A Quick Look at Inventory in SAP:

Core Identifiers

At the heart of SAP’s inventory management are three mandatory fields:

• Product (External Product ID): Identifies the specific item.
• RetailLocation (External Location ID): Indicates where the item is stored.
• RetailLocationType (Location Type Code): Classifies the type of location—such as a warehouse, retail store, or distribution center.

Quantity and Measurement

To ensure consistency in tracking and reporting, SAP uses:

• InventoryQty: Specifies the amount of inventory available.
• UnitOfMeasure: Defines the unit (e.g., EA for Each, KG for Kilogram).
• UnitOfMeasureISOCode: The ISO-compliant code for the unit of measure.

Usability and Validity

Inventory usability and its current status are captured using:

• InventoryUsabilityCode: Shows whether the inventory is sellable, blocked, or returnable.
• InventoryDate: A timestamp that reflects the inventory’s validity or last update.

Segmentation

• StockSegment: A mandatory field that segments inventory into categories like available stock, consigned stock, or quality-inspected stock. This segmentation helps in planning, fulfillment, and compliance reporting.

Why It Matters

These structured properties ensure that inventory is accurately tracked across the organization. They support real-time visibility, reduce errors in supply chain execution, and allow seamless integration with other SAP modules and external systems.