By Venkata Ramana Nethi, CSCP, CPIM, MGR IT Build-Run Operations & Quality, Schlumberger

SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization demand planning (DP) module allows a business to perform forecasting of the materials with considering all the factors that affect the demand. Demand planning is periodic and contains multi-step processes such as data gathering, statistical analysis, review market intelligence reports, and perform adjustments against budgeted forecast to drive material requirements planning. SAP APO DP toolset is designed as a platform so it must be tailored to the organization’s product types and nature of business with various key figures, characteristics, data aggregations, or disaggregation factors, planning object structures, planning areas, planning books, macros and data views to execute the process.

This article will provide the essential steps to implement with reasoning behind the configurations, prerequisites, navigation with transactions codes, relevant SAP notes, tables, and tips and tricks for troubleshooting issues during implementation.

In this article you will learn:

• The essential steps of SAP demand planning configurations including time series, planning books, statistical forecasting, background job set up, and demand plan release to ECC.
• Explanation of each configuration step involved with navigation path, transaction codes, and tables.
• Tips and tricks on configurations, performance optimization, and error resolutions.

Demand Planning – Planning Areas and Time Series Configuration

Maintain Periodicities for Planning Area

Periodicities for a planning area (also called storage buckets profile) define the time buckets in which data based on a given planning area is saved in Demand Planning or Supply Network Planning. You need to define a storage buckets profile before you can create a planning area.

Data in the planning area is stored in “Technical Periods” defined by the storage bucket profile assigned to the planning area.The “Time Stream ID” field is used only for time-based disaggregation.

Tips:

• Maintain all periodicities required for use in time bucket profiles, time bucket profiles in the planning book cannot be more granular than the storage bucket profile.
• Storage bucket profiles significantly impact sizing so select the best possible to suit your products, example storing data at monthly butcket have better performance than using weekly bucket, alwayss remember that you should not change a storage bucket profile once it is in use.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Current Settings > Periodicities for Planning Area
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/TR32
• Tables: /SAPAPO/SDPTSTR

Create and Activate Planning Object Structures

Planning Object Structures (POS) define groups of characteristics (and related navigational attributes). The POS will determine the characteristic value combinations (CVC’s) APO infocubes are generated in the background when a POS is activated. These can be seen in APO BW.

Prerequisites:

Required Characteristics and Navigational Attributes must be defined in APO BW before this step. Once used, characteristics in the POS must not ideally be modified. Also, Navigational Attributes related to these characteristics must not be added/ modified/ deleted. If not using standard characteristics for Material/ Location, then assign the newly defined InfoObjects for Material/ Location. This is required to use ‘Validate against SCM data’ during CVC creation. Creation of Planning Object Structures creates programs in the background and so requires certain namespaces (global settings) to be changeable.

Activation of Planning Object Structures requires access to create InfoCubes in InfoArea “Unassigned Nodes”. Navigational Attributes are not assigned GUIDS when using Forecast Selections. During activation of a Planning Object Structure, you may get an error – “Characteristic 0REQUID: Status of number range BIM9999998 is too small by 00000000000000000003”. To fix this run transaction RSRV à Select All Elementary Steps à Master Data à Compare Number Range and Maximum SID à Select 0REQUID characteristic and then execute. If error is found, then click on correct. Even after successfully activating a Planning Object Structure, check to see if there were any authorization failures in SU53. Without authorization, there could be issues identified in the consistency check.

Tips:

• You should not change master planning object structures that have been activated and those are in use in planning books, incase if you want to remove a characteristic from a master planning object structure you must first deactivate the structure. When you deactivate a master planning object structure, all characteristic value combinations are deleted and the existing liveCache time series objects become inconsistent.
• Refer to OSS Notes 540926, 570397 for copying Planning Object Structures.
• Use of dimensions to organize characteristics logically for improved performance, approach involves are
  • Make each dimension equal to one hierarchy
  • Don’t make a dimension with too many relationships
  • Consider the dimension definition that matches selection criteria
  • Continue to watch the size of a given dimension table

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Administration of Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MSDP_ADMIN
• Tables: /BIC/*ZDPPOS*

Maintain Aggregates

An APO aggregate contains a subset of the characteristics in the master planning object structure, these aggregates are sometimes referred to as persistent aggregates, when talking about detail and aggregate levels in interactive planning.

