Returns for Serialized products

[Rohit_Zalani]

Hi All

We have a situation where installable medical products ( like the pacemaker ) are serialized and the manufacturer is mandated to also track the installed serialized equipment that are sold to the customers.  If a product is found to have been mishandled before implant, the product has to be scrapped to ensure that this is not used and is recorded as having being scrapped.

Often, the scrap of the product is done at the customer location with a certification from the facility that the product has been destroyed. 

When we use advance returns with the option of "material remains at customer site", SAP will allow creation of a credit memo to the customer / SDF for the customer without the need for a return delivery to be created in the system.

However, the need is that the serial number status of the equipment is modified from ECUS to reflect that it has been scrapped. However, since the product is not physically received at the warehouse and destroyed onsite, the step for subsequent logistical activity for the product to scrap cannot be carried out. 

How would you integrate this scenario to reflect that the material was destroyed at the customer location, but also ensure that the serial number status indicates that the product has been scrapped / set to a status where no further actions are allowed for the serial number ?

Appreciate inputs from fellow members.

[jagdeepsingh83]

ECUS status reported on serial number when it is issued to customer and ESTO when you have serial back in stock. If you want to keep ECUS status and want to identify another status i think of two options

1. Make use to user status and configure a status e.g. ZSCP- which would identify material is scrapped so you will able to see two status on serial number -- System status and user status --updating the user status--you have use custom logic on your advance return to run a program that would update the status on serial number 

2. You can change system status to inactive -INAC--which means no more transactions -- both ECUS and INAC will be available on serial number but you have to use custom logic or program to set the INAC status on serial number-

[Rohit_Zalani]

Hi 

Thank you for your mail. This does seem to be a gap then with the returns process as if the product is not coming back to the warehouse or is being sent to a third party for destruction, you would want the serial number to reflect the same. If the same product comes back to the warehouse and you perform a scrap transaction, the system will modify the status of the serial number. 

As you suggested, you will now need to have an exit in the returns process where if the line item is marked as material remains on the customer site, you will need to branch into the serial number for the material and make that change in the serial number of the material or have a manual process / automation.