TreinamentoSAP APO

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DP – Demand Planning

ÍNDICEPúblico Alvo......................................................................................................................4Objetivos...........................................................................................................................4Metas................................................................................................................................4DEMAND PLANNING (DP)...............................................................................................5

Objetivo........................................................................................................................................5Conceitos......................................................................................................................................5Demand Planning Process............................................................................................................6

Propose.....................................................................................................................................6Process Flow.............................................................................................................................6

Planning Area Administration......................................................................................................7Purpose.....................................................................................................................................7Prerequisites.............................................................................................................................7Process Flow.............................................................................................................................7Effects on Existing Data.........................................................................................................10

Key Figure..................................................................................................................................11Definition................................................................................................................................11Use..........................................................................................................................................11

Characteristic..............................................................................................................................12Definition................................................................................................................................12

Attribute......................................................................................................................................13Definition................................................................................................................................13Use..........................................................................................................................................13

Aggregate...................................................................................................................................15Definition................................................................................................................................15Use..........................................................................................................................................15

InfoCube.....................................................................................................................................16Definition................................................................................................................................16Usage......................................................................................................................................16Integration...............................................................................................................................17Creating InfoCubes for Use in Demand Planning..................................................................17

Load InfoCube............................................................................................................................19Storage Bucket Profile................................................................................................................21

Definition................................................................................................................................21Use..........................................................................................................................................22

Planning Bucket Profile..............................................................................................................23Definition................................................................................................................................23Use..........................................................................................................................................23Structure.................................................................................................................................24Example..................................................................................................................................24

Planning Version........................................................................................................................26Use..........................................................................................................................................26Prerequisites...........................................................................................................................26Creating Planning Versions....................................................................................................26

Master Planning Object Structure..............................................................................................27

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Definition................................................................................................................................27Integration...............................................................................................................................27

Planning Area.............................................................................................................................28Definition................................................................................................................................28Use..........................................................................................................................................28Struture...................................................................................................................................28

Characteristic Value Combination.............................................................................................29Definition................................................................................................................................29Use..........................................................................................................................................29

Data Storage in Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning............................................31Use..........................................................................................................................................31Integration...............................................................................................................................31Features...................................................................................................................................31LiveCache Time Series Objects.............................................................................................31

Loading Data from an InfoCube into a Planning Area...............................................................34Use..........................................................................................................................................34Activities.................................................................................................................................34

Planning Book............................................................................................................................35Definition................................................................................................................................35Use..........................................................................................................................................35Planning Book Maintenance...................................................................................................35Use..........................................................................................................................................35Activities.................................................................................................................................36Features.................................................................................................................................36

Creating a Master Forecast Profile.............................................................................................38

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Público Alvo

O treinamento SAP APO elaborado e aplicado pela W/3 Consultoria tem como público alvo os futuros profissionais que atuarão na solução Supply Chain Management SAP APO, exigindo como pré-requisito os conhecimentos básicos de planejamento da cadeia de suprimentos.

Objetivos

O treinamento tem como objetivos transmitir conceitos básicos do business SCM e direcionar os estudos mais complexos da ferramenta SAP APO, abordando funcionalidades e características básicas desta solução.

Metas

Após o treinamento SAP APO os participantes deverão estar aptos a conduzir seus auto-estudos de maneira facilitada, proporcionado pelo conhecimento adquirido neste período.

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DEMAND PLANNING (DP)

Objetivo

O uso do APO Demanda Planning propicia a criação de previsões de demanda de mercado para produtos. Este componente permite que você leve em consideração vários fatores que influenciam determinada demanda. O resultado do APO Demand Planning e o plano de demanda.

Conceitos

Demand Planning is a powerful and flexible tool that supports the demand planning process in your company. User-specific planning layouts and interactive planning books enable you to integrate people from different departments, and even different companies, into the forecasting process. Using the DP library of statistical forecasting and advanced macro techniques you can create forecasts based on demand history as well as any number of causal factors, carry out predefined and self-defined tests on forecast models and forecast results, and adopt a consensus-based approach to reconcile the demand plans of different departments. To add marketing intelligence and make management adjustments, you use promotions and forecast overrides. The seamless integration with APO Supply Network Planning supports an efficient S&OP process.

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Demand Planning Process

ProposeThis process describes each activity in the Demand Planning (DP) cycle. In general, you can

assume that the order of the processes presented here is the order in which you should proceed through the DP cycle. However, since DP is represented as a cycle, not a linear path, you may decide to repeat certain activities or to proceed in a different order.

Process FlowThe following diagram depicts the DP cycle.

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Planning Area Administration

Purpose

The setup of Demand Planning is the key to a successful implementation of the system. The first process in the setup is planning area administration.

Prerequisites

You have understood the differences between the different storage methods in Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning, and know which functions are supported by which storage methods. For more information, see Data Storage in Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning.

You have understood the role and purpose of the following:

Key Figure Characteristic Attribute Master Planning Object Structure Aggregate Storage Buckets Profile Planning Area

Process Flow1. Decide which key figures you want to use for Demand Planning and where you wish to store

them. Typically you store actual data for Demand Planning in an InfoCube, along with old planning data; and you save current planning data for Demand Planning in liveCache time series objects.