Master planning object structures (MPOS) and aggregates are the two types of Planning Object Structures (POS). The creation and use of aggregates are optional, the data is always saved on the lowest level of detail. If aggregates exist then the system saves the planning data on the defined aggregate levels as well as on the lowest level of detail which means that the data is saved twice, but consistently; that is, the sum of the details equals the aggregate value.

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

Tips:

• Use aggregates in both APO Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning.
• 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.
• Aggregates are discussed in detail in OSS note 503363.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Administration of Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MSDP_ADMIN
• Tables: /BIC/*POSATP*

Planning Areas – Setup

Planning Areas identify groups of key figures and are associated with a Planning Object Structure. Planning Object Structures/ Planning Areas and related areas can be migrated using transaction /SAPAPO/TSOBJ. Planning Areas can store data only in a single unit of measure (UOM) and only one currency. Planning Books can only display/ update data in one Planning Area.

Tips:

• When transporting objects with /SAPAPO/TSOBJ, use a new transport request (without any other objects), existing transports are not displayed.
• Planning Object Structures must be active before Planning Areas can be created. Time based dis-aggregation may not work if set to N (No Dis-aggregation with time). System may disaggregate despite this setting so run report /SAPAPO/TS_LCM_CONS_CHECK in repair mode to fix.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Administration of Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MSDP_ADMIN
• Tables: /SAPAPO/TSAREAKO, /SAPAPO/TSAREATE, /SAPAPO/TSPAPLO, /SAPAPO/TSPAREL, /SAPAPO/TSVERSIO

Planning Areas – Initialization

In this step we activate Planning Areas in Live Cache. This means, for example, that you initialize key figures for historical data only in the past and forecast key figures only in the future. You can thus reduce the amount of memory required and improve performance. At least one CVC and related time series object must exist before Planning Areas can be initialized.

Tips:

• Initialize for at least 1-2 years in past and 2 years in future, too long can cause performance issues so review carefully. Periodically run transaction /SAPAPO/OM17 to eliminate data inconsistencies

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Administration of Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MSDP_ADMIN

Planning Areas – Create Data Sources

Data source should be created for planning area for the backup of live cache time series data into an BW InfoCube. These InfoCubes are migrated across environments when the Planning Area (PA) is migrated. Activities involve generation, replication and the updating the transfer rules because BW expects the time stamp on InfoSources and transfer rules after that of the data source.

Tips:

• To reduce the number of records extracted tick the ‘No extraction of Data Records without Key Fig Value’, this means that if the key figure value for a time bucket is 0, it will not be extracted.
• Refer to OSS notes 1547072 and 540571 for performance optimization.
• Create backup cubes as intermediate storage to send the data to BI when planning area need to be deactivated for maintenance/ other purpose.

Navigation and tables:

• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/SDP_EXTR

Maintain Category Groups

In demand planning, category groups are used to transfer the order livecache series data from supply network planning (SNP) into demand planning (DP) key figures, example the active sales order quantity, stock transferred from SNP to DP via transaction /SAPAPO/LCOUT

Tips:

• Only make-to-stock relavant data can be transferred from SNP to DP using transaction /SAPAPO/LCOUT.
• Make-to-order supply cannot be transferred to DP using transaction /SAPAPO/LCOUT.
• Do not change standard delivered category group

Navigation and Tables:

• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/SNPCG
• Tables: /SAPAPO/APOCGT, /SAPAPO/APOCGC

Demand Planning – Planning Book, Data Views, and Selections

A planning book is based on a planning area, there is no limit on the number of planning books you can have for a planning area. Planning books support the online simulation of multiple planning scenarios, consistent planning throughout your enterprise, drilling up and down, aggregation and disaggregation, slice-and-dice techniques, and the ad-hoc creation of different planning situations.

Let us review the configurations supporting planning books.

