User-Friendly Alternatives to the RF Framework in SAP EWM

By default, SAP delivers its Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) with its RF Framework for mobile data entry. In doing so, SAP follows its well-known pragmatic and functional-first approach. While mobile processes can be handled on a mobile device, a modern user experience is often neglected.

SAP's RF Framework uses established SAP technologies to support mobile processes in warehouse and production logistics. Fundamentally, these technologies serve their purpose, though users must accept certain limitations regarding performance and user-friendliness.

• SAP provides extensive standard processes with the RF Framework, however, customizing them within the framework is comparatively complex.
• The standard RF transactions display a great deal of information on the mobile screen, the sheer volume of which is unnecessary in many MDE projects.
• The usability has several weaknesses: Input screens are sometimes very cluttered. Label texts are very short and often not intuitive for the average warehouse employee. Some fields, for example, for Handling Units, are displayed too short on the mobile screen, meaning the last digits are not visible. There are no informational texts to guide the user.

• It is possible to equip RF transactions with SAP Fiori interfaces, which makes the user interface more user-friendly.
• At the same time, the performance of the mobile solution can suffer, as large volumes of data are typically transmitted. This causes noticeable latencies, especially during a global rollout for plants that are located far from the SAP system.

Ultimately, mobile data entry with SAP EWM should enable efficient processes. This includes achieving an optimal "translation" of EWM processes into mobile processes. Furthermore, the goal should be to implement a solution that can be operated intuitively and even with "fun" by warehouse employees, without requiring training. Last but not least, an MDE solution must also be high-performance, especially in a global deployment, in order to meet the requirements for optimal logistics processes.