You will need a key figure for each department and/or business partner that will create a forecast.

For each key figure that you intend to forecast (for example, demand quantity), decide whether you will also need key figures for corrected history, corrected forecast, promotions, ex-post forecast, and/or ex-post MLR forecast.

Decide whether you need key figures in which to store forecasts from previous periods and/or quarterly or other cumulative subtotals.

For any key figure whose fixed values you wish to save, you will need a second key figure in which the fixed values will be stored.

Do not include " spare " key figures because they take up storage space. If you later decide that you need an extra key figure, you should add it then. Be aware, however, that you will need to delete the time series objects of your planning area, which will delete your data, so you must first make a backup (for more information on data backups, see Extracting Data from a Planning Area). For the extended planning area, you will need to create new time series objects.

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2. If the key figures that you want to use for planning do not already exist in the system, create them by choosing Tools Edit Info Objects in the Administrator Workbench.

Standard SNP key figures come predefined with APO. You do not have to create them.

If the system asks you to choose between an APO key figure and a BW key figure, choose APO key figure. This allows you to use the APO functions for key figures such as fixing.

When creating a key figure for values, select Amount, choose the data type CURR and enter the unit/currency 0STAT_CURR or 0Currency. For quantities, select Quantity, choose the data type QUAN and enter the unit 0BASE_UOM or 0Unit.

If you wish to be able to fix (that is, lock) the values of a key figure in interactive planning, both the key figure to be fixed and a key figure in which the fixed values are stored need to exist in the system. First create the key figure in which the fixed values should be stored. Then create the key figure you want to fix and in the field Fixed key figure attach the storage key figure. You find this field on the tabstrip Type/unit.

3. Decide which characteristics you want to use as planning levels and which characteristics you want to use only for selection and navigation. To find out what the difference is between these two types of characteristic, see Attribute.

4. In the Administrator Workbench, check to see if these characteristics already exist in the system. For example, the standard APO system comes with the characteristic 9AMATNR for product and 9ALOCNO for location.

Note: If you cannot see these standard characteristics, run program /sapapo/ts_d_objects_copy to create them in your system.

See also the information on the integration between Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning in Data Storage in Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning.

5. If the characteristics delivered with the system are not sufficient for your needs, create them by choosing Tools Edit Info Objects in the Administrator Workbench.

a. Create the characteristics you want to use as planning levels. b. Create characteristics that will be used for selection and navigation.

6. Assign navigational attributes to the characteristics you want to use as planning levels. For more information, see Attribute.

7. If you intend to store one or more key figures in an InfoCube, create the InfoCube(s) in the Administrator Workbench. You store sales history and other actual data, as well as old demand plans, in InfoCubes. You access the Administrator Workbench via Demand Planning current settings or in Customizing. Create BW InfoCubes, not APO InfoCubes. APO InfoCubes are used internally. You never actively create an APO InfoCube.

For more information on how to create an InfoCube, see:

Creating InfoCubes for Use in Demand Planning

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For information on how to store different versions of the same key figure in different places, see Data Storage in Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning.

8. Load actual data into the InfoCube(s). For more information, see Upload Process

9. Create storage bucket profiles by choosing Periodicities for Planning Area from the current settings for Demand Planning. For more information, see Storage Buckets Profile.

10. Create planning bucket profiles by choosing Define planning bucket profiles from Customizing for Demand Planning. For more information, see Planning Buckets Profile.

11. Create the APO versions that you want to use for Demand Planning, and assign these versions to a supply chain model.

This step may also be come earlier in the administration process.The concept of versions is different than in previous releases. In Release 2.0A there were

two kinds of versions: demand planning versions, which were saved in InfoCubes, and APO versions, which were assigned to models and saved in liveCache. As of Release 3.0A there is only one kind of version: the APO version. The APO version is used in all applications including Demand Planning.

Data in Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning is now divided up according to planning area, a further subdivison of which is the version. Consequently, the data you save to APO version 1 in planning area 1 does not overwrite the data in APO version 1 in planning area 2.

For information on how to store the same key figure in multiple versions, see Data Storage in Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning.

12. Create and activate a master planning object structure. Start by choosing Adminstration of Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning from the Demand Planning current settings, choosing Planning object structures from the pull-down menu on the top left, right mouse clicking the Planning object structures folder and choosing Create master planning object structure.

Include only the characteristics that you intend to use as planning levels. The characteristics that will be used for navigation and selection appear later automatically when you set up the DP master data.

For more information, see Master Planning Object Structure and IMG.

13. Create the aggregates in which you wish to save data by right mouse clicking the master planning object structure and choosing Create aggregate. For a definition of an APO aggregate, see Aggregate.

14. Create a planning area by choosing Adminstration of Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning from the Demand Planning current settings and choosing Planning area from the pull-down menu on the top left. For more information, see Planning Area and IMG.

15. Customize the forecast settings of the key figures in the planning area by right mouse clicking the planning area and choosing Forecast settings. For more information, see IMG.

16. Set up your master data for Demand Planning, either by having the system generate it from past data or by creating it manually. For more information, seeCharacteristics CombinationGenerating Master Data for Demand Planning Creating a Single Entry in the Master Data.

