Handling Units Configuration and

Test
The basic difference b/n HUM and SUM is that, HUM is a combination of Goods and Packing Material and it is mainly used for tracking purpose.
Whereas when it comes to SUM, its nothing but palletisation of the mateials. The primalry function of SUM is to effective use warehouse complex and
gives greater flexibility in terms of handling goods movement and storing goods inside the warehouse.

For your clear understanding SUM is a subdivision of storage Bin where stocks are stored with SU number rather in quant number. The another
advantage of SUM is, we can maintain two or more different quants inside a SU.

Both SUM and HUM shares same identification number, whereas SUM features limited within the warehouse, and HUM has its role outside the WMS.

Handling unit management can be used with or wtihout WMS. But when you have WMS in place you need SUM to process Handling units.
You can use Handling Unit Management (HUM) to reflect packing-based logistics structures in the SAP System. Using this method, you track the
movements of entire handling units and the materials they contain rather than tracking each material individually.

When you base logistics processes on handling units, goods movements processing is made easier, which in turn optimizes all logistics operations.
This simplified processing includes the existing packing function in shipping and warehouse processing in the Warehouse Management system, which
is expanded here.

Storage unit (SU) management in Warehouse Management (WM) enables you to optimize warehouse capacity and control material flow by utilizing
storage units within the warehouse.

A storage unit is a logical grouping of one or several amounts of material such as a pallet or a container that can be managed within a warehouse as a
unit that belongs together.

If a handling unit (HU) is put away, it becomes a storage unit with the same number in the warehouse. Handling units are treated like storage units in
the warehouse.

It is not possible to do backflush from HU managed storage location.

You need to issue through COWBHUWA- Goods Issue for order.

Handling Unit Management

Purpose
You can use Handling Unit Management (HUM) to reflect packing-based logistics structures in the SAP System. Using this method, you track
the movements of entire
handling units and the materials they contain rather than tracking each material individually.
When you base
logistics processes on handling units, goods movements processing is made easier, which in turn optimizes all logistics operations.
This simplified processing includes the existing packing function in shipping and warehouse processing in the Warehouse Management
system, which is expanded here.

Features
In the system, the
handling unit (HU) expands on the shipping unit. Handling units can be nested, which means that you can create new handling units
from several handling units as often as you like. At the material item level, HUs contain the complete material identification, the quantity, and,
in the case of serial numbers, the respective object list. Handling units have unique, scannable identification numbers that can be
developed according to standards such as EAN 128 or SSCC.
Handling units contain all inventory management information of the materials they contain that are maintained in Inventory Management.
There are also status messages that you can call up at any time that indicate whether a handling unit is only planned or if the ship-to party
has been notified of the arrival of this handling unit, or whether it is in the warehouse or has already been posted to goods issue. The
integrated history function also records each business process in the life cycle of each handling unit, meaning that you can track the handling
units path and development at any time.
In HU-managed storage locations, all goods movements are executed through the specification of the respective HUs, and Inventory
Management is performed through the handling units. If you are not working with HU-managed storage locations, you can use handling units
(without stock information) as before in the delivery and in the shipment.
In HU-managed storage locations, materials can be managed in HUs only. Mixed stock (stock made up of packed and non-packed materials
within the same storage location) is not supported. HUs can also be managed in interim storage types. Unpacking a material from an HU
means that the stock of the material is posted to a storage location that is not HU-managed.

If you call up normal material movements in connection with an HU-managed storage location, a delivery is
created, rather than a direct material posting, which has been the procedure up to this point.
Handling units are unique at client level in at least one system. Using an indicator at client level (see
Unique Identification of Handling Units), you can control whether you are going to work with the HU functions. Since the
handling unit is a physical unit, the central logistics processes are controlled through the input of the handling unit identification. These
processes include putaway, picking, and stock transfers, as well as goods receipts and goods issues.
A handling units mobility can be limited if quality checks are active. Changes in the stock category caused by a quality inspection are made
using a posting change in the handling unit.
There is also a report available that you can use to find and display handling units using different selection criteria such as material, packing
instruction, or storage location.
Although the handling unit is basically a unit that remains constant in the system, you can change it by repacking the materials it contains. All
the packing functions, such as packing, repacking, and unpacking, are completely supported by the handling unit function. In this way,
handling units can be created in production, during goods receipt, or in the packing areas of the warehouse. If you have automatic packing,
the handling unit is created from the packing proposals defined in the system (from the packing instructions, for example).

