Interim Storage areas are the bridge between IM and WM.
These bridges ensure proper stock balance between IM and WM.
One has to have Interim storage areas to implement WM.
When you post a goods movement in IM, the consequences
(e.g. stock level increases / decreases) will appear in the interim storage
type.
(e.g. GR by IM-mvt 101 -> in interim storage type 902
a +quant will appear)
Usage
The interim storage area plays a special role and can be generally be recognized at first glance in the standard system by their key (which starts with a 9). These storage areas form a sort of bridge to Inventory Management. Good receipt area and goods issue area are typical examples of interim storage areas.
An exception to this convention is the interim storage area 100, which is used to connect Warehouse Management to Production Control via the WW-PP interface. Every goods movement that affects both Warehouse Management an Inventory Management is processed using an interim storage area. An everyday example is a goods receipt for a purchase order, which is posted first in Inventory Management.
The goods are then brought into Warehouse Management via
an interim storage area, the goods receipt area. A master record is assigned
to each storage type in Customizing. This is where you make the settings
to control goods receipt and goods issue processes for putaway and removal
from storage.
Process Flow of Interim Storage Areas
The Inventory Management component communicates with WM through interim storage types. When you process a goods receipt in IM that is posted to a WM-managed storage location, the quantity is automatically posted to an interim storage area (goods receipt area). When this happens, a quant is created in a storage bin in the interim storage area. Afterwards, WM posts the goods to a storage bin in the warehouse. This second step can take place automatically. This increases the total stock quantity in both IM and WM.
When you process a goods issue, the system posts a quantity to an interim storage area (goods issue area or shipping zone). This time, however, a quant with a negative quantity is created since the IM posting reduces the total stock quantity.
It is through the interim storage areas that the stock
quantities remain constant in both IM and WM. The total sum of the stock
of all the WM storage areas for a warehouse number, both physical and logical,
should always be identical to the sum of the stock in the IM storage location
How many interim storage areas do your business need?
Your company need to decide how many and the types of interim storage areas to define and use. Generally, you need at least four:
- Goods receipt area
- Goods issue area
- Interim storage area for differences
- Posting change area
The interim storage area for differences manages stock
differences that occur during stock movements. Data pertaining to stock
differences (such as overages, shortages, and damages) is kept in the interim
storage area until the conditions that led to the differences are resolved.
Stock differences are cleared with a difference posting from the WM interim
storage area to the IM component.
Self-test question:
Movements involving the Inventory Management system use storage areas that are defined as storage types in the Warehouse Management system and as storage locations in the IM system. The goods receipt for a purchase order is posted first in Inventory Management and the goods are then brought into the warehouse via a storage area, the goods receipt area. What are these storage areas called?
a) Storage sections
b) Interim storage area
c) Putaway
d) One storage
Correct Answer:
Answer: b