17. Initialize the planning area by right mouse clicking the planning area and choosing Create time series objects.

If you need to re-initialize a planning area after an update to your master data or in order to extend the planning horizon, you do not need to delete the old time series objects before you can create new ones. The system recognizes where new characteristic value combinations or new time series exist, and creates time series objects only for the new master data. As a result

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you only need to initialize aplanning area for the period that currently interest you. If then for instance, at the end of the month you want to extend the palnning period a month into the future and remove the first month of the history from the time series, you simply re-initialize entering the new dates.

You delete the time series objects if, for example, you have five versions and you only need to keep two of them. You delete the other three versions from Demand Planning by deleting their time series objects.

See Planning Area Functions in S&DP Administration

Effects on Existing DataIf you currently use Release 2.0A of Demand Planning, you need to perform certain conversions

in order to upgrade to a 3.0A environment. For more information, see note 301488.

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Key Figure

Definition

Contains data that is represented as a numerical value―either a quantity or a monetary value. Examples of key figures used in Demand Planning are planned demand and ac tual sales history. Examples of key figures used in Supply Network Planning are production receipts and distribution receipts.

Use

You create key figures in the Administration Workbench, even if you only intend to use the key figures in LiveCache. Choose Tools Edit InfoObjects.

In APO, create APO key figures (not BW key figures).

There are three types of key figure that are of interest for demand planning:

Quantity

Use this type for physical quantities Amount

This type is amounts of money Number

Use this type for numbers that do not have units of measure or currencies, such as factors.

The unit of measure and currency are always taken from the planning area.  

There are different places in which a key figure can be stored. For detailed information, see Data Storage in Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning.  

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Characteristic

Definition

A planning object such as a product, location, brand or region.

The master data of Demand Planning or Supply Network Planning encompasses the permitted values of the characteristics, the so-called characteristic values. Characteristic values are discrete names. For example, the characteristic 'location' could have the values London, Delhi and New York.

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Attribute

Definition

An attribute is a characteristic that is logically assigned, and subordinated, to another characteristic. Navigational attributes offer a way to plan multiple objects while achieving optimum system performance in Demand Planning.

Use

Administrator Workbench

Define characteristics that will be used for selection and navigation as navigational attributes. You do this in the APO Administrator Workbench. You assign these attributes to the characteristic to which they belong. For example, you might assign the attributes sales representative and priority to the characteristic customer as part of the definition of the InfoObject customer.

Planning Area Administration

When creating the master planning object structure, you specify which characteristics you want to plan. If navigational attributes exist for one or more of these characteristics, the attributes are automatically attached to the master planning object structure when you activate the master planning object structure. This means that if you add attributes to characteristics after the master planning object structure has been activated, you must reactivate the master object planning area before the attributes are effective. (You do not need to deactivate the master planning object structure to do so.)

Click on the pushbutton Navigational attributes im master planning object structure maintenance to display the attributes.

When creating the planning area, you define aggregates. You cannot include navigational attributes in an aggregate.

Master Data Maintenance of Attributes

You assign values to an attribute by maintaining its master data in the Administrator Workbench, not in Demand Planning master data maintenance. Choose from the maintenance screen of the attribute and if necessary enter selection criteria to restrict the selection.

For example, you give the attribute sales representative the values JF and ET.

To see how the attributes fit into the Demand Planning master data:

1. From the SAP Easy Access menu choose Master Data → Demand Planning Master Data → Maintain Characteristic Values.

2. Enter the master planning object structure. 3. Choose Display characteristics combinations.

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You cannot assign attributes to aggregates.

If you use navigational attributes, it is much easier to relaign characteristic value combinations when characteristic values changes. For more details,see Realignment.

Attributes in Interactive Demand PlanningYou do not see the difference between characteristics and attributes in interactive demand

planning. Use the attributes for selection and navigation.Reporting

You can do reporting on both characteristics and attributes.  

See also: Navigation Attributes in the Business Warehouse Administration Workbench documentation.

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Aggregate

Definition

The aggregates in APO are not the same as those in the Business Information Warehouse (BW), but they have the same purpose: to speed up data access and therefore increase performance. SAP recommends that you use aggregates in Demand Planning.

Use

An APO aggregate contains a subset of the characteristics in the master planning object structure. The creation and use of aggregates is optional. The data is always saved on the lowest level of detail. If aggregates exist, the system saves the planning data on the defined aggregate levels as well as on the lowest level of detail. The data is saved twice, but consistently; that is, the sum of the details equals the aggregate value.

SAP recommends that the aggregates you build in APO for planning data also exist in BW for actual data.

If you want to save fixed values at aggregate level ; that is not at detail level of the master planning object structure, in a planning book, you must create aggregates for this level. Otherwise the data is only saved at detail level.

You cannot form aggregates for navigational attributes

 

See also:

Using Aggregates in Interactive Planning

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InfoCube

Definition

The central objects upon which reports and analyses in BW are based, are called InfoCubes. An InfoCube describes (from a reporting point of view) a self-contained dataset, for example, of a business-orientated area.

An InfoCube has a particular type:

BasicCube MultiCube RemoteCube

Only BasicCubes physically contain data on the database. MultiCubes and RemoteCubes simply display logical views on a dataset. From the reporting view the InfoCube type does not have any importance. A query definition always refers to one InfoCube. The differentiation according to InfoCube type is first made when selecting data for the query.

