Basics of serial numbers

[csaba_szommer]

Dear All,

Our organisation is considering the implementation of serial numbers.

The problem is that they want to realize the 'serial number management' through batch management > they want to store the serial numbers in batch field...

I objected to this because SAP standard solution for ser. no. management is serial number management. I feel our live may be diffiult if they misuse batch management.

E.g. if we produce 120 pcs of a certain goods we're going to see 120 lines in MB51 in connection with confirmation if they really want to use batch field for this purpose - and I only mentioned movements that occure in connection with confirmation. Our process for FGs 101 (confirmation against PrdOrd) > 313 & 315 (SLoc-Sloc) > 601 (GI against delivery) - in case of 120 FGs this would mean 4*120 lines in MB51...I guess it would be difficult to handle...

I'd like to ask your opinion on this, and I'd like to ask you how real SNM works (e.g. how can we trace goods movments, by which reports, what about stock reports, etc).

Thanks in advance,

Csaba

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I dont think it is possible to have stock reports and stock movement reports based on serial number. This is available at the batch level.

But what you are thinking is right, one cannot have 1 batch for each item manufactured and best way is to use SNM. You will need serail numebr profile and equipment records(for tracking purpose).

And if you want to track a group of serial numebrs together then you can also use HU management.

Regards,

Vishal

[csaba_szommer · Accepted solution]

Hi Vishal,

Thanks for your answer.

You said that you didn't think it would be possible to get a stock report / goods movement report for serial numbers.

One important reason to implement SNM would be to check the history of a product with a certain serial number. For instance if we got a complaint from one of our customers we'd like to konw the history of that certain product with its serial number - is this possible (I mean we should know when it was produced, we should know from where to where it was moved, we should know to which distributor it was shipped out)?

And maybe sometimes we should have information on current stock situation serial-number-wise. Cannot we know using SNM the serial numbers of goods we have stock from?

Thanks,

Csaba

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Using serial numbers, one can very well track their history. It is stored in IQO3. If a material is serially managed, its stock can be seen in MMBE (header data has the option of showing the serial numbers). Using MB03, you can obtain the list of documents & only once u enter those documents you can view the serial numbers. These also get stored in SAP tables.The same can be retreived & reports can be developed.

I hope this solves ure problem.