Westernacher — Optimize your Pharmaceutical Warehouse Logistics
with SAP‘s Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) Solution
SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM)
for the Life Sciences Industry
Pharmaceutical companies are challenged with increasing
competition, the pressure to increase revenue and growth while
improving innovation, and the need to align with constantly
changing FDA and cGMP rules and regulatory requirements in
a global business environment. In the face of these obstacles,
a flexible and optimized Supply Chain is crucial. This reduces
operating costs and increases transparency while at the same
time integrates industry specific processes.
Customers with complex operating environments, such as those
in the Life Sciences industry, often find that SAP’s traditional
solution for warehouse management (SAP ERP WM) fails to
provide all the functionalities required. This gap was closed
when SAP introduced a standalone, state-of-the-art warehouse
management solution called SAP EWM.
SAP EWM offers numerous enhanced as well as new features that
allow warehouses to take on strategic significance in the Supply
Chain. These new features support extremely flexible process
modeling, multi-client warehousing, efficient labor management,
slotting/rearrangement, deconsolidation, and unloading of
transport units. SAP EWM now also has enhanced configurable
RF technology (including voice picking) and supports the use of
mobile entry devices — all within one standard solution.
© 2012 Westernacher & Partner Consulting, Inc. | All Rights Reserved
As an SAP Special Expertise Partner,
Westernacher is ready to help you take on
these challenges and achieve the following
core objectives:
•• Increase warehouse efficiency and productivity
•• Gain real time visibility and control of
warehouse operations
•• Assure required service levels at minimum costs
•• Implement new requirements without large
expenditures
•• Ensure optimal and seamless integration
of warehouse management with ERP and
planning systems
Optimize your Pharmaceutical Warehouse Logistics with SAP‘s
Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) Solution
Features and Benefits of SAP EWM
SAP EWM introduces many new features to benefit the special requirements of the Life Sciences industry, such as:
Batch Management
SAP EWM now
offers maximum
flexibility in Batch
Management,
especially for outbound orders. Batch
determination is
fully integrated
into EWM, allowing optimal product selection during
picking for outbound orders. For example, orders can be
based on batch characteristics such as shortest shelf
life (validity date), so that picking can be executed in
accordance with the agreements made with clients, e.g.,
Pharmaceutical wholesalers.
During the inbound process, batches can either be
passed from SAP ERP via the inbound delivery, or can
be captured (and created) directly in EWM, also offering
maximum flexibility in the receiving process.
Serial Number Management
Supports full visibility to the exact location of all serial
numbers down to the storage bin level. For example,
EWM allows packing several serial numbers into one
container with full transparency and visibility.
Handling Unit Management
Supports industry standard numbering and provides
tracking of key dimensions in WM and non-WM managed
storage locations.
The most common drivers in choosing SAP EWM
over other WMS warehouse solutions are:
•• Standardization within SAP environments and avoid
increased maintenance costs incurred from interfacing
with third party applications. Therefore, many Life Science
companies push for a pure SAP IT-landscape. In fact, 19 of
the top 20 pharmaceuticals currently have a complete SAP
environment.
•• Functionality and feature parity with competitive software,
previously considered best of breed solutions.
•• No internal support needed for third party solutions
when paired with an existing internal SAP support structure.
Leverage in-house SAP skill sets for ABAP development,
administration and maintenance, configuration security, etc.
•• Lower TCOs
•• Multiple interfaces, e.g., standard interfaces to SAP ERP
(Sales and distribution, purchasing, production, logistics,
finance, HR, etc.) vs. custom or complex interfaces to third
party WMS. Also interfaces with other SAP solutions such as
SPP, CRM, SNC, Global ATP, GTS and BW.
•• Single sign-on: Many other WMS solutions have multiple
modules within their portfolio with different Uls and
development languages, resulting in more integration issues
and increased maintenance costs.
•• Long term vendor viability: Many WMS solutions have no
upgrade path due to vendor consolidation, or is so outdated
that it cannot be upgraded in the future.
Quality Inspection Engine
Allows for lean QI processes that are flexible and easy to
set up within SAP EWM, and are also of great help during
an FDA audit.
Once installed, the benefits of an SAP EWM solution
quickly become evident. Although the cost benefit ratio
of each company depends on their specific business
situation, the cost of implementing SAP EWM is often
quickly offset by increased efficiency and transparency,
savings that result from replacing legacy systems, and
lower maintenance costs achieved by working with a
uniform software release.
On average, experience has shown that SAP EWM can
reduce warehouse costs by one third.
Westernacher & Partner Consulting, Inc.
8 Grove St., Suite 200, Wellesley, MA 02482 USA
tel +1 781-283-5777 | fax +1 781-283-5779
www.westernacher.com
© 2012 Westernacher & Partner Consulting, Inc. | All Rights Reserved
Our Offer to you
Please contact us to schedule a free consultation and live demontration.
We‘ll show you how Westernacher and EWM can help transform your
Supply Chain business. We look forward to hearing from you!
Your contact:
Christian Wagner
mobile +1 617 669-7075
office +1 781 283-5777 x202