Use of Mobile Data Entry into Warehouse Management Transactions in SAP

This blog post is basically for the Consultants and WM Team to understand  “how SAP incorporated the use of mobile data entry into warehouse management transactions.”
During my experience i used the Standard SAP RF Dynamic Cycle counting and all other processes like “pick by pick sheet” or “pick by ship lable” was designed in custom RF program along with replenishment and pack memo printing through RF Menu.. Here i wanted to brief about the SAP RF related configurations along with features available.




Mobile data entry in the warehouse today involves the use of wireless radio frequency(RF) terminals or devices carried by the warehouse staff to record data. The data is usually in a bar code form, either as bar code printed in Transfer orders or bar codes that identify products, storage bins or other objects.
Standard SAP supports RF Devices and number of functions with in the Warehouse that can be executed via RF.

RF Devices:
SAP Transactions can be executed on RF devices that are handheld or forklift mounted. No Middle ware software required to connect the devices to SAP. There are two Standard RF devices that can be used with SAP, which are
1) GUI devices- uses a Microsoft Windows-based OS
2) Character based devices- uses uses terminal emulation.

I got experienced to work with Character based RF devices only.
These RF device is not connected directly to SAP but communicates via an interface called SAPConsole. There are two industry standards for screen sizes are supported by SAP
1) RF devices for forklifts: 8 lines by 40 characters
2) Portable RF devices: 16 lines by 20 characters

In ECC 6.0 many transactions are defined as mobile data entry and available for use with RF devices. These includes
•Goods receipt
•Goods issue
•Material putaway
•Material picking
•Packing and unpacking
•Physical inventory
•Loading and unloading
•Serial number capture
•Stock overview

Bar code support in SAP: SAP reads bar codes for identification and verification. The items that can be identified include Storage bin, Material, Storage unit, Handling unit, Quantity, Delivery, Staging area, Shipment, Pick wave. It is possible to scan items for verification purposes and these fields includes Storage unit, Storage bin, Material, Quantity.. SAP may increase few more fields in future.

Some configuration steps in SAP Mobile Data Entry are as follows

Configuration for Bar codes: Verification profile is a set of fields that can be verified by the user.
Path: IMG>Logistics Execution>Mobile Data Entry> Verification control> Define Profiles

Vefification profile can be assigned to movt types used in warehouses that will be subject to bar code scanning.
Path: IMG>Logistics Execution>Mobile Data Entry> Verification control> Assign Verification Profiles to Goods Movements.

Define bar codes for warehouse
Path: IMG>Logistics Execution>Mobile Data Entry>Bar Code> Assign Bar Code Types to Warehouses.

Maintaining Bar code specifications
Path: IMG>Logistics Execution>Mobile Data Entry>Bar Code> Maintain Bar Code Specification.

Defining the Radio Frequency Queue: To assign a range of activities to certain users, functionality called the RF Queue Management must be defined
Path: IMG>Logistics Execution>Mobile Data Entry>Rf Queue Management.

The queues are easily identifiable for picking, putaway, and goods receipt. The queues then can be assigned to the relevant areas

Adding a User for mobile data entry using Transaction code LRFMD
Logging on to Mobile Data Entry using Transaction code LM00
Accessing the RF monitor using Transaction code LRF1

The use of RF devices for data collection and transaction processing in warehouse management has been increasing over a number SAP releases.
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