No confirmation on Product Allocation

[Former Member]

We are using GATP with RBA and I have configured PAL as the second step in the checking instructions, but when I enter a sales order and do the availabality check, the product allocation does not come through on the delivery porposal screen.  I get the message "Product of item 000010 not allocated".  I have set up the product allocation check without direct check of the planning area.  I have transferred the  allocation quantities to the product allocation group.  When I look at the Allocation Overview there is no allocation quantities against the characteristics.  Not sure where it goes wrong.  Any ideas ?

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Janet,

Have you updated the product master of this order in SCM for allocation?

Best Regards,

DB49

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

I entered the Allocation Procedure and Procedure Sequence under the cross location section of the Product Master of the material/plant where the sales order is placed, is that correct?  In the specific check there is no stock at the delivery plant of the sales order and it is sourcing the stock from a different plant.  We are still investigating the use of GATP and Product Allocation with it, so I set everything up according to config guides and some information I got on forums and the SAP GATP: Functionality and Config book.  I have only one allocation procedure and sequence and created characteristic combinations only for this product and customer combination and 2 others, and entered allocations for them on the planning book. Then I transferred the allocation to the allocation group.  I do not have plant/location as a characteristic of my allocation group.  Is that a problem? Thanks, Janet

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Janet,

I entered the Allocation Procedure and Procedure Sequence under the cross location section of the Product Master of the material/plant where the sales order is placed, is that correct?

Depends upon your design, it is probably OK.   It is an easy test, to enter the Proc/seq into loc dependent fields; delete from x-location fields, and then re-try.

 I have only one allocation procedure and sequence and created characteristic combinations only for this product and customer combination and 2 others, and entered allocations for them on the planning book. Then I transferred the allocation to the allocation group.  I do not have plant/location as a characteristic of my allocation group.  Is that a problem?

Probably not a problem, depending upon the rest of your Allocation design. Plant is only necessary in your design if you wish to allocate by plant in addition to your other Characteristics.  I am sure that you know that you also have to transfer the CVCs to the Allocation Group, and you should create your collective characteristics in the Allocation Group,  and then ensure that the CVCs and  allocation valuses are all perfectly synch'ed with your Planning Area.

Did you create a new customized characteristic in your Planning Area for 'Product', or did you use the SAP standard 9AMATNR?

In general, if you don't have plenty of Allocation experience, you would be wise to temporarily turn off RBA and just use product check and allocation, until product check and allocation are fully debugged.

Best regards,

DB49

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

I think I transferred the CVCs to the allocation group (see pic) and just re-created the collective characteristic.

How do I ensure that the CVCs and allocation values are in synch with the Planning Area ?

I used 9AMATNR.  I first used a customized characteristic and then deleted everything and then created everything again with 9AMATNR.

I just tested the cross-location vs location dependent - it makes no difference.

Thanks for all your input.

Janet

[satish_waghmare3 · Accepted solution]

Hello Janet,

When Sales Order  ATP Check is done, Are you still getting the same message as "Product of item 000010 not allocated"? If yes, then given Product/Location combination is still not active for Product Allocation Check.

Please check any leading zeroes etc for Product and Location code used in Sales Order and Allocation CVCs in PAG etc.

Also, please check transaction code /sapapo/ac42 to see whether Allocation Qty is transferred from Planning area into PAG or not?

Thank you

Satish

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Janet,

I don't see any collective characteristics in your Allocation Group.  What is the character you are using for the 'collective' symbol?  (/SAPAPO/ATPQ_COLLECT)

I assume that the 2nd characteristic in your screenshot is your Customer, yes?  These are not normally 6 characters long, they are usually longer (length usually 20).  Are you using custom characteristics?

How do I ensure that the CVCs and allocation values are in synch with the Planning Area ?

You synchronize your Allocation Group to your Planning Area by copying back and forth.

You copy CVCs from Allocation Group to PA using /SAPAPO/ATPQ_PAREA_C

You copy Data from allocation Group to PA using /SAPAPO/ATPQ_PAREA_W

You copy CVCs from Planning Area to Allocatiuon Group using /SAPAPO/ATPQ_PAREA_K

You copy Data from Planning Area to Allocation Group using /SAPAPO/ATPQ_PAREA_R

Best Regards,

DB49

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

I will have to go through all the steps again, because I get "No allocations are defined for the current characteristics combination" when i run /sapapo/ac42.

In the building block S59 Demand Planning for Product Allocation in the section "Check Product Allocation Settings" is says:"You can ignore the following warning messages: The lengths of characteristic KUNNR and the info object 9ACUST_NO differ".

Do I have to adjust the leading zeros in an exit or use some routine to correct the leading zeros so that all my customer 'fields' have the same number of characters/leading zeros between the sales order, PAG and CVC ?