Handling Unit
Definition

A handling unit is a physical unit that consists of the packaging materials (load carrier /
packaging material) and the goods contained therein. A handling unit is always a combination of
materials and
packaging materials. All the information contained in the material items, such as batches and
serial numbers, is always available by way of the handling units.
Handling units can be nested, meaning that you can also create new handling units from several
handling units as often as you like.
Handling units have unique, scannable identification numbers that can be formed according to
standards such as EAN 128 or SSCC.

Figure 1: Handling unit example

Structure
The handling unit object contains the following attributes:
Identification number

Dimensions

Weight

Volume

Status

Materials and quantities

Packaging materials

Packing instructions
A handling unit consists of a handling unit header and handling unit items. For identification
purposes, it is given a unique number.

Handling unit header

The header data of a handling unit is divided in the following way:

Weight/Volume/Dimensions

General data

Means-of-transport data

Additional data

Output determination procedure

For more information about each of these detailed points, see
Editing detailed data for handling units.
Status

The handling unit is linked to general status management. In this way, the various physical
states (planned or implemented) and other attributes (weighed, loaded, blocked or posted
goods issue) of handling units can be documented.
You can use the
HU_ST_INIT user parameter when you create handling units without object reference to set
which initial status the handling unit is to have when it is created.
If you want to implement a status of your own, you can define a user-specific procedure for the
packaging material type (see also
Define Packaging Material Types).
Handling unit item
The items of a handling unit can consist of material items, packaging materials or other handling
units that appear in an overview. For more information about this overview, see
the Contents section of
Editing detailed data for handling units.
To access the item data of an individual handling unit, select the handling unit concerned and
choose Goto
Detailed HU data Contents.

Integration
Handling units can be used in all processes within the supply chain

Packaging Materials
Definition
Packaging materials are intended to enclose or hold together the materials that are to be
packed. In other words, the material that is to be packed can be packed into or onto the
packaging material. The packaging material can be a load carrier. The most important
packaging materials include crates, boxes, containers, wire baskets, and pallets.

Use
You have to maintain the material master data for each packaging material you want to use.
When creating material master records for packaging materials, enter either material type
VERP (packaging) or a customer-specific material type that you have already set in Customizing.
Material type VERP contains additional packing-relevant fields ( Sales: General/Plant
Data screen). You can use the field selection to make the additional fields available for input for
all of the material types.
The gross weight and the volume that you enter in the material master have special significance
for packing. When you create a handling unit (HU), the system automatically copies the
packaging materials master data and uses the gross weight and volume as the packaging
materials tare weight and tare volume.
The tare weight and tare volume refer to the gross weight and gross volume of
the packaging material. In the case of a container, the tare weight is the weight of
the unloaded container (the total weight less the weight of the goods and
packaging materials that are packed in the container).

Structure
If you choose the Sales: General/Plant Data view in the material master data of the
packaging material, you can maintain the following data on the Packaging material
data section of the screen:

Packaging material type

The packaging material type is a grouping of packaging materials with several control
parameters, which is defined in Customizing for packing and which controls the
following:

Sorting in the handling unit display, so that the packaging materials

can be displayed in order of size, for example.

