Hi,
first of all: if you plan to use cross-docking, you do not use ROD and AFS as storage locations. Because it does not make any sense. And a storage location is not really linked to a storage type.
What is the usage of ROD and AFS? They are for what is called "storage location scenario" in WM. What does that mean? Imagine you have WM. You post the GR, in that moment the material does exist as quant in the GR area. Now the material is available (assuming you have no QM), so you can create a sales order, an outbound delivery, and warehouse task - and then you run into a problem. Because the GR zone is usually NOT part of you picking storage type search sequence. Or the material is on the way from the GR zone into the the warehouse, and is not available (from a warehouse perspective. And assuming you have no other stock in the warehouse).
That why you can work with the storage location scenario. You order the material for the ROD storage location. ROD stands for "Received on Dock". That is where you post the GR to. Then you move the material with a WT (or in the case of WM with a TO). And when the material arrives at the final storage bin, the system makes a posting change into the storage type AFS (=Available for sales). Now the real trick is that when you create an outbound delivery in ERP, this makes a "picking storage location determination" - and in here you ONLY find the AFS storage location. So as long as the material is still in the GR zone or on the way to the final bin in the warehouse, it is "not available" for ERP. It is available if you look into MMBE, but you will not be able to create a delivery (assuming you make a "proper" availability check).
In EWM additionaly you do not have storage locations, but stock types. And the storage locations are connected to the stock types via availability groups.
When you putaway the material in the final bin, the storage type for this bin has a flag that the material has to belong to the availability group which is connected to the storage location AFS. Thats why the system makes the posting change.
If this whole szenario is not interesting for you (means you do not really have the problem that material gets sold before it is in the final bin, or you do cross docking, or the process of creating warehouse tasks for picking anyway happens later, after you have putaway your material) - you do not use anything of this. All you need is one storage location, one availability group, and the stock types to reflect the different stock qualificiations - unrestricted, blocked, quality inspection and returns.
Brgds
Juergen
