Difference between SAP movement type 309 and 311 for the Batch to Batch transfer

 

Here is my explanation about the impact and document creation for SAP movement types 309 and 311.

Movement Type 309 (Material to Material Transfer):

• Impact:
  • Changes the batch affiliation of the material.
  • Does not change the storage location.
  • Does not typically change the valuation of the material. The existing valuation of the original batch is carried over to the new batch.
  • Updates batch quantities directly.
• Documents Created:
  • Material Document: One material document is created to reflect the change in batch assignment. This document shows the quantity moved from the original batch and the quantity added to the new batch. Importantly, it does not generate accounting postings.

Movement Type 311 (Stock to Stock Transfer):

• Impact:
  • Can change the storage location of the material. Often used for transfers between plants, storage locations within a plant, or even to different stock types (e.g., unrestricted to blocked stock).
  • Can change the batch affiliation (though it's not the primary purpose).
  • May change the valuation of the material, especially if the receiving storage location has a different valuation price. This is common when transferring between plants. Even if the material number remains the same, the valuation can change.
  • Impacts stock quantities at both sending and receiving locations because it is treated as a goods issue and goods receipt.
• Documents Created:
  • Material Document: One material document is created, encompassing both the goods issue and goods receipt aspects of the transfer.
  • Accounting Documents: Accounting documents are generated to reflect the change in stock value. This is crucial for financial reporting and inventory valuation. These documents represent the financial postings associated with the stock movement. Since the material is treated as issued out of one storage location and received into another, the accounting documents created reflect removal from the sender and addition to the receiver, creating the appearance of two distinct but related transactions.

Key Differences Summarized:

Example Scenario Illustrating the Difference:

Imagine you have Batch A of a raw material.

• Scenario 1 (309): You repackage Batch A into new containers and label it as Batch B. This is a simple batch change within the same storage location. You'd use 309. Only a material document recording the batch change is created.
• Scenario 2 (311): You send Batch A from your main warehouse (Storage Location 001) to a production facility (Storage Location 002). This changes the storage location. You would use 311. A material document and accounting documents reflecting the transfer between locations are created.

I hope this clarifies the impacts and document creation related to these movement types. If you have any specific scenarios you'd like me to analyze, feel free to ask!