A picker confirms fewer units than an outbound delivery requests. Before changing the delivery or creating more warehouse work, establish what was requested, what was actually confirmed, and what remains unresolved. Short picking is a useful diagnostic exercise because it touches stock, warehouse tasks and delivery processing without making those records interchangeable.
The following fictional example is suitable for learners considering SAP EWM training in Vizag. Exact screens, exception handling and permitted follow-up actions depend on the warehouse design, system release and configuration.
Separate the three quantities
An outbound delivery item requests 50 units. Warehouse task confirmation records a pick of 40 units. For the example, 50 − 40 = 10 units of delivery demand remain unresolved. The difference is a quantity to investigate, not proof of the reason for the shortage.
| Record or comparison | Quantity | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery request | 50 units | Demand to fulfil |
| Confirmed pick | 40 units | Recorded picked quantity |
| Unresolved difference | 10 units | Demand requiring review |
For a real item, first ensure all quantities use comparable units. A carton, a case and an individual piece may represent different quantities. Apply the material’s valid conversion before calculating a shortage.
Warehouse tasks and warehouse orders answer different questions
A warehouse task records a particular warehouse movement or activity. A warehouse order groups tasks for execution. One delivery item may relate to several tasks, and one warehouse order may contain work for multiple items. Reading only the warehouse order header cannot establish the picked quantity for this delivery item.
Inspect the relevant task items and statuses. Distinguish planned task quantity from confirmed quantity, cancelled work from active work, and replacement tasks from the original task. Otherwise, adding every visible row can count the same demand twice.
Investigate the source stock
- Identify the source bin and the material associated with the short confirmation.
- Check batch requirements and the batch actually selected.
- Compare required units with the stock units and their conversions.
- Inspect stock status and whether the stock is eligible for this outbound process.
- Read the recorded exception or confirmation message.
Ten units visible elsewhere in the warehouse are not automatically ten usable units. They may belong to a different batch, be unavailable for the required process, or be recorded in a different stock category. A physical count and system record can also disagree; investigate that discrepancy through the warehouse’s approved procedure.
Choose between additional picking and an approved shortage
If eligible stock exists and the process permits further picking, an authorised user may arrange additional work for the remaining 10 units. Confirm whether open tasks already cover that quantity before creating another task. The useful check is that intended additional demand is covered once.
If eligible stock does not exist, the warehouse may need an approved shortage process, a delivery adjustment or another agreed fulfilment decision. Which action is available depends on the business process. Do not assume a short confirmation automatically adjusts the delivery or authorises shipping the reduced quantity.
Keep picking, packing and goods issue separate
A confirmed pick records a picking event. Packing records how goods are assigned to packaging or handling units. Goods issue records the relevant outbound stock event. Completion at one stage is not evidence that the later stages have completed correctly.
In this example, the confirmed 40 units do not establish that 40 units have been packed or issued. Read those records independently. If the business approves shipping 40, verify that the delivery, packing quantities and goods-issue process reflect that decision before treating the order as resolved.
A small reconciliation to practise
Create one row for the delivery item and separate columns for requested quantity, active task quantity, confirmed picked quantity, packed quantity and issued quantity. Add references for the supporting documents. Explain why a 50-unit request and a 40-unit pick leave 10 unresolved, while avoiding a claim about downstream status that the records do not support.
Common question: should I just create a new task for 10 units?
Only after checking existing tasks, eligible stock and the permitted follow-up process. An additional task can be appropriate, but it can also duplicate open work or point to unsuitable stock. The task list and delivery history provide the evidence for that decision.
Continue learning
EWM warehouse orders and tasks; EWM outbound picking, packing and goods issue. Explore the linked course page for the current training information.