Stock Room Management Comparison

with EWM
13147,194

This blog post will help readers to understand the key differences between Stock Room
Management (StRM) and Extended Warehouse Management (EWM).

Differences between Stock Room Management and EWM-Basic, EWM-Embedded

Advanced and EWM on Decentralized on S/4 HANA are compared and listed here for
developing better understanding amongst WMS selection decision makers.

In my previous blog, “Should I migrate LE-WM to Stock Room Management?” I have

captured the functional differences between Stock Room Management and LE-WM. This
is a second blog in the same series to throw more light on its functional comparison with
EWM.

Also refer my latest blog which provides deep insight into the options to be considered
when the legacy LE-WM is found to be not compliant for stock room management (What
Options to Consider if Legacy LE-WM is Not Compliant for Stock Room Management
during S/4HANA Migration?).

I have summarized the functional and key product differences in the below table based
on various features and comparison parameters.

Features/Comparison Stock Room Basic Embedded Advanced EWM EWM Decentralized

parameters Management EWM on S/4 HANA Embedded on on S/4 HANA
(with HUM) S/4 HANA
Architecture Part of S/4HANA Part of S/4HANA Part of S/4HANA Separate Application
ERP ERP ERP on S/4HANA
SAP Future Not supported Improvements Future Innovations for the warehouse
Innovations limited to Basic capabilities will be delivered by SAP
features will be only for EWM component of S/4
added in future HANA.
S/4HANA versions
License Included in the SAP S/4HANA Advanced EWM will require the
Enterprise Management license. Classic SAP EWM Component
License
Futuristic Warehouse Very low Low High Very High
Modernization
Outlook
Barcode Yes Yes Yes Yes
Scanning/Mobile
Execution
Bin to Bin transfer Yes Yes Yes Yes
Basic Inbound Yes Yes Yes Yes
Basic Outbound Yes Yes Yes Yes
Physical Inventory Yes Yes Yes Yes
Complex Processes No Yes Yes Yes
like process oriented
or layout-oriented
storage control
Internal Warehouse Yes Yes Yes Yes
Movements
Wave Management No No Yes Yes
Cross-docking No No Yes Yes
Serial Numbers Yes through HUM Yes Yes Yes
SSCC Numbering of Yes Yes Yes Yes
HUs
MFS Support No No Yes, with Yes
restrictions
WM-PP Interface Basic Integration 1. Delivery-based 1. Delivery- 1. Delivery Based
(Production Integration based Integration
Integration) Integration
2. Advanced 2. Advanced
Production 2. Advanced Production
Integration Production Integration
Integration
3. Direct Production 3. MES-Driven
Integration 3. Direct Staging
Production
4. MES-Driven Integration
Staging
4. MES-Driven
Staging
WM-QM Integration Basic All major QM All major QM All major QM
integration integration integration scenarios
(Quality Management scenarios covered. scenarios covered.
Integration) covered.
Basic EWM is
integrated into
Quality
Management (QM)
using inspection
lots of origin 17.
Physical Inventory Yes Yes Yes Yes
Integration with S/4H Very tight ERP Tight ERP Tight ERP Robust ERP-
Core integration integration integration Interfacing
mechanism
WM-SAP TM No Yes Yes Yes
Integration
Technical Migration Low Medium Medium Medium to High
Complexity from Old
SAP WM
Complexity of Low complexity Medium Medium to High High to very high
warehouse complex complex
supported
Recommended for Small size Small to medium For medium to For all medium to
warehouses with size warehouses large warehouse very large complex
manual requiring full stock requiring warehouses with
operations transparency and advanced & optimized
without any control optimized warehousing
advanced warehousing features.
requirements and – Small Raw features,
having pre- Material typically for Best suited for the
defined set of warehouses heavily automated
lean processes – the medium warehouses for
e.g.: – Medium size, complex business models
own operated distribution consisting of
– Quick adoption distribution centers centers decoupling of WMS
of legacy with less complexity managed by from MFG IT
Classical SAP of operations own WMS with landscape-
WM managed very limited
manual MFS/ASRS – Production
warehouses warehouses
without any – Integration connected to local
process changes with small to MES systems,
medium
– Small production sites – SCM hubs
warehouses e.g. with less
Affiliates complex – Advanced and
managed small manufacturing very large
warehouses, Integration need warehouses looking
MRO warehouse in which the to implement Next-
or stores with bin decoupling of Gen technologies for
to bin transfer WMS from warehouse
need production is not automation (like IOT,
the core Smart robots etc.)
requirement.

Conclusion
With all evaluating parameters mentioned in above comparison table, it is worthwhile to
reiterate in this blog too that one should carefully evaluate all the warehouse key
business parameters and requirements along with the long term business plan and
based on this detailed evaluation business can take conscious decision on choosing
specific WM solution (StRM vesrus EWM)in order to get best ROI from the IT investment
of migrating to new age S/4 HANA release.

References
1. Should I migrate from LE-WM to Stock Room Management? by Prakash Pol
2. 2881166 – FAQ : Stock Room Management
 3. Chapter 2.12.3.2.1 Stock Room Management of the Feature Scope Description of
SAP S/4HANA 2020 (You can find the link to the Feature Scope Description of SAP
S/4HANA 2020 in the Product Documentation section)
4. Note 2577428 – Road map for LE-WM in SAP S/4HANA
5. 2270211- – S4TWL – Warehouse Management (WM)
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13 Comments
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Axel Breiter
October 6, 2021 at 7:45 am
First of all, good work and nice overview.
Basic EWM or full EWM can both be run as embedded. In your comparison you compare it with the
full embedded EWM. It would be usefull to add basic embedded EWM to that list as well.
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Dominik Tylczynski