An output determination procedure in which handling unit outputs can

be defined
A packaging material category, which subdivides the packaging
materials For example, in handling units with a packaging material category of
means of transport, it dictates that additional fields, such as Driver and Alternate
driver are available for input.
A plant determination rule that defines, in delivery processing, the
plant from which the packaging material is to be debited if delivery items are
created from handling units in the delivery.
Whether delivery items are to be generated for the packaging material
and if so, under which conditions
Number assignment for handling units
Whether the packaging materials tare weight is variable
If this indicator is blank, it means that when the total weight of a handling unit
changes, the loading weight of the handling unit is determined by taking the total
weight less the packaging materials tare weight.
If this indicator is selected, it means that when the total weight of a handling unit
changes, the tare weight of the handling unit is determined by taking the total
weight less the loading weight.
Material group packaging-material
The material group packaging material is a grouping parameter that can be used to
group materials that need similar packaging materials. For example, material group 005
can group small parts that are to be packed in small packages.
You can maintain the material group packaging material for all materials that you
want to pack. In other words, this field can be maintained for all materials. All
other fields given here can only be maintained for packing materials (material
type VERP).
Allowed packing weight
In this field, you can enter a maximum total weight for a handling unit. If the allowed
weight for packing is reached, a system message to this effect appears and further
packing operations are carried out using a new handling unit, if necessary.
Allowed packing volume
In this field, you can enter a maximum loading volume for a handling unit. If the allowed
volume for packing is reached, a system message to this effect appears and further
packing operations are carried out in a new handling unit, if necessary.
Stackability factor
The stackability factor indicates how many items of packaging material, such as pallets,
can be stacked on top of one another. It is not a control and is therefore for information
purposes only.
Filling level

The filling level is the percentage to which a handling unit should be filled. It is not a
control and is therefore for information purposes only.
Excess weight tolerance
In this field, you can enter a percentage tolerance limit, up to which the allowed packing
weight of a handling unit can be exceeded.
Excess volume tolerance
In this field, you can enter a percentage tolerance limit, up to which the allowed packing
volume of a handling unit can be exceeded.
Closed
This field allows you to control whether the total volume will be changed or remain the
same during packing.

When packing an open pallet, the total volume changes.

When packing a closed box, the total volume does not change.

Integration
Packaging materials are special types of materials that can be used for packing or for
transporting goods. During packing, you must always specify a packaging material so that
handling units can be created.

Packing Instruction
Use
A packing instruction serves as a template for the creation of a handling unit. In a packing instruction, you define the materials and packaging
materials to be packed in a handling unit.
This enables you to reproduce specific customer packaging requirements in the system. You can also automate the packing process by
creating a proposal for a handling unit, based on a packing instruction.

Features
Materials
The packing instruction specifies which materials in which quantities are to be packed in one handling unit.
Multi-level packing instructions
The are two types of packing instructions: single-level, which describe only one packing level, and multi-level, which describe several
packing levels ("nested" handling units). Multi-level packing instructions, therefore, contain subordinate packing instructions. If you want to
create handling units with labels (identified HUs) for each packing level, you require one subordinate packing instruction per packing level.
Using one packing instruction for several materials
Many parts are packed in a similar way. If certain materials differ in only one characteristic (for example, color), having to maintain a packing
instruction for each of them results in a considerable workload. Therefore, you can maintain a packing instruction in the material master
which is used by several different materials. This reduces the amount of data to be maintained and also saves you a lot of time.
Dimensions, weight and volume
The dimensions, weight and volume of the handling unit are entered in the packing instruction. You can copy these entries to the HU
proposal.
The system copies the dimensions from the material master record and uses these values to calculate the weight and
volume for the HU in the packing instruction. You now have the option of changing the calculated values. If you change the weight
and volume data, the system copies them to the HU proposal as fixed values, without checking them. If you do not change the
values, the system calculates the weight and volume entries for the HU proposal dynamically.

Documents and short texts

The packing instruction can be linked to documents in the Document Management System (DMS), enabling you to
provide packing personnel with a detailed description of the packing procedure. Shorter descriptions can be entered as
text items in the packing instruction.
Items not relevant for HU

Any item that you want to appear in the HU proposal but not in the final HU can be flagged as "Not relevant for HU". You use this flag, for
example, when a material is only relevant for packing information and not for the HU itself, but its consumption must be mapped in the
system.

User-defined fields

and
later in the HU. These fields are also included in the print program for the HU label, so that a certain value
in a certain field triggers a certain action, for example, an asterisk on the printed label.

Multi-level packing instructions

On the Administrative data tab page in the packing instruction, there are 5 user-defined fields, which also appear in the HU proposal

There are two types of packing instructions: single-level, which describe only one packing level, and multilevel, which describe several packing levels ("nested" handling units). Multi-level packing instructions,
therefore, contain subordinate packing instructions. If you want to create handling units with labels
(identified HUs) for each packing level, you require one subordinate packing instruction per packing level.

