Parts can be moved between inventory locations in four different ways. The method to use depends on the situation and the kind of move that should be performed.
Distribution orders are used for moving parts between sites. The part to be moved must have the same part number on both sites. The demand and supply site can belong to the same company or different companies. Distribution orders cannot be used for moving parts between different databases.
With distribution orders, the moving can be planned and re-planned. A distribution order is seen as a demand on the supply site, and as a supply on the demand site. Usually the planning is done with one of the planning tools (material requirements planning (MRP), master scheduling, or order proposal), but the planning of moves can also be done manually.
The inter-site purchase order and inter-site customer order are used for moving the parts between sites. The demand and supply site can belong to the same company or different companies. Inter-site purchase order and inter-site customer order can be used for moves between site within the same database or sites in different databases. Message handling has to be set up to send inter-site purchase orders to the supply site, and thereby make it possible for the inter-site customer order to be created.
The inter-site purchase order together with the inter-site customer order is used when the demand for the move is definite, i.e., no re-planning is usually needed. It is possible to for instance cancel, change the date, quantity, etc. on both the purchase order and customer order, and thereby have manual re-planning possibilities. However, two objects need to be updated via sending of a change request message from demand site to the supply site or sending of a order confirmation message from the supply site to the demand site. These messages can be configured to be processed online i.e., both objects are updated simultaneously, if not processed online there will always be a time lapse until both objects are updated. The planning tools are not used to make this kind of re-planning since both the purchase order and customer order are regarded as definite.
This implies that the need for a move of parts in another database must be
definite before it is sent to the other database. That is, after the purchase order has been created and sent, all re-planning must be handled manually.
If there is a need to send non definite demands to another database, supplier scheduling must be used. There the line type can be
delivery authorized or not delivery authorized, i.e., depending on whether the
line is firm or planned.
The transport task can be used for moving parts between locations within a site and between sites. The sites can belong to the same company or different companies. The transport task cannot be used for moves between different databases.
A wanted date is not available on a transport task, so it is not possible to plan when a transport task should be performed. The transport task is used for moves that should be executed outside the ordinary reservation, shipment, and receipt processes.
The change inventory part location feature can be used for moves between locations within a site and between sites. The sites can belong to the same company or different companies. The change inventory part location feature cannot be used for moves between different databases.
Change inventory part location is used to report the moving of parts, i.e., get the transaction reported into the system. Usually, the move has already been performed without the system support for the execution.