UsageAn InfoCube is assigned to an InfoArea.InfoCubes are supplied with data from one or more InfoSources (Basic Cube),from one or more

Basic Cubes (MultiCube) or from an external system (Remote Cube).

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A query in the Business Explorer always refers to exactly one InfoCube.

IntegrationYou can access the characteristics and key figures defined for an InfoCube in the Query definition of the Business Explorer.

Creating InfoCubes for Use in Demand Planning

You can create InfoCubes manually as described below or use report program /SAPAPO/TS_PARAE_TO_ICUBE to generate a new InfoCube from the planning area automatically.

 

1. In Data Targets in the Administrator Workbench, select the InfoArea you previously created and choose Create InfoCube from the context menu.

2. Enter a name and a description for the InfoCube, select the InfoCube type, and choose Enter.

If asked by the system to choose between APO and BW, select BW. You never actively create APO InfoCubes.

3. In the Edit InfoCube: Characteristics screen, select from the template the characteristics you want to include in your InfoCube and copy them to the InfoCube using the Transfer fields button.

Include 9AVERSION. The APO system is preconfigured to store planning versions in this characteristic.

SAP recommends that you include the same characteristics that you have in your master planning object structure. Do not include characteristics that you defined as attributes in the master planning object structure.

 Include 9AMATNR for products and 9ALOCNO for locations. Characteristics prefixed with '9A' fall within the standard APO name range.

Use conversion routine PRODU for the characteristic that represents products.

4. Click on Dimensions to define at least one dimension. Dimensions allow you to group your characteristics according to different business perspectives. For example, you might have a Geography dimension and a Product dimension.

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You do not need to create dimensions for time characteristics, units or data packets; these are created automatically.

5. Click on the Assign tab to assign the characteristics to dimensions

Select the characteristic(s) you want to assign, use the scroll buttons to select the dimension to which you wish to assign it (them), and click on Assign. For example, you might assign the characteristics Region and Customer to the Geography dimension, and the characteristics Product family, Brand and Product to the Product dimension.

 Assign the characteristic 9AVERSION to a dimension named Version.

Choose Continue.

6. Click on the Time chars. tab to edit the time characteristics.

The Edit InfoCube: Time Characteristics screen appears.

Select time characteristics from the template. SAP recommends that you include the same time characteristics as you have for periodicities in the storage buckets profile of the planning area.

7. To include key figures in your InfoCube click on the Key fig. tab.

The Edit InfoCube: Key Figures screen appears.

Select from the template the key figures you want to include in your InfoCube and copy them to the InfoCube using the Transfer fields button.

If you wish to use this InfoCube to back up planning data as well as to store actual data, include all the key figures whose data you wish to be backed up. For information on data backup, see Extracting Data from a Planning Area.

However, you should not use InfoCubes for storing your current planning data. The performance of the LiveCache is markedly better.

To create new key figures, choose Environment Key figures Create. For monetary amounts, select Amount, and enter the data type CURR and the unit/currency 0STAT_CURR or 0Currency. For quantities, select Quantity and enter the data type QUAN and the unit 0BASE_UOM or 0Unit.

8. Choose InfoCube Activate. 9. Choose Back.

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Load InfoCube

Prerequisites

You have made the necessary setting for the source systems in the current system and the source

system. For more details, see Source System in the Business Information Warehouse documentation for the Administration Workbench.

Process Flow

1. You create an InfoArea.

a. From the SAP Easy Access menu, choose Demand Planning → Environment → Current Settings → Administrator Workbench.

b. In the Model tree on the left, click Data Targets. c. Right mouse click the Data Targets node on the right and choose Create InfoArea. d. Enter a name and a description for the InfoArea. e. Choose Enter.

1. If necessary, you create an InfoCube

See Creating InfoCubes for Use in Demand Planning and InfoCubes in the Business Information Warehouse documentation for the Administration Workbench.

2. You now define the source system

This step depends on the type of source system for the data.

See   Source System in the Business Information Warehouse documentation for the Administration Workbench and Setting Up the System Infrastructure and Data Transfer in the documentation of the integration between APO and R/3.

3. If necessary, you create an application component. 4. You create an InfoSource for this application component.

Here you decide whether to maintain transaction data or master data. In general, data for use in Demand Planning is transaction data. Master data consists of attributes, texts and hierarchies and is stored in a characteristic.

For more information, see InfoSource in the Business Information Warehouse documentation for the Administration Workbench.

5. You now assign the source system that you created in step 3 to the InfoSource.

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You define the transfer structure, transfer rules and communication structure. The transfer structure defines how the data is transferred from the data source. The communication structure defines how data is imported into the InfoCubes. If you only have one data source for an InfoSource, there should be no difference between the transfer structure and the communication structure.

For more details, see Creating Source Systems and   Source System in the Business Information Warehouse documentation for the Administration Workbench.

6. You create update rules for the InfoCube.

The update rules determine how the data is uploaded from the communication structure of the

InfoSource to the individual InfoCubes. For details on update rules, see Update Rules in the Business Information Warehouse documentation for the Administration Workbench.

