1. Customer Returns with Quality Inspection
SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM) Rapid-Deployment Solution V2

2. Physical Activity System Activity
Step 1
Create a returns delivery
(ERP)
Physical Activity
System Activity
Step 3
Unload the truck and
check the goods
Step 2
A truck arrives at the
checkpoint and drives
to the door (EWM)
The sales clerk creates a returns order with reference to an invoice
The customer requests an identifier for the goods to be returned
The system creates a returns delivery
The sales clerk communicates the delivery number to the customer
The customer sends the rejected goods back – labeled with the delivery number
A truck arrives
The checkpoint clerk determines the door
The checkpoint clerk communicates the door to the truck driver
The truck drives to the door
A warehouse worker unloads the truck
A warehouse clerk checks the goods against the delivery note
Step 4
The truck leaves (EWM)
The truck leaves
Step 5
Post the goods receipt (EWM)
The GR office clerk posts the goods receipt
The system creates inspection documents
Step 6
Move the goods to the
quality inspection zone (EWM)
A warehouse worker moves the goods to the quality inspection work center
Step 7
Carry out the
quality inspection (EWM)
The QI specialist carries out the quality inspection
The QI specialist enters QI results
The system creates and prints WOs
Step 8
Put away the goods (EWM)
A warehouse worker moves the undamaged goods to the final bin
A warehouse clerk confirms the putaway WOs
Step 9
scrapping zone and empty
the scrapping zone (EWM)
A warehouse worker moves the damaged goods to the scrapping zone
The system empties the scrapping zone
Customer Returns with Quality Inspection

3. Purpose
You use this warehouse process to handle customer returns. In this process, only small quantities (for example single pieces) are returned. When you receive the rejected goods, you perform a 100% inspection. The quality inspection is triggered and executed in SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM). Depending on the inspection result, you decide if the goods shall be put away or scrapped. 

4. Prerequisites You have integrated SAP ERP with SAP EWM
You have configured the warehouse structure and master data
You have configured your systems for this process
Billing documents for outbound deliveries exist in SAP ERP

5. Process Step Create a returns delivery (SAP ERP)
By phone, the customer informs the sales clerk about a coming return and requests an identifier for it. The sales clerk creates a returns order in SAP ERP with reference to the invoice for the originally delivered goods. The system automatically creates the returns delivery, and sends it to SAP EWM. During the creation of the returns delivery in SAP EWM, the system automatically assigns the door foreseen for returns. The sales clerk communicates the returns delivery number as identifier to the customer. The customer writes the returns delivery number onto the delivery notes and the packages with the rejected goods, and sends them back to your facility.

6. Process Step A truck arrives at the checkpoint and drives to the door (SAP EWM)
The truck with the rejected goods arrives at the checkpoint, and the truck driver brings the delivery note to the checkpoint clerk. With help of the returns delivery number listed on the delivery note, the checkpoint clerk finds the corresponding returns delivery in SAP EWM and informs the truck driver about the door for unloading the rejected goods. The truck driver leaves the checkpoint and drives the truck to that door.

7. Process Step Unload the truck and check the goods
A warehouse worker unloads the truck. The truck driver hands over the delivery note to a warehouse clerk. The warehouse clerk checks the information on the packages including the rejected goods against the delivery note. The warehouse clerk takes the delivery note with annotations to the GR office.
In this process, this step is not realized in the system.

8. Process Step The truck leaves
The truck leaves the door and the premises.
In this process, this step is not realized in the system.

9. Process Step Post the goods receipt (SAP EWM)
The GR office clerk adapts the returns delivery according to the annotations on the delivery note. In case of a quantity deviation or a missing product, the GR office clerk adjusts the quantity in the system with an appropriate process code. In case an additional product has been returned, the GR office clerk initiates that a new returns order for the additional product is created by the sales office.
He or she creates one HU for the returns delivery with the returns delivery number as external number. If an additional returns delivery has been created since an additional product has arrived, the GR office clerk packs that returns delivery into the same HU as the original returns delivery. Finally, he or she posts the goods receipt. The system finds a quality inspection (QI) rule for the delivery item type and creates inspection documents. The system posts the goods receipt directly to the QI zone with reference to the QI documents. The system communicates the goods receipt to SAP ERP.

10. Process Step Move the goods to the quality inspection zone
A warehouse worker takes the rejected goods from the staging area to the quality inspection zone.
In this process, this step is not realized in the system.

11. Process Step Carry out the quality inspection (SAP EWM)
At the QI work center, a quality inspector finds all items that belong to the returns delivery with the help of the external HU number. He or she checks the goods, puts the damaged ones into a wire basket, and packs the undamaged ones into an appropriate carton per product. In the system, the quality inspector maintains the decision code (Accept or Reject) using an SAP EWM desktop transaction. The system proposes the follow-up action putaway for the goods rated as ok, and scrapping for the goods rated as not ok. If the physical quantity differs from the returns delivery quantity, the quality inspection specialist enters an exception code to adjust the returns delivery quantity. After saving the check results, WOs to the putaway bins or to the scrapping zone are created. The WOs to the scrapping zone are immediately confirmed. The WOs for putaway contain a single warehouse task per warehouse order. The WOs for putaway are printed. The quality inspection specialist puts the printout of the putaway WO to the carton with the corresponding product.

12. Process Step Put away the goods (SAP EWM)
A warehouse clerk in the internal office monitors the open putaway WOs and instructs a warehouse worker to work on these WOs as soon as a certain workload is reached. The warehouse worker takes the cartons with the undamaged goods and takes them to the final putaway bin listed on the printouts. Afterwards, he or she takes the printouts back to the internal office. The warehouse clerk confirms the WOs in the system.

13. Process Step Move the goods to the scrapping zone and empty the scrapping zone (SAP EWM)
If the wire basket with the damaged goods is full, a warehouse worker moves it to the scrapping zone and puts the goods into the container foreseen for scrapping. In this step, no interaction with the system is necessary.
A background job regularly runs to empty the scrapping zone in the system. The system communicates the goods issue to SAP ERP.

14. Process Monitoring Process Step Objects To Be Monitored Activities 8
Open putaway WOs
On the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Extended Warehouse Management → Monitoring → Warehouse Management Monitor → Documents → Warehouse Order.
Select the open WOs by the activity area of the destination bin and by the warehouse process type defined for the putaway of returns
All
Inspection documents, usage of decision codes
On the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Extended Warehouse Management → Monitoring → Warehouse Management Monitor → Documents → Inspection Documents.
Select the inspection documents by inspection object type 3 (Q-Inspection Returns Delivery) and by a valid time frame. Drill down to the items and build subtotals for quantity, decision code and decider.

15. More Information
For more information, see SAP Library for SAP Extended Warehouse Management on the SAP Help Portal at