Thanks

Janet

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

I am using 9ACUST_NO in the planning object structure and KUNNR in the Product Allocation Group and as I responded to Satish as well, am not sure whether I have to do anything to synch them up because the Config guide said I can ignore the warning message "The lengths of characteristic KUNNR and the info object 9ACUST_NO differ."

I used the collective character * in /SAPAPO/ATPQ_COLLECT, but I see now when I run it with Test ticked I get the result in the display, but when I run it without the tick in Test, I just get the 3 CVCs I have already created ?  Am I using the transaction wrong ?

Thanks

Janet

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Janet,

When you create the CVCs for the KUNNR, you generally pad the customer number with leading zeroes to bring the length of the customer number up to 20. You only have to do this each time you add new CVCs (in most companies this happens only once a week or once a month, and is part of the end user 'work instructions').  There is little profit in employing a userexit to strip the leading zeroes from the sales order structure, since this would further complicate the solution.

Best Regards,

DB49.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Satish

I ran /sapapo/ac42 again after I transferred the data from the planning area to the PAG again.

When I choose option Characteristics Combination per Period, there is nothing, but under the option Time Series per Characteristics Combin.  I get the CVCs but withou the allocation - see image.

I have a planning area with time series, so I should be using the option Time Series per CVC - or is it supposed to show me the allocation under the CVC per period option as well ?

Thanks

Janet

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

Thanks for your quick response.  I created another CVC in the planning area padding the customer number to the legth it allowed me to - 10.  Inserted some allocation for the new CVC in the planning area.  Transferred the CVC and then the data from the planning area to the allocation group.  But when I run /sapapo/ac42 I have no allocation qty for my CVC?

Thanks

Janet

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Janet,

First correct your KUNNR characteristic.  It should be '00000000000000820184' as I mentioned earlier; and not '820184'.  All of your soldtos should be padded in this way.

You can review the list of CVCs that exist after creating the collective characteristics within the Product allocation group by using /SAPAPO/ATPQ_CHKCHAR.

Once your list of CVCs is fully maintained, don't forget to copy them back into the Planning Area.

Best Regards,

DB49

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Janet,

The info you are conveying is not consistent with your earlier assertions.  Lets start back at the very beginning.

In ERP, VA02 > perform an ATP.  Please post the screen shot of your results.  If the product allocation button is available, click on this button and post a second screenshot.  If not, click on the Check Instructions button and post that screenshot.

Best Regards,

DB49

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

The result from the check look like this:

When I click on the Product Allocation button I get:

The check instructions look like this:

But the check instructions on the plant where the stock is sourced from looks like this:

(Is this the problem ?  Do I have to change the checking group for the material/plant combination where the stock is sourced to follow the rules-based check ?)

Thanks

Janet

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Janet,

As I suggested before, TURN OFF RBA until allocation and product check are fully debugged.  It takes 10 times as long to troubleshoot a complex GATP solution unless you are an expert.  I am not inclined to troubleshoot your entire solution in a forum post.  For this you would normally engage a consultant.

The message "Product of Item 0000010 not allocated" often means that the product master does not have the allocation entries.  In your 0103 check, I also notice that product allocation is not even turned on.

In the S59 BP doc you have mentioned, the warning about the KUNNR and 9ACUST_NO (which is ship-to) can be ignored because in their scenario they are using alphanumeric Ship-Tos (C61998, C61999, C6100).  In your case, your Ship-Tos are totally numeric.  I suggest you use an alphanumeric Ship-To in ERP, or create a new Characteristic for your Planning area with a field length that is identical to KUNNR (20 Char).  Alternatively, it might be possible to alter the field length of KUNNR to 10, or otherwise change the way that ERP sends across numeric data, but these alternatives might affect other solutions that are currently in place.

The field length problem MAY NOT NEED TO BE SOLVED, depending upon the settings in RBA.  You first have to isolate and solve all Product allocation issues before moving onto RBA issues.

Best Regards,

DB49

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi

I have to do a demo of RBA tomorrow afternoon, and don't want to change my current configuration now, so will switch of RBA after the demo and then try debugging product allocation again.  In the meantime I am going to test what will happen if I change the ATP check and add the Product Allocation Check to the product/location where the material is sourced.

Thanks for all the advice, I understand the functions for loading to and from planning area much better now, and you have given me much to think about.

Janet

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Janet,

Good luck on the Demo!

Best Regards,

DB49

[Former Member]

Hi,
  Well then, in product allocation for each procedure use a unique group and object. That should work.

[Former Member]

Hi Janet,
    May I know for what reason you are using sequence and if possible can I see the Step and control of the procedures which you have listed in the Sequence?