7. You create an InfoPackage.

An InfoPackage specifies details such as:o When the data is to be uploaded, for instance immediately or as a background job o Details on the external data, such as the location of flatfiles o Selection criteria o The target InfoCube(s)

You can also use InfoPackage groups to schedule several InfoPackages together.

For more details, see Scheduler and Maintaining InfoPackages in the Business Information Warehouse documentation for the Administration Workbench.

Result

The data is transferred to the InfoCube. You can see a log for the request that is generated for the job in the Manager, which you can access from the Administrator Workbench by selecting the Info Cube and choosing the Manager in the context menu. Here you can also check the contents of InfoCube by selecting the InfoCube in the top section of the screen and choosing the Contents button.  

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Storage Bucket Profile

Definition

There are two kinds of time bucket profiles: one is used for storing data (the storage buckets profile), and the other for planning the data (the planning buckets profile). Neither profile contains any reference to an InfoCube.

A storage buckets profile defines the time buckets in which data based on a given planning area is saved in Demand Planning or Supply Network Planning.

In a storage buckets profile, you specify:

One or more periodicities in which you wish the data to be saved

The horizon during which the profile is valid.

&EXAMPLE&You select the periodicities month and week in the storage buckets profile. You do not enter a time stream. Data for the months of June and July 2001 is stored in the following buckets, also known as technical periods.

Time span Number of days

Friday through Sunday, June 1-3 3 days

Monday through Sunday, June 4-10 7 days

Monday through Sunday, June 11-17 7 days

Monday through Sunday, June 18-24 7 days

Monday through Saturday, June 25-30 6 days

Sunday, July 1 1 days

Monday through Sunday, July 2-8 7 days

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Monday through Sunday, July 9-15 7 days

Monday through Sunday, July 16-22 7 days

Monday through Sunday, July 23-29 7 days

Monday and Tuesday, July 30-31 2 days

 

UseThe definition procedure for storage bucket profiles is the same for Demand Planning and Supply

Network Planning.Include in the storage buckets profile only the periodicities you need because the technical

periods take up storage space. On the other hand, you must include all the periodicities in which you intend to plan. For example, if you intend to plan in months, you must include the periodicity month in the storage buckets profile.

You need a storage buckets profile before you can create a planning area. The storage buckets profile can be used for the release to SNP. For more information, see

Release of the Demand Plan to SNP.The way data is saved is further defined by the way you customize the Calculation type and

Time-based disaggregation in the planning area. For more information, see F1 Help for these fields.To define the buckets in which data is displayed and planned in interactive planning, create a

planning buckets profile. For more information, see Planning Buckets Profile.You maintain storage bucket profiles in Customizing under Supply Chain Planning Demand

Planning Basic Settings Define Storage Bucket Profile.

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Planning Bucket Profile

Definition

Information that defines the historical or future time horizon for Demand Planning or Supply Network Planning, specifically:

Which time buckets are used for planning How many periods of each time bucket are used The sequence in which the time buckets appear in the planning table

Use You can plan in monthly, weekly, daily or (combined with fiscal year variants) self-defined buckets. When creating a planning buckets profile, use only those periodicities or a subset of the

periodicities that are also defined in the storage buckets profiles on which the planning area is based. In a planning buckets profile, do not include a periodicity that is not in the storage buckets profile.

You can have multiple planning buckets profiles, and therefore multiple planning horizons, for one planning book. The planning buckets profile is attached to the data view within the planning book. For example, you might have three data views for three users, each one based on a different planning buckets profile: the marketing department plans in months, the sales department in months and weeks, and the logistics department in weeks and days.

To switch to a different planning buckets profile in interactive planning, you open the planning book wizard by changing to Design mode and choosing the Change Planning Book button. On the Data View tab page, enter a name and description for the new view as well as the required time bucket profiles and any other necessary data. .

If you specify a historical planning horizon in the data view, the first historical time bucket starts on the day before the future planning horizon start date. The second historical time bucket starts further back in the past, and so on. If you plan in weeks, the first day of the week is always a Monday.

If you plan in weeks and the planning horizon start date as specified in the data view of the planning book is not a Monday, the first week of the planning horizon is predated to the previous Monday. For example, if the planning horizon start date as specified in the planning book is November 1, 2001 (a Thursday), the first week of the planning horizon begins on October 29, 2001 (a Monday).

If the planning buckets profile contains smaller and larger time buckets, for example weeks and months, the smaller time buckets take precedence if any conflict arises. If, for instance, you have specified that the first month is to be planned in weeks and the month does not start or end on a Monday, the system creates 5 time buckets of a week's duration. For example you start planning on 01/01/2001 and specify that the first month (January) is to be planned in weeks. The first 5 time buckets from Jan. 1 to Feb. 4 are in weeks. The first month bucket is shortened and is from Feb. 5 through Feb. 28.

If you forecast using mass processing jobs, the length of the planning horizon is a vital prerequisite for being able to save corrected history and the corrected forecast. The historical planning horizon in the planning book must include the historical forecast horizon in the master forecast profile. It may also go further back into the past than the historical forecast horizon in the

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master forecast profile. It must not be shorter than in the master forecast profile. Similarly, the future planning horizon in the planning book must include the future forecast horizon that is defined in the master forecast profile. It may also extend further into the future than the future forecast horizon in the master forecast profile. It must not be shorter than in the master forecast profile. This restriction is necessary for performance reasons. It does not apply if you forecast in interactive demand planning.