Status management
You assign a packing status check profile to a packing instruction. In this check profile, you assign
packing statuses to the possible ways in which an HU proposal can vary from the packing instruction. For
each individual way that an HU proposal can vary from a packing instruction, you can define whether
handling unit creation is permitted with this variance (variance from the target quantity, for example).

Create a Packing Instruction

Use
This procedure describes how to create both single and multi-level packing instructions. Multi-level packing instructions can be created in
one procedure. You create the subordinate packing instructions directly from the main packing instruction by entering the name and item type
of the subordinate packing instruction and branching straight to the initial screen for creation.
It is therefore not necessary to create a subordinate packing instruction beforehand.

Procedure
Select Logistics Production Master data Packing instructions.
The system displays the screen Master Data for Packing With Packing Instructions.
Select Packing instructions Create packing instruction.
You branch to the Components tab page on the Create Packing Instruction screen.
Enter the name of the packing instruction you want to create and choose Enter.
The Create Packing Instruction: Components screen appears.
Enter the items for your packing instruction.
An item can be a packaging material, an item of packed goods, a subordinate packing instruction, a reference material or a text item. You
can enter all the components of the HU in this way. Please note that:
-

The items should be entered in the following order: load carrier, auxiliary packing material, packed goods/subordinate packing instruction.
The first item is always the load carrier. Text items do not affect the hierarchy and can be entered anywhere below the load carrier.

For each item you must enter a material number and a target quantity and, if appropriate, a subordinate packing
instruction. The system determines the item category automatically. For more information, see
Create an HU Proposal Based on a Packing Instruction .

For reference materials, you can set the indicator Mmix (Material Mix) in order to allow that different materials which
have the same reference material can be packed in one HU.
If required, enter a minimum quantity and a rounding quantity.
An appropriate indicator is assigned to the load carrier.

For a subordinate packing instruction, enter the item category and the name of the packing instruction and choose Enter. The
system asks if you want to create this packing instruction.
By choosing Yes, you branch to the initial screen for creating packing instructions, in which you can create your subordinate packing
instruction in the same way.
After saving your data you branch back to the main packing instruction.
6.

Now enter the Administrative data, Measurements, Short texts and Uses.

Enter an inspection profile on the Administrative data tab page. In the check profile, you specify whether a handling unit can be created
under specific circumstances or not. The system checks the

check profile when creating the HU proposal.

If necessary, the measurements specified in the packing instruction can be changed for this particular HU in theMeasurements tab page.
On the tab page Uses, the system displays the packing instructions (main packing instructions), in which the packing instruction in question
is used as a subordinate packing instruction. This is the case if you are creating the packing instruction from a higher-level packing
instruction, as subordinate to it.
Save.

Packing instructions can only be saved if they have no errors that prevent handling unit creation. The system checks that a
handling unit can actually be created from the packing instruction. For example, if the maximum loading weight is exceeded, a
handling unit cannot be created.

Production Supply
Purpose
This function shows the physical material flow from the central warehouse to, for example, the production lines and work centers. It can be
used in both process manufacturing (process orders) as well as in discrete manufacturing (production orders).

You can use handling units (HUs) to organize the production supply. HUs enable raw materials to be directed to production more easily. If a
material is backflushed, the HU loses its inventory management information.

Features
Various production flows from the central warehouse to the production line(s) are possible for production supply.

Picking with WM

Picking via WM for Release Order Parts

Picking without WM

Picking via Central Picked Items Locations

The whole picking process can be divided into 2 main steps:
Staging:
Describes the withdrawal of the components from central storage

Picking:
Describes the packaging of the input components for the production line

When picking pick parts with WM integration, both steps are combined because the components are staged or picked
directly from central storage for the production line.
For information on picking with production orders, see:

Handling Units for Production Orders

HUs for Order

Choose Logistics -> Central Functions -> Handling Unit Management -> Display of HUs -> With
Components for Work Order or With Finished Product for Work Order to display all information available on the
HUs for a production order.
When you enter the production order number, a list of all HUs assigned to the order appears. By selecting an HU, you
find information on the following:
Warehouse
Status
Usage
Contents (material list)
History
Picking with date, time, employee, external picking location

Manual Picking with Process Orders

Use
You can use this function to manually enter packed

handling units (HU).

