Today we cover the complete list of SAP Movement Types with examples and real-time scenarios - movement types are the backbone of Inventory Management (IM) in SAP MM, controlling every goods receipt, goods issue, transfer posting, and stock transfer that happens in the system. Every single material document posted in SAP - whether it's receiving material against a purchase order, issuing components to a production order, moving stock between plants, or adjusting inventory after a physical count - is driven by a three-digit movement type behind the scenes. This guide gives you the full categorized list of standard SAP movement types, the T-codes you need to view and configure them, and 25+ real-time business scenarios explaining exactly when each one is used.
Goods Receipt And Issue
Movement types for receiving material against POs and issuing stock for consumption, sales, or cost centers.
Transfer And Stock Postings
Movement types for plant-to-plant transfers, storage location changes, and quality/blocked stock movements.
Subcontracting And Physical Inventory
Movement types for subcontracting components, consignment stock, and physical inventory count differences.
Quick Tip: Every movement type controls three things behind the scenes - the stock account posted in FI, the fields shown on the goods movement screen, and whether the movement updates quantity only or quantity and value. Understanding this link is what separates a basic user from a strong MM consultant.
📦 What is a Movement Type in SAP?
A movement type is a three-digit key in SAP Inventory Management that classifies the nature of a goods movement and controls how that movement is processed and posted in the system. It determines which stock accounts are updated in Finance, which fields appear on the goods movement entry screen, whether the movement requires a purchase order or production order reference, and how the transaction affects stock quantity and value.
Where Movement Types Are Used
Movement types are used across nearly every MM and Inventory Management transaction, most commonly transaction code MIGO for goods movements and MB1A / MB1B / MB1C for older-style single-screen postings. They also drive automatic postings triggered by other modules, such as Production Order component consumption or Sales Order delivery goods issue in SD.
| T-Code | Purpose |
|---|---|
| OMJJ | Configure, copy, or review movement type settings (screen layout, account grouping) |
| MIGO | Post a goods movement - goods receipt, goods issue, transfer posting, or stock transfer |
| MB51 | List material documents posted, filterable by movement type, material, and plant |
| MB52 | Display current warehouse stock by storage location and stock status |
| MMBE | Stock overview across plant, storage location, and batch |
| MB03 | Display a specific material document and its line-item movement types |
Behind the Scenes: Table T156 stores the master list of movement types, while T156T stores their text descriptions. Account determination for each movement type is configured via transaction OMWN and the automatic account assignment (OBYC) settings tied to the movement type's transaction/event key.
📥 Goods Receipt Movement Types
Goods receipt movement types are used when material physically arrives - against a purchase order, without a purchase order, or as an initial stock upload.
| Type | Description | Reversal |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Goods receipt for purchase order into unrestricted-use stock | 102 |
| 103 | Goods receipt into GR blocked stock (against a PO) | 104 |
| 105 | Release from GR blocked stock into unrestricted-use stock | 106 |
| 121 | Goods receipt for a purchase order into blocked stock (returns) | 122 |
| 161 | Goods receipt for a returns purchase order (return delivery to vendor) | 162 |
| 501 | Goods receipt without a purchase order, into unrestricted-use stock | 502 |
| 511 | Goods receipt without a PO, free of charge | 512 |
| 521 | Goods receipt without a PO, into quality inspection stock | 522 |
| 561 | Initial entry of stock balances (used at go-live/data migration) | 562 |
📤 Goods Issue Movement Types
Goods issue movement types are used whenever material leaves inventory - for consumption, production, sales, or asset use.
| Type | Description | Reversal |
|---|---|---|
| 201 | Goods issue to a cost center | 202 |
| 211 | Goods issue for a production/process order (component consumption) | 212 |
| 221 | Goods issue for a project (WBS element) | 222 |
| 231 | Goods issue for a sales order (without SD delivery) | 232 |
| 241 | Goods issue to an asset | 242 |
| 251 | Goods issue for a sale (without SD, direct posting) | 252 |
| 261 | Goods issue for a production order (backflush at confirmation) | 262 |
| 281 | Goods issue for a network/network activity | 282 |
| 291 | Goods issue - other account assignment (general purpose) | 292 |
| 601 | Goods issue for an SD outbound delivery (customer sale) | 602 |
🔄 Transfer Posting Movement Types
Transfer postings move stock between storage locations, stock types (unrestricted, quality, blocked), or batches - without a change in ownership or plant, in most cases.
