To direct workflows and manage goods movement within the warehouse, SAP EWM uses several key control elements. These elements define the “how” and “where” of every warehouse activity, ensuring that processes are executed consistently and efficiently. This section will focus on Warehouse Process Types and Work Centers, the primary tools for directing goods movement and value-added activities.

Warehouse Process Type

A Warehouse Process Type is a critical configuration element that defines the characteristics of a goods movement. EWM assigns a Warehouse Process Type to every warehouse task document, specifying the underlying activity, such as a putaway, stock removal, or internal transfer. For simple movements, the process type can directly determine the source and destination storage types and bins for the goods.

All Warehouse Process Types are grouped into broader categories that reflect the nature of the goods movement. The predefined Warehouse Process Categories in EWM include:

• Stock Removal: Governs the process of picking goods from storage.
• Putaway: Controls the process of placing goods into storage.
• Internal Movement: Manages stock transfers within the warehouse.
• Goods Receipt Posting: Relates to the initial posting of received goods.
• Goods Issue Posting: Relates to the final posting of shipped goods.
• Physical Inventory: Used for tasks related to inventory counting.
• Cross-Line Putaway: A specific category for certain advanced putaway scenarios.

Work Center

A Work Center is a physical unit within the warehouse where specific value-added activities are performed. It is assigned to a storage type that has a designated role, such as a work center, pick point, or identification point. A single storage type can contain multiple work centers.

Work centers are designed to be the designated location for a variety of key processes, including:

• Packing: Consolidating and preparing items for shipment.
• Deconsolidation: Breaking down large handling units into smaller, separate product quantities.
• Counting: Verifying quantities for inventory or process control.
• Quality Check: Performing inspections on inbound or outbound goods.
• Value-Added Services (VAS): Executing tasks like labeling, kitting, or special assembly.

Each activity performed at a Work Center, such as deconsolidation, is governed by its own specific Warehouse Process Type, ensuring system control and visibility for even these granular tasks. These control elements provide the logic required to execute the primary inbound and outbound goods flows, which are the focus of the next two sections.