Maintain Time Bucket Profile

Time Bucket Profiles are assigned to data views and are used to control the way data is seen (not stored). To read the data for the online release of the demand plan to SNP, you can use a planning buckets profile. For example, to release the demand plan to SNP in daily buckets, you use a daily buckets profile, that is a planning buckets profile containing daily buckets only, the use of a time buckets profile to release data to Supply Network Planning is optional.

Tips:

• Time buckets (Days, Weeks, etc.) must be consistent with (same or higher) buckets defined in storage bucket profiles.
• When you create a planning buckets profile, only use the 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.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Current settings > Maintain Time Buckets profile for Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/TR30
• Tables: /SAPAPO/SDPTB, /SAPAPO/SDPTBPOS

Planning Books & Data Views

Planning books and data views are interfaces with which users can interact with live cache time series data. Planning books can display data from one planning area only and you can define auxiliary key figures, but these exists in live cache only for the duration of the transaction. Based on the volume of data, it is always recommended to create separate planning books for a specific activity to avoid any locking issues, for example a separate planning book to release forecast from DP to SNP, perform statistical forecasting. Use transaction /SAPAPO/TSOBJ to migrate the planning books and data views.

Tips:

• Navigate planning book/ data view creation by using the ‘Continue’ buttons and not by navigating through the tabs directly
• While defining a data view for a planning book, maintain “table2” setting in data view tab to activate an alternate table to view the dependent demand for bill of material (BOM) scenarios. This setting cannot be maintained once a data view is configured and saved.
• Refer to OSS Note 40034 for authorizations in APO demand planning.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Current settings > Define Planning Book
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/SDP8B
• Tables: /SAPAPO/PBMVW, /SAPAPO/PBDVW

Maintaining Macros for Planning Books

Create macros for calculating purposes and updating calculated key figures in the planning book. For example, it can be a simple one like to add the values of two rows or it can be complex using your own logic with specific programming steps. Macros are automatically transported along with planning books and data views using transaction /SAPAPO/TSOBJ.

Tips:

• Ensure that the expert mode is switched on in the settings menu to view all the fields on the attribute screens of macro elements.
• You can test macros prior to deploying them, for more information and restrictions, see SAP Note 893691.
• You can use the Versions feature of Macros. This means that you can create back-up versions of a macro book. You can then continue making changes to macros. If you then decide to reject these changes later, you can then revert to a previous version.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Current settings > Macro Workbench
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/ADVM
• Tables: /SAPAPO/PBMADVM, /SAPAPO/ADMAKRO

Assign Planning Books to Users

This step is required to assign default planning books to users for the first time, this can also be used as a basis for limiting planning books/ data views that can be accessed by a user (instead of using authorization objects/ profiles).

Tips:

• If this default value is not maintained, users get a message when they try to access the Planning book for the first time. Clicking no gives an error – “Error generating a program for the selection tool Message no. /SAPAPO/MSDP_SH016”. To fix this create an entry in transaction /SAPAPO/SDP20, another alternative is to activate the 9ADPBAS Planning Object Structure.
• Refer to OSS Notes 400434, 458127, 445837, 417593 and 382509

Navigation and Tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Current Settings > Assign Users to Planning Book
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/SDPPLBK
• Tables: /SAPAPO/PBDVWSEL

Maintain Selections

Selection IDs can be used to filter the data and reduce the data displayed at a time in the planning book. Note that during interactive planning the selection ids not just limit the data displayed but also the set of data worked upon – if a change is made in a key figure value at an aggregate level, then that change is propagated down only to CVCs limited by the selection id. Navigational attributes that are part of a planning book can be used as filter criteria in selection IDs.

Tips:

• If two planning books are based on the same planning area, you can use report /SAPAPO/SELECTION_COPY to copy the profile for an individual user or the master profile from one planning book to the another.
• Refer to OSS Note 376383 and 374681 for more details on selection management

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Planning > Interactive Demand Planning
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/SDP94

OR

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Current Settings > Maintain Selection Assignments
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MC77
• Tables: /SAPAPO/TS_SEL*

Maintain Selection Profiles

In this step you maintain selection profiles (including the master selection profile) to group selection IDs together. In Interactive Demand Planning the user can (if authorized) maintain their respective selection profiles. In /SAPAPO/MC77 you can create new profiles and maintain master selection organization, also in transaction /SAPAPO/SDP94 the user can only modify their respective selection profiles.

