The route determination (Routing Guide Engine, RGE) assigns the optimal route to the warehouse requirement or delivery from all possible routes according to the chosen criteria. These can be orientated to the start and target location, delivery date, document type, weight of the products or dangerous goods conditions. Additionally further, possible criteria can be individually realized, e.g. strap length, amount of packaging items etc.

The route determination in EWM allows an exactly definition of the optimal route.

It can happen at different times:

• At the creation of delivery requirement in EWM
• At the creation of delivery order in EWM
• At the creation of customer orders in SAP CRM

The route determination can be processed in SAP EWM as well as SAP ERP. The EWM route determination offers more flexibility and precision at the purpose of the route with the routing guide engine:

• The configuration with RGE on routes and breakpoints
• Support of cross docking routes
• The route determination can be activated or deactivated according to receipt categories or delivery documents
• Schedules and transportation companies can be better administrated and included. The route determination in the SCM system can be simulated over the RGE
• Routes in one EWM system can be replicated to other EWM systems

The target of the wave management is the prioritization and combination of warehouse requirements. If the waves are released, the part processes of picking, packaging, provision and loading are initiated. Warehouse requirement positions can be grouped in waves in the EWM system (waves monitor). The single delivery positions in EWM are always combined to waves, not-compulsory at delivery header level.

Variants of the wave management:

• Administration of waves with templates
  Wave templates in EWM make it easier to create, release and execute waves and can be defined for individual time periods, e.g. weekdays
• Automatic wave assignment
  EWM can save an assignment to deposited wave templates with values from the conditional technique tables. The creation is possible without additional development logic, for the automatic wave assignment of positions the Post Processing Framework (PPF) is used.

The waves are administrated either over the wave monitor or the warehouse monitor. There, the comfortable locking, unlocking, deletion and reunion of waves are possible. They can be released and further functions can be executed.

EWM works with a flexible definition of outsourcing strategies so that the outsourcing strategy can be freely defined at the base of existing parameters. EWM differentiates significantly to SAP WM, which has just predefined outsourcing strategies:

Comparison of parameters for determination of outsourcing strategies with SAP EWM and SAP WM

The storage control in goods issue process concerns especially picking, packaging (also with Value Added Services VAS), the provision of goods and shipping.

The, in the outsourcing strategy, determined pick storage tasks are combined to optimal working packages. These packages will be prepared for picking at automatic picking places (automated small parts storage, shuttle) and manual picking places (Pick by Light, manual storages).

In big storages with high performance there is often the pick, pack and pass process in usage. The goods are transported in a container on a conveyor technology. The employee, who is picking the goods, fills the container and forwards it to the next station. EWM supports also the container systems at the material flow integration.

Pick, pack and pass processes can be executed system-controlled or user-controlled.

A packaging plan helps with planning and control of employee commitment, resources and transportation means especially in the picking, packaging and shipping area. SAP EWM offers the possibility for automation of packaging planning.