In a world where automation and efficiency have become essential for businesses, it is crucial to manage inventory optimally while maintaining rigorous quality control. The integration between SAP QM (Quality Management) and SAP EWM (Extended Warehouse Management) allows companies to achieve both of these objectives. This integration is particularly relevant in automated warehouse environments, where the rapid processing of receipts and the smooth management of logistics flows are top priorities.

In this article, we will delve into the details of this integration, drawing on practical experience, including that of a professional who has worked in automated stock environments. In these environments, goods are directly pushed into stock with a blocked status, ensuring a smooth flow of receipts. We will explain how this method, combined with the capabilities of SAP QM and EWM, optimizes quality management without compromising logistical efficiency.

Why Integrate SAP QM with SAP EWM?

Quality management is essential to ensure that the products received, stored, or shipped meet the company’s quality standards. SAP QM manages quality control processes throughout the supply chain. On the other hand, SAP EWM optimizes stock management and logistics flows within the warehouse.

By integrating SAP QM with SAP EWM, companies can:

• Perform quality inspections before storage or shipment, ensuring that only compliant products are used or shipped.
• Maintain the fluidity of logistics flows, by allowing, for example, temporarily blocking items in stock and releasing them once the inspection is completed.
• Ensure complete traceability of products throughout their lifecycle in the warehouse.

Standard Goods Receipt Process with Quality Control

In a standard flow, receiving goods automatically triggers a quality inspection via SAP QM before the items are stored or used. Here’s how this process works step by step.

1. Creating a Purchase Order (PO)

The process begins with creating a purchase order in SAP via the ME21N transaction. The order specifies the items the company expects to receive. At this stage, quality management (QM) parameters are defined in the material master to ensure that an inspection will be required upon receipt.

2. Receiving Goods and Creating an Inspection Lot

When receiving goods via the MIGO transaction, SAP automatically generates an inspection lot in QM. This lot contains all the necessary information for quality inspection. The received items cannot be definitively stored in the warehouse until the inspection has been performed. EWM temporarily places the items in a blocked storage area.

3. Quality Inspection and Usage Decision

The quality team accesses the generated inspection lots via the QA32 transaction. After conducting the required checks (physical, chemical tests, etc.), a Usage Decision (UD) is made. If the items pass inspection, they are released for final storage. If they fail, they are rejected or sent to quarantine.

Blocked Stock Storage in an Automated Environment – Practical Experience

In high-paced and automated environments, like those you have experienced, it is often impossible to wait for inspection to complete before storing items. To maintain a smooth flow, items are directly pushed into stock with a blocked status. This allows the receiving areas to remain clear while ensuring that items are not used until quality is validated.

In this scenario:

• Items are received via MIGO and automatically stored in a defined area with a blocked status in EWM.
• The system generates an inspection lot in QM to indicate that these items must be inspected by a quality team.
• The quality team schedules inspections based on priorities, such as urgent orders or production needs.

This strategy helps alleviate bottlenecks at receiving points and ensures that quality inspections are conducted without immediate pressure on the logistics flow.

The Role of the Quality Team: Scheduling Inspections

Once items are in blocked stock, the quality team plays a crucial role in planning and executing inspections. As you have experienced, inspection doesn’t always need to be immediate. Instead, inspections can be scheduled based on priorities.

1. Inspection Planning: The quality team schedules inspections based on critical products or urgent orders. This approach maintains flow efficiency while meeting quality requirements.
2. Usage Decision and Item Release: After each inspection, the quality team records the results in QM via the QA32 transaction. If products are compliant, their status is updated in EWM, and they are released for use or shipment. If they fail, they are quarantined.

Other Flows: Inspection During Internal Movements or Before Shipment

In addition to receiving goods, inspections may be required during internal movements within the warehouse or before shipping products.

• Internal Movement: During stock transfer between areas within the warehouse, a quality inspection can be triggered if necessary to check the condition of the items.
• Shipment: Before shipping a customer order, SAP EWM and QM can be configured to trigger an inspection to ensure products meet quality standards before leaving the warehouse.

The Benefits of Seamless Integration between SAP QM and EWM in an Automated Environment

1. Smooth Inbound Flows: In an automated environment where receiving goods must be uninterrupted, the ability to immediately store items with a blocked status prevents delays. This optimizes receipt management while ensuring items are not used before inspection.
2. Optimized Quality Resources: The quality team can plan inspections according to company priorities, making more efficient use of resources. This avoids bottlenecks in the inspection process.
3. Traceability and Compliance: Thanks to SAP QM and EWM integration, every stock movement is tracked, and every usage decision is recorded. This ensures complete product traceability in the warehouse and compliance with quality standards.

Conclusion

The integration of SAP QM with SAP EWM is a powerful solution for managing quality while maintaining maximum efficiency in inventory management. In automated environments, like those you’ve worked in, where items are directly pushed into stock with a blocked status to streamline receipts, this integration allows companies to balance quality requirements with speed and logistical efficiency.

The ability of the quality team to schedule inspections while ensuring that non-compliant products are never used offers an excellent compromise between control and performance. By leveraging these automated and integrated processes, companies can not only ensure their products meet quality standards but also improve their productivity and responsiveness to market needs.