Tips:

• Selection profiles can have different selection IDs for different Planning Book. When maintaining selection profiles for a planning book you can choose to pull across selections only for the planning book or all selections (selections defined for planning books linked to the same Planning Object Structure).
• Refer OSS Note 1405656 for the conditions related to selection shuffler

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Current Settings > Maintain Selection Assignments
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MC77

Or

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Planning > Interactive Demand Planning
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/SDP94

Maintaining User Settings for Interactive Planning

These settings can be used to define pivot sorting, navigational paths, etc. for navigation in Interactive Demand Planning. Can also be used to restrict toolbar actions to users.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Current Settings > User Settings for Interactive Planning
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/SDPUSET

Maintaining Planning Book Display <-> Change Default

Use this setting, users are defaulted to the display mode when they use transaction /SAPAPO/SDP94 becausee user in edit mode in the planning book lock the planning area (for the selected CVCs).

Tips:

• To avoid locking, default should be set to display. Either set parameter described here or implement BADI ‘/SAPAPO/SDP_INTERACT’ user parameter /SAPAPO/SDP94_D_MODE should be set to ‘X’ for all DP users.
• Refer OSS Note 401830 and 350065

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Menu Bar > User Profile > Own Data (Parameters)
• Transaction Code: SU3

Demand Planning – Statistical Forecasting Profiles, Selections

The forecasting strategy determines the method or the techniques that are used to create the forecast. You set the forecast strategy in the forecast profile.

Let us review the configurations to implement and how to select appropriate strategy in your statistical forecasting process.

Maintain Customer-Specific Settings for Outlier Correction

In this activity you can edit the settings for outlier correction with the ex-post method. These settings are saved user- specifically.

Tips:

• Create default settings DEFAULT_USER so that system uses this when you do not enter any settings for a user explicitly.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: SAP IMG > Advanced Planning & Optimization > Supply Chain Planning > Demand Planning > Basic Settings > Maintain Customer-Specific Settings for Outlier Correction
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/FCSTOUTL
• Tables: /SAPAPO/FCSTOUTL

Maintain Diagnosis Groups

A diagnosis group is used to control how much error could you accept during forecast. You specify an upper limit for each kind of forecast error. During forecast calculation, if one of the calculated forecast errors value exceeds the upper limit you specified, the forecast will not be generated (saved), and you can get an alert if you want (by specifying “Alerts, if forecast cannot be made” in the Diagnosis group).

Diagnosis Groups together the upper limits of the univariate forecast errors that help you evaluate the quality of the univariate forecast.

Tips:

• If you do not specify a diagnosis group, the forecast is always saved, no matter how high the errors are.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: SAP Menu > Advanced Planning & Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Maintain Forecast Profiles
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MC96B

Maintain Univariate Forecast Profiles

Maintain the parameters for univariate forecasting, specific values should be according to your business inputs and product types

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: SAP Menu > Advanced Planning & Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Maintain Forecast Profiles
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MC96B
• Tables: /SAPAPO/DP440P

Maintain Master Forecast Profiles

In this process, you create the forecast profiles on which automatic calculation of the forecast is based. Forecast profiles contain the information that the system requires to carry out a forecast based on a forecast model.

Tips:

• The system records the last forecast profile to be used with a selection under: Goto Assignment, you can override this setting in the following ways
  • In interactive planning, by running the forecast again 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 profile.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: SAP Menu > Advanced Planning & Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Maintain Forecast Profiles
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MC96B
• Tables: /SAPAPO/DP440P

Maintain Selections for Forecasting

You use this feature to decide which forecast profile to use based on a selection. For instance, if one product is best described using a trend model and another by a seasonal model, you can define the corresponding forecasting models and assign them to the relevant selections. This selection is based on planning areas.