To read the data for the online release of the demand plan to SNP, you can use a planning buckets profile. For more information, see Release of the Demand Plan to SNP.

To release the demand plan to Supply Network Planning in daily buckets, you use a planning buckets profile containing daily buckets only. The use of a time buckets profile to release data to Supply Network Planning is optional. See also Release of the Demand Plan to SNP.

To see the start and end dates of a period in a planning book or in the demand planning table, double-click with the right mouse button on the column heading. In this dialog box, you can also configure what information you want to see in the column heading. At the time of writing, it is not certain that this functionality will be supported in Release 3.0A.

The buckets in which the data is stored in the system are known as storage buckets or technical periods. You define these technical periods when you create a storage buckets profile. For information on how technical periods affect disaggregation and rounding, see Example of Disaggregation and Rounding.

Structure

Having created planning bucket profiles, you use them to define the future planning horizon and the past horizon by entering them in a planning book: one for the future planning horizon and one for the past horizon. The system displays the horizons in interactive demand and supply planning by starting with the smallest time bucket and finishing with the largest time bucket. The future horizon starts with the smallest time bucket, on the planning horizon start date, and works forwards, finishing with the largest time bucket. The past horizon starts with the smallest time bucket the day before the start of the future horizon and works backwards, finishing with the largest time bucket:

Example

Number of periods

Basic periodicity Fiscal year variant of basic periodicity (optional)

Display periodicity

Fiscal year variant of display periodicity (optional)

2   

Y 

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1 Y 

M 

2 M 

W 

 In the above example, the time horizon spans two years. Of these two years, the first year is

displayed in months. The first two months of this year are displayed in weeks. The first row defines the entire length of the time horizon. The following rows define the different

sections of the horizon. You make entries in the columns Number and Display periodicity. The content of the other columns is displayed automatically when you press Enter. To see exactly which buckets will be displayed, choose Period list.

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Planning Version

Use

You can assign location-specific product master data to a planning version to carry out planning with version-specific data.

 If this data is not set, the version-independent data is used for a planning version.

Prerequisites

You have assigned the location product to a model. Using the F4 Help, you can choose a planning version from a list of planning versions assigned to the model. You must create a planning version and a location product before you can make this assignment.

Creating Planning Versions1. In the SAP Easy Access Menu, choose Master Data Planning Version Management Model

and Version Management.

The Model/Planning Version Manager: Display Model Data screen appears.

2. In the hierarchy in the left area of the screen, select the supply chain model for which the planning version should be created.

Choose Create Model/Planning Version Planning Version.

The Model/Planning Version Manager: Create Planning Version screen appears.

3. Enter the name of the planning version. 4. If you wish to use the planning version in PP/DS or Supply Network Planning, set the indicator

accordingly. 5. Choose Create and Save.

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Master Planning Object Structure

Definition

A master planning object structure contains plannable characteristics for one or more planning areas. In Demand Planning, the characteristics can be either standard characteristics and/or ones that you have created yourself in the Administrator Workbench. Characteristics determine the levels on which you can plan and save data. Specific characteristics are required for Supply Network Planning, Characteristics-Based Forecasting and forecasting of dependent demand; these characteristics can be included on demand in the master planning object structure.

The use of additional characteristics for Supply Network Planning is not supported. For an example of a master planning object structure with the correct characteristics for Supply Network Planning, see 9ASNPBAS.

The master planning objects structure is the structure on which all other planning object structures are based. Other planning object structures are aggregates and standard SNP planning levels.

A master planning object structure forms part of the definition of a planning area. The existence of a master planning object structure is therefore a prerequisite for being able to create a planning area.

Integration

Before you can start planning, that is entering data for key figures, you must have created characteristic combinations. You do this for each master planning object structure.

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Planning Area

Definition

Planning areas are the central data structures for Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning.

If you store actuals or other data in an InfoCube, the InfoCube is attached to a planning area. The planning area is created as part of the Demand Planning/Supply Network Planning setup. A planning book is based on a planning area. The end user is aware of the planning book, not the planning area.

The planning area specifies the following:

Unit of measure in which data is planned

Currency in which data is planned (optional)

Currency conversion type for viewing planning data in other currencies (optional)

Storage buckets profile that determines the buckets in which data is stored in this planning area

Aggregate levels on which data can be stored in addition to the lowest level of detail in order to enhance performance

Key figures that are used in this planning area

Settings that determine how each key figure is disaggregated, aggregated, and saved

The assignment of key figures to aggregates

 Supply Network Planning comes with predefined planning areas. You can also define your own

planning areas.

UseYou define planning areas in S&DP Administration.

Struture

You assign a planning area to a master planning object structure, which in turn is assigned characteristics and aggregates.

You assign the key figures with which you want to work directly to the planning area.

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Characteristic Value Combination

Definition

A characteristic value combination is the combination of characteristic values with which you want to plan. It is sometimes referred to a characteristic combination. Unless you have defined a combination no data can be planned.

