12.01.2026

Goods Movement in EWM & Inventory Management

When warehouses and inventories work in sync: Goods Movements in EWM & Inventory Management.

Anyone who works with SAP EWM (Extended Warehouse Management) and Inventory Management (IM) is familiar with the issue: goods transactions take place everywhere—in the warehouse, in production, in goods receipt, during stock transfers—and yet, at the end of the day, inventories and postings must match up perfectly.
It sounds simple enough, but in practice, this is often where things get tricky.

EWM vs. IM: two worlds, one goal

Inventory Management (IM)

Accounting perspective
Inventory at warehouse level
FI/CO-relevant
“What belongs to us?”

EWM

Logistical perspective
Warehouse structure (bins, HUs, resources, tasks)
Physical flow of goods
“Where is everything located and how does it move?”

Both systems therefore have different perspectives—but they must work in sync to ensure that planning, controlling, and operations run smoothly.

Goods Movements: Who will start?

Depending on the process, there are two typical scenarios:

1. IM leads, EWM follows

Classic flow in S/4HANA integration. Example: Goods receipt or transfer posting via MIGO.

IM posting generates an “Expected Goods Movement” in EWM.
EWM executes physical warehouse processes (putaway task, HU handling).
Completion in EWM → confirmation back to IM.

2. EWM leads, IM follows

Ideal for highly automated warehouses. Example: stock transfer in the warehouse, internal transports, consolidations.

EWM creates and confirms warehouse tasks.
Upon completion, EWM automatically triggers the appropriate IM posting code.

Where things often go wrong (and how to do it better)

❌ Double bookings or missing feedback
❌ Different inventories in EWM vs. IM
❌ Manual workarounds (Excel says hello)
❌ Complex mapping tables that no one understands

Why goods movements are so much smarter in EWM

EWM is not “just another warehouse,” but a process engine:

✅ Strategies (putaway/picking)
✅ Resource control
✅ HU management
✅ Lab orders, quality checks
✅ Automation (MFS, RF, bots)

While IM says “inventory -10 items,” EWM says “employee A fetches pallet 123 from bin 05-01-02.” So EWM thinks operationally, IM thinks accounting-wise – goods movement is the bridge between the two.

IM & EWM become a dream team when….

the processes are clearly modeled….
the integration is configured correctly….
everyone knows where to post (IM or EWM)….
movements are not controlled twice, but in a targeted manner.

This results in transparent warehouse movements, accurate inventory, and valid accounting. All in all: an efficient supply chain.

Our Conclusion

Goods movements in EWM and IM are not an “either/or” situation, but rather a perfect interplay between two perspectives.
Those who understand the logic behind this and integrate it properly will reap the benefits:

Fewer errors
Real-time data
Efficient processes
High level of automation
Better basis for decision-making

If you want to know how to intelligently combine complex movement logic, process types, HU flows, or inventories in EWM & IM, we are happy to support you. Relaxed in conversation, professional in implementation.