| Type | Description | Reversal |
|---|---|---|
| 311 | Transfer posting, storage location to storage location (one-step) | 312 |
| 321 | Transfer posting from unrestricted-use to quality inspection stock | 322 |
| 323 | Transfer posting from quality inspection to unrestricted-use stock | 324 |
| 343 | Transfer posting from unrestricted-use to blocked stock | 344 |
| 349 | Transfer posting from blocked stock to quality inspection stock | 350 |
| 331 | Transfer posting, unrestricted-use stock to sample usage (with consumption) | 332 |
| 309 | Transfer posting, material to material (unit/material change) | 310 |
🚚 Stock Transfer Movement Types (Plant to Plant)
Stock transfer movement types move material between two different plants or company codes, either directly (one-step) or via stock-in-transit (two-step).
| Type | Description | Reversal |
|---|---|---|
| 301 | Transfer posting, plant to plant, one-step (direct receipt at target plant) | 302 |
| 303 | Stock transfer, plant to plant, two-step - removal from issuing plant (stock in transit) | 304 |
| 305 | Stock transfer, plant to plant, two-step - receipt into receiving plant | 306 |
| 641 | Goods issue for a stock transport order via SD delivery (cross-company) | 642 |
| 647 | Goods receipt for a stock transport order with SD delivery, one-step | 648 |
↩️ Returns Movement Types
Returns movement types handle stock going back to a vendor or coming back from a customer.
| Type | Description | Reversal |
|---|---|---|
| 122 | Return delivery to vendor from unrestricted-use stock (against PO) | 123 |
| 161 | Return to vendor via returns purchase order | 162 |
| 651 | Customer returns into unrestricted-use stock (via SD returns delivery) | 652 |
| 653 | Customer returns into blocked stock (pending quality check) | 654 |
🏭 Subcontracting Movement Types
Subcontracting movement types manage components sent to a vendor and finished goods received back after external processing.
| Type | Description | Reversal |
|---|---|---|
| 541 | Transfer posting of components to a subcontractor (stock provided to vendor) | 542 |
| 543 | Consumption of components at goods receipt of the finished subcontracted material | 544 |
| 545 | Transfer posting of subcontracting stock from one vendor to another | 546 |
| 101 (O) | Goods receipt of finished material from subcontracting PO (with automatic 543 consumption) | 102 |
🤝 Consignment Movement Types
Consignment movement types track vendor-owned stock held at your site until it is consumed or transferred to your own stock.
| Type | Description | Reversal |
|---|---|---|
| 201 (K) | Consumption of vendor consignment stock to a cost center | 202 |
| 231 (K) | Consumption of vendor consignment stock for a sales order | 232 |
| 311 (K) | Transfer posting of consignment stock, storage location to storage location | 312 |
| 411 | Transfer posting of consignment material into own stock (liability created) | 412 |
🧮 Physical Inventory Movement Types
Physical inventory movement types post the quantity differences found during a stock count, adjusting the book inventory to match the actual counted stock.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| 701 | Physical inventory - surplus quantity (increase) in unrestricted-use stock |
| 702 | Physical inventory - shortage quantity (decrease) in unrestricted-use stock |
| 703 | Physical inventory - surplus quantity in blocked stock |
| 704 | Physical inventory - shortage quantity in blocked stock |
| 711 | Physical inventory count difference - unrestricted-use stock (older variant) |
| 712 | Physical inventory count difference - reversal (older variant) |
Note: Physical inventory movement types are triggered automatically by transaction MI07 (post inventory count difference) - they are generally not posted manually like other movement types.
🧠 Real-Time SAP Movement Type Scenarios
These scenarios walk through exactly which movement type applies to a real business situation - the way it's actually asked and used on the job.