Characteristic value combinations are planned for master planning object structures. The combinations are then valid for all planning areas based on this planning object structure.

Use

There are two paths for accessing characteristic value combination maintenance. Both paths lead to the same screen

From the Easy Access menu choose Master Data Demand Planning Master Data Maintain Characteristic Values or

In S&DP Administration select the relevant master planning object structure and then Create Char. Combination from the context menu.

In both cases the Maintain Characteristic Combinations Relevant to Planning screen appears. Here you can:

Generate characteristic combination

You use this option to generate characteristic combination based on the contents of an InfoCube. The system checks which combinations of values exist in the InfoCube and creates them for the master planning object structure.

As a result it is essential that the same characteristics are contained in the InfoCube and the master planning object structure. The InfoCube can contain more characteristics than the master planning object structure.Taking the above proviso into account, you can use any InfoCube to generate combinations.

See also Generating Master Data for Demand Planning Create individual characteristic combinations

You use this option, if there is no suitable data stored in an InfoCube or the combinations of values is new, for instance a new product. See also Creating a Single Entry in the Master Data.

Display existing characteristic combinations Delete existing characteristic combinations

During operation new characteristic value combinations occur. For instance, your company introduces new products or products are manufactured at another location. SAP provides a realignment tool with which you create the new characteristic value combinations automatically. For more details, see Realignment.

Another method of maintaining several characteristic value combinations is to edit the combinations in a flat file, such as a Microsoft Excel file, upload this file to an InfoCube, and then use this InfoCube to generate the characteristic value combinations.

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Data Storage in Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning

Use

In Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning, you can store data in three ways:

In liveCache time series objects In liveCache orders In an InfoCube

Each key figure in a planning area has its own storage method.

IntegrationSince planning areas for Supply Network Planning can contain only the standard SNP

characteristics, you can only use a joint planning area for Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning, if demand planning in your company is done at product level or at product and location level. If you want to do demand planning at other levels, such as brand or regional level, you must have separate planning areas.

Features

LiveCache Time Series ObjectsThe data is stored in buckets, with no reference to orders. This storage method is suitable for tactical,

aggregated planning. It is the usual method for saving current Demand Planning data. It also supports the Sales & Operations Planning process. If you save a key figure to liveCache time series objects, you can use the following functions:

Constraint propagation up and down stream (material constraints, capacity constraints, stock level contraints)

Aggregation and disaggregation Freely definable macros Product allocation checks Characteristics-Based Forecasting (CBF)

Single- and multilevel infinite heuristics Capacity leveling MILP Optimizer Capable-to-Match Deployment

Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI)

There are a number of standard key figures that are saved to liveCache time series objects which you can include in an SNP planning area by choosing Edit → SNP time series objects.

The prerequisites for saving a key figure to liveCache time series objects are that: You have created time series objects for the planning area. When creating the planning area, you made no entries for the key figure in the fields InfoCube,

Category or Category Group.

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When creating the planning area, any entry you made in the field Key figure semantics is prefixed with TS (an entry in this field is optional).

For an example of Sales & Operations Planning using the time series storage method, see planning book 9ASOP, planning area 9ASNP01 (transaction /SAPAPO/SNPSOP) in the standard APO system.

LiveCache OrdersThe data is stored with reference to orders. This storage method is suitable for operative planning,

such as in a classical SNP setup. If you save a key figure to liveCache orders, you can use the following functions:

Real-time integration with R/3 Full pegging Freely definable macros

Single- and multilevel infinite heuristics Capacity leveling MILP Optimizer

Capable-to-Match (CTM) Deployment One-step deployment Transport Load Builder (TLB) Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI)

There are a number of standard key figures that are saved to liveCache orders which you can include in an SNP planning area by choosing Edit → SNP standard.

The prerequisites for saving a key figure to liveCache orders are that: You have created time series objects for the planning area (even though you are saving to

orders). When creating the planning area, you either specified a Category or Category Group or entered a

Key figure semantic prefixed with LC.

When creating the planning area, you made no entry for the key figure in the field InfoCube.

For an example of Supply Network Planning using the orders storage method, see planning book 9ASNP94, planning area 9ASNP02 (transaction /SAPAPO/SNP94) in the standard APO system.

InfoCubesThe data is stored in an InfoCube in the Administrator Workbench. This storage method is suitable for

data backups, old planning data, and actual sales history. In Demand Planning, actual sales history is used to generate master data and as the basis for forecasting.

In APO Demand Planning you can only read from InfoCubes if you have specified the InfoCube in planning area configuration. For details of how to save data to InfoCubes see Exchange of Data Between InfoCubes and Planning Areas.

To specify an InfoCube from which the key figure is read in all versions:1. Select the planning area in S&DP Administration. 2. Choose Change in the context menu. 3. On the Key figs tab page choose Details. 4. Select the relevant key figure and enter the InfoCube in the relevant field.

It is possible to use different InfoCube for different versions. Continue as above up to step 3. In Step 4 do not enter an InfoCube. Choose . A dialog box appears, in which you enter the InfoCube for each

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version. After you entered the necessary information, choose to save the data and return to the previous screen. You can see that such data has been entered by the icon.

