plant parameters.

Lesson 3 · Adjusting the Output of Messages in Inventory Management

System messages

Selected Inventory Management messages (message class M7, e.g. “PO item is delivery completed”) can be set to warning, error or suppressed. Standard entries have version 00. Change version 00 for everyone, or create a version (e.g. Z1) and give affected users the user parameter MSV = Z1. Without MSV, version 00 applies; if a message has no entry for Z1, the 00 setting is used. Some messages, e.g. M7 053 (posting period), are not configurable. MSV also applies to purchasing, so a user's version is the same in both areas. Find the number via the message long text. Transaction: OMCQ.

Missing parts check

When a GR is posted for a material that is a missing part, the MRP controller (or the plant's central missing-parts expediter) can receive an internal mail. Prerequisites: check active for the plant, checking rule assigned to the transaction, and availability checking group in the material master. The checking rule + checking group determine which stocks, receipts and requirements count; the checking horizon for GRs limits how far ahead the check looks. MIGO posts GRs internally as MIGO_GR, so assign the checking rule to that transaction; per movement type you can assign differentiated rules.

The clerk sees a warning (only via Check in MIGO). The mail goes to the MRP controller's mail user, otherwise to the central expediter; if neither has a mail user, nothing is sent. Message type MLFH: non-summarized (one mail per material, up to five MRP elements) or summarized (one mail per material document and plant, no MRP element details).

Output of GR/GI slips (NAST)

Printing requires printer settings (logical printers, barcode capability, multiple output) and a print indicator (item print indicator) on the movement type, which also selects the message type; custom indicators allow e.g. a special form for returns. Output procedure ME0001 holds all IM output types; condition records are maintained in Customizing, not the application. Each standard access sequence has a single table keyed by transaction/event type, print version (1 individual slip, 2 individual slip with inspection text, 3 collective slip) and item print indicator; types WE01, WE02, WE03, WA01… Some types (e.g. MLGR) also check requirements.

Print program and forms per medium (SAPscript, Smart Forms or Adobe PDF). Mail titles and texts (with variables) can be adapted.

Label printing

With label type and label form in the material master (Plant data/Storage 1 view), labels print at goods movement through separate output types (e.g. WEE1 for print version 1). The number of labels per label type/form can be based on quantity in base unit, unit of entry or PO price unit. A label text must be maintained.

Unit summary & exam focus

T-codes in this unit

Self-check questions

1. On what does material document number assignment depend?
   Answer

   The transaction/event type (e.g. WE, WA), grouped into number range groups.
2. Can goods-movement accounting documents use external numbering?
   Answer

   No, only internal; external numbering is possible for invoices.
3. What must you create in addition when you define a new movement type posting to special accounts?
   Answer

   A reversal movement type, plus its account grouping code assignment and the GBB accounts.
4. Where do you make the delivery note field mandatory in MIGO?
   Answer

   In Field Selection for MIGO (GOHEAD-LFSNR set to required).
5. How do you make a system message an error for selected users only?
   Answer

   Create a message version (e.g. Z1) with type E and set user parameter MSV = Z1 for these users.
6. What three prerequisites does the missing parts check have?
   Answer

   Activated for the plant, checking rule for the transaction, checking group in the material master.
7. Where are condition records for GR slips maintained?
   Answer

   In Customizing (output determination for Inventory Management), not in the application menu.