MRP type P2 or P4 equivalent in SCM APO SNP

[Former Member]

Dear all,

In ECC we always used MRP type P2 (firming without order proposal) and P4 for planning materials.

Now we have switched to SNP heuristic planning we are looking for similar functionality. We are particularly keen on the functionality from P2 and P4 that no order propasals are created in or at the end of the planning time fence. Shortages within the planning time fence were disregarded if they were solved before the end of the planning time fence.

In SNP we have the following problem:

We have a stock tranfer horizon (STH)  of 100 days. Within this STH we go below our safety stock from day 50 onwards. This is handled by the planners because they managed to procure some materials that will arrive on day 60.

However, after the SNP heuristic run SAP generates a purchase requisition at the end of the STH to solve this (virtual shortage that's already solved). As a consequence we are overstocked. In the past, when we used ECC MRP planning, with type P2 or P4 we didn't have this issue as the shortage situation within the planning time fence was not adjusted.

Does anybody know what settings we can change in SNP to solve this?

Kind regards,

Peter

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Peter,

I am not a real expert in this area, but If I understood correctly, your SNP run is giving you the PR to procure the shortage.  Why would your Planner use a adhoc PO/Order to back-fill the shortage on 60th Day.

I will leave to APO experts to confirm if we have P2 / P4 MRP type function in SNP , per my understanding SNP does work the way ECC MRP works. But there are similarity.

Can your planner use the same PR to get the material into the system.

Can you re-think / propose more frequent DP-->SNP run so that the change in stock situation is caught by the system. 

Alternatively, can you try to delete the proposed PR. 

Thx

MJ

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi MJ,

Thanks.

I tried to keep the description of the problem simple, but maybe it requires more explanation.

The planners cannot delete the purchase requisition as it is a deployed purchase requisition. Deployed, based on a process order in the factory that's the first shackle in the upstream supply chain. Based on this process order, further purchase orders for dependent process orders and purchase orders have been created further up the supply chain.

We don't want to move all these orders around because of limitations of the SAP SNP system.

What we want is that the system does not create purchase requisitions at the end of the stock transfer horizon because of a shortage that already has been solved (but a little bit too late) within the stock transfer horizon.

Kind regards

P

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Patrick,

We may have to look @ the complete picture:

The DP run frequency and Horizon

SNP-run Frequency and Horizon

PP/DS-run Frequency  or the Process Order Release frequency in ECC.

If we do a bit more sequencing on time scale, we may be able to Catch this upfront via SNP simulation. Can I suggest to increase the Safety Stock qty or the min/Max qty.  Also, are you taking advantage of Alerts. In ECC may want to request Planner look @ MD04 exceptions.  I am sure Planner will have a process to drop process Order release in case of a real Order cancellation. I would wait for some more experts to comments for different view point and approach.

Thx

MJ

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

While MJ is rightly probing into details from business process re-engineering perspective, I just wanted to put a quick idea on the table - if nothing, at least it will give Patrick some clues.

What if we adjusted the macro that calculates supply shortage or 'net requirements' for SNP so that it will look at overall supply shortage situation at the end of the STH and if there is no cumulative shortage, then all time buckets within the STH will be updated with zero supply shortage or whatever KF that represents net requirements picked up by SNP?

Like I said, I am not too excited about this idea but just wanted others to consider it and comment.

Thanks

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Thanks "SAP APO",

This is the kind of answer I'm looking for, although I consider this more a system tweak than standard configuration. I'm still wondering if there's no setting available in the standard system (product master, customizing or heuristic setting) that could solve our problem. Like the P2 MRP type setting in the ECC material master.

Kind regards,

Patrick

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Patrick,

I'd think so too. There is generally more than one way to skin a cat.

While you are right that this is considered a system tweak, but in SNP, as I gather from this wonderful forum, that SNP macro tweaking in not that uncommon. Still such tweaks  have to be avoided and we must look hard elsewhere several times. Who know you'll need the standard functionality down-the-line.

In this particular example though, the change is not that dramatic, we are only implementing our business logic. I think if we used CTM, we could set the dynamic pegging so a late receipt can cover an earlier demand - and therefore not generate new requirements, But I guess you want it to work for SNP which does not support pegging..

I don't have access to the system right now but will look into it over the next couple of days.