For information on data backups, see: Forecast Storage

Extracting Data from a Planning Area

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Loading Data from an InfoCube into a Planning Area

Use

Use this function to load data from an InfoCube into a planning area. This function is designed for InfoCubes that are not defined in planning area administration. The characteristics in the selection condition and the grouping condition refer to the characteristics in the InfoCube. Otherwise, the functionality is the same as in the Copy/Version Management function. For more information, see Copy Management.

Activities

To access this function, choose Demand Planning → Environment → Load planning area version from the SAP Easy Access menu.

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Planning Book

Definition

A configured layout used in APO Demand Planning that consists of:

Tree controls for data selection A series of planning tables Graphics in the form of bar charts or graphs

Each planning book contains one or more views. APO Demand Planning comes with preconfigured views for:

Univariate forecasting (time series forecasting) Causal analysis Composite forecasting

You can also define one or more of your own views. Such views enable you to: Define user-specific planning horizons

Select different key figure subsets for different planning tasks Add rows containing actual data from the current year and/or the previous year Configure the appearance and use of individual rows and columns Define simple and/or complex macros

UsePlanning books support the online simulation of multiple planning scenarios, consistent planning

throughout your enterprise (top down, middle out, or bottom up), drilling up and down, aggregation and disaggregation, slice-and-dice techniques, and the ad-hoc creation of different planning situations.

To create authorizations for planning books, choose Tools Administration User Maintenance Activity Groups (User Roles) from the APO menu tree.

Planning Book Maintenance

Use

Whether the demand planner works with mass processing jobs or in interactive demand planning, she always works within a planning book and within certain data views in that book. The first step in the planning process is to open the planning book.

Prerequisites

1. You have created a planning area. 2. You have created a planning buckets profile.

ActivitiesTo create a planning book:

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1. Choose Design planning book from the Demand Planning current settings or in Customizing for Demand Planning. Alternatively, choose Create planning book from design mode of interactive demand planning.

2. Work through tabstrips, guided by the wizard and referring to F1 Help where necessary. See also Features below.

3. When you have finished making entries on one tabstrip, choose Continue to access the next tabstrip.

4. When you have finished working through the tabstrips and wish to save the planning book, choose Complete and confirm any messages that appear.

The system saves the planning book and, in this process, adds the standard key figures necessary for carrying out the selected applications and functions.

Features

Planning Book TabstripOn the Planning book tabstrip you specify:

The planning area on which the planning book is based

A text (short description) for the planning book

Which applications and functions should be accessible from this planning book

Key Figures Tabstrip (Planning Book)On the Key figures tabstrip you specify which key figures you want to use in this planning book. To add one key figure to the planning book, drag and drop it to the planning book icon on the left

side of the screen. To add all key figures from the planning area in the planning book, click the Select all icon at the bottom of the window.

On a later tabstrip, you can add key figures from the planning book to a planning view.

Characteristics TabstripOn the Characteristics tabstrip you specify which characteristics you want to use in this planning

book. You choose from the characteristics in the master planning object structure on which the planning area is based.

To add one characteristic, drag and drop it to the planning book icon on the left side of the screen. To add all characteristics from the planning area to the planning book, click the Select all icon at the bottom of the window.

Key Figure Attributes TabstripOn the Key figure attributes tabstrip you define the attributes of specific rows in the planning book.

When you create a planning book, this tab is available only in Display mode. The tabstrip is available in Change mode when you edit a planning book.

On this tab, you can create key figures that are not saved in the Admin Workbench or in a planning area but can be displayed as rows in interactive planning. For a self-defined key figure, you can specify that it is saved to the database.Data View Tabstrip

On the Data view tabstrip you create one or more data views for the planning book. You need at least one view in order to use the planning book. You can have multiple views for multiple users within one planning book. In the data view you specify the planning horizon, which means that planning horizons can be user-specific.

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Key Figures Tabstrip (Data View)On this tab, you specify which key figures in the planning book will be used by users of this data

view. Support Package 4 of APO 3.0A does not support the display of multiple versions of one key

figure (for example, planned and actual) in a data view. For more information, please contact SAP.

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Creating a Master Forecast Profile1. In the SAP Easy Access menu, choose Demand Planning ´ Environment ´ Maintain forecast

profiles. 2. In the master forecast profile, make the appropriate field entries. For more information, see F1

Help. 3. Create a univariate profile, and/or an MLR profile, and/or a composite profile. 4. See also:

Creating a Univariate Forecast Profile

Creating an MLR Profile

Creating a Composite Forecast Profile

5. Select Univariate forecast, Multiple linear regression and/or Composite forecast and enter the forecast profiles you created in step 3.

6. Save the master forecast profile.

 

In the Find menu, you can perform a quick search for the master forecast profile that contains a known univariate, MLR or composite profile.

The system records the last forecast profile to be used with a selection under Goto ´ Assignment. You can override this setting:

By overwriting it under Goto ´ Assignment In interactive planning, by rerunning the forecast using a different

profile In mass processing, by checking the box Always use job profile

To store multiple planning scenarios for the same products, use different versions. For example, you might have three versions in a planning area containing three alternative demand forecasts: one created using a univariate (time series) profile, another created using an MLR profile, and a third created using a composite

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