Regards,
NP

[Former Member]

Hi

Not sure whether the functionality is suitable for what we want to use it for.  We want to do a stock check across locations and also want the forecast on a material and customer available on order entry to the sales consultant.  We are using RBA to do the checking for stock across locations and I want to test the use of product allocation to make the forecast available during order entry.  I am thinking of copying the forecast into the allocation planning area, and then with product allocation to have it in the delivery proposal.  I will do some screen shots of the step and control later today and post it here.

Thanks

Janet

[Former Member]

Hi!!,
  Why dont you use Basic Method Check against Forecast and RBA?

[Former Member]

Nihar,

Although I don't know Janet's entire list of business requirements, it sounds to me pretty important that the client wants to do a product check, at a minimum.  Forecast check ignores availability of product.  If product check were important, it would be necessary to do product check, then forecast (or vice versa).

Forecast checks are anonymous, not customer specific.  If there is a requirement to divide the product sales by customer or other sales-related factor, then allocation is probably more suitable.

Best Regards,

DB49

[Former Member]

Hi DB and NH

We have a requirement for our export sales department to see the stock available at different plants during order processing, to facilitate the movement of the stock when it is sourced from a different plant to the export warehouse where the containers are loaded, to see the forecast available for the product/customer during order capturing.  Scheduling must also take place to ensure the stock is all at the export warehouse before the order is to be shipped.  There is also a requirement to have different lead times for different customers.  (ie contractually some customers expect shipment 3 weeks after their order is placed, others 5 weeks).  The forecast should not block the order from being processed but be available for their information and if possible give a warning when the sales exceed the forecast.  Ideally they would want the warning to kick off a work process where the forecasting/planning department are notified by e-mail or another method that the sales are exceeding the forecast (alerts maybe ?).  2nd phase we would also like to kick off planned production if the stock is not available and also allow a product substitution - where a 12 pack of wines (that's what we sell) can be substituted by a 6 pack for example.

There is also a requirement for the warehouse to know which sales order kicked of the STO when it gets to the export warehouse, without using MTO strategies in the SAP environment.

At present they use SAP reports and displays to see what stock is available and what the forecast is at different plants.  If stock is sourced from a different plant they put it on a excel spreadsheet and a SAP user accesses the spreadsheet and creates manual STOs to move the stock.

So I think the closest fit to our requirement is a rules-based check with a stock transfer, product allocation for the forecast and scheduling with the condition technique.

I have managed to get the location substitution, the creation of the purchase req and the scheduling correct.  We used some exits to add the sales order number on the purchase req when it gets created.  We also use pegging in APO, so if a sales item is deleted the correponding pur req is also deleted. I have not managed to get product allocation working though.

We have quite a few other challenges as well.

Firstly the biggest portion of our products are wines, which is managed with a customised solution where the wine is planned on a planning product on APO and transacted on the actual vintage year on SAP.  With user exits in the CIF to accumulate the vintage wines onto the planning wine in APO.  And to convert the planned data back onto the vintage coming back from APO to SAP.

We are aware that this is blocking us from using standard solutions, but it has worked fine for the company upto now.  We have however not been able to find sufficient exits in GATP to facilitate the changeover between planned and vintage product.

So for now the project is at a stalemate.  If we want to progress with GATP we will probably first have to find a standard solution for our wines - Planning product possibly.

Secondly, the company do not want to use MTO strategies, but once the stock moves into the export warehouse it actually becomes a MTO environment in the sense that the stock which was sourced for a sales order is linked to the sales order through process and some customisations on SAP.

My task was/is to see what functionality is available and make suggestions and demo the available functionality in our context.

Thanks for all your help.

Very much appreciated.

Janet

[Former Member]

Hi

And maybe I should also mention that we use APO DP and SNP for forecasting, production and distribution planning..  All the forecast for export is done on a customer/product level and that is the level it has to be checked at against the sales.

Janet

[Former Member]

Janet,

Your voluminous descriptions include topics that exceed the number of topics that can reasonably addressed in a single post.

So, let us proceed to your original topic:  Allocation doesn't work.  Now that your presentation is done, are you prepared to turn off RBA to begin the troubleshooting process?

Best Regards,

DB49

[sourabh_jain66]

Hi,

To solve the issue of no allocation using RBA and allocation together, can you check using field of rule_matnr in your allocation group instead of just matnr.

other then this, i don't think there should be any problem, regarding leading zeros and cvc maintainance at ship to level, if you use alpha as a conversion routine in your infoobject for ship to it should take care of cvc adjustment for required no. of zeros.

Do let me know if this helps

Rgds

Sourabh

[Former Member]

Hi Sourabh

I am using RULE_MATNR, but just saw that my info object for customer do not have a conversion routine on - assumed they all had one on.  I am going to try and get allocation working without RBA as DB suggested.

Thanks

janet

[Former Member]

Hi

I am going to try and get allocation working without RBA.

Thanks for all the info and help.

Janet