This function in general runs in the background, so that the user rarely needs to use it. It is used both in interactive planning and background processing. The system automatically generates a table for storing selections when you create a planning area. When you make a valid selection in interactive planning, the system makes an entry in the table, if the selection does not already exist in the table. In this case the system generates a description for the selection. Alternatively, you can edit selections yourself.

In background processing the system checks during processing whether the current selection corresponds to a selection that has been assigned a forecasting profile. This profile is then used to forecast the selection. This overrides the profile specified for the background job.

In interactive planning you can decide how the system saves selections that it generates:

1. Save assignment of forecast profile to selection
2. The system saves the assignment of the profile to the selection and uses the selection to select the forecast profile. If you make changes to the profile, these changes are saved in the original profile when you save the forecast. This is the default.
3. Save assignment in new forecast profile
4. The system saves the assignment of the profile to the selection and uses the selection to select the forecast profile. If you make changes to the profile, the system creates a new profile with an internal GUID when you save the forecast.
5. Do not save assignment of forecast profiles

Tips:

• To save user-specific settings, that is another option as the default, in user maintenance enter the parameters /SAPAPO/FCST_GUIDS for the second option or /SAPAPO/PRPFL_NOTSAV for the third option and enter the vale ‘X’. If you set both parameters, the system does not save assignment and forecast profile.
• Statistical Forecasting is not expected to be used widely due to the low volume of sales for most businesses. For products that will use statistical forecasting, planning book selections should be created and assigned to background jobs.
• Refer to OSS Note 376383 for more information.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Administration of Demand Planning and Supply Network Planning (Planning Area – Menu – Selection Management)
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MSDP_ADMIN

OR

• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/SDP_SEL
• Tables: /1APO/S100000059, /1APO/T100000059 (Tables are generated for each activated planning area)

Assign Forecast Profiles to Selections

You use this feature to decide which forecast profile to use based on a selection. For instance, if one product is best described using a trend model and another by a seasonal model, you can define the corresponding forecasting models and assign them to the relevant selections. This selection is based on planning areas.

Tips:

• The generated selection table does not contain any fields for navigation attributes; therefore, forecast profiles for selections that contain restrictions with navigation attributes cannot be assigned either. An exception to this is where the relevant basic characteristic is also restricted at the same time as the navigation attribute.
• You can use the method SEL_CHANGE of the BadI /SAPAPO/SDP_FCST5 to process the selection before saving it to the generated selection tables. This allows you to save selections with navigation attributes, for example, where the selections do not have a specified basis characteristic. You simply need to delete the navigation attributes from the selection.
• Mass maintenance using transaction MASSD is also supported.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: SAP Menu > Advanced Planning & Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Assign Forecast Profiles to Selection
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MSDP_FCST2
• Tables: /SAPAPO/DP_FCST2

Demand Planning – Activities and Jobs for Background Run

Typically, it takes couple of days to complete the forecasting process In SAP APO demand planning module, where multiple people are involved to analyze and perform the activities. One of the effective ways Is to sequence the activities Involved using process chains and execute in background so that the planners focus on the results and make necessary adjustment.

Defining Activities for Mass Processing

Mass processing allows you to create demand forecasts for large numbers of products while optimizing system resources. All mass processing jobs run in the background at a time you specify.

Tips:

• Include multiple actions one activity to account for multiple release/ transfer profiles, for example calculating macros and releasing concensus demand plan to both SNP active version 000 and also to ECC in parallel
• If any user is in edit mode on the planning book then process chain will fail so develop a program or with an implementation of BADI /SAPAPO/SDP_INTERACT to see if any process chains are running and use method DVIEW_DISPLAY_MODE_SET to disable the ‘Edit mode’ icon on the planning books if process chains are in progress

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Planning > Demand Planning in The Background > Define activities for Mass Processing
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MC8T

Create Demand Planning Jobs for Background Processing

This steps is continuation of the above step for the mass processing jobs set up having specific filter criteria and aggregation levels.