It allows you to:

Pack each batch of a material in one or several HUs.

Pack several batches of a material or several materials in an HU.

Pack packed HUs into other HUs.

Prerequisites
Manual picking takes place using standard process instruction category MI_HUSTG, which must be assigned to the master recipe. This
involves adynamic function call.

The process instruction MI_HUSTG for manual picking must not be changed, but rather the standard version
should be copied.
For more information, see

Master Recipes
Process Instructions
PI Sheets

Features
The dialog box for manual picking is divided up into the following sections:

Materials

Here, you enter the materials, batches, and quantities to be picked for the process order. The system checks whether
the batches entered fulfill the required selection criteria. For the check, the system uses the selection criteria defined
for batch determination.
In Customizing, you can choose Logistics - General Handling Unit
Management Basics Production Production Supply Batch Split Limit Indicator to define whether the

batch split should be limited to the requirement quantity of the reservation item.
Container hierarchy

Here, you form nested HUs by packing HUs into other, higher-level HUs (for example, on a pallet).
Open reservations

The components that are assigned to the process order but not yet picked are listed here.
Assign HU
Here, you can assign HUs without a reference to an object ("free" HUs) to the process order.
When assigning handling units to production orders in transaction COPAWA or by using process instruction

MI_HUSTG, the following general rules apply:

When a handling unit is assigned, the system proposes the smallest operation/phase number
that all the material items of the handling unit can be assigned to. You can overwrite this proposed value.
If the storage location is explicitly entered in the reservation list, only handling units that are in
that storage location can be assigned to this reservation item.
If the related storage type (production area) is determined from the assignment of the work
center to the reservation items, only handling units that have that storage type (are in that production area) can be
assigned to the reservation item.
The following rules apply for handling units with only one material item:
If the handling unit has one material item at the lowest hierarchy level, the requirement
quantity is taken into consideration during assignment. First, the system proposes the reservation item that has the
same material item as the handling unit and an "open" requirement quantity (difference between requirement quantity
and already assigned quantity) is available. If there are no reservation items with "open" requirement quantities, the
handling unit is assigned to the first possible reservation item. For this reservation item, the assigned quantity exceeds
the requirement quantity.
Handling units with one material item (subject to management in batches):
A handling unit with material subject to management in batches is assigned to the
operation/phase number for which:
the appropriate reservation item exists
the batch is the same
an "open" requirement quantity exists

If no batches are entered for the reservation items, or there are no "open"
requirement quantities available with the reservation items with the relevant batch, the handling unit is assigned to the
operation/phase number for which
the appropriate reservation item exists
no batch is entered and
an "open" requirement quantity exists (a batch is split)
If "open" requirement quantities no longer exist both for the reservation items
without batch information and for the reservation items with the appropriate batch information, the handling unit is
assigned to the reservation item with the smallest operation/phase number for which the batch is the same. For this
reservation item, the assigned quantity exceeds the requirement quantity.

If you overwrite proposed values, please note that the correct reservation items and the associated operation/phase
numbers must be entered.
In the case of reservation items with materials subject to management in batches, this may mean that the batch must
first be split manually on the "Materials" tab page.
The material items of the relevant handling unit must then be assigned to the split reservation items.
For more information, see
Delete HU assignment

Unpack without Object Reference.

Here, you can delete the assignment of an HU to the process order.

In Customizing, you can define whether HUs can be deleted by choosing Logistics: General Handling Unit
2.

Management Basics Production Production Supply Partial GI: Set Indicator.

Checking manual picking
You can display the number of components for which a quantity has already been picked without calling up the manual
picking function again. To do this, the standard process instruction category MI_HUSTC must be defined in the master
recipe. This is done from the PI sheet.
The standard process instruction category contains the following characteristics:
Characteristic

Characteristics value

PPPI_FUNCTION_NAME

COMI_CHECK_PICKING_COMPLETE

PPPI_BUTTON_TEXT

Check picking

PPP_FUNCTION_DURING_DISPLAY

Allowed/not allowed

PPPI_EXPORT_PARAMTER

I_AUFNR

PPPI_PROCESS_ORDER

3.

