The quick answer
A movement type is a three-digit key that tells SAP what a goods movement does — how it changes stock and what it posts in accounting. Every goods receipt, goods issue, and transfer uses one. The first digit tells you the kind of movement (1xx = receipts, 2xx = issues, 3xx = transfers), and the reversal of any movement type is its number + 1 (101 is reversed by 102). Learn the common ones below and most of Inventory Management makes sense.
Key takeaways
- A movement type controls the stock effect and the accounting posting of a goods movement.
- 1xx receipts · 2xx issues · 3xx transfers · 5xx other receipts · 6xx deliveries.
- Reversal = original + 1 (e.g. 101 → 102).
- You use movement types in MIGO; they're configured in OMJJ.
What a movement type is
When stock moves in SAP — arriving from a vendor, issued to production, transferred between storage locations — SAP needs to know exactly what to do: which stock type to update, whether to increase or decrease it, which fields to show, and which G/L accounts to post to. The movement type carries all of that. It's the instruction that turns "some stock moved" into a precise stock and financial posting.
Because the movement type drives account determination too, it's closely tied to config like OBYC — which is why an unfamiliar movement can surface as an account-determination error.
How movement types are numbered
The numbering isn't random — the first digit groups movements, and reversals follow a simple rule:
So 101 (goods receipt) is reversed by 102; 261 (issue to order) by 262; 311 (transfer) by 312. Once you know the groups and the +1 reversal rule, you can read most movement types on sight.
Common movement types
The movement types you'll meet most often in day-to-day SAP MM:
| Type | What it does |
|---|---|
101 | Goods receipt for a purchase order or production order (into unrestricted stock) |
102 | Reversal of a 101 goods receipt |
103 | Goods receipt into blocked stock (against a PO) |
105 | Release from blocked stock into unrestricted |
122 | Return delivery to the vendor |
201 | Goods issue to a cost center |
202 | Reversal of a 201 goods issue |
261 | Goods issue to an order (production / maintenance) |
262 | Reversal of a 261 goods issue |
311 | Transfer posting within a plant (storage location to storage location) |
312 | Reversal of a 311 transfer |
501 | Goods receipt without a purchase order (into unrestricted) |
561 | Initial stock upload — the opening balance at go-live (receipt without reference) |
601 | Goods issue for an outbound delivery (SD) |
641 | Goods issue for a stock transport order with delivery |
Reversals & where to find them
If you post the wrong movement, you reverse it with the number + 1 — 101 with 102, 201 with 202, and so on. In MIGO you usually pick "Cancellation" against the original material document rather than typing the reverse number by hand, and SAP applies the correct reversal type for you.
To see which movement types exist and how they're set up, use configuration transaction OMJJ. To review the movements already posted for a material, use MB51 (material document list). And you enter movements themselves in MIGO.
What SAP Movement Types Are and Why They Matter
In SAP MM, a movement type is a three-digit code that tells the system what kind of stock movement is happening — receiving goods from a vendor, issuing materials to production, transferring stock between locations, or returning goods to a supplier. Each movement type triggers a specific combination of stock updates and financial postings.
Movement types matter for three reasons: they update stock quantities, they post financial documents (debiting and crediting the right GL accounts via OBYC account determination), and they determine what reversal movement type to use if the original posting was made in error.
The critical rule: Movement types are not interchangeable. Using movement type 101 when you should use 501 produces different financial postings, different stock updates, and different downstream consequences. The wrong movement type is one of the most common and most disruptive errors in SAP MM.
Key SAP Movement Types Every MM Professional Must Know
These are the movement types that appear in day-to-day MM operations, SAP MM interviews, and the C_TS452 certification exam. Knowing when to use each one and what it posts financially separates experienced MM consultants from those who only know the theory.
How Movement Types Connect to Financial Postings
Every goods movement in SAP MM creates a Material Document and — for movements that affect stock valuation — a corresponding Accounting Document in SAP FICO. The movement type determines which financial accounts are posted via the OBYC account determination table.
FICO consultants need to understand movement type financial postings just as much as MM consultants — account determination errors caused by missing OBYC entries are frequently diagnosed by FICO consultants even when the original transaction was an MM goods movement.
