In the R/3 System, you can carry out a physical inventory for special stocks as well as your own stocks. However, you have to inventory your own stock and each type of special stock (e.g. consignment stock at customer, or external consignment stock from vendor) separately, using different physical inventory documents.

As of Release 4.0, physical inventory is linked with the Logistics Information System (LIS). When inventory differences are updated in the LIS, they are shown both in terms of quantity and value. The physical inventory items are aggregated to physical inventory number, plant, storage location, and material.

In the continuous inventory and periodic inventory procedures, you can inventory the stock types below:

1 unrestricted-use

2 quality inspection stock

4 blocked stock

The cycle counting procedure only supports stock type 1 (unrestricted-use).

The inventory sampling procedure is only applicable to stock types 1 (unrestricted-use) and 2 (quality inspection stock).

Independent of the physical inventory procedure, the physical inventory process can be divided into three phases:

Physical inventory preparation

This includes creating a physical inventory document, blocking materials for posting, as well as printing and distributing the physical inventory document.

Physical inventory count

Firstly, the stocks in the warehouse are counted and the count results are entered in the count list. These are then transferred from the count list to the system in the step enter physical inventory count.

Physical inventory check

Using the list of inventory differences, you can check variances in the stocks. You should check whether the transferred count result is correct (change count) or whether you want to initiate a recount.

If the difference is accepted, it is posted and stock is corrected.

The physical inventory number was created as an additional hierarchy above the physical inventory document number. You can use it to group together different physical inventory documents that belong together organizationally.

You assign physical inventory numbers when you create and change physical inventory documents, and you can use them as an extra selection criterion for physical inventory reports. This enables you to directly display the physical inventory documents per storage location, customer, or vendor.

(*)Differences are to be posted in this posting period.

SAP AGTAMM10 4.0B28-1