How to Use This Section: For each scenario, identify what's physically happening to the stock (arriving, leaving, moving internally, or being adjusted) - that's the fastest way to land on the right movement type category.
Example: A plant receives 500 units of raw steel against PO 4500012345; the storekeeper posts a 101 goods receipt referencing that PO.
Example: A damaged pallet is received and posted to GR blocked stock with 103 until quality confirms whether it can be accepted.
Example: Maintenance issues 20 units of lubricant to the plant maintenance cost center using a 201 goods issue.
Example: When an operator confirms 100 finished units on a production order, the system automatically posts 261 to consume the required raw materials.
Example: A warehouse team posts goods issue for delivery 80001234, which triggers a 601 movement reducing finished goods stock.
Example: During go-live, the legacy warehouse stock count of 12,000 units is uploaded into SAP using 561 movements per material and storage location.
Example: Stock is moved from the "Raw Materials" storage location to the "Production Supply" storage location within the same plant using 311.
Example: A batch already in unrestricted stock is flagged after a customer complaint and moved to inspection stock with 321 for re-testing.
Example: A quality engineer discovers a corrosion defect in stored stock and moves it to blocked status using 343 pending a scrap-or-rework decision.
Example: A regional distribution center transfers 200 units directly to a retail plant using a single 301 posting.
Example: Stock shipped from a plant in Texas to a plant in Ohio is posted with 303 at dispatch and 305 upon arrival a few days later, keeping visibility of in-transit stock.
Example: Stock transferred from a US company code to a Canadian company code posts a 641 goods issue and generates an intercompany invoice.
Example: A furniture manufacturer sends raw wood panels to an external vendor for lacquering, posted with 541 against the subcontracting PO.
Example: The lacquered panels are received back into stock with 101, and the system automatically consumes the raw panels with 543.
Example: A vendor stocks bolts at your site on consignment; when production consumes 500 bolts, the system posts a 201 (K) movement and creates the vendor liability at that moment.
Example: At quarter-end, a company decides to buy out remaining consignment inventory and posts 411 to convert it to owned stock.
Example: Components already sitting at Vendor A need to move to Vendor B for the next processing step, posted with 545 instead of a full return-and-resend cycle.
Example: A consultant finds 541 quantities exceeding 543 consumption for a vendor, indicating unconsumed components still sitting at the subcontractor.
Example: 50 defective units received against PO 4500098765 are returned to the vendor using a 122 posting referencing that same PO.
Example: A customer returns a wrongly shipped item; the warehouse posts 651 to bring it back into sellable stock after verifying it's undamaged.
Example: A cycle count finds 480 units physically present against a system quantity of 500 - the 20-unit shortfall posts automatically as a 702.
Example: A storekeeper accidentally posts 101 for the wrong material document and reverses it same-day with 102 before reposting correctly.
Example: A pharma company sends free product samples to a doctor's office via a free-of-charge order type, reducing stock via 601 with zero revenue impact.
Example: Two material codes were accidentally created for the same part; stock under the incorrect code is transferred to the correct one using 309.
Example: An auditor needs to confirm how a stock discrepancy occurred and traces it back to a 343 blocking posting three weeks earlier using MB51.
❓ FAQ - SAP Movement Types
✅ Summary - Most Frequently Used Movement Types
If you only memorize a handful of movement types before working on an MM project, start with these - they cover the vast majority of day-to-day postings.
| Type | Meaning | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | GR against purchase order | Goods Receipt |
| 102 | Reversal of 101 | Goods Receipt |
| 201 | GI to cost center | Goods Issue |
| 261 | GI for production order (backflush) | Goods Issue |
| 301 | Plant-to-plant transfer (one-step) | Stock Transfer |
| 311 | Storage location to storage location | Transfer Posting |
| 321 | Unrestricted to quality inspection | Transfer Posting |
| 343 | Unrestricted to blocked stock | Transfer Posting |
| 501 | GR without a purchase order | Goods Receipt |
| 541 | Components to subcontractor | Subcontracting |
| 561 | Initial stock upload | Goods Receipt |
| 601 | GI for SD delivery (sale) | Goods Issue |
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