FAQ
A movement type is a three-digit code in SAP MM that identifies the type of stock movement being performed — goods receipt, goods issue, transfer posting, or return. Each movement type triggers specific stock quantity updates and financial postings. Using the correct movement type is essential for accurate inventory levels and correct financial accounting.
Movement type 101 is the standard goods receipt against a purchase order, posted in transaction MIGO. It increases unrestricted-use stock, creates a material document, and posts an accounting document that debits the stock account and credits the GR/IR clearing account. It is the most commonly used movement type in SAP MM procurement operations.
Movement type 101 is a goods receipt against an existing purchase order — the system matches the receipt to a PO for three-way match purposes. Movement type 501 is a receipt without a purchase order — no PO reference. 501 bypasses the purchase order entirely, so no three-way match occurs. This also affects financial postings — 501 does not create a GR/IR entry the same way 101 does.
Movement type 261 is a goods issue to a production order — used when components or raw materials are issued from warehouse stock to a manufacturing production order. It reduces stock quantity and posts a financial document that debits the production order and credits the stock account via GBB account determination in OBYC.
GR Blocked Stock (movement type 103) is used when goods have been physically received but not yet accepted — typically pending quality inspection or verification. Stock in GR blocked status is not available for use. Once accepted (movement type 105), it moves to unrestricted stock.
Use movement type 122 in transaction MIGO to return goods to a vendor against a purchase order. This reverses the original goods receipt (101) posting — reducing stock quantity and reversing the financial entries (debiting GR/IR and crediting the stock account). The reversal movement type is 121.
A transfer posting is a goods movement that changes the status or location of stock without involving an external vendor or customer. Examples include transferring stock between plants (301), between storage locations (311), or between stock categories. Transfer postings create material documents and may or may not create financial postings depending on whether a valuation change occurs.
Movement type 551 is the standard scrapping movement in SAP MM — used to remove damaged, obsolete, or unusable stock from inventory. It reduces stock quantity and creates a financial posting that debits a scrapping or loss account and credits the stock account via GBB account determination. The reversal is movement type 552.
Movement type 601 is the goods issue for a customer delivery in SAP — triggered when goods are shipped to a customer as part of the SD order fulfilment process. It reduces stock and posts a Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) financial entry. Movement type 601 is typically triggered automatically from the delivery document (VL02N) rather than manually posted in MIGO.
The primary transaction for goods movements in SAP MM is MIGO (Goods Movement). MIGO covers goods receipts, goods issues, transfer postings, returns to vendor, and other movements. In MIGO you select the transaction type and reference document, and SAP proposes the appropriate movement type.
MATDOC is the simplified material document table in SAP S/4HANA that replaces the separate header (MKPF) and item (MSEG) tables from ECC. All goods movement data is stored in a single MATDOC table, enabled by HANA in-memory architecture. Custom ABAP reports that read MKPF/MSEG in ECC must be adapted for MATDOC in S/4HANA.
OBYC is the SAP transaction for configuring automatic account determination in MM-FICO integration. It defines which GL accounts are posted for each combination of transaction key, valuation class, and chart of accounts. Each movement type maps to transaction keys in OBYC — for example, movement type 101 triggers BSX (stock account) and WRX (GR/IR clearing). Missing OBYC entries cause account determination errors when a movement is attempted.
Movement types are tested in the Inventory Management and Logistics Invoice Verification topic areas of C_TS452. Questions typically ask which movement type to use for a specific scenario, what financial postings result from a specific movement, and how GR blocked stock and quality inspection stock differ from unrestricted stock.
The three-way match is the standard invoice approval process in SAP MM: the system compares the purchase order (what was ordered and at what price), the goods receipt (what was received via movement type 101), and the vendor invoice (what the supplier is charging via MIRO). Discrepancies outside configured tolerance limits block the invoice and require approval.
VoiSAP SAP MM training includes hands-on practice with all key movement types on a real SAP S/4HANA system — posting goods receipts, issuing materials, performing transfer postings, and processing returns. This practical system access is essential for the C_TS452 exam and for performing confidently in SAP MM interviews. Contact: voisap.com, +1-416-569-4606.