Tips:

• Create separate jobs for group of similar products or plants, this help In trouble shooting Incase if job fails.
• Use process chain to run multiple jobs with your own defined sequence.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Planning > Demand Planning in The Background > Create Demand Planning in the Background
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MC8D

Schedule Demand Planning in the Background

Schedule the jobs created in previous step at specific times so that the users get the latest data to perform demand planning. Provide the job names to users and educate the purpose of the job and methods to review the results In Interactive planning book

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Planning > Demand Planning in The Background > Create Demand Planning in the Background
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MC8G

Demand Planning – Consensus Forecast Release to SAP ECC and APO SNP

Demand planning is the critical step in Sales and Operation Planning (S&OP) process where the output called as “consensus forecast” should be released to both APO SNP active version (000) to sync up the data and also to SAP ECC system to execute material requirements planning (MRP)

Let us review the configurations required to perform this activity on a periodic basis.

Maintain Period Split Profiles

Transfer Profiles are used to release APO DP forecasts to ECC.

Tips:

• Customer specific enhancements can be via BADI /SAPAPO/SDP_RELDATA , program /SAPAPO/RTSOUTPUT_FCST
• Refer to OSS Note 403050, recommendaitons on the release from DP to SNP

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Current Settings > Maintain Period Split Profile
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/SDP_SPLIT

Maintain Release Profiles

Release Profiles are used to release APO DP forecasts to SNP or PP/DS for supply planning. Generally, the unconstrained demand plans will be sent to SNP simulation version to perform what-if simulations

Tips:

• Release to SNP should be at planning product/ shipping location level.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Maintain Release Profiles
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MC8S

Maintain Transfer Profiles

Transfer Profiles are used to release APO DP forecasts to ECC. Unconstrained demand plan is adjusted based on the supply planning inputs to come up with the consensus plan, which should be released to ECC as planned independent requirements (PIRs).

Tips:

• The requirement type of the forecast quantity is picked up based on the ECC planning stratagy, here you can overwrite to the specific requirement types based on your business scenario.

Navigation and tables:

• Menu: Advanced Planning and Optimization > Demand Planning > Environment > Maintain Transfer Profiles
• Transaction Code: /SAPAPO/MC8U

Maintain Application Log Objects

Here you should maintain additional entries of your custom enhancements for which your need application logs for reporting or troubleshooting purpose only, for example you may have custom program used to create characteristics value combinations (CVC) based on shipping or booking history and would like to review the logs for trouble shooting purpose.

Navigation and Tables:

• Menu: SAP Menu > Tools > ABAP Workbench > Development > Other Tools > Application Log
• Transaction Code: SLG0
• Tables: BALOBJ, BALSUB

What Does This Mean for the SAPinsider Community?

Information mentioned in this article is applicable to small-, medium- and large-sized organizations. Based on these guidelines, SAPinsiders should make the following considerations in order to  get maximum value from SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization demand planning functionalities.

• Both business and IT teams should work collaboratively to identify what data should be eliminated. SAP ECC or other ERP systems are system of records for both mater and transaction data so the APO project teams should make thorough assessments on the finished product’s historical data and pattern and develop the data extraction process with relevant aggregation to use for demand planning. The first step is to understand that what data is not required to extract to APO cubes so that only relevant information is available for analysis.
• Demand planning platform should be agile to adopt constantly changing organizational structure and products. Demand planning is an important step of sales and operations planning (S&OP) to achieve balance between sales, marketing, and operations with output as one set of agreed forecast numbers called ‘consensus forecast’ so it is vital to design the configurations mentioned in this article such that they are easily managed or enhanced with the changes in organizations. For example, the forecasting processes should be able to accommodate newly acquired plants, new product introductions, separate out obsolescence products.
• Develop methods to clean up obsolete data and measure forecast accuracy/bias. Configure your SAP APO DP system for recognizing history data and perform realignment of the characteristics value combinations (CVCs) such that the planning levels are accurate, including reporting of forecast accuracy and bias, because ultimately demand planners are responsible to justify the forecast generated with underlying assumptions.

Management or functional consultants can use this as checklist and explore further to tailor the demand planning configurations to their business needs.