Transferring the data to the batch record (EBR - electronic batch record)
Data is passed from picking to the batch record automatically as soon as you exit picking by choosing Save. The
messages are sent to message destination PI01 by the standard process message category PI_HUREC.
The following characteristics are transferred:

Characteristic

Characteristics value

PPPI_PROCESS_ORDER

Process order

PPPI_EVENT_DATE

Date of the event

PPPI_EVENT_TIME

Time of the event

PPPI_HU_ID_NO

Internal HU number

PPPI_HU_CREATED_BY

HU created by

PPPI_HU_EXT_PACKAGING_TO_PACK

External handling unit identification

PPPI_HU_EXT_ID_NO

External HU identification

PPPI_MATERIAL

Material number

PPPI_BATCH

Batch

PPPI_MATERIAL_QUANTITY

Material quantity

PPPI_UNIT_OF_MEASURE

Unit of measure

1) Configuration

2) Condition Records
POF1/2/3

3) Transactions/Test data
a) Goods receipt with Mvt 501

Inbound Delivery 180024876 created

b) VL32N
Pack

Inbnd Dlv. HU Mvmnt 180024876 has been saved

4) Production Order

1) MB1A Goods Issue to Order

Delivery 80111475 created

Canceled this delivery.

Picking of Handling Units for Production

Use
A production storage location can be an HU-managed storage location. If the production storage location is not WM-managed, the materials
are staged for production by way of posting changes from one storage location to another. If you post goods issue, a goods movement is
generated for a delivery (in this case, a posting change from one storage location to the storage location in the production supply area).
If the production storage location is WM-managed, staging occurs by way of transfer requirements. Alternatively, you can use deliveries for
staging pick parts.
During component staging, the information in the handling units must be transferred to production in order to provide exact proof of the
materials that were used. Using handling units for production supply greatly simplifies consumption posting.

Features
You can use handling units to reflect production staging for pick parts, crate parts and release order parts. You can use either deliveries or
transfer requirements to stage pick parts, but you can only stage crate parts and release order parts using transfer requirements. If you stage
using deliveries, you can post use of the pick parts via goods issue for deliveries.
Use the pick process for transfer requirements/deliveries to further process the transfer requirement/delivery that was created.
Supply to production using Warehouse Management
The following are the production-supply options that are generally available:

1.
The production storage-location is not HU-managed
Even when the standard storage location in the WM system is HU-managed, only individual materials can be managed and the HUs cannot
be passed to production. Staging can occur via transfer requirements or via deliveries.
2.
The production storage-location is HU-managed

Consumption posting takes place through completion confirmation (verification) of the production order
Consumption posting is initiated in production. Using a new function for entering goods issue, you can execute
consumption posting for HUs created in WM and the transported HUs individually or with reference to the order.
Staging can occur via transfer requirements or via deliveries.
The HUs created in the WM system or the transported HUs are assigned to the production order so that the reference
between the order and the HUs (with the components of this order) is retained.
This scenario is only supported for pick parts since the reference to the order only exists for this type of material
staging.

Consumption posting for HUs does not take place through completion confirmation (verification) of the production
order
The staged HU is to be posted automatically as consumption with the goods issue of the material staging delivery. In
this case, you must use the delivery for material staging.
In the delivery, you can make a posting change or post goods issue (for an order, for example) to the production storage location after the
transfer order has been confirmed. This can be done either manually or automatically. Only one movement is posted for each delivery, and
the delivery is then completed.
If the delivery document is used as the picking proposal, the delivery is completed with the picking process.
If the HU is to be staged for an order, the delivery serves as the picking process, the goods issue posting and the consumption posting.
You can use the production scheduling profile to define how consumption posting should occur.

First assigned handling units in Production order with --COPAWA - Work Order - Components
Then issue goods (Handling unit ) through COWBHUWA - Goods Issue for Work Order

If GI issue qty is different then Handling unit then Split the HU through HU02

What is the purpose of Storage Bin 1 to 20?

We used to keep track of the storage bin by keying in the physical pallet location in
this classification. We could have up to 20 pallet locations to store a certain
material/batch combination. This allowed us to retrace where pallets had been stored
in the warehouse (kind of simulating a warehouse management system)
It has no longer use for us. Because we currently handle all materials in Handling Unit
Management. So the pallet location is maintained in the Handling Unit HUID 2.